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1. Chief Justice nominee John Roberts says he'll decide right-to-die cases using the law not his personal views as his guide.
2. Al-Qaida in Iraq claims responsibility for more than a dozen blasts in Baghdad, killing at least 160 people, wounding at least 570.
3. At the UN, President Bush presses skeptical world leaders to crack down on terrorism and urges compassion for the needy .
4. Louisiana nursing home owners are charged with homicide for not evacuating elderly patients later killed by Hurricane Katrina’s floodwaters.
5. And Indonesian police leave Aceh province, in the most delicate phase of accord to end one of Asia’s longest running wars.
WORDS IN THE NEWS
1. sceptical
sceptical
If you are sceptical about something, you have doubts about it.
Other archaeologists are sceptical about his findings.
...scientists who are sceptical of global warming and its alleged consequences...
The party has always had a cautious and sceptical attitude to Europe.
ADJ-GRADED: oft v-link ADJ about/of n (AM) skeptical
= dubious
sceptically
I looked at him skeptically, sure he was exaggerating.
`What's your point?' demanded the old man sceptically.
ADV-GRADED: ADV after v
= dubiously
2. crack down
crack down cracks down; cracking down; cracked down
If people in authority crack down on a group of people, they become stricter in making the group obey rules or laws.
The government has cracked down hard on those campaigning for greater democracy.
There has been a lot of drinking. We are cracking down now. Anyone who gets caught is fired.
PHR-V
= clamp down
See also crackdown.
3. needy
needy needier neediest
Needy people do not have enough food, medicine, or clothing, or adequate houses.
...a multinational force aimed at ensuring that food and medicine get to needy Somalis.
ADJ-GRADED: usu ADJ n
= impoverished
+ needy
The needy are people who are needy.
There will be efforts to get larger amounts of food to the needy.
N-PLURAL: the N
4. homicide
homicide homicides
Homicide is the illegal killing of a person. (mainly AM; in BRIT usually use murder)
The police arrived at the scene of the homicide.
N-VAR
= murder |