CNN 2009-04-05

Hi, everyone! I'm Asieh Namdar at the CNN.com newsroom in Atlanta. Here's a look at what's happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

A shooting standoff in Pittsburgh has reportedly turned deadly. WTAE and WPXI-TV report two police officers have died after being shot in a standoff at a house. Reports say two others were wounded. Both stations also report the suspect has now surrendered. It all began when police responded to a domestic call this morning, the gunman and at least one other person were apparently¹ holed up inside the house. A police SWAT team, negotiators were sent to the site, one local affiliate² reported as many as 80 shots fired between people in the house and police officers.

NATO allies in Afghanistan are committing 3,000 combat troops and 400 more paramilitary trainers to the fight against Taliban. President Obama says it shows the alliance is committed to the goals he has set for Afghanistan. He already had ordered the deployment⁴ of 21,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan next year and that includes 17,000 combat forces.

North Korea may be ready to fire off a rocket. This is a satellite image of the launch pad. The launch window opened and closed today with no action. Officials in neighboring South Korea suspect bad weather and poor planning delay the launch, but it's still too early to tell. But tomorrow could see North Korea launching what they're calling a satellite, but the U.S. and its allies in that region believe it's a test of a long-range ballistic missile.

It's the beginning of the end for the college basketball season. This weekend Detroit hosts the NCAA Final Four. At first night, Michigan State appearing in its fifth Final Four in eleven years. It will have a home-court advantage as they go head-to-head with the top-seeded UConn in the first semifinal. The highly-favored North Carolina Tar³ Heels take on the Villanova Wildcats in the second game of the night. The Tar Heels are making their record 18th appearance in the Final Four.

And those are the headlines this hour. For more on these stories and other news of the day, CNN is your source on live, on TV or when you on the go.

1 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

2 affiliate   

vt.使隶(附)属于；n.附属机构，分公司

参考例句：

• Our New York company has an affiliate in Los Angeles.我们的纽约公司在洛杉矶有一个下属企业。
• What is the difference between affiliate and regular membership?固定会员和附属会员之间的区别是什么？

3 tar   

n.柏油，焦油；vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于

参考例句：

• The roof was covered with tar.屋顶涂抹了一层沥青。
• We use tar to make roads.我们用沥青铺路。

4 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。