week7 CNN Student News

Task1 -Gates calls Pakistan 'most worrisome'-

Gates said the United States had a similar perch in Pakistan when U.S. and Pakistani officials supported Afghanistan's mujahedeen rebels against the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

The Pentagon is in the process of sending an additional 17,000 troops to Afghanistan.

Karzai is the country's first popularly elected president and has said he intends to run for a second term.

President Barack Obama was highly critical of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, which he called a "strategic blunder" during the 2008 campaign. Because of that, Abercrombie said, "He's very, very wary of committing the same kind of tragic move in Afghanistan."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/01/us.afghanistan/index.html?iref=mpstoryview


Task2 -Venezuelan leader orders troops to take over rice plants-

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has ordered troops to immediately take over rice-processing plants in his country, accusing some businesses of ignoring prices set by the government.

What are some of the sectors of the agricultural industry doing? They buy rice from producers, and they don't want to produce regulated rice," Chavez said in a televised address Saturday.

Since winning re-election in 2006, Chavez launched a campaign to nationalize strategic segments of Venezuela's economy, including cement companies, a steel mill and oil ventures.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/03/01/venezuela.chavez.troops.rice/index.html?iref=mpstoryview#cnnSTCVideo


Task3 -Topless coffee shop a hit in small Maine town-

In a town with fewer than 4,500 residents, the topless coffee shop is booming with business. Paul Crabtree, the owner's brother, describes business so far as "fantastic."

Donald Crabtree faced initial opposition to his plan, but he won the right to go ahead in a planning board hearing last week.

The flood of job applications -- more than 150 -- for Grand View Topless Coffee Shop reflected the rough job market.

Although the topless coffee shop has been open less than a week, Crabtree said he is already seeing regulars. Customers include a variety of individuals, but mainly couples and females.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/27/topless.coffee.shop/index.html?iref=mpstoryview#cnnSTCVideo