03 June, 2015
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that the military campaign to stop the Islamic State group has killed more than 10,000 of its fighters in less than a year.
His comments to France's Inter radio came a day after he and officials from other coalition partners met in Paris with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to discuss their strategy to fight the Islamic State group.
The U.S. began leading a campaign of airstrikes against Islamic State targets last August in support of Iraqi ground troops.
Gunmen Kill 2 Egyptian police officers near pyramids
Gunmen on a motorbike shot and killed two policemen Wednesday, near Egypt's famous pyramids. The attack came a day after a hearing to confirm death sentences against top Muslim Brotherhood leaders was postponed by a Cairo court.
The shooting took place during the daytime in an area full of activity, near Egypt's grand pyramids in Giza. Witnesses said three gunmen opened fire on members of Egypt's tourist police, killing one instantly. A second officer died at a local hospital. The gunmen fled on their motorbike.
South Korea: Test shows missile can hit ‘any target' in North Korea.
South Korea said it has tested a ballistic missile capable of hitting any target in North Korea, in what is seen as a response to recent military aggression by Pyongyang.
Seoul defense officials said President Park Geun-hye watched over the successful launch Wednesday in the southern part of South Korea. The missile has a range of 500 kilometers and can hit anywhere in North Korea. Officials also say the technology will be deployed by the end of the year.
Harvard gets $400 million, biggest gift ever
America's Harvard University said Wednesday it has received its biggest gift ever - $400 million from Wall Street hedge fund billionaire John Paulson.
The university said the money would support its School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, which is being renamed for the 59-year-old donor, a 1980 Harvard Business School graduate.
John Paulson's fortune is estimated at more than $11 billion.
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Words in the News:
coalition – n. a group of people, groups, or countries who have joined together for a common purpose
postpone – v. to decide that something which had been planned for a particular time will be done at a later time instead
ballistic missile – n. a weapon that is shot through the sky over a great distance and then falls to the ground and explodes
hedge fund – n. a group of investors who take financial risks together in order to try to earn a lot of money