1. Iraqi police say 21 Iraqis were killed Monday in a series of attacks across the country including a popular Iraqi TV comedian. Authorities also found the bodies of 26 people who had been kidnapped and tortured. Assassins tried but failed to kill 2 government officials.

2. Thousands turned out in Indonesia to protest President Bush’s visit to the world’s most populous Muslim nation. There’s a public anger over the US foreign policy in the Middle East and the war in Iraq. But after a meeting with Indonesia’s president, Bush said the protest was a sign of a healthy democracy.

3. An armed and masked 18-year-old stormed his former high school in Germany, shooting and wounding 5 people before he was found dead. The gunman had homemade pipe bombs and appeared to be carrying other explosives on his body.

4. Mothers Against Drunk Driving is launching a new campaign for tougher enforcement and better technology like alcohol detection devices. The national campaign to eliminate drunk driving kicks off today.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. pipe bomb : N-COUNT
A pipe bomb is a small bomb in a narrow tube made by someone such as a terrorist.

2. kick off : PHR
If an event, game, series, or discussion kicks off, or is kicked off, it begins.