1. A third test for TB bacteria turns up negative for Andrew Speaker, the Atlanta lawyer quarantined in Denver with a dangerous strain of tuberculosis. His chances of spreading the disease are low and he could soon leave his isolation room.

2. It's two and a half years behind bars for Scooter Libby, the Vice President's former chief of staff and he will pay a fine of 250,000 dollars, all for lying and obstruction in a CIA leak probe.

3. President Bush takes on several European countries including Russia for not embracing democratic reforms. Bush accused Moscow of derailing reforms, backsliding on democracy. Russia is criticizing US plans for a missile defense system.

4. In Mexico a man caring for a lion and a tiger is fatally mauled. The felines attacked the caretaker during feeding times, swatting at him and holding him down. The tiger later died of complications from being sedated.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. take on:
to compete against someone or start a fight with someone, especially someone bigger or better than you

2. derail: transitive verb
to spoil or interrupt a plan, agreement etc

3. backslide: intransitive verb
to start doing the bad things that you used to do, after having improved your behaviour

4. maul: transitive verb
if an animal mauls someone, it injures them badly by tearing their flesh

5. hold down:
to make someone or something stay on something, and stop them from moving away or escaping