1. Hundreds of Fatah supporters are streaming out of the Gaza Strip, heading to the Israeli border in hopes of getting to the West Bank. The move comes after a bloody takeover of Gaza by Hamas militants.

2. Space Shuttle Atlantis has been cleared to land next week. Mission officials determined the repaired thermal blanket should withstand the searing temperatures of re-entry. But the astronauts are still trying to figure out why the computer system on the Russian side of International Space Station crashed.

3. U.S. military has found the ID cards of two missing American soldiers in an al-Qaeda safe house more than
100 miles from where they disappeared. The soldiers vanished back in May in an ambush.

4. Pomp and pageantry are the order of the day in London as Britain celebrates Queen Elizabeth II 81st birthday. The queen's actual birth date is April 21st, but as the queen she gets a second official celebration.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. searing: adj
extremely hot

2. pomp: [uncountable]
all the impressive clothes, decorations, music etc that are traditional for an important official or public ceremony

3. pageantry: [uncountable]
impressive ceremonies or events, involving many people wearing special clothes