CNN 2012-04-21

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Accusations¹ and speculation²,that's what's first up today. And it involves the U.S. and North Korea.Back in February, these two nations made a deal. The U.S. offered to send food aid to North Korea if the Asian countries suspended nuclear weapon and long range missile tests. The deal is over. The U.S. called off the food aid after North Korea launched a rocket recently. North Korea says the deal is done, too, and here's where the accusations come in.North Korea says it attempted to launch a satellite for peaceful purposes and blames the U.S. for breaking the agreement.But American officials say North Korea has only itself to blame. The speculation is about whether North Korea will break the other part of the deal and carry out a nuclear test. One U.S. official says it seems likely that will happen. He also said there are no definitive³ indications that North Korea is getting ready for a nuclear test.

The countdown to London is on. We are less than 100 days away from the start of the 2012 Summer Olympics.Is the British capital ready for the global sports spotlight⁴?Well, the head of the London organizing committee says yes. The venues⁵ being built for the Games are on schedule and within budget.Now, second point, being within budget, that's a big one. London found out that it would be hosting these Olympics back in 2005. That was before the global financial crisis hit.It's meant some challenges for the organizing committee.But nothing like what London dealt with when it last hosted the Summer Games. That was back in 1948, right after World War II. In order to cut down on costs then, no new venues were built. The athletes stayed in army camps. They stayed in colleges. They were even asked to bring their own towels. Imagine that.Won't be the case for the more than 10,000 athletes who are heading to London this summer?

 

Tokyo, Japan is where we find our next headline. It's also the answer to the question we asked at the beginning of today's show. What you are looking at here is the world's second tallest building, Tokyo's Sky Tree Tower, 2,080 feet straight up. There are two observation decks, assuming you don't get scared by the view. Officials are hoping the building generates tourism, which was affected⁶ by last year's devastating⁷ earthquake in Japan.The Sky Tree Tower has specifically been designed to withstand earthquakes. Journalists were given a sneak⁸ preview this week. The Tower opens soon to the public next month.

 

On this day in history, back in 1775, the so-called shot heard round the world marked the beginning of the American Revolution.In 1943, Jews who've been forced to live in a ghetto⁹ in Warsaw, Poland, rose up against Nazi¹⁰ forces. The revolt lasted for nearly a month.And in 1993, after a 51-day stand-off, federal agents assaulted the Branch Davidian compound in Texas. Around 80 members of the armed religious cult¹¹ were killed in the raid.

Timothy McVeigh claimed that he was avenging¹² that raid in Waco when he launched a terrorist attack in Oklahoma exactly two years later. One hundred and 68 people were killed and more than 500 others were injured when a bomb went off at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Emergency crews raced there from all over the country. McVeigh and Terry Nichols, Americans who were connected to extreme militant¹³ groups, were convicted for their roles in the attack. McVeigh was executed in federal prison 6 years later.The remains¹⁴ of the Federal Building were eventually torn down and a park and memorial were built in the site. The memorial includes 168 stone and glass chairs, one for each victim who was killed in the bombing.

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