1. Nearly 50 years of rule by Fidel Castro Ruz ended in Cuba as parliament chose his brother Raul to replace him. The vote came just five days after the ailing 81-year-old president said he was retiring.

2. California police discovered five people dead in what they say appeared to be a murder-suicide. Officials say a 14-year-old boy called 911 to report that his father had shot him and his brother at their condo. Authorities are still investigating the motive for the shootings and the relationship of the victims.

3. Ralph Nader has announced he will run for president as a third-party candidate. The 73-year-old consumer advocate says most people are unhappy with both Democratic and Republican parties. He is also criticizing the top White House contenders, saying all three are too close to big business.

4. Virgin Atlantic has carried out the world's first flight of a commercial aircraft powered with biofuel. In a test flight from London to Amsterdam, the airline hopes to show it can produce less carbon dioxide than normal jet fuels.

WORDS IN THE NEWS
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online
Merriam-Webster Online

1. ailing : adj. formal

ill and not likely to get better

2. condo : n.

short for condominium, one apartment in a building with several apartments, each of which is owned by the people living in it