Today in History-June 13
The Queen takes part in Trooping the Colour1981: British Queen shot at by youth
England have
A 17-year-old man has been arrested for shooting a replica gun at the Queen
as she rode past crowds on horseback.
Marcus Serjeant pointed a pistol directly at the Queen as she turned down
Horseguards' Parade for the start of the Trooping the Colour ceremony.
He fired sixblank cartridgesbefore being overcome by a Guardsman and
police.
The shots, which came just before 1100BST, startled the Queen's horse, but
she was able to bring it back under control within a few seconds.
The Queen had left Buckingham Palace 15 minutes earlier.
She had rode down the Mall and was turning into a crowded Horseguards'
Parade when the incident occurred.
The monarch looked shaken by the episode, but soon recovered
hercomposure.
She comforted her 19-year-old horse, Burmese, which she has ridden in
birthday parades since 1969.
The procession continued as planned, and afterwards the Queen returned to
Buckingham Palace by the same route, under the close watch of security
services.
This is not the first time a member of the royal family has faced danger
from within a crowd of spectators.
Seven years ago, a few yards down the Mall, Princess Anne was attacked by a
gunman.
Half a mile away in 1936 King Edward VIII faced a man with a loaded
revolver.
And Queen Victoria was also shot at by a man with a gun in the Mall.
Security will take on an increasing importance as next month's wedding
between Prince Charles and Diana Spencer approaches.
The USSR is demanding Israeli troops withdraw from Arab territories
1999: NATO calls off air war on Kosovo
Artificially 1969:
The The United Nations Security Council has rejected Soviet demands for an
immediate vote on a resolution condemning Israel's aggression in the six-day
war.
Moscow - which has close ties with Egypt - is also demanding the withdrawal
of Israeli troops from Arab territories. It follows six days of fighting in
which Israel has made advances on three fronts doubling the area of land it
controls.
Israel says the attacks were launched to counter huge Arab troop movements
along its borders.
It has seized Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt in the south and the
Golan Heights from Syria in the north.
It has also pushed Jordanian forces out of the West Bank and East
Jerusalem.
The advances ended with ceasefires signed as Israeli troops were poised
within striking distance of each of the respective capitals, Cairo in Egypt,
Damascus in Syria and Amman in Jordan.
It is not clear what action Moscow will take in the face of the UN's
hesitation. The council has postponed making a decision on how to respond to the
war until tomorrow at the earliest.
Thousands forced to flee
Israel has already declared its intention to remain in control of its newly
occupied territories until permanent peace with its Arab neighbours can be
established.
Israel's casualties after six days of fighting are calculated at 759 dead
and about 3,000 wounded, Arab casualties are far higher, about 15,000.
The scale of the refugee problem caused by the war is also now becoming
clear.
The International Committee of the Red Cross is making preparations to help
thousands of Egyptian soldiersstrandedin the Sinai desert after last week's
bitter fighting. Water supplies to the area were cut off in the hope of slowing
the Israeli advance.
Gaza City in the Gaza Strip saw some of the fiercest fighting between
Egyptians and Israelis during the brief war. It is estimated there are now some
200,000 Arabs living in five camps outside the city. Many have not eaten for
days.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency is appealing for help to buy
tents, blankets and vehicles and has also asked for medical supplies.
It says many of the refugees in Jordan are homeless for a second time -
having been forced to flee the camps outside Jericho which had been their homes
since the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
The British Government is contributing towards the cost of the emergency
relief, as are many Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia which is donating
half a month's salary per soldier in its armed forces.
Vocabulary:
a blank cartridge:空包弹
composure: a quiet an tranquil state of mind(沉着;冷静)
strand:to bring into a difficult position(使陷入困境)
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