1)Iraq's radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has ordered his Mahdi Army militia to freeze out all activities for 6 months, an aide to al-Sadr says the suspension includes armed activities. Iraqi security officials say gunmen loyal to al-Sadr took part in Tuesday's violence in the Shiite holy city of Karbala when[/color] 52 people were killed in clashes, the Mahdi militia has denied it was involved. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki visited Karbala Wednesday and said order has been restored to the city. Also Wednesday, Iran protested the US military's brief detention of 8 Iranians in Baghdad. US military said the Iranians including 2 with diplomatic passports and 7 Iraqis were detained after US troops found they were carrying weapons without permits. An aide to the top US commander in Iraq called the incident "regrettable".
2)The chief US delegate to the 6-party talks in North Korea's nuclear program says an unprecedented ministerial-level meeting of that grouping could be held in October, but Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Christopher Hill, says there's much preparatory work to do in the disarmament talks in the next several weeks. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.
"The meeting of foreign ministers would be the first in the Chinese-sponsored talks and include a first step of meeting between Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her North Korean counterpart Paek Nam-sun. Hill says such a meeting is a reasonable expectation for October in Beijing. Provided the parties can clear away remaining task in the first phase of the disarmament framework reached in September of 2005 and concluded last February. The US diplomats spoke to reporters in advance of his departure Thursday for Geneva where he takes part Saturday and Sunday in the US-North Korea working group that is part of the February accord. The agreement under which North Korea is to scrap nuclear weapons and related programs in exchange for energy aid and diplomatic incentives is to eventually lead to normalize relations between the United States and Pyongyang. Hill said the Geneva meeting will deal with normalization issues including a pathway by which North Korea can be removed from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism. David Gollust, VOA News, State Department."

1) Iraq's radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr 伊拉克激进的什叶派神职人员/宗教领袖穆克塔达•萨德尔 Mahdi Army militia 迈赫迪民兵
穆克塔达·萨德尔，伊拉克什叶派领袖，什叶派武装组织“马赫迪/迈赫迪军”领袖．出生于什叶派穆斯林的圣地纳杰夫，他所在的家族在当地相当有影响, 家族的成员遍布伊拉克、伊朗和黎巴嫩。萨德尔的父亲萨迪克·萨德尔也是著名宗教领袖之一，是伊拉克什叶派的大阿亚图拉(什叶派神职人员最高称号)。1999年，萨德尔的父亲和两个哥哥一起被萨达姆政权下令暗杀。另外，伊拉克“号召党”的精神领袖和黎巴嫩阿迈勒运动的创始人都是萨德尔的叔叔。关于他的详细介绍,请看:
baike.baidu.com/view/465314.htm 
2) Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs 负责东亚和太平洋事务的助理国务卿
3) Pyongyang 平壤(朝鲜首都)
4) US list of state sponsors of terrorism 美国列出的支持恐怖主义国家名单

5) The US diplomats spoke to reporters in advance of his departure Thursday for Geneva where he takes part Saturday and Sunday in the US-North Korea working group that is part of the February accord.
这句话中插入成分、状语和定语从句较多,影响了听力理解,整理一下比较好懂的句子如下:
The US diplomats spoke of his departure for Geneva /to reporters/ in advance /Thursday , in Geneva he takes part in the ... working group Sat and Sun., the working group is part of Feb. accord.