WORLD NEWS 每周听写PK大赛连载

It is zero hour thirty universal time. Here is the new in VOA Special English. Libyan rebels from the country's east have moved quickly toward the government held areas in the west. They recaptured several towns with the help of international coalition air strikes on pro-government troops. The rebels took control of the eastern town of Bin Jawad and said they would move on to the central city of Surt. Some people who live in Surt began fleeing the city. Two explosions were heard in the area Sunday night. It is not clear whether the explosions happened in the city or nearby. On the way to Bin Jawad, Libya rebels recaptured the oil ports of Ras Lanuf and Brega from government forces Sunday. The recapture of the oil ports puts rebels back in control of major oil centers that export much of Libya's oil. In Yemen, secruity officials say Islamic militants have control of the southern town of Ja'ar in Abyan province. The Islamist fighters captured a weapons factory and government buildings Saturday. Yemeni officials say government troops attacked the town Sunday and a soldier was killed. Also Sunday, 6 Yemeni soldiers were killed in an attack in the central province of Ma'rib. Officials say they suspect Al-Qaeda gunmen. Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has faced daily protests calling for his resignation after 32 years in power. On Sunday, Mr. Saleh said opposition groups are trying to destroy the ruling party. Earlier, he told Al-Arabiya Television that he would leave office if his opponents guarantee that he can do so with respect. He said he would remain the leader of his party even if he resigns, and he said he would stay in Yemen Syria says 12 people died during 2 days of violence in the town of Latakia. The death happened after army units were deployed to the Mediterranean sea side port town. The units were sent there after more than a week of anit-government protests that spread to other cities and towns on Friday. Also Sunday, an aid to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad said emergency rule will be ended soon, but he did not say when. Emergence rule has been in effect since the Baath party came into power in 1963. The company that operates the damaged Fukushima nuclear power center in Japan has corrected an earlier report on radiation levels there. The operator says the radiation levels are 100,000 times higher the normal. That it's much lower than was reported earlier Sunday. The new readings were made just hours after reports that radiation in water inside one building was 10 million times normal levels. Emergency workers left the building then. The emergency workers have been working under extreme conditions as they attempt to restart cooling systems. Also Sunday, officials said they found high levels of radioactive iodine in Pacific ocean within 300 meters of the power center. Japan's nuclear safety agency said they believed there is no threat to sea life or sea food. The ocean water is the newest evidence that radiation from the nuclear center is spreading. You are listening to the news in VOA Special English. Israel has begun operating its new rocket defense system. The Israeli military placed the iron dome system out the southern city of Beersheba. The city was hit by rockets two times this month during increased cross border violence with Palestian militants in the Gaza strip. The system went into operation shortly after Israeli warplanes killed two militants earlier Sunday. Israel's air defense chief said iron dome has passed a serious of tests and is expected to be fully operational within month. Brigadier General Duwan Dawish said the defense system was deployed earlier than planned because of the recent attacks from Gaza. Israel says iron dome can shoot down rockets fired from 5 to 70 kilometers away. One of two competing presidency in Ivory Coast says he will not accept a proposed negotiator to help end the crisis in that country. Alassane Ouattarra is recognized by most countries as the winner of last November's presidential election. He said the African Union did not talk with him before naming Cape Verde's former foreign minister to lead the talks. Mr. Ouattara says Jose Brito is not acceptable because he is not a former head of state. Mr. Ouattara also says Mr. Brito has personal and political connections to Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo. The African Union has been leading the effort to resolve the crisis. The political crisis began when Mr. Gbagbo refused to leave office after Mr. Ouattara won the election. Afghan officials say Taliban militants have kidnapped some 50 people including local police officers. The police chief in Konar province said Sunday the officers were part of a group travelling in 4 vehicles in the Chapadara area. Officials said the kidnapping victims were not carrying weapons. It is not clear how many are police officers or training to become police officers. A Taliban spokesman confirmed the kidnapping. He said the group has not decided what to do with the captives. Local elders are helping in the negotiations to free the men. In Germany, voter opinion studies show that the ruling party of Chancellor Angela Merkel has lost control of the state of Baden Warttemberg. The Christian Democrats known as the CDU has ruled the state for nearly 60 years. Voter studies show that the Greens and the Social Democrats won more than 48 percent of the vote. The CDU and its coalition partner the Free Democrats won 43 percent. The Baden Wattemberg is one of Germany's richest states because of its car industry. Now briefly, here again is the major news of the hour. Libyan rebels from the country's east have moved quickly towards the government held areas in the west. The Syrian government says 12 people have died during two days of violence in the town of Latakia. And in late news, an earthquake measuring 6.5 has struck in north-eastern Japan. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. That's news in VOA Special English from Washington.

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