文章来源：WORLD NEWS - Feb 8th, 2012
- It is 22 hours 30 universal time, time to the news in Special English.
- The Russian Foreign Minister says Syrian President Bishara Assad will continue the promised reforms and soon set a date for a vote on a new constitution. Love Roth spoke after the two men met in Damascus. Russian state media reports say that Mr. Assad is ready to communicate with the opposition. But antigovernment activists say they do not want to negotiate while Mr. Assad's forces continue a deadly campaign against dissenters. Separately, France Italy and Spain withdrew their ambassadors from Syria. Also Tuesday, six Arab nations announced they are withdrawing their ambassadors. The United States has closed its embassy in Damascus and the spokesperson for President Obama said American officials are discussing possible humanitarian aid to Syria.
- Greek police have clashed with some of the thousands of striking workers in Athens. The workers are protesting the latest measures by the government to meet the demands of international lenders. Some demonstrators ran up the steps of Parliament and threw rocks at police. Police fired tear gas and hit some of the demonstrators with sticks. The daylong strike stopped transportation closed schools and stores and canceled government services. It was the second strike this year. The country's transitional Prime Minister Lacoste * delayed talks with other government officials about new measures onto Wednesday. He is continuing to negotiate with Greece's creditors.
- Rescuers in the Philippines are still searching for missing people after a severe earthquake. At least 43 people were confirmed killed after the 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck late Monday morning. It happened in the heavily populated central Philippine islands of Legos. Officials believe many people are injured or missing in mountain areas that are blocked by landslides. Villagers are digging through the wreckage by hand because heavy equipment had not arrived. Officials say hundreds of smaller quakes followed in the hours after the main earthquake struck.
- 29 Chinese workers kidnapped in Sudan have been freed. Rebels with the Sudanese People's Liberation movement north captured the workers 11 days ago in southern Quartofun state and road building camp. The Red Cross airplane transported them from Sudan to Nairobi or Chinese embassy officials receive them. Sudanese officials then published a statement saying Sudan aims to protect Chinese investments and workers.
- In Burma, supportive crowds greeted pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in the country's Irrawaddy Delta. She last travel there in 1989 and had an election won by her National League of Democracy party. Those elections were overturned by Burma's military rulers. Crowds in Irrawaddy welcome her as she tried to win votes for her party in the planned April elections. She is competing for one of 48 seats in Parliament.
- You are listening to the news in VOA Special English.
- The United Nations refugee agency says at least 22,000 people have left northern Mali to escape fighting caused by * rebellion. Spokesman Adrian Edwards told VOA on Tuesday that the UN is sending a delegation to the area to observe the humanitarian situation. The agency estimates that 10,000 people have fled from Mali into Niger. It also says an estimated 9000 have entered Mauritania and another 3000 have gone to Burkina Faso. Polaroid rebels launched a new rebellion last month. They clashed with government troops in several northern towns. Hundreds of ethnic floorings recently returned to northern Mali from Lidia were vague supported troops loyal to the former leader Baumer Gaddafi.
- Witnesses say two separate explosions have shaken the central Nigerian city of Kaduna. Police say one explosion took place near a bridge and the other happened at the base of the Army's first mechanized division near Kaduna. Official said the number of dead and injured is not known. Police were investigating reports that a suicide bomber carried out the attack on the base. Witnesses say soldiers blocked off the area and stopped rescued workers from entering. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosions. But Islamist group Bocal Harom has been blamed for an increase in attacks against the police military and government targets.
- A California appeals court has ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage violates the American Constitution. Three judges decided the case Tuesday in San Francisco. One judge supported the ban, two judges voted against it. Voters had approved the ban known as proposition eight in 2008.Several American states and the District of Columbia permit same sex couples to marry.
- Roman Catholic leaders are being told they need to stop protecting clergy who are accused of sexually abusing children. Psychologists and the victim of sexual abuse spoke at a conference of church leaders enroll. A top church official told a conference that the church should pay attention to the victims of clergy abuse. One senior Stephen Rosati said the church should tell clergy who abuse children that they have no place in the Catholic community. One victim of clergy abuse was invited to the conference. Marie Collins was attacked when she was 13 years old. She said listening to the victims is one of the most important things the church can do.
- And Now briefly here again is the major news. Russia's foreign minister says Syrian President Bishara Lawson will continue with promised reforms and soon set a date for a vote on a new constitution. Greek police have clashed with some of the thousands of striking workers in Athens. And Mali, the United Nations refugee agency says at least 22,000 people have left the northern part of the country to escape the fighting caused by the * rebellion. And That's the news in VOA Special English from Washington.
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