Welcome to an half hour program of VOA special English. A way to learn American English and much more. We start with world news, then words and their stories and people in the America. And now we will come the 0:30 universal time. in the new at this hour, officials in the Iraq say at least 12 Iraqis have been killed in violence across the country. In the worst incident, at least four civilians were killed when a bomb exploded near an eating-place in eastern Baghdad. More than twenty others were injured. The continuing violence has increased appeals (呼吁) to form a national unity government. But Kurdish (库尔德) and Sunni (逊尼派)Arab politicians refuse to let the current (现任的) Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari head(领导) a new government. They say, Mr. al-Jaafari has not done enough to stop religious violence in Iraq.

Afghan government official say security forces are searching an area of south west of Kandahar (坎大哈) for rebels. The officials say the rebels may have escaped from a battle in which forty-one Taliban fighters and six policemen were killed. The governor of Kandahar said the battle took place on Friday. The fighting was the most intense in recent months and lasted all day. A United States military said the American-led coalition forces supported the Afghan soldiers in this operation. In a separate incident on Saturday a Taliban attack killed an area governor in Helmand province west of Kandahar.

Palestinian policemen briefly seized the government building and blocked roads on Gaza Strip on Saturday. The police covered their faces as they protested delays in receiving pay. Officials say that the protest shows the growing concern about loss of international financial aid. The Hamas led government already is two weeks late in paying 140,000 workers for the Palestinian authority. Western nations cut off the aid to the Palestinian government after Hamas took control last month. The United States and the European Union say Hamas has not met demands(满足需要) to denounce violence (谴责暴力). The group has also refused to recognize Israel’s right to exist and to honor a peace agreement.

Arab leaders have urged Palestinian authority to accept an Arab proposal (建议) that calls for the Palestinians to offer peace to Israel. In exchange(作为交换), the leaders proposes that Israel withdraw from the land occupied since 1967. Palestinian foreign minister Mahmoud Al-Zahar met with the Arab League(阿拉伯联盟) secretary and Arab government representatives on Saturday in Cairo. Mr. Al-Zahar said after the meeting that he would carry the information to Palestinian officials. Israel has rejected the proposal in the past.

Saudi Arabia Crown Prince (王储) Sultan（苏丹） bin Abdel-Aziz arrived on Saturday in Islamabad (伊斯兰堡) Pakistan. He and president Pervez Musharraf are expected to discuss defense cooperation and economic ties. They also are expected to discuss about buying weapons systems. Saudi Arabia is the largest oil supplier for Pakistan. The Saudi government also gave the most aid to victims of the earthquake last October in Pakistan.

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Police in India say nine people have been arrested on suspicion of involvement (涉嫌参加) in deadly bomb attack on Friday in Indian Kashmir(印控克什米尔). The attacks in Srinagar (印控克什米尔首府斯里那加) killed five people and wounded about forty others. The police say the suspects are linked to the banned (非法的) Jaish-e-Mohammed militant group. Several Islamic militant groups in Indian Kashmir have been fighting for independence or for union with Pakistan since 1989.

The future of talks between the Sri Lanka government and Tamil Tigers(泰米尔猛虎组织) is unknown. This comes after an announcement that rebel leaders have cancelled meetings with their leadership. The rebels have said that meeting on Saturday wasn’t important for planned peace talks with the government. A negotiator (谈判代表) for the rebel group told the Associated Press(美联社) that the rebels would not attend the peace talks in Geneva without the first meeting with the rebel leadership. In another development military officials say a powerful bomb exploded on Saturday near a military bus in northern Sri Lanka and at least four soldiers were killed and several others were wounded.

In Italy the apparent winner in recent general election is demanding that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi admit defeat(承认失败). Romano Prodi also says that Mr. Berlusconi must apologize for his accusation of dishonesty in the voting. Mr. Prodi’s coalition appears to have one very close election in both Houses of the parliament (议会两院). But an Italian court still must confirm the results. Official confirmation is expected earlier next week.

And the International Organization for Migration(国际移民组织) is warning that thousands of displaced ethnic Dinkas(苏丹丁卡人，总数十万，体态高瘦) have only a few weeks to return home. The organization says the Dinkas must return to southern Sudan before heavy rain delays their trip until next year. The organization says four thousand five hundred Dinkas are trying to return home from Dafur.

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