英语听力精选进阶版 7416（在线收听）

State television in Libya has shown pictures of pro-Gaddafi supporters celebrating in the centre of the western town of Zawiya after days of fierce fighting to dislodge rebels from the town. A local doctor said at least 40 people had been killed in today's fighting alone. Wyre Davies reports from Tripoli.

Pictures on Libyan state television tonight showed groups of jubilant pro-Gaddafi supporters celebrating in the town of Zawiya. Even if there are pockets of anti-government resistance, it's unlikely they'll be able to hold out for long after four days of pounding from Colonel Gaddafi's tanks and heavy artillery. The offensive against Zawiya is part of a concerted effort by the Gaddafi regime to consolidate its power base in the west of the country. As the international community continues to debate the possibility of introducing a no-fly zone in Libya to stop government planes bombing rebel-held towns, Colonel Gaddafi remains unrepentant and defiant.

The British Foreign Secretary William Hague has accused Iran of "completely unacceptable" behaviour after international forces seized a shipment of Iranian rockets believed to have been destined for the Taliban in Afghanistan. The seizure was made last month in the Afghan province of Nimruz, which borders Iran. The international forces in Afghanistan said examination of the rockets had determined that they'd come from Iran and the weapons were capable of twice the range of those currently being used by the Taliban. Iran has described the allegations as "baseless".

The American state of Illinois has officially abolished the death penalty, making it the 16th state to do so. Steve Kingstone reports from Washington.

The abolition of the death penalty was approved by the Illinois state assembly in January and has now been signed into law by Governor Pat Quinn. Supporters of capital punishment had urged him to veto the change, but in a statement, the governor said he'd concluded that executions had no deterrent effect on crime, and that the death penalty system was inherently flawed. Illinois has a dark history of miscarriages of justice. Since 1977 when capital punishment was reinstated in America, 20 death row inmates in the state have been exonerated. The last execution in Illinois was in 1999.

The oldest and most-travelled space shuttle in Nasa's fleet Discovery has safely landed at the Kennedy Space Centre after its final mission. The other two remaining shuttles fly their last missions in the next three months. Andy Gallacher has the details.

Discovery's final mission was textbook. It launched without a hitch almost two weeks ago, and when Nasa's oldest and most-travelled spacecraft finally touched down, that too was perfect.

"And nose gear touchdown and the end of a historic journey, and to the ship that has led the way time and time again, we say 'Farewell, Discovery.'"

One of its earlier missions delivered the Hubble telescope into orbit, something that changed the way we view the Universe.

World News from the BBC

Here in London, the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Select Committee has heard evidence about the recently announced cuts to the budget and output of the BBC World Service. Its director Peter Horrocks told the committee that the value of the organisation was highlighted by its comprehensive coverage of the current turmoil in Arab countries. He said that if the cuts had come into effect earlier, that coverage of the events would have been seriously diminished. Mr Horrocks also acknowledged there'd been damage to the World Service, although he was optimistic about its future.

"It will be strong. It will still have a strong reputation. It will still be the most significant, the most reputable international news organisation in the world. It will just be less effective than it has been and it is being damaged."

A budget reduction of 16% has so far led to the loss of five language sections.

One of the world's best-known rock guitarists, Eric Clapton, is auctioning more than 70 of his instruments today in New York. The proceeds from the auction will go to a charity he's founded. Vincent Dowd has the details.

It's the third time Clapton has thinned out his collection. There were earlier sales in 1999 and 2004. The money will go to the Crossroads drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre on Antigua, which he co-founded. He's spoken openly about his own past addiction. Guitars to be sold include famous names such as Fender and Gibson.

There's been disappointment for the Palestinian national football team in its first ever competitive game played on home soil. The Palestinians lost a penalty shoot-out to Thailand in a qualifying match for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Until now, competitive games have been staged outside the occupied territory because of security concerns. Palestinian leaders say they hope the event is another small step towards statehood.