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. For around 30 seconds, lights and television monitors hanging from ceilings swayed as the earthquake rumbled around the region. The mobile phone network temporarily crashed. Parts of the Pentagon, the White House and Congress were evacuated.

A strengthened Hurricane Irene is approaching the Turks and Caicos islands and the Bahamas, having caused destruction in other parts of the Caribbean. Irene, still gathering force, brought torrential rain and strong winds to the Dominican Republic, and cut power supplies in Puerto Rico.

BBC News

Libyan rebels have taken over Colonel Gaddafi's compound in Tripoli after a day of heavy fighting. In a symbolic gesture, the rebels broke off the head of a statue of Colonel Gaddafi and kicked it along the ground. There were wild celebrations as they streamed in through the gates. The BBC's Paul Danahar was at the compound among the rebels.

经过一天的激烈战斗之后，利比亚叛军接管了卡扎菲上校的官邸。在象征性的举动中，叛军击碎了卡扎菲上校雕塑的头部，将其丢在地上。他们进入官邸大门的时候进行了疯狂的庆祝。BBC记者Paul Danahar现在就在叛军中间。

I've just climbed over the huge iron gate. I was at the front of the Gaddafi compound, and I'm watching them carrying out possessions on their heads. A man was just walking out with the drawer from a shelf loaded with paintings and ornaments and everything else. I just watched another man carrying out something like crystal jugs. So they are basically going room to room and ripping to shreds any symbol of Gaddafi they can find, and they are taking what they probably think is rightfully theirs and that is the wealth that he's accumulated over the 42 years of his rule.