澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2010-11-02

Fifty-two people are now known to have died during an operation to free worshippers held by gunmen inside a Baghdad church. One hundred and twenty people were held in the Catholic church for at least four hours. When Iraqi security forces stormed the building, more than 50 people were killed and dozens more injured. Despite the casualties, the Iraqi defence minister described the operation as a success.

UK officials say the tip-off about parcel bombs being on two US-bound cargo¹ planes came from a repentant² al-Qaeda member. Officials have told the BBC a former Guantanamo Bay detainee handed himself into Saudi Arabian authorities two weeks ago. After leaving Guantanamo, he went through a rehabilitation³ program in Saudi Arabia, then rejoined al-Qaeda in Yemen before turning himself into authorities.

The UN says Australia has resettled just ten per cent of the refugees it had committed to take from Indonesia. Australia agreed to boost its intake⁴ of Indonesian asylum⁵ seekers from around 50 to 500 early this year. But Jakarta office of the UNHCR says so far it has recommended 528 refugees for resettlement, but only 52 have so far gone to Australia. The Government is declining to comment on the shortfall.

The Government says it’s prepared to consider an extension of the time to finalise the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. The Basin Authority is holding consultation⁶ meetings about its initial proposal. A draft plan is due early next year and a final plan is due by the end of that year.

1 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

2 repentant   

adj.对…感到悔恨的

参考例句：

• He was repentant when he saw what he'd done.他看到自己的作为，心里悔恨。
• I'll be meek under their coldness and repentant of my evil ways.我愿意乖乖地忍受她们的奚落，忏悔我过去的恶行。

3 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

4 intake   

n.吸入，纳入；进气口，入口

参考例句：

• Reduce your salt intake.减少盐的摄入量。
• There was a horrified intake of breath from every child.所有的孩子都害怕地倒抽了一口凉气。

5 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

6 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。