澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2012-04-13

 The former Victorian Premier¹ Jeff Kennett says the COAG meeting has no long term focus. The federal government will try to negotiate a new skills funding arrangement at today’s meeting. The Skills Minister Chris Evans says the proposal would see if states paying for basic training. And the commonwealth² would fund higher level qualifications. 

 

Brisbane police are still investigating the fatal shooting of the man at a busy shopping center last night. Police say the 22-year-old was shot in the head just after seven in Brisbane south. He was taken to hospital but died early this morning. It’s the second shooting in the area in as many days. 

 

The suspended Health Services Union boss Michael Williamson has relented to pressure and quit as vice³ president of unions New South Wales. It follows accusation⁴ of corruption⁵ in the Health Services Union. Mr. Williamson has denied any wrongdoing. 

 

Indonesian officials resume their search this morning for boats carrying around 60 asylum⁶ seekers who went missing south of the island of Sumbawa. It’s believed the group of mainly Afghans was trying to reach Australia when it sent out a distress⁷ call. 

 

And despite the deaths of at least one soldier and several rebels in Syria, both sides say the ceasefire there is largely holding on its first day. But U.N. peace envoy⁸ Kofi Annan is calling on the Security Council to demand that Syrian troops are recalled to their barracks. United Nations is now considering sending monitors to Syria.

1 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

2 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

3 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

4 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

5 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

6 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。

7 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

8 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。