澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2010-09-02

Israel has hinted at a compromise with the Palestinians as direct talks between Middle East leaders begin in Washington. Israel's defence minister said the Jewish state would be willing to hand over parts of Jerusalem to the Palestinians. The US President Barack Obama is hosting those talks between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Mr Obama says acts of violence in the meantime will not derail these talks.

Police in the United States have shot dead a man who was holding several hostages in the state of Maryland. The man took at least three hostages inside the headquarters of the Discovery Channel. Police say the man entered the building with a handgun, and was believed to have an explosive device strapped¹ to his chest. All the hostages are now safe.

The sole survivor² of a plane crash in Papua New Guinea is being treated in a north Queensland hospital. The New Zealand man was flown to Townsville on a plane chartered by Careflight New South Wales. Four men died when that Trans Air jet crashed at the end of a runway on Misima Island yesterday. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating the cause of the crash.

The New South Wales Premier³ Kristina Keneally is in damage control this morning after the resignation of a fourth minister in less than a year. The Ports and Waterways Minister Paul McLeay resigned yesterday after accessing pornographic and gambling⁴ websites on his work computer. He was caught out by a new internet filter in state parliament and a small number of other parliamentary internet users may require further investigation⁵ as well.

1 strapped   

adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

3 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。

4 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

5 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。