澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2009-11-02（在线收听）

Australian authorities are coordinating the rescue of up to 40 people off the Cocos Islands after their boat sank. A merchant ship has launched life rafts for the suspected asylum seekers after the Australian Maritime Safety Authority received a distress call. Some of the 78 asylum seekers on board the Oceanic Viking have threatened to harm themselves if they are taken to Indonesia. They’ve told the ABC they’ve already been living in Indonesia for years and would rather die than go back there.

It could be days before it’s possible to control a fire on an oil rig in the Timor Sea. The West Atlas platform has been leaking oil for two and a half months. Fire broke out on the rig on the weekend during an attempt to plug the spill. The rig’s Thai owners say they’re pumping mud into the leak to try to stop the fire and the oil gushing out.

And the Afghan opposition leader Abdullah Abdullah has pulled out of this weekend’s runoff presidential election. Dr. Abdullah says the vote won’t be fair. Afghanistan’s original August poll was plagued by accusations of widespread fraud. A spokesman for the incumbent Hamid Karzai says the withdrawal is unfortunate, but the election should proceed.

And that’s the latest ABC News up-to-date. Bye for now.