澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2010-02-17

A Senate inquiry¹ will begin its public hearings today into the government's multi-billion-dollar home insulation² program. The inquiry will hear evidence from a number of stakeholders within the insulation industry. The government's been criticized for rushing the program and not consulting enough industry experts. Four installers have died while working on the program.

 

US President Barack Obama has announced nine billion dollars of federal loan guarantees to build the first US nuclear power station in nearly 30 years. He says the United States needs to increase its supply of nuclear power to meet the country's energy needs. The plants in Georgia are expected to create thousands of jobs.

 

Police have charged an 11-year-old boy who allegedly pulled a knife on a classmate in Sydney's west. It comes just days after 12-year-old Elliot Fletcher was fatally stabbed at a Brisbane school. A 13-year-old boy has spent a second night behind bars, accused of murder.

 

Police are investigating the death of former Socceroo Ian Gray whose body was found in his Sydney apartment on Monday night. They're treating the death as suspicious.

 

And a clear-up continues in southeast Queensland after heavy rain caused flash flooding. Around 84,000 homes lost power as Brisbane recorded more than half of its monthly rainfall in just two hours.

 

More news updates later.

1 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

2 insulation   

n.隔离；绝缘；隔热

参考例句：

• Please examine the insulation of the electric wires in my house.请检查一下我屋子里电线的绝缘情况。
• It is always difficult to assure good insulation between the electric leads.要保证两个电触头之间有良好的绝缘总是很困难的。