澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2010-07-07

East Timorese President Jose Ramos-Horta says his country shouldn't become an island prison for Australia's asylum¹ seekers. Prime Minister Julia Gillard wants to send asylum seekers to East Timor and New Zealand for processing. Neither country has formally committed to that proposal yet.

US President Barack Obama has urged the Israelis and Palestinians to restart peace talks. Mr Obama praised his Israeli counterpart after talks at the White House and he welcomed Israel's easing of its blockade of Gaza. Relations between the Palestinians and Israelis soured after Israel announced building plans in occupied territory.

The Queen has addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York for the first time in 50 years. Queen Elizabeth said the UN had grown from being an aspirational² organization to a real force for common good.

And some Australian vegetable prices are expected to rise after seven million Queensland's seedlings³ were destroyed in a suspected poisoning. Police say it appears a herbicide was injected into the irrigation system at a company, Supa Seedlings, wiping out potential 200 tonnes of fresh produce. Bowen produces about 80 percent of Australia's winter tomato supply.

1 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。

2 aspirational   

志同的，有抱负的

参考例句：

• Most of the images that bombard us all are aspirational. 轰击的图像，我们都期望最大。
• Analysts said self-help and aspirational reading could explain India's high figures. 分析师们指出，自助读书、热爱读书是印度人均读书时间超过别的国家的主要原因。

3 seedlings   

n.刚出芽的幼苗( seedling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Ninety-five per cent of the new seedlings have survived. 新栽的树苗95%都已成活。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• In such wet weather we must prevent the seedlings from rotting. 这样的阴雨天要防止烂秧。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》