澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2011-09-19

 Australia's peak welfare group is warning that unemployment benefits aren't keeping up with the age pension. The Australian Council of Social Service says almost 80 per cent of people on Newstart are struggling with basic needs, such as paying household bills and heating their homes. 

 

Former IMF boss Dominique Strauss-Kahn says he’ll always regret his liaison¹ with a hotel maid in New York. Mr Strauss-Kahn was arrested and charged with rape² over the incident. In his first TV interview since those charges were dropped, he described his actions as inappropriate and a moral failing. Mr Strauss-Kahn also says he's decided³ not to challenge for the French presidency⁴ next year.

 

Fresh fighting has erupted in the Libyan desert town of Bani Walid as fighters loyal to Colonel Gaddafi shelled positions held by rebel forces. Powerful explosions and sustained machine gunfire rock the town, which is one of the last holdouts for Gaddafi loyalists. Forces backed by Libya's new rulers have surrounded the city from all sides. They say fighting carried on overnight on the edges of the city. 

 

And Sudanese twins who were born joined at the head have been successfully separated by a team of British doctors. Baby girls Rital and Ritag Gaboura who are 11 months old were separated last month after four operations at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. They do not appear to have suffered any neurological side effects. Only one in 10 million sufferers survive this rare condition.

1 liaison   

n.联系，（未婚男女间的）暖昧关系，私通

参考例句：

• She acts as a liaison between patients and staff.她在病人与医护人员间充当沟通的桥梁。
• She is responsible for liaison with researchers at other universities.她负责与其他大学的研究人员联系。

2 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。