澳洲新闻 ABC新闻快递 2012-12-26

 Talks in the United States on the country's financial crisis remain on a knife edge as the January deadline approaches. President Barack Obama has told policy-makers to go home for Christmas before returning to Washington on Wednesday to resume their talks. US politicians need to agree on measures to avoid billions of dollars in tax increases and spending cuts before the first of January. 

 

 

 

The Australian share market has ended higher ahead of the Christmas break as investors¹ put aside worries about the stalemate of over the US fiscal² cliff. In a shortened day of trade, the All Ordinaries Index ended two tenths of a percent higher and the ASX 200 Index put on a quarter of a percent. Over the calendar year so far, the benchmark ASX 200 Index is around 14 percent higher. The Australian dollar has dropped around half a cent against the greenback since Friday's close as investors sold off risky³ assets.

 

 

 

The surf-wear retailer⁴ Billabong says it's allowing former executive board member, Paul Naude, to carry out due diligence on the company as part of his takeover attempt. Mr Naude has made a 527-million-dollar offer for the company as part of a wider consortium. Billabong says it's reviewed the proposal and will allow the consortium to examine the company's financial records. The due diligence process is expected to take up to six weeks.

1 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

2 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

3 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

4 retailer   

n.零售商(人)

参考例句：

• What are the retailer requirements?零售商会有哪些要求呢？
• The retailer has assembled a team in Shanghai to examine the question.这家零售商在上海组建了一支团队研究这个问题。