澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2013-08-05

 US embassies are on terrorism alert across the Arab world. Twenty-one embassies and consulates¹ right across the Middle East and North Africa will remain close until the end of this week. Security is particularly tight in Yemen’s capital where Britain, France and Germany have also closed their embassies. 

 

Officials in Pakistan say at least 45 people have died in floods caused by torrential rain. The country’s biggest city Karachi is among the worst hit. Many people were electrocuted or they died when their homes were swept away. Floods have also killed dozens of people in Afghanistan. 

 

The Italian coastguard has rescued hundreds of asylum² seekers from North Africa who were trying to reach Europe by boat. More than 250 people were picked up in three separate operations. Now they've been transferred to the southern Italian Island of Lampedusa. Survivors³ say three Somali women died during the five-day crossing.

 

A new report shows Australians are embracing solar energy. The Climate Commission Solar Energy Report shows more than 10% of Australians have installed solar panels on their homes. Most of the growth has been in the mortgage belt suburbs of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

 

And Peter Capaldi has been named the new Doctor Who. He’s the 12th actor to play the doctor and he’s best known for his role as the foul-mouthed spin doctor Malcolm Tucker in the BBC series “The Thick of It”.

1 consulates   

n.领事馆( consulate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Consulates General of The People's Republic at Los Angeles. 中华人民共和国驻洛杉矶总领事馆。 来自互联网
• The country's embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions stationed in other countries. （七）家驻外使馆、馆和其他外交代表机构。 来自互联网

2 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。

3 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者