November 30
[ 2006-12-03 20:54 ]
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| The Achille Lauro hit
the headlines when it was hijacked in
1985 |
| 1994: Blazing liner abandoned off east
Africa |
England have
Almost 1,000 people have been forced to abandon a luxury cruise ship in
the Indian Ocean after it caught fire.
The Achille Lauro - which made headlines in 1985 when it was hijacked
by Palestinian guerrillas - was sailing 50 miles off the Somali coast when
the fire started in one of the cabins.
Two people died and eight were injured during the transfer of
passengers from life rafts to a waiting tanker, according to Coastguard
officials.
Starlauro, the ship's Naples-based owners, said it had not established
the cause of the blaze but confirmed it did not suspect foul play.
Crew battled with the flames for almost seven hours as passengers -
many of whom had paid ?,500 for the trip - gathered on deck.
The captain gave the order to abandon ship at 0500 local time (0200
GMT) after the fire began to burn out of control.
Panamanian registered tanker Hawaiian King was the first of a dozen
ships which answered the Achille Lauro's dawn SOS call and rescued most of
the passengers.
As night fell, most of the survivors were recovering on the tanker,
which had been supplied with extra food by the US Navy cruiser Gettysburg.
It is expected they will now be taken to the Kenyan port, Mombasa, or
the Seychelles, which would have been the liner's next port of call.
Dimitrios Skapinakis - captain of another tanker involved in the rescue
operation - told reporters he thought the ailing 24,000 ton ship would
sink within the next 12 hours.
"The Achille Lauro is listing by at least 40 degrees and you can still
see smoke and flames - the passenger decks on the stern side are burning
and flames are licking halfway up the vessel," he
said. |
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| Politicians from all
parties paid tribute to Sir Winston on his 80th
birthday |
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1954: Winston Churchill turns
80 | Artificially 1969:
The The Prime
Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, has been celebrating his 80th birthday in
a day of ceremonies and tributes to his remarkable career.
The festivities began at midday, with a presentation of gifts from both
Houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall.
An audience of 2,500, including cabinet ministers and opposition
leaders, filled the hall for the televised ceremony.
As Sir Winston and Lady Churchill appeared through St Stephen's
entrance, a drummer beat out a "V" in morse code - a tribute to the
victory salute which became the prime minister's trademark.
As the cheers died down, the Leader of the Opposition, Clement Attlee,
gave the first speech. He paid tribute to his formidable opponent, calling
him "the last of the great orators who can touch the heights."
Then blue hangings were drawn back from a new portrait of Sir Winston
by the artist Graham Sutherland, a gift from both Houses to the prime
minister.
The Father of the House, David Grenfell, then presented him with an
illuminated book signed by almost every member of parliament.
In his speech of thanks, Sir Winston referred to the period in his
career for which he is most revered - his leadership through the dark
years of the Second World War.
"I have never accepted what many people have kindly said - namely, that
I inspired the nation," he told them.
"Their will was resolute and remorseless, and as it proved
unconquerable.
"It was the nation and the race dwelling all round the globe that had
the lion's heart. I had the luck to be called upon to give the roar."
Finally, he acknowledged that age was inevitably drawing his 54 years
in politics to a close.
"I am now nearing the end of my journey," he said. "I hope I still have
some service to render. However that may be, whatever may befall, I am
sure I shall never forget the emotions of this day."
Tributes and birthday gifts have been pouring in from all over the
world. Among the presents arriving at Number 10 Downing Street were a
floral arrangement in the shape of a cigar, sent from Israel, and a
sixpenny postal order - the pocket money of a boy from Hereford.
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| Vocabulary:
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rancour : a feeling of deep and bitter anger and
ill-will（敵意；深仇）
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