SBS News in Easy English 2 July 2025

SBS Australia

a day ago

Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts . Almost 200 properties have been flooded and thousands more are without power thanks to wild weather on Australia's east coast. The State Emergency Service says homes on Burrill Lake on the New South Wales south coast have been inundated. Meanwhile Endeavour Energy says more than 17,000 homes and businesses from western Sydney down to the Illawarra are without power. Several flights have also been cancelled from Sydney Airport for the second consecutive day. Helen Reid, from the Bureau of Meteorology, says the impacts will continue into the evening. "There is a severe weather warning for damaging and damaging winds and heavy rainfall, which extends across the New South Wales coastal fringe from Foster to Bega into the alpine areas of parts of the southern tablelands and the northern tablelands as well. Damaging winds remain possible today across the warning areas. Most likely this morning, with average gale force wind gusts around 60 to 70 kilometres an hour with gusts getting up to 90 to 110 kilometres an hour." Five Australian citizens have flown out of Iran as a ceasefire between the country and Israel continues to hold. The group have travelled on a commercial flight from Mashhad to Dubai with Australian government assistance. More than 50 other Australians have successfully crossed the border by land and have been met by Australian officials. More than 150 people have received border codes for Azerbaijan. The Israeli military has acknowledged Palestinian civilians have been killed at controversial aid distribution points in Gaza. The Palestinian health ministry estimates more than 500 have died seeking aid from Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites. Local medics and witnesses say 11 people died in the latest incident. Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, says he disputes the number of casualties. "Unfortunately, there were a few incidents. But I can tell you one thing for sure, the numbers that were reported by Hamas were not correct - they were lies. They try to create the impression that it's not safe and people should not go there." Foreign Minister Penny Wong has met her U-S counterpart on the sidelines of a meeting of the Quad alliance in Washington. Senator Wong says she made the case for a tariff exemption for Australia, as well as discussing defence arrangements. Some have speculated AUKUS could be in the firing line after the US launched a review of the agreement in June. But the Minister says such reviews are not an unusual step for a new US administration to take. The Senator has told Channel 9 she remains confident in the AUKUS arrangements and Australia's place in the QUAD. "We're back here again, and it was an excellent meeting this morning. It reminded us of how much our four nations share, how we can work together to meet the urgent challenges we face." Australia's first truth-telling inquiry has found Victoria's Aboriginal people were victims of crimes against humanity and genocide during the state's colonisation. An internal rift however has marred the release of the final report from the Yoorrook Justice Commission. Three of the five commissioners declined to approve of the inclusion of the key findings. But Commission chair Eleanor Bourke has said she lived through many of the policies described in the pages. South Australia is launching a review of education services that are outside of the state's mainstream school system. Those services are education and support programs for children and young people unable to attend mainstream sites for a variety of reasons. Those reasons might include disability, geographical isolation, or other complexities. About 10,000 students engage in non-mainstream programs in South Australia. A WARNING, THIS STORY INCLUDES CONTENT THAT MAY BE DISTRESSING FOR SOME LISTENERS Victorian premier Jacinta Allan says the state will change its Working with Children Check laws, after the charging of a childcare worker with more than 70 sex offences. It follows revelations the 26 year old man, who had worked for about 20 childcare centres over about eight years, held a valid Working with Children Check. "I'm sickened by these allegations of abuse. They are shocking and distressing and my heart just breaks for the families who are living every parent's worst nightmare." Victoria Police say the accused was not known to them until the start of the investigation.
They also say there were no formal complaints against the accused.