SBS News In Easy English 18 July 2025

18-07-2025

Welcome to SBS News in Easy English, I'm Biwa Kwan. Anthony Albanese says his six-day tour of China has been successful, resulting in outcomes that will boost the bilateral relationship. The prime minister is ending his trip in the regional city of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, before he flies out of the country to return to Australia. Mr Albanese says it has been a productive trip, including the meeting with China's President Xi Jinping. "One of the theme of our discussions was improving people-to-people and cultural links between people in Australia and China. And I can think of no better way then through the sporting engagement at what is the iconic sporting event in Australia - our Australian Open. Indeed the last Australian prime minister to visit Sichuan was Bob Hawke in 1986. And that time he launched an annual Australia-China tennis challenge. A gesture of goodwill between our nations." The late Yolngu Elder and land rights pioneer, Dr Galarrwuy Yunupingu, has been officially awarded the nation's highest civilian honour, two years after his death. The Companion of the Order of Australia was accepted by his eldest daughter, Binmila, from Governor-General Sam Mostyn, who travelled to north-east Arnhem Land to present the award in person. The Governor General says Dr Yunupingu would have viewed the award in his own way. "But I am also aware that in the 50th year of the Australian honours and awards system, this may be an award that Dr Yunupingu may not have really seen as necessary. Or seen as adding to the way he lived his life. In a way it is an important thing that we are doing in acknowledging his life through a system that must sit alongside something else that Dr Yunupingu said in his essay. He spoke of an allegiance to each other, to land and to ceremonies that define Yolngu." Australia's unemployment rate has risen slightly, from 4.1 to 4.2 per cent. It is the highest unemployment rate since November 2021. The number of unemployed people increased by 34,000; and the number of people with a full-time job fell by 38,000. Analysts say the figure will be a deciding factor on whether the Reserve Bank decies to make an interest rate cut. An Australian innovation is hoping to revolutionise landmine clearance. According to NATO's Strategic Warfare Development Command, there are still 110 million landmines around the world. The world's largest landmine clearance charity, the HALO Trust, says over 5,700 civilians were killed or injured by landmines and explosives in 2023. John Shanahan is the Managing Director of Mread, an Australian company working in collaboration with the C-S-I-R-O. He says the teams have developed the first handheld device using low frequency radio waves to identify explosives. "Every explosive, or drugs which we detect has a fingerprint. We are the only sensor that can detect the actual fingerprint. So not that there's an anomaly there, as we talked about earlier, it's just, this is that substance. It's just binary as that." In cycling, Tadej Pogacar has regained the overall lead of the Tour de France, after winning stage 12. The three-time Tour winner completed stage on the first major mountain of the race ahead of Jonas Vingegaard [[YOH-nuss vin-nee-GOH]] with a margin of two minutes 10 seconds. Pogacar dedicated the stage win to 19-year-old Italian cyclist Samuele Privitera who died after a crash in the opening stage of the Giro della Valle d'Aosta. "I think this stage can go for (be a tribute for) somehwhere - and to all his family because it was really sad. The first thing I read in the morning and yeah, it was just... I was thinking in the last kilometre about him and yeah, how tough this sport can be - and how much pain it can cause."
Thanks for listening. This is SBS News in Easy English.

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Double Bay waterfront sale falls over, then sells for $2m less

Daily Telegraph

25 minutes ago

Daily Telegraph

Double Bay waterfront sale falls over, then sells for $2m less

A historic sandstone waterfront mansion in Double Bay exchanged at $22m more than a year ago but the sale fell through … now, a new deal has just been done at $20m to a different buyer. The five-bedroom estate on a 978sqm block at 21 Gladswood Gardens, which was the coach house of the Gladswood Estate, has been owned by the MacMahon family since it was bought for $782,000 in 1983. The sold sticker went up last May, and sources say the expat purchaser back then couldn't sell their Hong Kong property so couldn't proceed. Enter Cohen Handler buyer's agent, Tom Penfold, who's scooped it up for his eastern suburbs lady client at $2m less than the original agreed price. MORE: Redfern house doubles in value after reno 'A waterfront in Double Bay for $20m — it's a beautiful old sandstone building,' Penfold said. 'My client fell in love with it straight away and we secured it very quickly. 'She love the rawness and the potential.' He says she will do a sympathetic reno — 'she's not going to go crazy' — and move in. The Double Bay case mirrors another in Vaucluse involving one of multi-millionaire William Wu's properties investment properties. The 32-year-old investor and his property developer mother Jing Wang amassed a $100m portfolio of houses from Bellevue Hill to Vaucluse in 2021, including a six-bedroom, seven-bathroom mansion with eight-car garage at 31 Vaucluse Rd, Vaucluse bought for $13.32m. The home, on an 879sqm block and with sweeping iconic views, went up for sale with a $23.8m guide in 2023 and later exchanged for about $24m. But local sources say that deal, too, fell through. That's just exchanged again via Bradfield BadgerFox Double Bay agents Alexander George and Peter Leipnik for about $21m to a local buyer. MORE: Big price for Nicole Kidman house

‘Get it over the line': Western Sydney ex-manager sentenced over bride attempt for $5m parking contract

News.com.au

33 minutes ago

News.com.au

‘Get it over the line': Western Sydney ex-manager sentenced over bride attempt for $5m parking contract

A former executive manager at Western Sydney Airport has avoided jail after attempting to solicit a bribe during bidding for a $5m parking system contract. Sajish Erasery was sentenced at the Downing Centre District Court on Friday after pleading guilty to soliciting a corrupt commission contrary to section 249B. The former executive procurement manager will serve a two-year prison sentence in the community as well as undertake 500 hours of community service. The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) said Erasery attempted to solicit the bribe from a company bidding to provide an automated parking system at the future airport. In a statement, the corruption watchdog said Erasery had initially suggested he could 'get the deal over the line' if he received a payment of 5 per cent of the contract. Erasery later reduced the amount to $200,000 – of the $5m contract – and proposed a scheme to repay the company through inflated invoices, according to the NACC. The matter was referred to the NACC and the Australian Federal Police in March 2024 and within just 10 days they had enough evidence to lay charges against Erasery. It is the first case to result in sentencing from an investigation initiated by the corruption watchdog, which was established by the federal government in July 2023. In its statement, the NACC thanked the Western Sydney Airport for their co-operation and 'proactive actions … in referring the matter'.

Fury as elite Sydney school tries to buy street on Lower North Shore

News.com.au

39 minutes ago

News.com.au

Fury as elite Sydney school tries to buy street on Lower North Shore

A prestigious Sydney school's proposal to buy part of a public road from council has sparked fierce community opposition, with locals accusing the institution of trying to take over the neighbourhood. Sydney Church of England Grammar School – better known as Shore – has approached North Sydney Council to purchase a chunk of Edward St north of Lord St. The section of road – a known traffic bottleneck during pick-up and drop-off times – currently separates the Lower North Shore school's senior and preparatory campuses. Open Space & Infrastructure director Gary Parsons has recommended the council's chief executive be authorised 'to enter into discussions regarding the potential closure and sale' of the street section, The Daily Telegraph reports, including undertaking community consultation. The independent, all-boys school – which has annual tuition fees of up to $46,000 – would be required to provide a minimum $20,000 bond to cover the cost of council's preliminary 'investigations'. Council will deliberate the matter at a meeting on Monday night, but the offer has already been met with backlash from residents, who say closing the street would 'exacerbate the existing traffic chaos'. 'It is an education district but it is a residential district too,' Danielle Walters, who has lived in the area for two decades, told The Telegraph. 'How much are we doing to allow a school to dominate a whole area and what does it mean for us? If this is all going to be (a) school, should we just be selling our properties to Shore now?' Maree Faulkner, another longtime Lower North Shore local, echoed the sentiment on social media, writing there were 'three issues' with the potential acquisition. '1. This would exacerbate the existing traffic chaos in Edward St at school drop off/pick up times,' Ms Faulkner said. 'I'm already frequently prevented from accessing my property by the queues of massive SUV's and the private traffic wardens employed by SHORE. '2. This would further alienate Graithwaite (historic house) from the community – even preventing distant public viewing of this beautiful community landmark. 'And most importantly … 3. This is blatant evidence of the misuse of the tax payer $s provided to SHORE. A condition of the sale should be that, in addition to the sale price, SHORE must provide an annual donation of the equivalent amount to an underprivileged school in Western Sydney.' A Shore spokesperson confirmed to it has submitted an application to purchase the portion of street 'that directly borders the Preparatory School campus in North Sydney'. 'This proposal is part of a broader initiative to improve traffic flow and enhance safety for students and families during peak drop-off and pick-up times,' they said. 'The section of Edward Street in question is adjacent to existing School grounds and does not include any residential properties or homes. Shore remains committed to working collaboratively with Council and the local community to ensure the best outcomes for all stakeholders.' has contacted North Sydney Council for comment. Other residents noted they didn't see an issue with the street being sold to Shore, given 'nobody uses (it) unless it's school related'. 'It's a bit of a nothing street, it's basically a thoroughfare for the school anyway,' someone else pointed out. '(Locals) are only upset because they don't like the school,' another agreed. 'The piece of road runs through the middle of the school and is of no use to anyone but the school.' The move comes amid the cash-strapped council's ongoing struggle to finance the North Sydney Olympic Pool redevelopment, with the costs associated with it surging to an estimated $122 million. Last October, council warned it would need to make 'critical decisions' to salvage its finances, including seeking voluntary rates or an 'in-kind contribution' on their property holdings from the area's six independent schools, including Shore. 'Private schools own approximately 152,566 square metres in the LGA and if that were rated as a business it would result in additional rate revenue of over $1 million,' North Sydney Mayor Zoe Baker said at a December council meeting.