SBS News in Easy English 21 May 2024

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A daily 5-minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability. 


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TRANSCRIPT:

The government has announced a limited number of flights to evacuate Australians stranded in New Caledonia.

In a post on the social media platform X, Foreign Minister Penny Wong has confirmed clearance has been received for two government assisted-departure flights today.

The Minister says passengers will be prioritised based on need.

She says the Department of Foreign Affairs is contacting registered Australians, and the government is continuing to work on additional flights.

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Australia's energy regulator says delays with renewable energy projects could impact the reliability of the country's electricity network.

Updated findings from the Australian Energy Market Operator suggest this means power outages could become more likely during times of high demand.

Labor Minister Amanda Rishworth says the government is working as hard as it can to address energy issues.

"This report did not say that the answer was to stop investment in renewables and pivot to some nuclear plan that would be off in decades - decades away - that may never be delivered, no costings, most likely to push up power prices. So we need to get on with the job. We need to fix the decade of absolute chaos that was in energy policy, and shore up our energy future."

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A new study has found children from migrant and refugee families are at a higher risk of developmental difficulties.

The study has been published by the University of South Australia and Settlement Services International [[SSI]].

It has found that the higher risk for children from diverse backgrounds is because they are not as likely to access early intervention programs like speech therapy, occupational therapy, or support for disabilities.

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There's a renewed push for the Australian government to help secure the release of Julian Assange.

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie says a deal needs to be struck to secure Assange's freedom.

"It's good that he has one final opportunity to convince a British court that the extradition should not proceed. It's also very good in that it gives Assange and his lawyers more time perhaps to strike a deal with the US Department of Justice, and more time for the Australian government to perhaps reach some sort of agreement with the White House in Washington."

The journalists union, MEAA, has backed that call.

MEAA President Karen Percy has urged US President Joe Biden to end the prosecution of the Wikileaks founder.

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Telstra has announced it will cut up to 2,800 jobs by the end of the year.

Chief executive Vicky Brady says the mass layoff is necessary for productivity and to simplify operations.

Employees and unions were not consulted before the announcement.

But Ms Brady says consultation on 377 of the proposed job cuts will begin today.

"We will continue to work through the detail as fast as we can on the remaining proposed changes and I anticipate being able to update our employees around mid-July. As part of our ongoing work to reduce our costs, we will also focus on other cost categories including non-labour-related costs."

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State and territory leaders say the government's planned changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme could leave disabled Australians in a worse position.

The leaders have made a joint submission to a government inquiry that any attempt to cut spending could impact its effectiveness.

The government estimates it could save $14 billion over the next four years.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the changes will benefit all Australians.

"Funding for the NDIS will continue to grow will actually continue to grow quite strongly. But everyone state and federal everyone associated with the scheme has an interest in and has a responsibility to make sure that we're getting value for money."

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