Welcome to SBS News in Easy English. I'm DEBORAH GROARKE.
Parliament is debating the federal government's proposed energy relief measures.
The bill has already passed the lower house, and is now before the Senate.
The measures have the support of the Greens and key crossbenchers in the Senate.
But the Coalition says it will not vote in favour.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says the Coalition does not believe in market intervention - or that the bill will really help.
"This is a massive con job taking place. Your power bills are not going down under this government. They have no idea what they're doing. And I worry most for those families who are seeing their mortgage payments going up and up and up under this government."
The Queensland government will respond today to a report into a state run forensics laboratory.
Their response may address concerns about the impact of the report on a large number of cases because many samples from crime scenes were never tested properly.
The report says this may have affected many cases in a negative way.
Report author Walter Sofronoff says he believes Forensic and Scientific Services should be re-organised to stop it from happening again.
At least four people have died after the small boat they were in sank off the coast of England.
Dozens of migrants have been rescued from the freezing waters by teams sent from the UK and France, with temperatures as low as two degrees in the area where the boat capsized.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says he is very sorry to hear what happened.
"I'm sure the whole house will share my sorrow at... the tragic loss of human lives. Our hearts go out to those affected and our tributes to those involved in the extensive rescue operation."
Iran has been thrown out of an important committee at the United Nations that deals with women's issues.
They have been expelled from the Committee on the Status of Women, because of how it has responded to protests over the death of a young woman in police custody in September.
The Commission meets every March to promote gender equality.
A delegation of MPs from Australia on tour in the Pacific have met with officials from Palau.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Pacific Minister Pat Conroy from Labor and Simon Birmingham and Michael McCormack from the Coalition are part of the delegation.
A key issue of their meeting today with Palau president Surangel Whipps has been climate change.
The Australian government has launched a bid to co-host the 2026 United Nations climate summit - known as COP 29 - with Pacific island nations.
Senator Wong says that will be a good chance to talk about how global warming is affecting the region.
"We hope that the conference of the parties - if we are able to get that agreed - is the opportunity for the voices of the Pacific to be heard even more loudly and powerfully."
Australia's south-east is experiencing an unusual December cold front which has brought snow and freezing temperatures.
Victoria is having its coldest summer temperatures on record, with just under minus five degrees recorded at Mount Hotham.
Spokesman for Mount Hotham Stuart Stevens has told Sky News this cold snap is unusual - but not a complete surprise.
"We have had snow on Christmas Day before, years ago, but this is a wintry blast and it's continuing so it's slightly different to what we've normally seen before."
I’m DEBORAH GROARKE. This is SBS News in Easy English.
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