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TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to SBS News in Easy English. I'm Biwa Kwan.
The federal government has offered to delay the start of a new program providing access to early intervention autism services for children, after state and territory leaders say they are not ready.
Health Minister Mark Butler says the date for the Thriving Kids early intervention program will be delayed from its original plan to roll out from July 1st.
The issue will be discussed as part of negotiations on finalising a five-year deal on funding public hospitals between leaders from the federal government, states and territories.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler says it is ideal to have a seperate funding arrangement for the Thriving Kids program - outside the National Disability Insurance Scheme or NDIS.
"Well existing participants aren't coming off the program. I made a very clear commitment that existing participants would stay on the program subject to all the usual rules. But state and territories in the Commonwealth agreed way back in 2023 that far too many young children were ending up on the NDIS. In some parts of the country, as many as one in four young boys were ending up on a scheme that was established for severe and permanent disability."
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Older Australians are waiting an average of eight months* [[245 days]] to get access to home support services, which includes showering, meal preparation and cleaning.
The data in the Productivity Commission's Report on Government Services represents almost a doubling in the median wait time over the last financial year.
A spokesman for Aged Care Minister Sam Rae says action is being taken to reduce wait times. The spokesperson says the report includes data that predates the government’s aged care reforms, including a new single assessment system which came in at the start of 2025.
The federal government announced the release of 20,000 home care packages late last year, and another 63,000 by the middle of this year.
Overall, Australia spent nearly $40 billion on aged care in the 2024/25 financial year, up from $38 billion the previous year.
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Emergency services have found the body of a 16-year-old boy in the Blue Mountains, after he lost touch with his friend while on a camping trip.
He and his 17-year-old friend travelled by train to Leura, 80 kilometres west of Sydney, and then set off for Mount Hay on foot as part of a 3-day trip.
Police say the older boy activated his personal locator beacon on Wednesday evening after they became separated.
Emergency crews rescued the 17-year-old, while the other teen's body was found nearby in a creek.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
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US border chief Tom Homan says federal agents will focus on targeted operations, shifting away from broad street sweeps that have provoked outrage in America and abroad.
Mr Homan admitted the federal immigration agency ICE could "do better" - in a rare acknowledgment from the administration that their operations had not been perfect.
This follows the fatal shooting of two U-S citizens in Minneapolis by ICE agents in the past month.
Mr Homan adds he would reduce the number of agents deployed to the city if he received cooperation from state and local leaders.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says there are serious concerns about the operation and the way it has been conducted.
"What's become clear to me is this is obviously not about safety. This is not even about immigration. This is about silencing a narrative or a political position that differs from that of a federal administration. We've seen this kind of conduct in other countries. We cannot see it right here in America."
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In Tennis, world No 1, Aryna Sabalenka has welcomed the possibility of Serena Williams' return to the sport.
The 23-time grand slam singles champion did not rule out a potential comeback when interviewed on the NBC's Today Show.
Serena Williams: I am just having fun and enjoying me life right now.
Interviewer: Okay, but that's not a yes or a no.
Serena Williams: That is not a yes or a no. I don't know. I'm going to see what happens. I have two kids. When I filled out the form the other day - occupation? I put down housewife. Listen, I can't discuss this. (laughs).
The 44-year-old retired after the 2022 US Open, but rejoined the drug testing pool late last year.
The action is a requirement before returning to the sport.
That's SBS News in Easy English. I'm Biwa Kwan.
