A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability.
Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts.
TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to SBS News in Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.
Communities in Melbourne's west have been told to avoid a chemical factory fire that sent toxic smoke billowing over the city after firefighters battled the blaze throughout the night.
Locals have now been told to avoid coming into contact with water in Cherry Creek, Anderson's Swamp and Kayes Drain after pollutants from firewater entered the downstream waterways.
Fire Rescue Victoria firefighter Michelle Carling says a range of chemicals were present in the factory.
"Kerosene, fuel, methylated spirits of various types, paint thinners, all sorts. Ethanol? Ethanol."
The fire was sparked by a large explosion at the Derrimut factory in the city's west on Wednesday morning.
Ms Carling says the size of the site means the fire, the most significant in the city for several years, could take days to extinguish.
—
A father has been charged with the murder of three of his children after allegedly preventing their rescue from a burning home in Lalor Park, Sydney.
The 28-year-old will face Parramatta Local Court from his bed at Westmead Hospital today, where he remains under police guard, following a coma induced by the fire.
Three children, aged six, two, and five months, died in the blaze on Sunday.
Three others were hospitalised.
The man faces three counts of domestic violence-related murder and five counts of attempted murder.
The attempted murder charges involve four other children and his 29-year-old partner, who all survived.
He is also charged with destroying property with intent to endanger life.
—
Alice Springs' mayor, Matt Paterson, says a three-day snap curfew imposed on the city centre has worked, and that a decision has yet to be made on whether or not it would be extended.
Mr Paterson, however, has acknowledged on the ABC that it had some adverse effects on Alice Springs' suburbs.
"It's obviously worked in the CBD, but we are hearing that it is pushing crime out into the suburbs, so we'll wait and see what happens. You know, ultimately the community gets to have a breath whilst there's extra resources and there's extra police in town. So we'll just wait and see what's decided."
The curfew was announced after a series of violent incidents last weekend, resulted in the barring of access to the CBD from 10pm to 6am for most people.
—
United States President Joe Biden continues to face pressure from within his party to drop out of the 2024 race.
Overnight, Hollywood star and major Democratic donor George Clooney wrote in an op-ed that the party needs a new nominee.
Meanwhile, senior Democratic politician Nancy Pelosi - who is a long-time Biden ally - urged Mr Biden to make a decision quickly.
But she stopped short of saying definitively whether she wanted him to run.
"It's up to the president to decide if he is going to run. We're all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short. He is beloved, he is respected, and people want him to make that decision."
—
England is through to the final of the European Football Championship, after coming from behind to beat the Netherlands 2-1 in Dortmund.
The Dutch took the lead early on with a Xavi Simons strike, but an England penalty by Harry Kane quickly levelled the two sides.
Then in stoppage time, a strike by substitute Ollie Watkins sent England to their second consecutive Euro final.
They will face Spain at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on Sunday.
That was SBS News in Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.
