A daily 5 minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Welcome to SBS News in Easy English. I'm Deborah Groarke.
Pro-democracy activist Chau Van Kham has been reunited with his family in Sydney after four years in a Vietnamese jail.
Vietnamese police arrested the retired baker in January 2019 and a court convicted him of "terrorism" 10 months later, sentencing him to 12 years in prison.
The case was based on his affiliation and activities with an opposition political party, Viet Tan, which operates lawfully in Australia but is designated a terrorist group by Vietnam.
Mr Kham's wife and two children thanked the Australian government for securing his release, while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said he's grateful for the outcome.
"I thank our friends in Vietnam for listening and for agreeing during my visit there for this to occur. Chau Van Kham has now been able to be reunited with his family in Australia. We welcome that. It's an example of how engagement in a constructive way achieves results in Australia's national interest."
A student on the New South Wales Central Coast has died after contracting the flu, just days after health officials urged the community to get vaccinated.
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant last week warned circulation of influenza B was rising and young people were at heightened risk from the strain.
Since May, at least 16 children have been admitted to intensive care at three major NSW hospitals with life-threatening complications from influenza.
AUSTRALIA and the European Union have failed to agree a planned free trade deal, with better market access for farmers still a major sticking point.
But Australia is still pushing to close the deal, hoping to secure improved conditions for sheep and beef producers.
Trade Minister Don Farrell says officials on both sides would continue negotiations and try to meet again next month, while Anthony Albanese has met with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the NATO summit to continue to press Australia's case.
Home Affairs Minister Claire O'Neill has told Channel 7 the Prime Minister won't sign a deal just for the sake of it.
"Trade deals are not trophies. It's only good for the country, if it's good for the country. Don Farrell is over there pushing to get every skerrick of benefit for Australians and to support Australian jobs. We are only going to sign a free trade deal that gives us great benefits to the country, and to our Aussie farmers. And they are pushing and pushing on that at the moment, and we are going to continue to negotiate this until we get that very last derrick of benefit for Australian workers and for Australian farmers."
TWO of Australia's major banks will face a grilling today in a parliamentary inquiry that's looking at their approach to interest rates and scams.
NAB and ANZ bosses will appear before the economics committee today, with Westpac and the Commonwealth bank to follow tomorrow.
Committee chair Daniel Mulino says the two-day hearing is a timely opportunity to look at how the banks have protected themselves and their customers, in a year characterised by rising interest rates, bank closures and increasingly sophisticated scams.
A new report has found that the Murray cod is at risk of extinction unless more water is returned to the Murray-Darling Basin.
The cod is among as many as 140 species under threat, which includes birds, fish, invertebrates, frogs and flora.
Environment Victoria's 'Doomed Without a Drink' report says the state government's opposition to commonwealth water purchases has been a major roadblock to delivering water to basin rivers and wetlands.
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has already said that significant changes to the basin plan were likely after requesting advice from the Murray-Darling Basin Authority on the prospect of reaching its water recovery targets by the legislated deadline of June 2024.
I'm Deborah Groarke. This is SBS News in Easy English.
