A daily five-minute news wrap for English learners and people with a disability.
This is SBS News in Easy English... I'm Claire Slattery...
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Landowners have reached a multi-million dollar settlement with the federal government over dangerous firefighting foam that contaminated their properties.
The class action argued that the defence department didn't stop toxic chemicals in the PFAS foam from escaping and contaminating neighbouring soil and groundwater.
Shine Lawyers on behalf of 30-thousand landowners has reached an agreement with the government in the federal court for a sum of $132.7 million.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has welcomed the settlement, saying his concern is for the health of residents.
"The biggest concern that I have with PFAS isn't of course a financial one, it is the health outcomes of the people who are affected by it."
The agreement covers seven communities around Australia that are located near Royal Australian Air Force bases.
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The federal government will establish a National Anti-Scam Centre as part of efforts to combat fraud.
Australians lost $3 billion to scams last year with the average loss about $20,000.
Financial Services Minister Stephen Jones says the centre will aim to prevent fraud before it happens.
"Our policy to fight scams, whole of government policy, is about ensuring that we are taking the fight up to scammers, to ensure that consumers are better protected."
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An Indigenous man has died in custody in Victoria.
The 70-year-old Torres Strait Islander man died in hospital last week.
Victoria's Corrections Minister Enver Erdogan confirmed the death during a hearing of the Yoorook Justice Commission this morning.
It brings to 34 the number of deaths in custody in Victoria since the 1991 royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody.
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About two-thirds of Australians who volunteer have now returned to doing those tasks in-person, in the aftermath of pandemic restrictions.
This week is National Volunteer Week, with more than five million Australians volunteering with organisations each year.
Volunteering Australia's chief executive, Mark Pearce, says volunteering changes lives.
"And it can be as simple as saying, hey, mate, do you need a hand with that? Identifying a need with an individual or with a community and then being part of the solution so everyone is at some stage is a volunteer."
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In cycling,
And Belgian world champion Remco Evenepoel has withdrawn from the Giro d'Italia, after testing positive to COVID-19.
The announcement from his team came hours after Evenepoel won stage nine of the race to reclaim the overall lead with a time of 41 minutes and 24 seconds.
Speaking after crossing the finish line, the 23-year-old says not everything went to plan, but he is happy to with the win.
"It’s another stage win, so that’s very nice. But I think it was not my best time trial that I’ve ever done. I think we should just be happy that we took the stage win again and that we have the pink jersey. But I think it was a very tight one today."
The new race leader is now Britain's Geraint Thomas.
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You've been listening to SBS News in Easy English... I'm Claire Slattery.
