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TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to SBS News in Easy English. I'm Sam Dover.
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The Coalition has accused the federal government of failing to support Australia's ally the United States.
It comes after the US requested support in its military strikes against Houthi militants in Yemen.
The Albanese government promised to triple Australia's defence force personnel presence in the Red Sea, but has yet to do so.
There are currently one or two Australian officers assigned to the United State Central Command in Bahrain.
Nationals Senator Matt Canavan told Sky News the Albanese government has been lacking in substance and delivery.
"I think the Albanese government has a lot of explaining to do here. The US asked us to send a warship now, apparently it looks like we didn't have a warship to send and I've not been directly critical of that. Obviously we need to take care of our own defences but they did promise to send an extra 10 or so staff to help out and that hasn't been delivered. It seems so lacking in support of our major allies. I think we should be doing more to help make sure we keep this important sea route peaceful."
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says a Pacific Motorway extension is a nation-building project that will more easily connect Sydney and Brisbane.
The Prime Minister visited the Hunter region to inspect the progress made on the M1 Pacific Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace.
The upgrade is expected to improve traffic flow for motorists and freight for more reliable travel times while improving accessibility to the surrounding road network.
The PM says they expect the project will be completed by 2028.
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A new study has found that the majority of drug-related deaths in Australia could have been prevented.
The report showed 64 people died following attendance at a music festival or concert in Australia between 2000 and 2019.
More than 73 per cent of those deaths were males and most were in their mid-20s.
A researcher from the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, Jennifer Schuman, told Channel Nine pill testing is proven to reduce the number of drug-related deaths.
"It's obviously not the silver bullet. It's found to be a highly effective strategy in a broader harm reduction approach. Other countries have been doing this around North America and Europe for twenty or thirty years, and it has been associated with a great reduction in the harms associated with drug use."
The study is the first to report on drug-related deaths at Australian music festivals.
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And in football,
Shortlisted Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has missed out on being named the world's best coach at the FIFA awards.
Postecoglou, who was recognised for his achievements in his previous role at the Scottish football giants Celtic, lost out to overwhelming fan favourite Pep Guardiola at The Best FIFA Awards 2023 in London.
Guardiola guided Manchester City to a triple win of the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup last season.
Postecoglou was on a shortlist that also included Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi, Napoli's Luciano Spalletti, and Barcelona's Xavi.
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I'm Sam Dover. This is SBS News in Easy English.
