SBS News in Easy English 16 July 2024

A high-angle photo shows a small inflatable boat with people in it, positioned next to a large whale. The whale is partially tangled in a fishing net, and a rescue effort appears to be underway.

Rescuers help a whale caught in a shark net off the coast of Queensland. Source: AAP / Jerome Delay

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TRANSCRIPT





In the United States, Donald Trump has made his first public appearance since the attempt on his life, appearing at the Republican National Convention in Milwauke.



With a thick bandage over his right ear, he was welcomed with cheers by party members - before taking his place in the audience alongside members of his family and Senator JD Vance, Trump's newly announced choice for running mate.



He is due to accept the party's nomination as presidential nominee [[in a prime-time speech on Thursday local time]] at the four-day convention.



39-year-old Vance was a fierce Trump critic in 2016 but has since become one of the former president's staunchest defenders.

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Areas in Victoria's east and north-east are dealing with the aftermath of heavy rain and floods, with the State Emergency Service responding to more than 300 calls for help in the past 24 hours.



A number of watch and act alerts remain active [[including for properties near the Latrobe River between Yallourn and Traralgon Creek in Gippsland, near the communities of Morwell, Yallourn North and Erica]].



Rainfall levels expected to reach 90 millimetres in places.



Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan urged people to stay away from flood waters.

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Fifteen new Bushmaster armored vehicles will be built in Bendigo.



Defence manufacturer Thales received the $45 million contract to build the armored four wheel drives, which will support the mobile artillery regiment of the Australian Defence Force.



The Bushmaster has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance, with Australia sending Kyiv 120 of them since the start of Russia's invasion in 2022.



Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy says the vehicles are a critical piece of defence technology.

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The United Nations says it will begin bringing more armoured vehicles and personal protection equipment into Gaza for its humanitarian aid operations, following approval from Israeli authorities.



The decision comes in response to a U-N letter sent to Israel last month regarding safety and security amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.



The U-N has faced significant challenges in delivering aid to the Strip, as Israel inspects and approves all incoming trucks.



The situation has been exacerbated by "total lawlessness" in the enclave of 2.3 million people, where there is a high risk of famine according to a global hunger monitor.

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Taxpayers could wait years for a major overhaul of the toll-road system in New South Wales.



Changes recommended by an independent review of tolls are not expected to begin until at least 2027.



The measures include giving the NSW government power to set prices across the whole network.



The review, jointly led by the former head of Australia's competition regulator, Allan Fels, found motorway tolls in Sydney were higher than necessary or desirable and that a state government cap-and-rebate scheme was unsustainable.



The state opposition spokesman for industrial relations, Damien Tudehope, says the message being sent to toll road users is not positive.

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In rugby league, New South Wales State of Origin captain Jake Trbojevic [[tr-boya-vitch]] says his team isn't concerned about their poor record in Brisbane in series-deciding State of Origin matches.



The series is tied at one match all heading into tomorrow night's third and final game between New South Wales and Queensland in Brisbane.



There have been 13 previous series-deciding third games in Brisbane; New South Wales has only won two of them, and Queensland has won the last six in a row.



But Trbojevic says his team is not daunted by history, but, rather, excited by the challenge.



He says they are focused on getting even better than they were in their victory in game two, which forced this series-deciding game, after they lost the first game of the series.

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