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SBS News In Easy English 18 March 2026

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A daily 5 minute news bulletin for English learners and people with a disability.


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TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to SBS News In Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.

Donald Trump has named Australia in his social media post criticising US allies for being reluctant to join the war in the Middle East.

The US President was highly critical of NATO countries and Australia declining to send ships to help open the crucial waterway of the Strait of Hormuz, in the post on his social media platform, Truth Social.

But Mr Trump is now saying the United States is in no need of assistance.

"We don't need help. You know, we've that war has been long prosecuted, as far as I'm concerned. Almost from day one, we knocked out many of these things. We knocked out the Navy essentially in a couple of days."

Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has told ABC News Radio it's time for Australia to reevaluate its relationship with the US.

"Well, he's lashing out, he's furious that America's alies are not prepared to support him in a war that he started without their consent or concurrence or without any consultation and it really just underlines the importance of Australia being more independent, exercising our own sovereignty."

Iran has confirmed the death of its powerful national security chief in an Israeli air strike.

Ali Larijani had been considered one of the most powerful figures in the country since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an airstrike on the first day of the war, and was key to Iran's violent crackdown on protests in January.

The United Nations has condemned the killing, and urged both Israel and the US to find diplomatic solutions to the conflict.

But Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says they have no intention of quitting.

“In the past 24 hours, we knocked out two of the terrorist chieftains, the top terrorist chieftains of this tyranny. Our aircraft are hitting the terror operatives on the grounds, in the crossroads, in the city squares. This is meant to enable the brave people of Iran to celebrate the Festival of Fire."

The New South Wales government says more can be done to prevent domestic violence, as domestic violence offences reach a new high in the New South Wales court system.

Figures released by the state's Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research show stalking and harassment, breaching an apprehended domestic violence order, and coercive control offences all reached record numbers in 2025.

BOCSAR executive director Jackie Fitzgerald says the bureau's findings indicate the increase is not due to a rise in incidents, but rather increased enforcement and proactive detection.

NSW Minister for Women Jodie Harrison is praising the figures as an indication of successful enforcement, but says more can be done to address root causes of domestic and family violence.

"We need to continue to focus on changing the dial on domestic and family violence. We need to continue to hold perpetrators to account. We need to stop the violence before it starts, and that's doing work in primary prevention, stopping the violence before it starts and changing attitudes and behaviours in relation to domestic and family violence."

Scotland's Parliament has rejected legislation that would have made the country the first part of the United Kingdom to allow terminally ill adults to end their lives.

Members of the Edinburgh-based legislature voted 69 to 57 against the bill that would have let people in Scotland with six months or less to live seek help to end their life.

The vote came after an emotional debate that lasted around three hours and saw MPs tear up and applaud as they expressed their views on the issue.

Leader of Scottish Labour Anas Sanwar has told Sky News he believes the result was the right outcome.

"I didn't feel as if there were adequate safeguards. I do have a fear around the risk of cooercion. And so I feel that the parliament has ultimately made the right decision."

In sport,

Senegal has lost the Africa Cup of Nations title it won in January, with Morocco being announced as the winner.

Morocco are now officially the African champions for the first time since 1976.

The reversal is the result of a decision by the appeal board of African football's governing body, Confederation of African Football.

Senegal had won the AFCON final in the Moroccan capital Rabat 1-0 after extra-time, and walked off the pitch after Morocco were awarded a controversial penalty.

That was SBS News In Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.


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