Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts.
TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to SBS News in Easy English, I'm Camille Bianchi.
+++
The Board of Peace is hopeful a deal can be reached to disarm Hamas and end the war between Israel and the militant group in Gaza.
The board's lead representative Nickolay , says both sides are trying to finalise an agreement in the next few weeks.
“We’ve had some very serious discussions with Hamas over the last few weeks. They’re not easy. They demand very significant decisions to be taken by all sides. But I’m fairly optimistic that we will be able to come up with an arrangement that works for all sides and, most importantly, works for the people in Gaza.”
+++
A tsunami threat from a powerful earthquake in Japan has now passed, after more than 180,000 people had been told to take shelter.
Harold Tobin, an earthquake expert at the University of Washington, says it could still be dangerous.
"The civil authorities in Japan have issued what they call a mega quake advisory, the potential for a larger earthquake to follow in the next short period of time. I think they initially issue them for a two week period. People being on alert and vigilant for the possibility of an even larger earthquake, say greater than magnitude 8.5, which could have a big tsunami associated with it."
+++
The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education wants stricter rules around alcohol advertising on Australian TV.
The foundation's CEO, Ayla Chorley, says advertising of alcohol during sporting games on TV, is a big issue.
"What the research shows is that children and young people, when they're exposed to alcohol advertising, are at greater risk later in life of drinking alcohol, younger and at riskier levels. What the current code allows for is what we call a sports loophole, which means that alcohol advertising can be shown during sports, and that means at times when children are watching and we know that a lot of children watch sport, they watch the NRL, the AFL, and in that time, they are being exposed to alcohol advertising."
+++
Pope Leo XIV is going to Equatorial Guinea, the final country he will visit on his tour of Africa.
His trip has drawn large crowds and focused on peace, unity and inequality.
The Pope has also denied reports he spoke about US President Donald Trump.
“There’s been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of it's aspects ... the talk that I gave at the prayer meeting for peace a couple of days ago was prepared two weeks ago, well before the president ever commented on myself and on the message of peace that I am promoting. Yet as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate, again, the president, which is not my interest at all.”
+++
That's the latest SBS News in Easy English.
