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SBS News in Easy English 22 July 2022

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

A daily five-minute news wrap for English learners.


Welcome to SBS News in Easy English... I'm Claire Slattery.

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Authorities have discovered a body in Queensland's south-east as a powerful offshore weather system batters the coast.

Police are now working to identify the man, who was found this morning [[Fri 22 July]] near Sandy Creek in Nanango, about two and-a-half hours northwest of Brisbane.

Police say the man's death follows the rescue of several people in what they've said are "quite dangerous situations", including from the roof of a car at Kingaroy.

Queensland's Premier Anastacia Palaszchuk has asked residents to listen to official advice.

"Of course Queenslanders should pay attention - especially the south-east - about not going into, onto, the beaches or into the beaches this weekend. We're expecting very large waves. And of course if it's flooded, forget it."

Rainfall totals of more than 100 millimetres have been reported in the Sunshine Coast hinterland with the town of Maleny among the hardest hit.

Beaches on the Gold Coast have been closed because of the dangerous conditions.

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An inquiry has found that complicated legal language has made it hard for Victorians to understand and follow the state's COVID-19 pandemic orders.

The State Parliament's Pandemic Declaration Accountability and Oversight Committee spent months evaluating the Victorian Government's response to COVID 19.

The committee has recommended that the Health Department publish summaries of pandemic orders in language of a year seven high school level.

Premier Daniel Andrews says the government will look into the recommendations.

"We've provided RATs to families across the state, both public as well as Catholic and independent schools. That's continuing til the end of the year. I don't know that every other state's necessarily doing that - but if there's a view to do more again, always happy to look at that."

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The Federal Government will double fees and penalties for foreign investment in Australia.

The move was one of Labor's election promises, and has been confirmed following a meeting of Federal, State and Territory Treasurers in Brisbane today.

The Federal Government says it's expected to raise $445 million, which will go towards funding its housing policies, especially the help-to-buy scheme.

The Treasurer Jim Chalmers says it will also improve the federal budget's bottom line.

"Now foreign investment is a good thing, it's welcome when it's in Australia's national interest. This will make a very small difference to the cost of buying a property in Australia, but it will make a very big difference to Australians and to their budget because it means we can fund other priorities. "

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In sport,

And Jonas Vingegaard has massively extended his lead it the Tour De France.

He's won the final mountain stage of the Tour, leaving his main challenger, defending champion Tadej Pogacar three minutes and 26 seconds behind him overall.

Vingegaard is now the overwhelming favourite to win this year's race, but, even with the race finish in Paris this weekend, he says he is still keeping a narrow focus.

"I was just happy that it finally ended, it was incredibly hard. Of course, I'm really, really happy that I win the stage and now there's still two more days to come before we are in Paris, so we need to keep focus. We will take it day by day again."

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You've been listening to SBS News in Easy English.. I'm Claire Slattery.


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