Welcome to SBS News in Easy English.
I'm Amy Hall.
Relatives, friends and colleagues of passengers on a China Eastern Airlines flight that crashed into mountains in Guangxi have gathered at Guangzhou airport.
The plane had 132 people on board when it crashed, but local media say there are no signs of survivors.
It was travelling from Kunming in Yunnan province to Guangzhou, when it quickly lost height.
The airline says it deeply mourns the passengers and crew, but has not confirmed how many people have been killed.
Mr Yan is a colleague of Mr Tan, who was on the plane when it crashed.
"His (Mr Tan's) relatives had very mixed feelings when I broke the news, and they were sobbing. His mother didn’t believe this had happened. After I confirmed the news to her, she was sobbing, then she said she will be here as soon as possible."
The Russian military says it has hit a shopping centre in Kyiv because it was allegedly being used to store rockets.
At least eight people are reported dead after the Russian missile strike.
Russian officials claim Ukrainian forces used the shopping centre to reload multiple rocket launchers and store weapons to shell Russian troops.
Those claims are yet to be verified.
The federal government says the major telecommunications companies have to do more to make sure their infrastructure works during natural disasters.
The government has announced it will spend almost half a billion dollars in this year's federal budget on making NBN speeds faster in rural and regional Australia.
But there have been complaints about communications infrastructure not working in rural and regional areas after natural disasters.
Infrastructure Minister Bridget McKenzie says while the government has the money to help fix that, it can't be expected to do it all.
"Telstra, Optus, and other telco providers need to make sure that their infrastructure works in a natural disaster. This is Australia. This will not be the last time we see a flood. It will not be the last time we see a bushfire or cyclonic activity."
Victoria's Education Minister James Merlino says another 60,000 air purifiers will be sent to government and low-fee non-government schools from today.
That's on top of the 51,000 units already given to schools since the start of term one.
Mr Merlino says it's the largest investment in school ventilation in the country.
"We know as we head into the colder months, windows get closed, doors are shut to provide comfort to students and teachers. But that means that those classrooms then become high-risk settings."
Victoria has recorded 9,594 new COVID-19 cases, seven more deaths and 256 hospitalisations.
In New South Wales, there are 20,960 new infections, four further deaths and 1,177 people in hospital with the virus.
And a Victorian state memorial service for cricketer Shane Warne will be held on Wednesday night at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Premier Daniel Andrews says free tickets to the memorial will be available for booking from 3pm today.
The government says the service is an opportunity for Victorians to pay tribute to Warne's contribution to sport, the state and the country.
It will also be live-streamed.
I'm Amy Hall.
This is SBS News in Easy English.
