A daily 5 minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability.
TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to SBS News in Easy English. I'm Sam Dover.
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The International Criminal Court's top prosecutor says blocking supplies to Gaza's population may be a crime.
Aid supplies to Gaza have been mostly blocked since Israel began bombing the Palestinian region in response to a deadly attack by Hamas on October 7.
A small number of trucks carrying food and aid have been permitted through Egypt's border with Gaza in recent days but these are far below the daily deliveries of 450 trucks that entered the strip with essential aid before the conflict even began.
The United Nations says the supplies are extremely limited and are not enough to address the huge needs of the Palestinian people.
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan says Israel must immediately ensure civilians receive more aid.
"And I want to underline clearly to Israel that there must be discernible efforts, without further delay, to make sure civilians receive basic food, medicine. We hear reports of operations taking place without these basic medicines as if we are in the Middle Ages. In this regard, I have to say that Israel has clear obligations in relation to its war with Hamas, not just moral obligations but legal obligations to comply with the laws of armed conflict."
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Social services minister Amanda Rishworth says that, while the federal government is not afraid to disagree with China on certain important issues, the country remains Australia's most significant trading partner.
It comes just a few days before prime minister Anthony Albanese's trip to Beijing where he will meet with Chinese president Xi Jinping.
Ms Rishworth told Channel Seven that the prime minister's trip is important to help stabilise the relationship between the two countries.
"As a country and as a government, we've been pretty clear that when we disagree with things that China says or does, we will speak out against it, but we will also be very clear that, where we can cooperate, we will. And I think that's really important for our national interests. China is still our largest trading partner."
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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says glaciers in Nepal are melting at record rates and the situation is dire and accelerating.
According to the assessment by the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, an intergovernmental scientific authority on the region, glaciers in Asia’s Hindu Kush Himalaya could lose up to 75 per cent of their volume by century’s end due to global warming.
This could lead to both dangerous flooding and water shortages for the 240 million people who live in the mountainous region.
Mr Guterres says time is running out.
"On this trip, I will visit Himalayas to see for myself the terrible impact of the climate crisis on the glaciers. The situation is dire and it is accelerating. Nepal has lost close to a third of its size in just over 30 years, and glaciers are melting at record rates. The impact on communities is devastating and I will meet local people in the Himalayas to hear directly from them about how they are affected."
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In rugby,
Eddie Jones, who was once thought of as the saviour of the national team, has quit as coach of the Wallabies just 10 months into a five-year deal.
Jones has left after a disastrous World Cup campaign in which the Wallabies failed to make the quarter-finals for the first time in history.
Australia won only two of nine Tests in 2023 under Jones, who previously coached the Wallabies to a World Cup final in 2003.
Jones says the paperwork with Rugby Australia to end his contract is set to be signed this week, although Rugby Australia says they are unable to comment.
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I'm Sam Dover. This is SBS News in Easy English.
