A daily 5-minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability.
Welcome to SBS News in Easy English. I'm Biwa Kwan.
The full extent of the flood damage in southeast Queensland is becoming clearer.
Amid heavy rain, thousands lost power, more than 20 schools were closed, and 39 swiftwater rescues were completed.
Queensland Premier Steven Miles says damage assessments are being conducted.
"I ran into SES volunteers there who had I seen in Cairns, the Gold Coast, Townsville and now here in Moreton Bay. That is a testament to the dedication of our volunteers. But also a symbol of how hard they worked this disaster season. It really has been very busy. They are out there today doing disaster assessments on 399 propertiesat Bray Park - thought to be affected by the flooding."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been visiting flood-impacted areas.
He says he has been inspired by seeing the response of emergency services and volunteer organisations.
"That is the sort of spirit that we consistently see that at the worst of times, we see the best of the Australian character and here in Queensland, we see the strength of the fortitude and resilience that Queenslanders have, but the determination to help each other, and that is a fantastic thing."
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Victoria has recorded the first locally acquired case of mpox in almost six months.
Previously known as monkeypox, the disease is caused by infection with the mpox virus, which was first identified in monkeys.
Acting chief health officer Christian McGrath says high-risk groups are being urged to check for symptoms and ensure they are up-to-date with vaccinations.
Since May 2022, a large international outbreak of mpox has predominantly impacted men who have sex with men.
Local outbreaks from returned travellers continue, despite the World Health Organisation last year declaring mpox was no longer a global public health emergency.
The Victorian health department says increased awareness and the state's vaccination program saw the number of mpox cases fall dramatically from 70 cases in 2022 to eight in 2023.
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US President Joe Biden says he has made a decision on how to respond to the drone attack in Jordan that killed three US soldiers, but he has refused to provide more details.
An Iran-backed militia group has claimed responsibility for the attack at a US military base.
Mr Biden has been considering his options amid the expectation has been that there will be retaliatory strikes.
Speaking to reporters as he left the White House on a campaign trip to Florida, he says he holds Iran responsible for supplying the weapons used in the attack.
"I do hold them responsible in the sense that they're supplying the weapons to people who did it... I don't think we need a wider war in the Middle East. That's not what I'm looking for."
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A leading human rights organisation says "under no circumstances" should a Russian band critical of Russia's war in Ukraine be deported from Thailand to Russia.
The Bi-2 rock band members were arrested on the southern resort island of Phuket after playing a concert, allegedly for not having the proper working papers.
The Asia Deputy Director of Human Rights Watch, Phil Robertson, questioned why this particular band had been arrested.
"Under no circumstances, should this band be sent back to Russia. It's quite clear that the government of Russia has identified them as a provocateur, as a group of people who are anti-Kremlin. And we expect that they would, take severe action against them if they can get their hands on them."
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Australian treasury officials will be asked to explain how newly proposed changes to tax cuts won't add to inflation.
It comes as voters indicate support for Labor's new plan to trim the size of the tax cut for the wealthiest and give a bigger tax cut to low and middle-income earners.
A survey by the Australia Institute in late January shows nearly three in five voters across all demographics support changes that give more benefits to middle-to-low income earners.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the tax cuts will come into effect from July 1, but the legislation will need to pass the Senate first.
"Because of Labour's cost of living tax cut for middle Australia, every Australian taxpayer will get a tax cut on the first of July. 84% of Australians will get a bigger tax cut because of our changes. 87% of peat taxpayers here in Dunkley will get bigger tax cut because of our changes. 90% of Australian women who pay tax will get a bigger tax cut because of our changes. 97% of early educators will get a bigger tax cut because of the changes that the Prime Minister announced last week."
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Australia's annual inflation rate has fallen to 4.1 per cent.
That is down from 5.4 per cent at the last quarterly update in September - and is lower than the peak of 7.8 per cent in December 2022.
Michelle Marquardt, from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, says prices still continue to rise for most goods and services.
I'm Biwa Kwan. This is SBS News in Easy English.
