A daily five minute news update for English learners.
This is SBS News in Easy English... I'm Claire Slattery.
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A tenth person has died in Queensland's flood disaster.
The body of a 53-year-old man was found overnight under a wharf in the Port of Brisbane.
Severe storm warnings in the state's south east have now been downgraded, but the Bureau of Meteorology says the chance of flash flooding remains.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says climate change is driving the state's "unprecedented" flooding.
"Let's face it. It's climate change. I mean, I've never seen so many natural disasters. We seem to be dealing with more and more. More cyclones, more floods... But we're a great state, we're a resilient state and you know, I tell you what one thing is that the people of this state inspire me everyday.
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Queensland has announced its first human case of Japanese encephalitis.
Queensland Health confirmed the infected person is being treated in a Brisbane hospital and had recently travelled to regional southern Queensland.
Currently there are 16 cases of encephalitis under investigation across New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
The Department of Primary Industries is urging anyone who works with pigs or horses to report any possible signs of the disease.
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A fire has broken out at Europe's biggest nuclear power plant after its was attacked by Russian forces.
The plant, in Enerhodar in the country's south, accounts for one-quarter of Ukraine's power generation.
A plant spokesperson says that background levels of radiation had not changed, but there were casualties.
Russia has already captured the defunct Chernobyl plant, some 100 km north of Ukraine's capital Kyiv.
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Meanwhile, the United Nations says one million people have fled Ukraine in the week since Russia invaded the country, while many more have been internally displaced.
The UN estimates that two per cent of Ukraine's population of 44 million has been on the move this past week.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi is warning if the conflict continues, that number could get as high as four million.
" I have worked in refugee emergencies for almost 40 years, and rarely have I seen an exodus as rapid as this one."
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Members of the LGBTIQ+ community and allies are preparing to sparkle at the annual Mardi Gras parade [[5 MARCH]] under the theme this year, United We Shine.
Thousands of marchers and more than 160 floats will take part in the event on Saturday, celebrating queer culture and highlighting the need for social equality.
First Nations comedian Steven Oliver is anchoring the parade and he told the official broadcaster, the ABC, Indigenous inclusion is also important.
"Well you've got the First Nations float stuff there like that, so with the Aboriginal people from all over Australia and Torres Strait Islander mob and stuff like that which I like to nickname Faboriginals and Torres Strait Styislanders."
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Australian cricket great Rod Marsh has died aged 74.
It's understood that he suffered a heart attack and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition last week in Bundaberg.
Marsh played 96 Tests for Australia from 1970 to 1984.
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You've been listening to SBS News in Easy English... I'm Claire Slattery.




