A daily 5 minute news wrap for English learners and people with a disability.
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TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to SBS News in Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.
The Department of Foreign Affairs is working to find information on two Australians reported missing after Taiwan's worst earthquake in 25 years.
As recovery efforts continued on Thursday, a helicopter rescued six people stranded in a mining area to safety, as workers reached 400 people cut off in a hotel in a mountainous national park by air, confirming they are all safe.
Hundreds of aftershocks have struck Taiwan's eastern region, driving hundreds to seek shelter outdoors, as the death toll from Wednesday's 7.2-magnitude quake rose to 10, with the tally of injured at 1099.
A helicopter ferried six miners trapped on a cliff to safety in a dramatic rescue after the quake cut off the roads into Hualien's soaring mountains.
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More than 100 flights travelling in and out of Sydney airport have been cancelled.
A severe weather warning is in place for Sydney, Illawarra, the Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley, with heavy rainfall and damaging winds expected to continue throughout the day.
In a statement, a Sydney Airport spokesperson said “Due to storm activity, there have been flight delays and cancellations. We encourage passengers to check with their airline regarding the status of their flight.”
SES Commissioner Carlene York says people should put off unnecessary travel today.
"So at the moment out there, the roads are quite dangerous, heavy rain. So I'm asking people to drive towards those conditions and if it's not a necessary trip to put it off to another day, the SES are putting out lots of warnings to be ready to our communities in those areas, particularly the metropolitan area and out around the Hawkesbury Nepean area. Those communities out there at the Hawkesbury Nepean area have obviously suffered floods many times before, but it's always important to stay up to date with our information."
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Education Minister Jason Clare has stressed the importance of allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza and reaching a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
It comes after the death of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom, who was killed along with six others in an Israeli air strike in Gaza.
The attack has been met with global outrage, with US President Joe Biden warning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his policy in Gaza could change if Israel does not change course.
Speaking to Channel Seven, Mr Clare has said civilian lives need to be prioritised.
"We need the killing to stop, we need the hostages returned, but we also need to get food and medicine in there. And as I said, people like Zomi were desperately trying to get food from the port and deliver it to starving people in Gaza. There's plenty of food in Israel right now, they just can't get it across the border."
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Tech giant Amazon has announced its will be making hundreds of its staff members redundant, in the most recent massive layoff incident to hit the tech industry.
The affected workers will be from Amazon's sales, marketing and global services, while a few hundred jobs from its physical stores technology team will also be cut.
It comes as the Amazon Web Services showed an increase of 14 per cent in the company's total revenue, as revealed in its latest financial report.
Amazon says it will help the affected employees find new work and access to health benefits, while providing them with at least 60 days of pay from the end of their employment.
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In tennis,
Spanish multiple Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the upcoming Monte Carlo Masters, saying his body won't let him compete.
The 37-year-old has been struggling with injury issues, as he made a temporary comeback in the Brisbane International in January but was ruled out of the Australian Open due to a hip injury.
Nadal took to social media saying it is very difficult for him to be sidelined from these events.
The tennis legend is considering his retirement from the sport and has said 2024 could be his final year on the courts.
That was SBS News in Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.
