TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to SBS News In Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.
The Bureau of Meteorology has updated the projected window of time when Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to make landfall.
Instead of Thursday, the Bureau says in its latest update it anticipates the category-two system will cross the Queensland coast - between Maroochydore and Coolangatta - on Friday evening at around 8pm.
Four-and-half million residents - and 1.8 million homes - are in the affected zone: from Double Island Point in Queensland to Grafton in New South Wales - including Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Byron Bay and Ballina.
Schools have closed in both states - more than 660 in southeast Queensland, and in excess of 280 in northen New South Wales.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says helicopters and other resources are being made available to help support the emergency response.
"We've delivered 310,000 sand bags into Brisbane for distribution across councils. And there is more on their way. 60 ADF personnel and 30 high-clearance vehicles are being pre-positioned to go to Queensland. We have approved to ADF search and rescue choppers to support Queensland post-crossing. We have activated the Australian government disaster response plan."
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Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the US has not made decision yet on an Australian tariff exemption.
US President Donald Trump had said he would consider Australia's request for an exemption from the 25 per cent tariffs on all aluminum and steel imports he has announced.
Mr Chalmers has told the ABC, the government discussions are continuing.
Former White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney told Sky News, he thinks an exemption for Australia is "likely".
"Australia actually has a trade deficit with the United States. We have a free trade agreement with you folks. You spend a good bit of money defending yourselves. Australia is doing everything that Donald Trump says he wants countries overseas to do. You're not taking advantage of the situation - or your relationship with the United States of America. So, those facts were the case in the first term. They're the case now. So I am still cautiously optimistic that the exemptions will be forthcoming."
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US President Donald Trump has issued what he called a 'last warning' to Hamas to release all remaining hostages held in Gaza.
After meeting with eight former hostages at the White House, Mr Trump posted a statement on his Truth Social platform.
In it he says he is "sending Israel everything it needs to finish the job".
The White House has confirmed Mr Trump has recently dispatched an envoy for unprecedented direct talks with the militant group, challenging a long-held US policy of not directly engaging with the militant group.
White House press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says the president believes this action is in the best interest of the American people.
"The special envoy who's engaged in those negotiations does have the authority to talk to anyone. Israel was consulted on this matter. And look, dialogue and talking to people around the world to do what's in the best interest of the American people is something that the president has proven is what he believes is, is good faith effort to do what's right for the American people."
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World Book Day is being celebrated in schools across the UK and Ireland.
The day aims to encourage a love of reading among children.
This year's theme set by the World Book Day charity [[which operates in the UK and Ireland]] is "Read Your Way".
Darren Marshall is an English teacher at the Oldbury Academy of high school students in the West Midlands region of England.
He says the focus is on encouraging children and teenagers to read for pleasure.
"So it goes hand in hand with the grades. The higher your reading age, the better your grades will be - because you can read and use that vocabulary. It's about reading your way. So it is not just reading the books that you're told to read. It is reading articles that you're interested in, listening to podcasts - or listening to audio books and things like that. So that any way that you can read someone else's work; that you can other pieces of text. It's great. It's really good practice."
That was SBS News In Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.
