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TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to SBS News in Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.
The federal government has announced changes to the leadership of the Australian Defence Force.
It's named Vice Admiral David Johnston as the new head of the ADF while Air Marshall Robert Chapman will service as deputy.
The changes take effect in July.
Vice Admiral Johnston says he's looking forward to serving as ADF chief.
"I am very conscious of the responsibility that comes with the role, the strategic environment in which we face and most particularly, the responsibility I have to the extraordinary men and women in the Australian Defence Force and the families who support them. Thank you."
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Millions of people in the United States, Mexico and Canada have witnessed the moon block out the sun during a total eclipse.
The Moon completely covered the Sun for more than four minutes in some locations.
These women watched the eclipse from New York's Central Park.
"It looks like a bright orange glowing circle. It's surrounded by darkness, which is kind of cool, to look through, through the glasses. I'm glad to be here." 92-year-old woman: "Because I'm 92. The next year will be 20 years, so it's definitely my last one, I hope."
Reporter: "Well worth it?"
Woman: "Yes."
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Japan is a good candidate to cooperate during the second stage of the AUKUS deal.
AUKUS was formed in 2021 by Britain, Australia and the United States with the first stage, or "pillar" designed to deliver nuclear-powered attack submarines to Australia.
The second pillar is focused on sharing military technology and cooperation in quantum computing, artificial intelligence and cyber technology.
Mr Albanese says Japan is ideally suited to cooperating on stage two.
"Japan is a natural candidate for that to occur. We look at pillar two that project by project approach is there. What is not proposed is to expand the membership of AUKUS."
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has told the ABC he supports Japan's involvement.
"I think it's a great outcome and I congratulate the government on what they've done. When we established AUKUS, there were two pillars-the first being the nuclear propelled submarines, the second being the technology piece and a lot of Australians just don't see it obviously day to day but the work that we're doing in space, the work that we're doing with artificial intelligence, the underwater autonomous vehicles-all of that is part of AUKUS pillar two and the Japanese are incredibly important allies."
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A social welfare organisation is calling on the federal government to increase social security payments after its latest research found Australians on welfare are struggling to survive one of the toughest cost of living crises in decades.
Research by Anglicare Australia has found in the past two years, housing costs went up by 22 per cent while food and grocery prices and electricity costs rose by 17 per cent.
Executive Director of Anglicare Australia Kasy Chambers says lower income households are being forced to spend a greater proportion of their income on essential goods.
"People we work with are spending a lot of time being incredibly resourceful, searching for the best food bargains, catching three buses to get to something because it's cheaper than a more direct train. And then making even more horrible decisions like not fulfilling a prescription that they need for their health or something like that because there's not enough money to go around. So, it's time for us to make sure that we increase JobSeeker."
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The Northern Territory government is expected to announce whether it will extend the youth curfew in Alice Springs which is due to end at 6am tomorrow.
The Territory Emergency Management Committee met on Monday and Chief Minister Eva Lawler says she will act on any recommendations.
The curfew was imposed following an extended period of violence in Alice Springs.
That was SBS News in Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.
