A daily 5 minute news wrap for English learners.
The Prime Minister is in Tasmania today while opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has made announcements for more healthcare spending in the region earlier this week.
Scott Morrison has pledged a $220 million forestry package, promising to secure around 73 thousand jobs in the industry.
But it's likely to cause concern among conservationists calling for logging to decrease.
Mr Morrison says the policy will help expand the 23 billion dollar industry.
"Regional economies drive our national economy. We will not support any shutdowns of native forestry, and we will continue to work with State Government to create permanent timber production areas."
Anthony Albanese says that Australians can expect a rise in interest rates regardless of whether Labor or the Liberal Party are in government.
Mr Albanese says if elected, his government would ensure responsible spending to combat predicted interest rate increases.
The Australian government has extended sanctions to Russian financial institutions, and state-owned enterprises, as the conflict in Ukraine continues.
The list include Russian Railways, defence entities, shipping companies and an electronic company responsible for the production of up to 80 percent of Russian electronics components.
It's in line with new penalties by key Western partners, and aims to further cripple the Russian economy.
The head of the World Health Organisation has criticised the global community for its focus on the war in Ukraine, arguing that crises elsewhere are not being offered the same attention.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the hostilities in places such as Ethiopia's Tigray region were horrific, but that the media were not addressing it.
Mr Ghebreyesus says perhaps the world is not offering equal attention to black and white lives.
"The whole attention to Ukraine is very important, of course, because it impacts the whole world. But even a fraction of it is not being given to Tigray, Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria and the rest. A fraction. And I need to be blunt and honest, that, the world is not treating the human race the same way. Some are more equal than others. "
The man accused of shooting and injuring ten people on a Brooklyn subway train has been arrested and charged with a federal terrorism offence after a day-long search.
Frank R. James was taken into custody 30 hours after the incident.
Brooklyn US Attorney Breon Peace says is no indication that Mr James had ties to terror groups.
"Today, Frank James has been charged by complaint in Brooklyn Federal Court with one count of violating 18 U.S.C. sections 1992, A7 and B1 which prohibits terrorist and other violent attacks against mass transportation systems. He has been apprehended, he will be arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn and if convicted, he will face a sentence of up to life imprisonment."
Flooding in South Africa's Durban area has killed more than 200 people with President Cyril Ramaphosa describing the devastation as a catastrophic.
Officials say the death toll is expected to continue rising as search and rescue operations continue in the KwaZulu-Natal province.
Mr Ramaphosa has attributed the disaster to climate change, and says KwaZulu-Natal is going to be declared a provincial area of disaster.
