SBS News in Easy English 4 August 2025
Welcome to SBS News in Easy English, I'm Camille Bianchi.
New South Wales Police say around 90,000 people walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in a rainstorm, to support of Palestinians in Gaza. The protesters want the Albanese government to sanction Israel. Sunday was the first time the iconic bridge has been closed for an anti-war protest. "We might be standing in the rain but it's nothing compared to the rain of the bombs and the bullets." "This is nothing compared to what's happening in Palestine." "We are not a noisy minority; this is the majority. The tide has turned. Sanction Israel now!"
"We're here using our voice, trying to make a change and pressure the government into doing something and taking a stand for these people."
Police are asking for any information that could help solve cases of missing persons in Australia during National Missing Persons week. Around 2,700 Australians have been missing for a long time. Heather Marks went missing 42 years ago in Sydney. Heather's granddaughter, Natalie Jackson, is asking anyone who may know more about her grandmother's disappearance – to come forward.
"On the 13th of April, Heather went missing last seen walking along Glover St, Rozelle, heading towards Leichhardt pool. If you were that day and know anything - no matter how small - I urge you to come forward. To the rest of Australia, she may be a missing person, but to us she is family. And we missing her dearly. A long-term missing person case brings immense emotional distress. For families, it is an endless journey of uncertainty marked by sadness, guilt and anger. Yet there is always a flicker of hope that one day we will have answers."
The federal government has named Australia's first National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People. Sue-Anne Hunter will speak with Indigenous children and young people to make meaningful change on social issues and help meet Closing the Gap targets. Professor Hunter says she wants to build on work that has already been done. "Most of his work isn't new. It just hasn't progressed. So how do we actually do, and progress - reduce the rate of children in care, reduce our children in youth detention. How do we get better health outcomes, better education outcomes, how do we keep kids connected to their family, their country, their culture."
The latest Closing the Gap report showed the rate of Indigenous children in out-of-home care is getting worse... while Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are 27 times more likely to be in youth detention.
In cycling, Australian Lauretta Hanson says she is proud of her performance at the Tour de France Femmes]. Eight Australians participated in the race. Hanson finished 75th out of 154 riders. She says it takes dedication to compete.
"You see the level of professionalism in the athletes who have really dedicated a lot to be here. My preparation wasn't perfect, but it still takes a lot of hard work to be able to start the Tour de France. There are some incredibly strong athletes. They have dedicated a lot of time, their friends, their families, their teams as well. Spending a lot of time on altitude really focusing on their preparation and performance to give themselves and the team the best opportunity for yellow. It has been a very tough week. You have seen really exciting racing, really fast racing. And yeah, I am proud to be part of it."
That's the latest SBS News in Easy English.
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News.com.au
33 minutes ago
- News.com.au
What does Buddhist cult Guan Yin Citta have to do with the CCP?
A mysterious Buddhist group with ties to a banned religious movement in China is at the centre of Australia's first foreign interference charge against a Chinese national, with top Australian politicians now walking a diplomatic tightrope. Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Tuesday refused to reveal whether she raised the case of a Chinese woman charged with foreign interference by the Australian Federal Police with Beijing officials. The AFP alleges the woman, who is also an Australian permanent resident, was tasked by China's Public Security Bureau to covertly gather information about the Canberra branch of Guan Yin Citta, a Buddhist association. Ms Wong repeatedly ruled out saying whether she or any government minister had raised the case with Beijing officials. 'I think we all are very clear eyed about China and its interests, we've made that clear,' she told the Today show. 'And I'd make this point, we've never said that dialogue eliminates differences. Clearly it doesn't.' Ms Wong also declined to make comments on the case and insisted Australia had 'strong frameworks around foreign interference'. She did not explicitly say whether she trusted China, instead saying 'dialogue and engagement' formed part of diplomatic management with the nation. 'I trust China to do what China thinks is in its interest, and I trust Australia to do what's in our interests,' Ms Wong said. 'I think we all are very clear eyed about China and its interests. We've made that clear. 'The question is, how do we manage that? And dialogue and engagement is part of it. It doesn't eliminate differences, but it does enable us to put our views.' Guan Yin Citta (full name Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door) is a Buddhism affiliated religion founded by Lu Junhong. Mr Junhong was born in China before moving to Australia at a young age and founding Guan Yin Citta. He died in 2021. Bitter Winter reported that Guan Yin Citta was successful in Australia and became a 'global phenomenon, with hundreds of thousands of followers'. Bitter Winter also reported that Mr Junhong was critical of the CCP, and the Chinese government declared his religion 'xie jiao' meaning an outlawed (generally new) religious movement. Bitter Winter is a daily magazine focusing on religious issues and human rights in China. Its parent company is CESNUR, an NPO based out of Italy that opposes the anti-cult movement. A DFAT information report on the People's Republic of China published in December 2024 said the translation of the term xie jiao was debated, 'with scholars pointing to its historic translation as 'heterodox religion''. 'However it has negative connotations when used by the Government of China (akin to 'evil cult') and is unlikely to be used by adherents of new religions themselves. Restrictions against xie Jiao date back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). 'The China Anti-xiejiao Association publishes an unofficial list of xie jiao, which includes 23 movements. 'There is an official list of xie jiao published by the government, which can change quickly, making it difficult to determine at any time whether a particular religious movement is banned.' Attempts by NewsWire to access the current official and unofficial lists of xie jiao to verify Guan Yin Citta's presence were unsuccessful. In Canberra on Saturday, multiple search warrants were executed by Strike Force Operation Autumn Shield after receiving information from ASIO. During the searches, items including electronic devices, were seized and police said they would undergo forensic examination. The women appeared in ACT Magistrates Court on Monday to face one count of reckless foreign interference, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years' imprisonment. Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt, of the AFP Counter Terrorism and Special Investigations, addressed the media on Monday afternoon, saying Australia was not immune to foreign interference. 'This is the first time the AFP has charged a person with foreign interference that allegedly involves targeting members of the Australian community,' he said. 'We should not expect that this arrest will prevent further attempts to target our diaspora communities. 'However, it is important to note that one of the best defences for foreign interference is increased community awareness to the threat and the reporting of suspicious activity to the authorities.' ASIO director general Mike Burgess said he was proud of the significant contribution ASIO had made. 'Foreign interference of the kind alleged is an appalling assault on Australian values, freedoms and sovereignty,' he said. 'In this year's annual threat assessment, I called out these types of activities and put perpetrators on notice by stating, 'we are watching, and we have zero tolerance'. 'Anyone who thinks it is acceptable to monitor, intimidate and potentially repatriate members of our diaspora communities should never underestimate our capabilities and resolve.'
ABC News
39 minutes ago
- ABC News
Locals angered over green-lit plans for new suburb in outer northern Melbourne area already under strain
The Victorian government has green-lit the construction of a large housing precinct in Melbourne's outer north, but community members are angered that approval for a new quarry was also granted despite their objections. Wedged between Beveridge and Wallan, the new suburb of Beveridge North West will see 15,000 new homes built for an estimated 47,000 people. The 320-hectare development will also include four new shopping centres, eight schools, sports fields, and dedicated green spaces and community hubs, delivered in stages. "This is a significant development for the area, delivering more homes and delivering on Victoria's Housing Statement," Victoria's planning minister, Sonya Kilkenny, said. A key element of the project involves the establishment of a new quarry in the suburb's north-east corner, which the government says will have a buffer zone before closing in 2052. Planning materials from 2020 suggest the area sits on a reserve of about 12 million tonnes of high-quality basalt, by one estimate, which could supply major projects and local urban development. But stakeholder groups say approval was waved through despite widespread opposition during consultation. Mayor of the Mitchell Shire Council John Dougall said it was a "poor outcome" that locals had advocated against from the outset. "We are deeply disappointed, really, with this decision. I think it's going to be devastating for many in our community, and we think it's a really poor planning decision," he said. "The location of this quarry is going to really disrupt the arterial roads that were going to be used to connect it and the plan for the ecology and the waterways in the area, which really are quite magnificent and need to be protected." Bronwen Clark from the National Growth Areas Alliance said it is going to bring growth to towns already straining under inadequate infrastructure. "There is already a significant lag in the delivery of infrastructure, and a deficit in available infrastructure right at the moment," she said. Hayley Dennis, a resident of the new suburb, said the community was already "bursting at the seams". "At the moment, we have a one lane in and a one lane out onto the highway, and it struggles," she said. She says another 50,000 more residents will only put the community under more pressure. "The council and the local government and even the state government, they're not doing anything to upgrade the infrastructure, or accommodate the growth we've had in recent years as it is." Another resident agreed that the current infrastructure was not up to scratch. "Fifty thousand is a bit high," the community member said. The resident said the biggest areas of concern were "traffic, roads", and lack of public spaces for children. Ms Kilkenny on Tuesday disputed having ignored local views in approving the plan. "All of those views were taken into account in reaching the decision," she said. Plans to build a quarry were not included in the initial draft proposal, which the Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) reviewed with community members in late 2019. VPA documents show that planning for a quarry and swamp was incorporated in October 2020 following a panel recommendation, a move Cr Dougall said blindsided locals. "From that time, the community has mobilised. They've been very well organised. We, as a council, agree with their position. And they've made their voice heard," he said. "They've made submissions. They've contacted members of parliament. … I think their position has been quite clear, and that has not impacted the way this decision has been made." The mayor said that while the government's planning process was appropriate, it was disappointing that community concerns had not been taken on board after five years of pushback. "We have been contributing points of view, but they have followed a process, and that ultimately has led to this decision today," he said. "We're talking about a 30-year project that's going to sterilise an area for a long time. … those future residents will have to navigate the possibility of a quarry being right in their immediate vicinity." Several residents expressed concern about the air quality near the planned quarry construction site. Another, who was unaware of the plans to build the quarry, called it "a bit silly". "The people that live there, there'll be a fair bit of noise," he said. "I don't know how they'll get around the blasting side of it." Speaking to ABC Radio Melbourne, Housing and Building Minister Harriet Shing said construction would take place with a mandatory 2052 closure and strict planning controls to reduce impacts on residents. "That might come down to the timetabling of heavy vehicle movements," she said. "It might come down to the work that we do to manage and minimise dust, and what that looks like, for watering, for example, in those hotter months where dust movement is an issue." The planning panel in 2020 said there was skepticism that basalt extraction would be finished by the planned date and accepted the possibility of the quarry extending past this time frame. The pace of development in Melbourne's growth corridors has, in the past, spurred complaints from residents about whether community infrastructure is keeping pace with booming population growth. While the government's major housing plans have focused on removing red tape to densify existing suburbs, greenfield developments in new suburbs remain an important part of its housing plans. Ms Clarke said the placement of the quarry in Beveridge North West would jeopardise the building of schools, sports facilities and arterial roads in the suburb. "It beggars belief that the state government would expect people to buy into that sort of area," she said. "There'll be enormous impacts on the health and wellbeing of the new community who moves in as houses are built, but also the existing community, many of whom have lived in nearby Wallan for decades." The opposition on Tuesday joined the council and the alliance in criticising the plan, accusing the government of failing to fund infrastructure in growth areas. "This is typical of the Allan Labor government, where they want to deliver infrastructure years after a move into these communities," opposition leader Brad Battin said. "They need to start planning better so they can have the infrastructure delivered, so when people move in here, they're not moving into an environment where they can't get out for up to an hour just to get to their local freeway." Ms Shing said the project was about striking a balance between delivering homes and minimising community impacts. The state government projects Victoria will have a population of 8 million people by 2050. A large part of its recent legislative agenda has focused on pulling levers to create homes for the growing population to live in.
ABC News
39 minutes ago
- ABC News
Washington bars US officials from Australia defence talks
In a stunning move that's rattled defence circles from Canberra to Washington, the Trump administration has pulled senior US defence officials from attending high-level talks on defence cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. The Pentagon has withdrawn from the talks scheduled for this week in Canberra in line with a ban on US officials participating in think tank events that don't align with 'America First' values. The move comes as Australia beefs up its defence ties with Tokyo, awarding a ten billion dollar naval ship-building contract to Japan. Guests: Tom Corben, research associate, United States Studies Centre, Sydney University; Zach Cooper, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington DC.
