TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to SBS News In Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred has intensified from category-one to category-two system in the last 12 hours, as it approaches the Queensland coast.
The Bureau of Meteorology says the cyclone is expected to make landfall as early as Thursday, impacting residents in southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales.
Senior meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology, Jonathan How says the forecast impacts are substantial.
"We can expect to see moderate to major flooding, particularly for New South Wales, but also southeast Queensland. And this includes quite a few major rivers - and major population centres, with rainfall totals expected to exceed 200-400 millimetres across a wide area. In addition to that, we still do have those very powerful easterly waves coming through, combining with high tides and that is causing quite a significant and severe coastal erosion, and causing a lot of those beaches to be eaten away."
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The federal government has announced a $4.8 billion funding investment into New South Wales schools, which will come into effect next year if Labor are re-elected.
Under the agreement, over 10 years, the funding will reach 780,000 school students - and lift the Commonwealth's contribution to Australia's largest schooling system by 5 per cent to 25 per cent.
The Commonwealth currently funds 20 per cent of what's called the Schooling Resource Standard, while states are required to fund public schools at 75 per cent, leaving a five per cent gap - which governments have been trying to close.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare says experts recommend early learning intervention, criticising the Liberal government for cutting funding to education when they took government more than a decade ago.
"We've worked with experts in what we should invest this money in. As I say, it's not a blank cheque, it's going to be tied to practical reforms that we know work. And all the advice that is coming to us is that you have to identify children early on, through a phonics check or a numeracy check in year one. And when you identify the child who needs extra help, make sure you give them that extra help, and so that's what catch up tutoring is all about - individualised support."
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Opposition leader Peter Dutton says he would axe working from home rights for public servants, if he is elected.
The move will end flexible work arrangements for federal government employees, which currently allows them to work from home for two days a week.
When asked about how this would affect working women, Mr Dutton said there were plenty of job-sharing opportunities in other roles.
"And I think Australian taxpayers who are working harder than ever under this government, and barely keeping their head above water, I think they expect the government and government employees to work as hard as they are. And people refusing to go back to work in Canberra is not acceptable. We need an efficient delivery of public services."
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Authorities in Germany say at this stage there is no indication of an extremist motivation for the suspect in the fatal crash in the city of Mannheim.
Police say the driver rammed a car into a crowd.
Two people have been killed - and ten others injured, five of them severely.
A 40-year-old German man has been arrested.
Prosecutor Romeo Schuessler says the investigation is ongoing.
"In the beginning it was not yet clear whether it was an extremist perpetrator or whether there was a political motive. Instead, we have concrete indications that the perpetrator was mentally ill. That is why the investigation is concentrating on this aspect. We have obtained a search warrant for the perpetrator's home and it is being executed as I speak. We are of course trying to find out more about the perpetrator's background and motivation."
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In sport,
Australian golf officials have cancelled the Women’s PGA Championship due to the impending arrival of Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
The event was set to be played at Sanctuary Cove Golf Club on the Gold Coast this week.
Officials for the AFL and NRL say they are still waiting to make a final decision on whether to proceed with the games set for Brisbane and the Gold Coast this weekend.
In a statement, Golf Australia says they have taken the unprecedented decision to cancel the event ahead of the first day's play set to take place on Thursday.
It says the safety of players, staff, fans and all stakeholders remains the priority.
That was SBS News In Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.
