Telstra says services are coming back online | SBS News in Easy English 8 July 2026

A news bulletin for English language learners.

A news bulletin for English language learners.

A bulletin for English language learners

A news bulletin for English language learners

A news bulletin for English language learners

A daily 5 minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability.

A daily 5 minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability.Welcome to SBS News in Easy English. I'm Hannah Hodson.A new report says anti-Muslim hate has increased in Australia since the Gaza war began in October 2023. It also increased after the Bondi knife attack.Researchers studied more than one million social media posts and reports of anti-Muslim incidents between 2023 and 2026.They found online anti-Muslim posts rose from about 18 a day before the Gaza war to more than 120 a day afterwards. In the month after the Bondi attack, that number reached almost 1,900 posts a day.Australia's Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, says people should report anti-Muslim hate so authorities can better understand the problem..Meta has defended its decision to remove fact-checking processes in 2025.The company owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.An inquiry heard Meta removed far fewer hateful posts after the changes.Meta said it took action on 5.8 million Facebook posts between October and December 2024. But from July 2025, that number dropped to 1.2 million.Meta’s Benjamin Good said the company wants to remove hateful content, but also protect free speech."In the area of hate speech which we now call hateful conduct, that is a very serious problem we have to avoid, of course we want to remove as much violating content as possible. But in this area, if we over-enforce, there is a considerable risk that we will silence people who are actually members of the affected communities trying to speak out against hate.".Iran has ended a two-day farewell ceremony for its former leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Large crowds are expected at his funeral procession in Tehran.Khamenei was killed in an attack on February 28. He was 86.During the memorial, many people shouted anti-American and anti-Israeli slogans. Some also called for revenge.The funeral comes as Iran and the United States continue talks to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz..Mexican and English football fans have gathered in Mexico City before their World Cup match.The teams will play at Azteca Stadium.One England fan said Mexico will be very hard to beat, especially at home.Police have put up barriers near the Angel of Independence monument, where fans were waving flags, chanting and taking photos.There was also high security around the England team’s hotel.I'm Hannah Hodson, this is SBS News in Easy English.

A news bulletin for English language learnersAustralia's independent online safety commissioner has launched a trio of tough legal battles against Elon Musk.Since Monday, the Royal Commission into Antisemitism has examined the role of social and mainstream media in perpetuating hate speech.eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant has told the inquiry that Mr Musk's X kept gruesome footage of the Bondi massacre online.She says the technology behemoth had argued the videos were not worse than a gory movie..Nine monks have been killed in an accident in Thailand caused by an 11 year old boy.Police say the youngster was behind the wheel of a pickup truck that crashed into the monks who were on a pilgrimage walk in the northeast of the country.A total of 35 monks from Mukdahan province, about 600km northeast of the capital Bangkok, were on the pilgrimage.Police say the boy had taken his parents' vehicle without permission before losing control..Rescuers have pulled a 43-year-old security guard alive from beneath a collapsed shopping centre in Venezuela, eight days after twin earthquakes struck the country.Hernan Alberto Gil Flores was rescued from the basement of the Galerías Playa Grande shopping centre in Catia La Mar, in La Guaira state.He had been trapped since the earthquakes on 24 June.His wife, Gusbimar Gonzalez, says the moment of his rescue brought overwhelming relief after days of uncertainty."First, there were days of sadness, pain and desperation because they couldn't find him. I didn't know if he was alive or dead, if he was injured, or if they took him to a hospital. But when I  realised he was alive, it was like a ray of light in the darkness.".Iran has issued a fresh warning over the Strait of Hormuz.It says all oil tankers and commercial vessels must follow routes designated by Tehran or face what it describes as an immediate and forceful response.The Strait carries around one-fifth of the world's seaborne oil and remains a key issue in ongoing talks between Washington and Tehran..The federal government has increased the application cost for most Australian visa classes by 25 per cent.The application fee for a student visa has increased from $2,000 to $2,500, while the Temporary Graduate, or Subclass 485 visa, now costs $5,750.The latest increases have prompted criticism from some international students and migration agents.Vision Consultants Chief Executive and registered migration agent Ali Lakhani has told SBS Urdu the higher fees, combined with lengthy processing times, will place additional pressure on applicants."The processing time for skilled migration is increased to around eighteen months. So applicants who need to travel have to apply for a Bridging Visa B, and the government is now charging more than double the previous fee.".More than 100 First Nations artists from across the country are in Sydney this week for the National Indigenous Art Fair.Held during NAIDOC Week the Fair brings artists from more than 30 remote community-owned art centres to Barangaroo.Among this year's artists is Fraser Peter, who is turning car bonnets into canvases telling stories of culture, Country and contemporary Aboriginal identity."In our culture, for us as we paint all of this dreaming, we have to hold onto them and the culture in my community is really traditional for us. I want to represent my paintings for everyone to see and to know where I'm from."

A news bulletin for English language learners

A daily 5 minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability