Welcome to SBS News in Easy English. I’m Ciara Hain.
An Australian woman has been detained by Turkish authorities on terror charges for allegedly supporting a Kurdish nationalist group.
Turkish media reports Cigdem Aslan, also known as Lenna Aslan, was arrested at Istanbul Airport last week while preparing to board a flight to Melbourne.
She was detained on suspicion of conducting activities for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, also known as PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organisation in both Türkiye and Australia.
The Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health in Melbourne lists Ms Aslan as a bilingual health educator.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told SBS News in a statement that it was “providing consular assistance to an Australian woman detained in Türkiye”, but didn’t provide further details.
Israel has launched air strikes on over a thousand Hezbollah targets, killing 492 people, including 35 chidren, and forcing tens of thousands to flee, making it Lebanon’s deadliest day in decades.
Following intense cross-border fire since October, Israel warned Lebanese civilians to leave areas where Hezbollah stores weapons.
Lebanon’s crisis response minister says 89 temporary shelters have been set up for over 26,000 people.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel’s war is with Hezbollah, not the Lebanese people.
“I have a message for the people of Lebanon. Israel’s war is not with you, it’s with Hezbollah. For too long, Hezbollah has been using you as human shields. It placed rockets in your living rooms and missiles in your garage. Those rockets and missiles are aimed directly at our cities, directly at our citizens. To defend our people against Hezbollah strikes, we must take out these weapons.”
Mr Netanyahu is urging those in Lebanon’s south to heed IDF warnings to evacuate the area.
After almost a year of war with Hamas, Israel is now focusing on Hezbollah in the north.
Nurses and midwives are on strike across New South Wales, calling for higher pay.
The 24 hour strike today will affect elective surgery, and cause delays for some patients… although life-saving care is not expected to be impacted.
The general secretary of the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives union, Shaye Candish, says her members are outraged by the government’s pay offer.
But New South Wales Health Minister Ryan Park maintains the government is being reasonable, and the union is not.
“We are investing in nurses. We simply can’t do fifteen per cent. The independent umpire told us to go back to the negotiation table, and at the same time, pay our nurses and midwives, back pay them. We said we would do that. I’m disappointed today’s action will result in an impact on health services, particularly in planned surgery across the system.”
Australia’s largest coal producer is publicly criticising the Queensland government, just one month before the state election.
Asset President of B-H-P Mitsubishi Alliance, Adam Lancey is accusing the government of putting the state’s coal industry at risk by acting unreliably and unpredictably.
He says the goverment’s way of taxing coal is short-sighted, and is forcing the company to look for opportunities elsewhere, such as in South Australia and Western Australia.
Leading Carlton to an AFL premiership is the next frontier for record-breaking Brownlow Medallist Patrick Cripps.
The 29-year-old smashed the Brownlow votes mark with 45 on Monday night to win his second medal in three seasons.
Collingwood young gun Nick Daicos also broke the old record, finishing runner-up on 38.
I’m Ciara Hain. This is SBS News in Easy English.
