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- A stabbing attack in Sydney leaves one person dead and two others injured
- Scale of racism at Australia's universities revealed in a new report
- Socceroo Lewis Miller ruled out of this year's World Cup due to injury
A landmark report has found that 7 in 10 students and staff in Australia's universities experience indirect racism, which involves haring or seeing racist behaviour not aimed at them personally - but directed towards the racial, ethnic or religious group with which they identify.
The Australian Human Rights Commission’s first national study on racism in universities surveyed 76,000 people.
International students reported the highest rate of indirect racism accounting for 75 per cent of international student respondents.
The rates of racism - both direct and indirect exceeded 90 per cent for Jewish and Palestinian participants; and 80 per cent for those from First Nations, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and Northeast Asian backgrounds.
Around 15 per cent of those surveyed experienced direct interpersonal racism at university over the past two years.
Education Minister Jason Clare says the findings highlight the real challenges faced across Australia’s universities.
"What this report tells us is that racism is not more prevalent in our universities than any other part of Australia, but that's really not the point. Racism does exist in our universities and our universities have to hold themselves to a high standard. And this report tells us that we're not doing enough at the moment to stamp it out where we find it or to prevent it in the first place."
The report makes 47 recommendations to government and universities, including more robust anti-racism strategies at a university level and national level.
The study found anti‑racism policies remain fragmented - and accountability mechanisms are largely ineffective.
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A person is dead and two others in a critical condition, after a stabbing in Sydney’s west.
The incident happened earlier today in Merrylands on Merrylands Road, with the alleged attacker stabbing multiple people before fleeing on foot.
Superintendent Simon Glasser said it took 40 minutes to find and arrest the alleged attacker - a 25-year-old male who is expected to be charged later today.
"Highly confronting. It is a horrible offence to have taken place in Merrylands just prior to lunch time. Lots of people around. There were lots of police in the area immediately after the attack. And we had locked down an area on the eastern side of the railway station. So we had a successful police operation in place to locate him."
The victims have yet to be identified.
Police say the suspect was known to police for petty crime and had mental health challenges.
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Greens senator David Shoebridge has called on the federal government to support the repatriation of Australian citizens in a camp in northern Syria.
Kurdish forces released 34 Australians from the camp detaining family members of suspected ISIS militants.
But the group were later forced to return to the camp, after they were reportedly blocked by Syrian government authorities for what were referred to as "technical reasons".
Mr Shoebridge says it is a fundamental responsibility of the federal government to protect Australian citizens, particularly children who are among the group.
Meanwhile, the federal opposition is calling for Temporary Exclusion Orders to prevent the return of the group.
Such an order would legally prevent citizens from returning to Australia for up to two years, if they are considered a security risk.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the federal government does not plan to repatriate the group - and any decision on Temporary Exclusion Orders will depend on advice received from agencies.
"Well, we monitor all of these issues. But we are not repatriating these people. Well, what we do on national security issues is that we deal with it appropriately upon advice."
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Millions around the world are celebrating the Lunar New Year, with festivities beginning today to usher in the Year of the Horse.
The 15-day celebration is observed by East and Southeast Asian communities around the world.
In Hong Kong, people queued at a temple at midnight to light incense and make wishes for the new year.
In Vietnam, entertainers sang at an outdoor countdown event ahead of multiple fireworks displays across the country.
In Buenos Aires, Argentina, festivities and performances will last for days.
Dancer Yazmin He says taking part in the celebration makes her feel proud of her cultural heritage.
"I never thought I would delve so deeply into my parents' culture. Well, I was born here, but we found our teacher Jessie, and she passed on all this culture to us, all this dance, the music, the different musical elements, and we are very fortunate and very happy. The same goes for my parents, who are very happy that I can learn about this culture while being in another country."
