Australian universities will be required to define antisemitism, racism against Indigenous peoples and Islamophobia, as well as adopt processes for complaints of racism, under new federal government standards. Public universities will be required to comply with the standards from January.

Domestic violence is in the spotlight again this week, as four Australian women have allegedly been murdered by men known to them in the last week. Their families and experts are calling for more research and funding for domestic violence prevention.

Andy Burnham hassecuredthe UK Labour leadership after gaining the support of 349 Labour MPs without challenge. He will become the British Prime Minister on Monday.

The death toll of a deadly blaze in Thailand on Sunday has reached 33, while dozens have been left in critical conditions in hospitals across the city. An investigation into alleged negligence will take place, as an initial assessment revealed an electrical short circuit in an air conditioner.

Travellers arriving in Australia will no longer be requiredto complete paper arrival cards, as the government will be phasing in digital declarations over the next 18 months. Prime Minister Albanese pledged to spend more than $56m to modernise airport systems across the coming four years.

Perth man Cameron Hughes died in an immigration detention centrein Bali on the weekend while awaiting deportation. He was found unresponsive, while the cause of death was labelled cardiac arrest. His family claims they have received conflicting information from authorities.

eSafety Australia’s latest report revealed a significant rise in online sexual extortion among young people. Between July and December 2025, there were 2,206 complaints of sexual extortion, with men aged 18 to 24 accounting for almost 800 reports.

An ICE agent fatally shot a Colombian national in Maine on Monday during an operation to seize a person with an order of removal from the US. A vehicle was attempting to flee the scene when the ICE officer discharged his weapon and struck the driver.

The landlord of a deconsecrated churchin Sydney has ordered LGBTQ+ group Heaps Gay to cease engaging in ‘"offensive trade"’ following public protests. The queer arts venue’s opening night last week was met with rallies from Christian men’s groups.

The government-run Growing Up in Australia survey results released this week show that more young people are worried about buying a home than about climate change or employment. Housing affordability ranked significantly above other global economic problems, environmental and health concerns.

And now for some good news

Researchers from the University of South Florida have found that bacterial toxins produced by miniscule marine organisms in Antarctica could become a treatmentfor skin cancer. After a six-week diving expedition to collect samples of ascidians, also known as sea squirts, the team effectively used the toxins to kill melanoma cells in mice.