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Student wrongly named as Bondi killer sues Seven Network

<p>A 20-year-old university student who was wrongly named as the Bondi Junction killer has made moves to sue the Seven Network for defamation. </p> <p>As the terrifying rampage at the eastern suburbs Westfield unfolded on Saturday which resulted in the deaths of six people, Ben Cohen was named by the Seven Network as the knife-wielding man. </p> <p>Mr Cohen’s name was wrongly linked to the attack by <em>Sunrise</em> co-host Matt Shirvington shortly after 6am on Sunday and again by journalist Lucy McLeod just 10 minutes later.</p> <p>It wasn't until hours later that Seven identified the right man, Joel Cauchi, as the killer as journalist Sarah Jane Bell issued an on-air apology to Mr Cohen during the evening news bulletin. </p> <p>“Earlier this morning, reports of the incident incorrectly named the perpetrator as 40-year-old Benjamin Cohen,” she said on air.</p> <p>“It was later confirmed that the name of the 40-year-old is Joel Cauchi from Queensland. Seven apologises for any distress caused by our earlier reports.”</p> <p>Mr Cohen is still reeling from the incident, saying he has been targeted by online trolls on social media ever since he was wrongly named by the network. </p> <p>His name was one of the most trending topics on X in Australia the day of the mass stabbing, with many people quick to point out Mr Cohen's Jewish identity, claiming the stabbings were an act of violence in support of the war in Israel against Palestine. </p> <p>The university student has taken the first steps in launching legal action against the network, engaging with two of Australia’s foremost defamation lawyers in Patrick George of Giles George as his solicitor, and Sue Chrysanthou SC as barrister.</p> <p>Mr George confirmed he had sent a concerns notice to Seven, the first step in defamation proceedings.</p> <p>“We await a response from Seven,” Mr George told NCA NewsWire.</p> <p>Mr Cohen told <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/courts-law/student-wrongly-named-as-westfield-bondi-junction-killer-moves-to-sue-seven/news-story/f4c67b123e19cbf3d5a6a6bf39708ea8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em> earlier this week that he had been inundated with friend requests and messages on social media after being named by Seven, with the unwanted attention taking a toll on his mental health. </p> <p>“It’s just gone crazy, it’s like ‘look, you’ve got the wrong guy’,” Mr Cohen, a first year computer science student, told news.com.au.</p> <p>“People don’t really think too hard about what they’re posting and how it might affect someone. It’s very dangerous how people could just make stuff up and destroy people’s lives.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: news.com.au</em></p>

Legal

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Elite school teacher blackmailed for naked photos by student

<p>A teacher at an elite boys' school has opened up about her experience in the "toxic boys' club" that led to her being threatened by a student. </p> <p>Jasmin Hyde was a maths teacher at the elite Cranbrook School in Sydney's Bellevue Hill when she was blackmailed by one of her students in June 2020, according to ABC's <em>Four Corners</em>. </p> <div id="story-primary" data-area="story-primary"> <div> <p>A student at the school attempted to blackmail the female teacher, demanding she send him nude photos or he would accuse her of sexual assault. </p> <p>The incident is just one of a number of claims made on <em>Four Corners</em> about the allegedly toxic culture at Cranbrook School, one of the country’s most prestigious institutions where tuition costs up to $46,000 per year.</p> <p>The student in question was suspended and chose to leave the school for good, and later wrote an apologetic letter to Ms Hyde.</p> <p>“I have caused so much hurt and disappointment to you, my teachers and the wider school community, my friends and my family,” he said in the letter. </p> <p>But Ms Hyde was not happy with the school’s response, and took her complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission.</p> <p>“In my experience, Cranbrook did not have a safe, inclusive and supportive culture for me and its female teaching staff,” she told the commission in October 2023.</p> <p>“That must change. It must change for my sake, and it must change for the sake of your current and future teaching staff, and the many young girls who are about to embark on their studies at Cranbrook.”</p> <p>According to Ms Hyde, she was taken to a cafe by the headmaster and his deputy after she made the claims against the student, to which the deputy head of school suggested it was no surprise she received attention from the boys because she was good-looking.</p> <p>“Justifying sexual harassment empowers future abuse,” she told the commission.</p> <p>“This is the standard that Cranbrook management condones, the tone from the top — that young, attractive women at your school should not only expect but tolerate sexual harassment. I wonder how the parents of your future female students would feel about this.”</p> <p>Cranbrook reportedly apologised, saying in a statement the deputy never intended to offend and was “sorry if [he] has done so”.</p> <p>In the hours after the <em>Four Corners</em> program aired, Cranbrook School Council issued a statement saying it was “concerned by the allegations raised” in the program but “remains fully supportive of the headmaster and the school’s leadership”.</p> <p>“Cranbrook takes all allegations of abuse, and its duty of care to its students, extremely seriously and follows relevant and mandatory reporting processes in relation to these matters,” Cranbrook School Council president Geoff Lovell said.</p> <p>“We acknowledge survivors and their stories. No school is ever exempt from scrutiny or, where deserved, criticism. We offer sympathy to the grievances aired by former staff.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: ABC / Google</em></p> </div> </div>

Legal

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"What were their parents thinking?!" Teacher releases list of hilarious student names

<p>In a world where coming up with a standard name seems about as trendy as using a landline phone, parents are unleashing their inner creativity by bestowing upon their offspring names that sound like they were created during a fever dream.</p> <p>We are clearly smack bang in the middle of the era of "Name your child after a random object you find in the pantry" – and teachers are the unsung heroes bravely navigating the choppy waters of these monikers. Specifically, how to spell (and pronounce) them properly.</p> <p>Now, let's not pretend this phenomenon is fresh off the naming press. Celebrities have been gifting their kids with names that could pass as WiFi passwords for donks. It was just a matter of time before the masses caught onto the fad like a catchy tune you can't unhear. But spare a thought for those noble educators who are more baffled than a cat watching a magic trick when confronted with these labels during roll call.</p> <p>Enter one valiant and anonymous teacher, armed with a class register that reads like a cryptic crossword puzzle. She unveiled her list of quirky names on the modern-day town square, aka Facebook, explaining that she merely gave the enrolment list a "blink and you'll miss it" glance. Because let's face it, no one has time to decode this kindergarten code on a Tuesday morning.</p> <p>So, brace yourself, because the highlights of this peculiar parade include names like Jaxen (apparently the 'x' gives it that extra pizzazz) and Aliyah, which sounds like a harmonious collision of Aladdin and Elijah. But the true gems are still to come.</p> <p>Hold onto your hats, for there's a Syakyra in the house! It's pronounced like "Shakira", because why make life easy when you can transform spelling into an extreme sport? Also on the roster of eccentricities are Rhydah, Presillar, Christisarah (which sounds like someone sneezed while naming their child), Anjewel'Lea (because apostrophes are the new vowels), and Biar Biar – quite possibly the sound of someone giving up mid-naming.</p> <p>The list goes on, unveiling Deklyn, Alarna (Is this a name or an exotic spice?), Aaryah (a name that looks like a typo in progress), Maz (likely short for Mazel Tov), Angel-Lee (a tribute to both celestial beings and two first names), and Karleb (a rebel in the world of traditional spelling).</p> <p>Social media users eagerly devoured this buffet of bewildering baby names, chiming in with their own comedic relief. One humorist quipped that some parents should enrol themselves in school, presumably for a crash course in 'Name Your Kid Without Making Them the Butt of Jokes.'</p> <p>Another jester added, "This really is tragic, at least none of them will get bullied because they're all so bad lol." A self-proclaimed comedian jibed, "These parents really aren't thinking it through."</p> <p>Yet amid the chuckles and facepalms, some thought the names were about as wild as a cup of herbal tea. One wise soul pointed out that among the chaos were rather mundane names like Diamond, Aliyah, Jaylene, Porsha, and Aalijah. Apparently, normality is now measured against the Syakyras of the world.</p> <p>Meanwhile, teachers everywhere collectively sighed in sympathy as they remembered their own quirky classroom encounters. One recounted an encounter with a "J'ley" (pronounced like Jaylee), a name that's the linguistic equivalent of a Rubik's Cube.</p> <p>A pupil named Pistol also made an appearance – because what kid doesn't want a name that guarantees zero playground conflicts? And lest we forget, a friend's teacher had the honour of teaching A'Blessyn. It's like the alphabet gipped, and the resulting letters spelled "Bless this child with an unforgettable name."</p> <p>However, the chaos isn't limited to the classroom. It's infiltrated even the most intimate corners of existence. Enter Reddit, where an expectant British dad took to the digital confessional to seek advice on his partner's fantastical name choices for their impending bundle of joy.</p> <p>The British bloke confessed that he'd prefer his offspring not be mistaken for an experimental rocket launch or a motor oil brand. He's opting for classic dignity, imagining a world where his kid doesn't have to explain why their name sounds like a weather forecast for Mercury. Meanwhile, the partner, a visionary in the field of avant-garde nomenclature, has pitched names like Fennix (for the spelling-challenged phoenix), Park (because nature reserves are inspiring, apparently), and Diesel (coming soon to a gas station near you).</p> <p>And so, as teachers practice their tongue-twister warm-ups and parents wage a war of wits over naming rights, we bid adieu to a world where names like John and Sarah were once considered bold.</p> <p>The age of the bewildering baby name is upon us, and the only certainty is that there's a whole generation of kids out there ready to conquer the world with names that defy both pronunciation and reason.</p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Family & Pets

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“A lesson learned”: Uni student lands herself in an overdue book nightmare

<p dir="ltr">A university graduate student received the shock of her academic career when an email arrived in her inbox to inform her she owed her school’s library a whopping $11,900 in overdue book fines. </p> <p dir="ltr">Hannah took to TikTok to share her story, posting a snippet of the horror email, and the news that her library account had amassed a debt of “$11,9000 owed for 119 lost books”. The books had been declared lost, though Hannah was quick to note that she was “still using” each of them, and had every intention of returning them once she was finished with her studies. </p> <p dir="ltr">To drive home the fact that the books were not missing, and instead safely in her scholarly possession, Hannah panned around the various piles of tomes stacked around her home, with a caption reading “the books aren’t lost, I’m just hoarding them until I finish my dissertation.” </p> <p dir="ltr">The email itself explained the books were marked as lost in the library’s system if they exceeded 30 days overdue, and that there was a flat rate of $100 per book in such instances. And according to the library, it was up to each patron to renew their books, and that Hannah “received overdue notices on the following dates prompting you to renew your library books before they are declared lost.”</p> <p dir="ltr">As she explained to <em>The Daily Dot</em>, she had checked out her collection three years prior while she’d been preparing for exams, and confirmed that she had received four reminders to either renew or return the books, but she’d put it off each time. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Then I got the automatic email,” she added, “saying all of the books were marked as lost and my account was charged $100 per book.” </p> <p dir="ltr">Hannah’s woe drew a mixed response from her audience, with some surprised that her library had even let her withdraw that many books in the first place, others unable to wrap their heads around the fact she could have let her situation get so bad, and many quick to defend the librarian, who they declared had only been doing her job. </p> <p dir="ltr">“My library only lets me check out 5 books at a time,” one wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That’s why keeping library books past their due date is considered stealing,” another said, to which Hannah responded to promise her lesson had been learned. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Only 30 days over due??? Damn give a lil more time,” said one, with Hannah informing them that she’d had the books for years by that point. </p> <p dir="ltr">It wasn’t all bad for the budding scholar though, with Hannah explaining in another comment that “it was hunky dory”, as the library had waived her fees as soon as she’d responded to them, and that she’d been allowed to keep all 119 for an additional year. </p> <p dir="ltr">And, as she told another follower, “I’ve never replied to an email faster.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Books

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International student forced to live in tent

<p>A 27-year-old student Zoe Jiang travelled from China to Sydney to attend university and much to her surprise, she was forced to sleep in a tent.</p> <p>The finance student arrived in Australia in January 2023 and was shocked to discover the rental prices were too high, resulting in her having to set up camp in short-stay accommodation.</p> <p>During one of her short stays, Ms Jiang did not have a room of her own. She had to pitch a tent in the middle of the living room to allow privacy from her roommates who came home late.</p> <p>Despite sleeping in the shared room, she was paying $300 a week in rent.</p> <p>"I have never had a night in a tent before," Ms Jiang said.</p> <p>"It's a fresh experience, and I think camping in a living room is very different."</p> <p>She has since found long-term accommodation, but she had lived in three different places in less than two months.</p> <p>Ms Jiang is one of many international students struggling to find a home in the nation's growing rental shortage.</p> <p>Housing advocates are concerned that international students are at risk of exploitation and are urging universities to offer support.</p> <p>Ms Jiang is just one of thousands of Chinese international students who had to rush back to Australia or face the risk of losing their qualifications under a new Chinese government policy.</p> <p>Ms Jiang joined the 59,000 international students who arrived in Australia in January 2023, a figure that proved “more than double” the amount as the same time last year, Universities Australia said.</p> <p>Sydney’s rental vacancy is currently at its worst, growing 35 per cent in unit rents across the city.</p> <p>Hundreds of residents are seen lining up outside rental inspections, but international students are suffering the most.</p> <p>The national president of the Council of International Students Australia, Yeganeh Soltanpour, said many international students who have just arrived are often overlooked by real estate agents.</p> <p>"[They] don't have a rental history because they are from overseas, so the chance for them to apply for a rental and get it is a lot lower," she said.</p> <p>Local students might be able to find rental vacancies through personal and family networks, but newly arrived international students have “almost zero connections”.</p> <p>"They can't ask someone for help, they don't always know where to look at ... [and] they might not know a lot about the areas," she said. "They may not even know how to use public transport properly.</p> <p>"This leads to the issue that they have to choose homes within the CBD area, which means they have to pay more rent."</p> <p>Zoe Jiang is one of many international students forced to stay in a shared space like a living room.</p> <p>Leo Patterson-Ross, CEO of the Tenants’ Union of NSW, said transforming a living room into a bedroom could be unlawful.</p> <p>"The assumption is that it is unlawful under planning rules, under local councils, to convert a room to her bedroom without getting consent from council," he said.</p> <p>Mr Patterson-Ross mentioned he had seen "some very unlawful and often abusive behaviour" from landlords and head tenants who sublet rooms to students.</p> <p>This includes withholding students’ passports and threatening to report them to the immigration department if they were to breach the tenancy agreement.</p> <p>Mr Patterson-Ross also said that to prevent exploitation against international students, the government must fix “the fundamental issue” that everyone is faced with.</p> <p>“We just do not have enough homes for everyone in Australia," he said.</p> <p>"And that supply is not just the buildings, but also the pricing of the buildings."</p> <p>He also called for an independent third-party audit to ensure rentals in the market are of good quality rather than having renters shoulder the burden.</p> <p>Ms Soltanpour has asked international students to support each other to combat the rental crisis, but emphasised it was not their responsibility to “fix the issue”.</p> <p>She also called on universities to offer more support for students struggling to find accommodation.</p> <p>The chief executive of Universities Australia, Catriona Jackson, acknowledged that finding a rental anywhere in Australia is difficult for international students at the moment.</p> <p>"Universities continue to support students by providing information on accommodation options before they arrive in Australia along with various other support services," she said.</p> <p>"We encourage any student struggling to secure housing or facing financial pressures to reach out to their university for assistance."</p> <p>Fortunately for Ms Jiang she eventually secured her own room in North Sydney, paying $300 a week – the same amount as when she was sleeping in a tent.</p> <p>She met her new neighbour on the day she moved in, an elderly Italian woman who migrated to Australia when she was just 19.</p> <p>Ms Jiang’s new neighbour invited her in for a cup of tea and encouraged her to make new friends in Australia as “life is a gift”.</p> <p>Taking to social media after her move, a clearly grateful Ms Jiang wrote, “It’s such a great day.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p>

Real Estate

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Misdiagnosed student learns she has incurable cancer

<p dir="ltr">A young woman who suffered from severe pains was told it was due to her excessive drinking – when actually she had an incurable form of cancer.</p> <p dir="ltr">Georgia Ford would occasionally cough up blood, lose her breath easily and struggle to walk or exercise – but was told it was because of how much alcohol she drank.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 20-year-old was given stomach-lining tablets but over time her condition worsened - this time with weight loss and back pain.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Originally the GP said the sickness was acid reflux from the amount that I was drinking because I was a student,” Georgia told Kennedy News.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, when the law student came back from holiday she limited her drinking. But the pains persisted.</p> <p dir="ltr">She kept going back and forth with her doctor, who told Georgia that the pains she was feeling were all in her head due to anxiety. </p> <p dir="ltr">“They basically said that this was all in my head and I wasn’t ill at all. I said ‘I fail to believe that I’m having this many severe symptoms and it’s all in my head’.</p> <p dir="ltr">For almost a year-and-a-half Georgia searched for answers as to why she was feeling the way she was.</p> <p dir="ltr">It was only in November 2021, after Georgia booked a private appointment, that she was diagnosed with papillary renal cell carcinoma – a rare and aggressive form of kidney cancer.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was just so shocked. Just any hope I had of it maybe being something else, it was just the most sinking feeling to be told basically the worst-case scenario and I was just so disappointed in everything,” she said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Honestly it’s not been the same since that; that one moment has literally changed my life.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Doctors explained to the young student that the cancer had started off in her kidneys and spread to her lungs, liver, lymph nodes and bones.</p> <p dir="ltr">And it was then they told the aspiring lawyer that her condition was incurable, forcing her to accept that this is her life now.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s just like this overwhelming sadness that just fills you at the time,” she explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">Since the shocking diagnosis, Georgia has begun immunotherapy, which involves taking medication every day and having an intravenous drip every two weeks. </p> <p dir="ltr">She is always required to take portable oxygen tanks when she goes out, and when it’s time to sleep she requires an oxygen pipe to help her breathe. </p> <p dir="ltr">Doctors say this treatment will help Georgia’s cancer shrink to the point of having a “normal life” as much as possible. </p> <p dir="ltr">A <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/fightagainstprcc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page has been set up to help Georgia with her treatments. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: 7News/GoFundMe</em></p>

Body

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Why you do NOT ask your students what they think of you

<p>“I told them they couldn’t say ‘nothing’ and they delivered.”</p> <p>Those were the words from a Year 3 teacher who has revealed online that she asked her students what they would change about her – and the results were nothing short of savage.</p> <p>TikTok user Alex Jean shared the results in an hilarious video in which many of the kids went straight after her looks.</p> <blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@grade3withms.e/video/7079120207637335342" data-video-id="7079120207637335342"> <section><a title="@grade3withms.e" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@grade3withms.e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@grade3withms.e</a> Thank you @missnormansmiddles for this idea that humbled me very quickly 😅😅 <a title="teacher" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/teacher" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#teacher</a> <a title="teacherlife" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/teacherlife" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#teacherlife</a> <a title="teachers" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/teachers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#teachers</a> <a title="teachertiktok" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/teachertiktok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#teachertiktok</a> <a title="teachertok" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/teachertok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#teachertok</a> <a title="teacheroftiktok" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/teacheroftiktok" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#teacheroftiktok</a> <a title="students" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/students" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#students</a> <a title="whatwouldyou" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/whatwouldyou" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#whatwouldyou</a> <a title="♬ Originalton - AnnenMayKantereit" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Originalton-7076464112204614406" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ Originalton - AnnenMayKantereit</a></section> </blockquote> <p>First up, one of the kids told her “one eyebrow is skinny and the other is fat” and another said she “tucks all her shirts in.”</p> <p>A third child also slammed her appearance and said “you smile a lot and it looks like your eyes are closed”. Another found her mannerisms annoying and said she “blinks too much”.</p> <p>One child took issue with her teaching style, and said “you make us do a lot of work”.</p> <p>However, one of the children was sweet with their answer, saying the only thing they’d change is that she won’t be their teacher next year.</p> <p>Many people found the video adorable, with one viewer commenting: “the eyebrows one made me laugh. children are so funny”.</p> <p>Another joked: “I’d be there consciously trying to blink less.”</p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Students stunned as wild fight erupts outside school

<p dir="ltr">A violent altercation between two men erupted outside a school in Melbourne as students were being picked up by their parents.</p> <p dir="ltr">Shocked students from Melton Secondary College in the state’s west, watched on in horror as two motorists began throwing punches at each other in the middle of the road on Tuesday afternoon.</p> <p dir="ltr">Disturbing footage shows a shirtless man grabbing a pole off the floor before allegedly forcing it through the ute window while children were inside.</p> <p dir="ltr">The man allegedly appears to repeatedly force the pole in the window as victims inside could be seen moving their heads to avoid being hit.</p> <p dir="ltr">The driver of the ute attempts to jump out but his door is kicked shut by the attacker, but eventually he makes it out.</p> <p dir="ltr">He charges at the alleged attacker, both of them throwing punches at each other as the altercation spilled in the middle of the street forcing children and their parents to run away.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police arrived and arrested the 21-year-old Melton man and he was subsequently charged.</p> <p dir="ltr">'Police have been told a man stepped out onto Coburns Road near High Street just before 3.30pm,' Victoria Police said in a statement.</p> <p dir="ltr">'It is believed the man smashed the windscreen of a car causing three other cars to collide nose to tail.'</p> <p dir="ltr">'The driver of the damaged car got out of the vehicle and was involved in a physical altercation with the offender.'</p> <p dir="ltr">Warning: Confronting footage <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/man-charged-over-alleged-melton-road-rage-attack-outside-melbourne-school/1be1cdf6-449d-4fe7-b365-86e3811676ed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Nine</em></p>

News

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Meet the Aussie student who fled the Ukraine Russian invasion

<p>Conrad Siziba moved from Western Australia to Ukraine in September of 2019, where he was eager to begin his studies to pursue a career in medicine.</p> <p>The medical student never could have imagined he would survive the risks of Covid-19, only to be forced out of the country by the tragedy of war.</p> <p>Conrad was among the first arrivals into Perth on Thursday, when the long-awaited quarantine travel ban finally lifted, after the state’s hard border opened.</p> <p>The sweet embrace with his father Conrad Siziba Senior and mother Noma brought a close to a nail-biting journey home.</p> <p>His parents were all smiles as they welcomed their son back from Ukraine.</p> <p>The process home “wasn’t easy”, Mr Siziba said.</p> <p>“The last few days when he was just about to come out, it was challenging,” he said.</p> <p>“He was facing a huge threat,” Mrs Siziba said. “We’re excited he’s home.”</p> <p>The medical student dropped his studies to flee the university town Dnipro in Eastern Ukraine - a key region named as a target by Russia.</p> <p>The safety risk of the invasions meant he had to bypass Kyiv, instead making his way to Lviv.</p> <p>“He was meant to fly on Thursday but that’s when they closed the flights and then he couldn’t fly,” Mr Siziba said.</p> <p>Conrad joined the student exodus on packed trains through a rough Ukrainian winter. This journey of risk included a 30km walk on foot to Poland before he could make it back to home to Baldivis.</p> <p>His parents were on edge as they waited during the “challenging time”, Mr Siziba said.</p> <p>“Thank God for the foreign affairs department, they were really supportive,” he said.</p> <p>Conrad appeared unphased by his journey upon his arrival home, simply focusing on the fact that he was home safe.</p> <p>“We’re happy he’s home,” his father said, Mrs Siziba adding it’s “the best thing ever”.</p> <p><em>Image: 7News</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Furious backlash after school offers shapewear to female students

<p><em>Image: Facebook/Getty</em></p> <p>A Mississippi middle school has offered body-slimming shapewear to female students this month, leading to furious backlash.</p> <p>Southaven Middle School in northern Mississippi sent a letter home to parents of teen and tween girls, educating on the issue of negative body image.</p> <p>The letter concluded with an offer from the school's counselors to provide shapewear — a foundation garment that's used alter a person's body shape. This offer was made to any of the students, aged 10 to 14, whose parents agreed to it.</p> <p>The letter was shared on social media by mom Ashley Heun, who said that she was 'beyond p***ed.'</p> <p>'This is what was sent home with my 8th-grade daughter,' Heun, whose daughter Caroline attends the school, wrote on Facebook.</p> <p>The memo is headed with the nonsensical title 'Why Do Girls Suffer from Body Image?' — which should more accurately say suffer from 'bad' or 'negative' body image.</p> <p>The memo goes on to discuss how 'social and cultural experiences' create a 'desire to adhere to an "ideal" body shape,' and how girls are 'more likely than boys to have negative body image.'</p> <p>While the memo is mostly thoughtful, noting that 'women in the United States feel pressured to measure up to strict and unrealistic social and cultural beauty ideals,' it also asserts that girls with a positive body image are more likely to have good self esteem, physical health and mental health — and it offers a surprising way of supporting that.</p> <p>'We, the counsellors of Southaven Middle School, would like to have an opportunity to offer some healthy literature to your daughter on maintaining a positive body image.</p> <p>'We are also providing girls with shapewear, bras, and other health products if applicable.'</p>

Body

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Gina Rinehart tells private school students to be wary of ‘climate propaganda’

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The richest woman in Australia, mining magnate Gina Rinehart, caused a stir recently when a video she had recorded for her alma mater had to be cut because of her controversial views. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the video, recorded by Rinehart for the 125th anniversary of her alma mater, St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls in Perth’s Mosman Park, Rinehart speaks for 16 minutes instead of the required 5, and only managed to stay on topic for so long. She starts out talking about her family’s connections to the school, which go back four generations. About five minutes in, however, she begins critiquing the ‘propaganda’ she believes students are being taught regarding climate change.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s very important in my view that today’s parents or guardians or grandparents ask their children each and every day what they are learning at school, counter any propaganda and address their concerns with teachers directly,” she says in the video.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Please be very careful about information spread on emotional basis, or tied to money, or egos, or power-seekers, and always search for the facts, even if the tide is against you, and it’s not considered popular.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Facts may not be popular, but that shouldn’t mean they should be overlooked.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 265.867418899859px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844698/screen-shot-2021-10-08-at-12822-pm.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/e1e0fe218b2c41e197cd72636942ef45" /></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Faculty members cut the video short, but the entire video, along with a transcript, can still be viewed on Rinehart’s </span><a href="https://www.ginarinehart.com.au/speech-by-mrs-gina-rinehart-celebrating-125-years-of-st-hildas-anglican-school-for-girls/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">website</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. In the full-length speech, she mentions inviting infamous climate deniers such as Lord Monckton and Professor Ian Plimer to speak at the school in response to students being shown Al Gore’s 2006 documentary </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">An Inconvenient Truth.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When asked for his thoughts on Rinehart’s views, WA premier Mark McGowan said that it was “well accepted by scientists and governments and people all over the world that carbon emissions by us are increasing temperatures. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“That’s certainly what I believe, and the overwhelming majority of scientists believe, and I think we should work on that basis,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It is widely accepted by bodies like </span><a href="https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">NASA</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/climate-change/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">the UN</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and the </span><a href="https://www.climatechangeinaustralia.gov.au/en/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">CSIRO</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that climate change is real, is occurring as the result of humanity’s impact on the climate, and will only get worse in the decades to come if more is not done to combat it. Meanwhile, the claims made by skeptics like </span><a href="https://skepticalscience.com/Monckton_Myths_arg.htm"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lord Monckton</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://skepticalscience.com/skeptic_Ian_Plimer.htm"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Professor Plimer</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> denying the realities of climate change have been widely and thoroughly debunked.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Scott Barbour/Getty Images</span></em></p>

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"It has to stop": Karl's blunt plea after anti-vaxxers hijack student's death

<p>Karl Stefanovic used his platform on <em>The Today Show</em> to plead with those spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine. </p> <p>The TV host discussed the high profile case of Year 12 student Tom van Dijk, who passed away last week after suffering from a cardiac arrest while swimming with his family. </p> <p>Karl went on to say that Tom's school was forced to step in when a flood of social media messages incorrectly linked his untimely death to the COVID-19 vaccine. </p> <p>"He had a cardiac arrest. So what happens? Thousands of faceless keyboard warriors take it upon themselves to seize on his awful death in front of his family, circulating false information, blaming his death on vaccinations," he said.</p> <p>"His school already dealing with grief amongst students was forced to confirm he hadn't even had a vaccination yet."</p> <p><span>"Imagine the added stress on that poor young man's family...their pain and their tragedy made worse by lies on social media."</span></p> <p><span>Karl went on to say the spread of misinformation is dangerous and "it has to stop".</span></p> <p>Tom van Dijk died on August 21, which was confirmed by his school principal, John Couani, at St Pius X College in Chatswood, Sydney.  </p> <p>Couani reiterated Karl Stefanovic's claims about vaccine misinformation, saying he is unsure why the dangerous rumours started in the first place. </p> <p><span>The misinformation is horrific, there was nothing to do with mental health, this is purely a health issue,” he said. </span></p> <p><span>“The school did not force students to be vaccinated — the school is not in a hotspot or local government area of concern, nor was it eligible for the priority vaccination program — we’ve made no statement calling for vaccinations of students.”</span></p> <p><em>Image credit: Channel Nine</em></p>

Caring

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Students’ removal of Queen’s photo causes ire

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Students in the UK have caused a stir after voting to remove a photograph of the Queen from their university common room.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Postgraduate students at Magdalen College, Oxford, voted to take down the print, with minutes from the meeting noting that “for some students depictions of the monarch and the British monarchy represent recent colonial history.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The move drew criticism from UK Education secretary Gavin Williamson, who tweeted: “Oxford university students removing a picture of the Queen is simply absurd. She is the head of state and a symbol of what is best about the UK. During her long reign she has worked tirelessly to promote British values of tolerance, inclusivity and respect around the world.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a swift response, Dinah Rose, the president of Magdalen College, defended the decision and wrote: “Here are some facts about Magdalen College and HM the Queen. The Middle Common Room is an organisation of graduate students. They don’t represent the College. A few years ago, in 2013 they bought a print of the Queen to decorate their common room.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“They recently voted to take it down. Both of these decisions are their own to take, not the College’s. Magdalen strongly supports free speech and political debate and the MCR’s right to autonomy.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She added: “Being a student is about more than studying. It’s about exploring and debating ideas. It’s sometimes about provoking the older generation. Looks like that isn’t so hard to do these days.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rose also said the print would be safely stored in the event the students vote to put the print up once more.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Matthew Katzman, Magdalen’s MCR president, told the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Daily Telegraph</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">: “It has been taken down. It was decided to leave the common room neutral. That was what this was about. The college will have plenty of depictions of various things but the common room is meant to be a space for all to feel welcome.” </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Magdalen College, Theroyalfamily / Instagram</span></em></p>

Art

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University students jailed after finding KFC loophole

<p>A group of Chinese university students have been sentenced to up to two and a half years in jail after they found a loophole to receive AUD $40,000 worth of KFC.</p> <p>The university students from east China’s Jiangsu Province scammed KFC through their mobile apps,<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202105/1223171.shtml" target="_blank">the<span> </span><em>Global Times</em><span> </span>reports.</a></p> <p>The group obtained free KFC meals and made profits by reselling it.</p> <p>In total, the fast food giant had economic losses equating to 200,000 yuan ($40,000).</p> <p>One student discovered that through his WeChat account, he could get meals and coupons without fronting up the money.</p> <p>The young person would sell coupons as well as meals to make a profit.</p> <p>He would also order meals for himself.</p> <p>In the time period between April and October 2018, his dealings led for the company to lose over 58,000 yuan ($11,000).</p> <p>The other students that were part of the elaborate scam had losses that ranged from 8,900 yuan ($1700) to 47,000 yuan ($9400) each.</p> <p>The court ruled the main instigator, whose last name is Xu, would be given a two-and-a-half-year jail sentence, along with a 6000 yuan ($1200) fine.</p> <p>They were charged for “crimes of fraud and imparting criminal methods”.</p> <p>The other four scammers were sentenced from 15 months to two years in jail.</p> <p>They were also fined between 1000 yuan ($200) and 4000 yuan ($800).</p>

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"Do it again!": The worst way to find out your diamond ring is fake

<p>A Florida teacher and her student have gone viral across the globe after an innocent school experiment revealed her engagement ring isn’t real.</p> <p>A group of high school students used a diamond tester and went from class to class testing their teacher's rings.</p> <p>In the video that was shared to popular teen app TikTok, the students are seen approaching a teacher wearing an engagement ring with a large rock.</p> <p>The clip heard the woman saying she had proudly worn the ring for 20 years since her husband proposed.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Yo this kid goes around testing his teacher’s wedding rings &amp; I’m screaming because most of them are fake 😭😭😭😭😭 <a href="https://t.co/tG3zWkDmDw">pic.twitter.com/tG3zWkDmDw</a></p> — I put sugar on my grits (@thismyburner8) <a href="https://twitter.com/thismyburner8/status/1321550282161971201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>"I can test it to see if it's real?" a student asks the teacher.</p> <p>She tells him to "come on in" and places her hand on the table.</p> <p>The student commented about how large the diamond is, to which the teacher responded, "It's going to be big, we've been married over 20 years."</p> <p>However the diamond tester went on to beep, indicating the rock is not a diamond at all.</p> <p>"You say you've been married 20 years? Not going to lie I don't think it's real," the student tells her.</p> <p>The clearly agitated teacher demands the student test it again, saying: "Do it again. This thing is real. So what you telling me?"</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">“Wym you don’t think it’s real?” 💀💀💀 <a href="https://t.co/1ZbdI3K3bg">pic.twitter.com/1ZbdI3K3bg</a></p> — I put sugar on my grits (@thismyburner8) <a href="https://twitter.com/thismyburner8/status/1321569964508078080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>Once again, the diamond tester beeps to indicate the rock is fake.</p> <p>The footage then cut to the teacher calling her husband and taking the ring off.</p> <p>"You knew it wasn't real?” she can be heard saying over the phone.  </p> <p>“And you still gave it to me after 20 years? So this is what I'm going to get?</p> <p>"Okay, you know what, you thought it was going to be me and you tonight, guess what? It ain't. It's not going to be."</p>

Relationships

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Haunting photos of teen sent to family in “virtual kidnapping” scam

<p>Investigations are continuing after a teenage student was in a “virtual kidnapping” scam in Sydney, which resulted in more than $213,000 being transferred for their child’s safe return.</p> <p>NSW Police received reports of a missing 18-year-old Chinese woman on September 8 after friends became concerned for her welfare.</p> <p>Photos and videos of the woman were sent to family using the Chinese messaging service WeChat.</p> <p>Large sums of money were demanded by a person that was pretending to be Chinese police who were promising her safe release.</p> <p>Following further investigations from NSW Police, Chinese authorities and the AFP, the woman was found safe and unharmed in the inner-city suburb of Pyrmont on September 15.</p> <p>Police have since raided a Chatswood unit, while a 22-year-old male has spoken with officers. Investigations continue.</p> <p>In one photo, a pair of bare legs can be seen.  Police were trying to determine if that person is a victim themselves or involved in the scam.</p> <p>NSW Police Force state crime command director Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Bennett said police were urging the community to remain vigilant to such elaborate phone scams.</p> <p>“Less than two months ago, the NSW Police Force issued a warning to the community about ‘virtual kidnapping’ scams targeting Chinese students studying in Australia,” Det Chief Supt Bennett said.</p> <p>“It appears these scammers are continuing to operate and are once again preying on the vulnerabilities of individuals in the community who are not in direct physical contact with their families.”</p> <p>Det Chief Supt Bennett said that this incident began in July when a woman received an email from someone who was posing as Chinese police.</p> <p>They told her that her personal details had been illegally used on a package intercepted overseas.</p> <p>“The individuals behind these ‘virtual kidnapping’ scams continually adapt their scripts and methodology which are designed to take advantage of people’s trust in authorities,” he said.</p> <p>Police are reminding Chinese nationals that authorities in China would never contact students demanding money.</p> <p>They have urged that if anyone experiences such behaviour to report to the Chinese Consulate in Sydney and police.</p>

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We asked kids who their favourite teacher is, and why. Here’s what they said

<p>Most of us can remember a favourite teacher. Some of us can also remember a teacher we didn’t get on with or with whom we always seemed to get in trouble.</p> <p>Relationships between students and teachers at school are important. They predict students’ motivation, performance, and expectations of future relationships.</p> <p>We interviewed 96 students from a range of schools in Years 3 to 9. We wanted to find out who students remember as their favourite and least favourite teachers. We also wanted to find out what made those relationships positive or negative.</p> <p>In our study, published in the journal School Psychology Review, all students described similar factors that made them like their teachers — care, kindness and humour.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>What we wanted to find</strong></p> <p>Past research shows students with disruptive behaviour are more likely to experience negative relationships with their teachers than their less disruptive peers. Teachers often rate relationships with such students to be low in closeness and high in conflict.</p> <p>But these relationships aren’t always negative. Even self-described troublemakers and class clowns often remember a specific teacher who stood up for them, who took them under their wing, or who changed their perceptions of school for the better.</p> <p>The first group we interviewed consisted of 54 students who had a history of disruptive behaviour, such as acting out in class or being frequently suspended. Around half were in a special behaviour school for disruptive behaviour, and the remainder attended a mainstream school.</p> <p>The second group consisted of 42 students with no history of disruptive behaviour. They were often high achieving (such as school prefects or A-students), and all attended a mainstream school.</p> <p>We were particularly interested in the “magic ingredients” that would support positive student-teacher relationships, even for disruptive students. We also wanted to determine if there were “contaminating ingredients” that could sour these relationships, even for exemplary students.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>Who is your favourite teacher?</strong></p> <p>We first asked students if they could remember any teachers they’d had a really good relationship with. If the student replied yes, we then asked what made the relationship good.</p> <p>The reasons students liked teachers were almost identical across groups. Even highly disruptive students bonded with teachers who were caring, kind and funny.</p> <p>One 13-year-old with disruptive behaviour (in a special school) said of their favourite teacher:</p> <p><em>"Every time I’d go there without food … Miss H always used to buy me lunch, let me go on excursions. … I was never allowed to go on an excursion [before] because of my ADHD."</em></p> <p>A 15-year-old with disruptive behaviour (also in a special school) said of their favourite teacher:</p> <p><em>"Mr M, he’s just hilarious. He’s the funniest man on earth. He’s always saying this weird stuff […] walking around with this big puffy jacket, like some kind of Russian guard […] pretending his pencil is a cigar […] we just laugh."</em></p> <p>These answers show how important it is for teachers to separate student disciplinary matters from relationship matters.</p> <p>Around 16% of students highlighted teacher helpfulness, while 10% highlighted effective teaching, as a key advantage of their favourite teachers.</p> <p>One 12-year-old without disruptive behaviour said about their favourite teacher:</p> <p><em>"She gave me and some of the other smart kids harder work. [I liked that] because it challenges me."</em></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>What causes conflicts?</strong></p> <p>We next asked students if they could remember any teachers they really didn’t get on with or clashed with. If a student replied yes, we asked what sort of things would bring that on.</p> <p>While not all students could remember a teacher they clashed with, a large proportion of each group could.</p> <p>Students in both groups overwhelmingly agreed on the key factors contributing to negative relationships.</p> <p>Across groups, 86% highlighted instances where they had perceived the teacher being unnecessarily hostile towards them, or where they felt they were treated unfairly.</p> <p>One 13-year-old with disruptive behaviour (in a mainstream school) said:</p> <p><em>"I usually have my earphones in and I just sit there and just listen to music […] she just like opened the door, seen me listening to music […] She comes up, grabs the earphones, she just rips them out of my ear [pretend shouting] ‘Listen to the teacher!'"</em></p> <p>A 16-year-old with disruptive behaviour (in a special school) said:</p> <p><em>"She just used to pin stuff on me. If I done the littlest thing wrong and someone done somethin’ major wrong, she would […] go for me first […] She just hated me, and I hated her."</em></p> <p>Another 10-year-old with no disruptive behaviour said:</p> <p><em>"She was always yelling […] Because she gave us a real hard book, and we were only in Year 1, and we couldn’t really read it that good […]"</em></p> <p>Frequently, students’ descriptions of unfair treatment included pre-emptive punishments and reprimands:</p> <p>One 15-year-old with disruptive behaviour (in a special school) said:</p> <p><em>"Well, I remember one time that, like, I went inside the classroom and she just, like, came up to me and she was like, you had better not talk this lesson and I wasn’t even talking at all."</em></p> <p>Another 15-year-old with disruptive behaviour (in a mainstream school) said:</p> <p><em>"Well, she always picked me out, as well, for misbehaving, so I got in a lot of trouble for that, but […] like, a lot of people were just doing a lot worse than I was doing, but she was like, no, no, you’ve been bad before."</em></p> <p>A 12-year-old with no disruptive behavior (in a mainstream school) said:</p> <p><em>"Every time I did something in the playground that was good, someone told her I’d done something bad and [Miss C] always believed them."</em></p> <p><strong> </strong><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>What teachers can take from this</strong></p> <p>Based on our research, below are some things teachers and parents can do to promote positive relationships with teachers for the young people in their care.</p> <ol> <li>Remember empathy and humour go a long way to building positive relationships with students. Caring about students as individuals genuinely does break down barriers. Most teachers already report caring deeply for their students. It may simply be a matter of making one’s acts of kindness and care more visible<br /><br /></li> <li>Consider how warnings are given. Students benefit when they are allowed to start the day with a clean slate, and when reprimands are held back until an offence has actually been committed<br /><br /></li> <li>Separate classroom management from relationship building. Students who are most disruptive are also often the ones who could use a positive relationship the most<br /><br /></li> <li>Parents can help by encouraging students to reflect on their relationships with teachers. Sometimes situations are ambiguous, and understanding a teacher’s perspective may help in interpreting situations that would otherwise feel unreasonable to a young person. Students and teachers both win when they work on the same team.</li> </ol> <p> </p> <p class="p1"><em>Written by Misha Ketchell. This article first appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-asked-kids-who-their-favourite-teacher-is-and-why-heres-what-they-said-145093">The Conversation</a>.</em></p> <p> </p>

Relationships

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Zoom class captures terrifying moment student was held hostage

<p><span>An online Zoom class captured the terrifying moment a young woman was held hostage in a home invasion.</span><br /><br /><span>The scary ordeal took place during a live English lesson that was being broadcast during Zoom due to the strict coronavirus restrictions placed on citizens in the State of Durango, northwest of Mexico City.</span><br /><br /><span>The horrifying footage showed Ariana Sofia Hernandez Aldama on the left hand side of her screen with her hands tied and her face covered.</span><br /><br /><span>Throughout the video Ms Aldama remains motionless so as not to egg on the intruder.</span><br /><br /><span>Her fellow classmates watched on as the man moved silently in the background wearing a baseball hat.</span><br /><br /><span>The man lowers the camera so his movements can no longer be recorded.</span><br /><br /><span>The suspect then allegedly stole a set of keys from inside Ms Aldama’s home and used them to steal a car.</span><br /><br /><span>A number of the girl’s horrified classmates contacted emergency services to report the crime but by the time anyone arrived at Ms Aldama’s house, the attacker had already fled in the stolen vehicle.</span><br /><br /><span>While Ms Aldama was physically unharmed, there is no doubt she will be haunted forever by the incident and has undergone counselling to help recover from the invasion.</span><br /><br /><span>The Durango Prosecutor's Office reported the alleged perpetrator has been identified, and they are working to find his whereabouts.</span><br /><br /><span>The authorities also maintained that the vehicle stolen by the assailant has already been recovered.</span></p>

Legal

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“I love Australia”: 3 things international students want Australians to know

<p>A recent statement from China’s education bureau <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-09/china-warns-students-not-to-return-to-australia-after-coronaviru/12337044">warned Chinese students</a> about studying in Australia due to “racist incidents” during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p> <p>Such statements, and further moves from China’s education agents threatening to redirect students towards international competitors such as the United Kingdom, can negatively affect Australia as a study destination. Australia’s universities are <a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-19-what-australian-universities-can-do-to-recover-from-the-loss-of-international-student-fees-139759">already reeling</a> from the loss of international students due to COVID-19.</p> <p>There have been reports some <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-10/chinese-international-students-defend-australia/12340820">international students from China</a> have defended Australia as a study destination. I have been conducting in-depth interviews with ten international students in Australia about their experiences and concerns throughout COVID-19.</p> <p>They too have, mostly, positive things to say.</p> <p>Here are three things they believe Australia should know as we plan our recovery.</p> <p><strong>1. Australians must be more welcoming</strong></p> <p>Negative experiences of international students are more dangerous to long-term recovery than border closures and flight restrictions. At a time of <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6202.0">increased unemployment</a> and <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/smp/2020/may/economic-outlook.html#:%7E:text=The%20Australian%20economy%20is%20expected,cent%20in%20the%20June%20quarter.">pessimistic economic forecasts</a>, we risk anti-foreigner sentiment growing.</p> <p>Students I spoke with reported this was already happening. One student from Peru said he had “had quite racist comments like ‘go back to your country’”. Another, from India, spoke at length about part-time jobs now being “offered only to Australian citizens. I was told not to even bring in a CV”.</p> <p>On April 4, the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-03/coronavirus-pm-tells-international-students-time-to-go-to-home/12119568">prime minister</a> called for temporary visa holders to “go home” if they couldn’t support themselves.</p> <p>Each student I spoke with said this was the point in time when they went from feeling a part of their community, to feeling unwelcome.</p> <p>One Indian student told me:</p> <p><em>I have seen a rise in anti-Chinese sentiment and anti-Asian sentiment. I have seen my Japanese flatmate have abuse yelled at her on the street. Calling her a “filthy Asian” and things like this.</em></p> <p>Another student spoke about Labor Senator <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/do-we-want-migrants-to-return-in-the-same-numbers-the-answer-is-no-20200501-p54p2q.html">Kristina Kenneally’s call</a> to “reset” Australia’s temporary migration intake and give Australians a “fair go”.</p> <p>She said: “<em>Definitely, there is a growing anti-immigrant sentiment here. The talk from people in the Australian government that we should be “getting our jobs back for Australians” is constructed in a way to inherently disadvantage people like me, or immigrants. Because it is government policy it will infiltrate across the country and it’s hard to tackle that on an individual level.”</em></p> <p>Each student suggested Australia’s reputation as a welcoming, safe and diverse place was what was going to shape how parents and prospective students made decisions about where to study after the crisis.</p> <p><strong>2. International students are integrated in Australian society</strong></p> <p>The students I spoke with are looking to integrate in local communities as a central part of their overseas experience. They felt they contributed to various parts of Australian society – as tourists and volunteers.</p> <p>And many played an active role in promoting Australia and their city internationally.</p> <p>Daniel, from Peru, is based at a regional Queensland university. He volunteers with a local men’s mental health organisation. He’s taken over the weekly Spanish language program on the local radio station and, until the shutdown, worked part time at a bar and volunteered with a research program measuring local water quality.</p> <p>He said: “<em>Something I have learned here is about a sense of community, about being kind to others. I love Australia and the people I have met so far. Once all this is over, I will go back to my home country and teach them about what I have learned here.”</em></p> <p><strong>3. The government needs to signal its support through clear policy</strong></p> <p>International students want clear policy responses and acknowledgement of the valuable role they play in Australia.</p> <p>Australia’s flattened curve undoubtably works in our favour, giving us an advantage over the United States and the UK.</p> <p>However, the government’s support and welfare may shape how parents and prospective students make future decisions.</p> <p>Clear policy responses matter now. They offer a signal to students – current and future – that Australia recognises the importance of international students, and they are a welcome and supported part of our communities.</p> <p>An example is Australia’s <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/obscure-rules-and-stalled-visas-jeopardise-australian-recovery">reluctance to guarantee</a> international students will not be penalised from being eligible for a Temporary Graduate Visa if studying online. This visa allows graduates of Australian universities to stay on and work, and is essential to attracting students. Currently students are restricted around the amount of offshore study they can do to be eligible.</p> <p>Canada made <a href="https://www.cicnews.com/2020/04/how-canada-is-helping-international-students-0414222.html">such an adjustment</a> early on, announcing international students could complete 50% of their study online without it impacting their eligibility to eventually apply for a post-study work permit.</p> <p>One Indian student told me:</p> <p><em>I don’t think Indian students will be deterred from their goal to study abroad and to better their lives. But a lot of where they decide to do this depends on how the government reacts and responds. A lot of students are probably going to start looking at Europe and Canada as a better destination because of the policies they have. Canada has been doing a really great job at protecting its international student community.</em></p> <p>International students value human connection and their expectations and contributions extend beyond the lecture hall. They are looking for responses and a recovery strategy that acknowledges this.</p> <p><em>Written by Angela Lehmann. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-love-australia-3-things-international-students-want-australians-to-know-139857">The Conversation. </a></em></p> <p><em> </em></p>

Cruising

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High school student apologises to Prince Harry for “cuddling” Duchess Meghan

<p>A British high school student made news around the world after he hugged the Duchess of Sussex during the royal’s visit to a school on Friday.</p> <p>Now 16-year-old Aker Okoye has apologised to Prince Harry for embracing his wife.</p> <p>Okoye, head boy at Robert Clack School in east London, came up on stage after Duchess Meghan invited a “brave young man” to volunteer to discuss the importance of International Women’s Day, which is celebrated on March 8.</p> <p>Okoye leaned in for a kiss on the cheek before telling his classmates, “She really is beautiful, innit.”</p> <p>The Duchess gave him a hug after he made his comments about the day. “Incredible confidence, don’t you all agree,” she said after Okoye left the stage.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/B9eqhs3J2uP/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/B9eqhs3J2uP/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">The Duchess of Sussex visited Robert Clack School, to celebrate the women of the future, and also highlight the important role men and boys play in International Women’s Day. The Duchess asked a young student to come on stage and share his perspective on the importance of the day, and whilst much attention has been focused on his initial comment, what he shared beyond that was compelling and true. Please watch the full video and tag a man in your life, and have him share what #IWD means to him</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/sussexroyal/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> The Duke and Duchess of Sussex</a> (@sussexroyal) on Mar 8, 2020 at 9:23am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>In a written letter to the Duke of Sussex published on <em>The Sun</em>, Okoye said he hoped his actions weren’t out of line.</p> <p>“I hope you didn’t mind me cuddling your wife,” he wrote, noting he was “just overwhelmed and shocked to see her arrive at my school”.</p> <p>Okoye said it was “a pleasure to hear [Meghan’s] speech and to speak in front of her as well. She is truly inspirational”.</p> <p>In an interview with <em>Good Morning Britain</em>, the student told host Piers Morgan: “It was one of those moments which I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.”</p> <p>The Duchess’ surprise visit to the school was her last solo official engagement as a senior royal before she and Harry step down on March 31.</p>

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