Australia: three dead in Sydney house fire; antisemitism royal commission hears from special envoy

Three dead in Sydney house fire

Three people have died following a house fire in Sydney's south-west last night, NSW police said. Emergency services were called to a home on Cornelia Street, Wiley Park, at about 9:45 pm after reports of a fire. Fire and Rescue NSW crews attended and extinguished the blaze, which caused extensive damage to the property. Following a search, the bodies of three people were found inside. Officers from Campsie police area command have established a crime scene and are investigating the circumstances of the fire.

Antisemitism special envoy to appear before royal commission

The special envoy to combat antisemitism, Jillian Segal, will testify today before the royal commission examining education and training in handling antisemitism and its effectiveness, according to Australian Associated Press. Segal was appointed to the role by the federal government in 2024. In a 2025 report, she called for Holocaust and antisemitism education to be included in national and state school curriculums, coordinated with government, independent, and Catholic school systems.

Closing the Gap target for preschool enrolment reached

One of the 19 Closing the Gap targets has officially been reached: early childhood education enrolment for First Nations children has hit 95% across Australia. The Productivity Commission's annual data report shows an increase from 61.3% in 2016 (the baseline year) to 95% in every state and territory. Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy called it a "significant milestone" but urged state and territory governments to maintain their commitments as other targets worsen. She noted improvements in eight other targets, but expressed concern over worsening outcomes in early childhood development, out-of-home care, incarceration rates, and suicide.