From The Daily Oz. I'm billy, I'm emma. It's Monday, the seventeenth of February. He's what's making headlines this evening.
The twenty twenty six census will include a new topic on sexual orientation and gender and changes to ten existing topics, The Australian Bureau of Statistics has confirmed. It comes after the government announced gender and sexuality questions would be included in the next survey following backlash over its handling of the issue last year. According to the findings of a census topic review handed down today, the twenty twenty six
census will ask for sex recorded at birth. Non gender terms will also be added to the household and Family Relationship section to be more inclusive, and a new topic on sexual orientation and gender will apply to over sixteen year olds. The new topic will include two questions. The exact wording of the questions will be published by the end of the year.
National high school completion rates have improved for the first time since twenty seventeen. According to new government data, the percentage of students staying at school from year seven until year twelve rose to around eighty per cent in twenty twenty four. Up from seventy nine per cent in twenty twenty three. For First nation students, this figure increased from fifty five point nine per cent to fifty six point seven percent. Meanwhile, the number of full time teaching staff
rose by around three percent last year. A staffing boost has led to improved student to teacher ratios, which fell to an average of twelve point nine students to one teacher.
European leaders will meet for crisis talks over fears Ukraine has been shut out of US Russia peace talks in Saudi Arabia nearly three years since Russia invaded Ukraine. American and Russian officials are expected to attend negotiations to end the conflict the US this week. However, the White House has not confirmed any Ukrainian officials have been invited. It's prompted French President Emmanuel Macron to call an urgent meeting
of EU leaders on Monday in Paris. In an op ed for British newspaper The Telegraph, British PM Kiir Starmer confirmed he would be attending and urged the US and Europe to work together to deter Russian aggression. Starmer said he's prepared to send British troops to Ukraine. I do not say this lightly, he wrote, but any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine's security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent.
And today's good news. The first AFL Indigenous All Stars game in a decade has drawn record crowds. Nearly thirty eight thousand fans showed up to watch the All Stars forty three point victory over Fremantle at Perth Stadium on Saturday. Around ten thousand spectators attended the last AFL Indigenous All
Stars round in twenty fifteen. This year's pregame schedule included a Guard of honor made up of past players, partners, Indigenous AFL W players and non playing All Stars squad members, and an All Stars war cry led by Saint Kilda star Bradley Hill. North Melbourne co captain Jay Simpkin was awarded Player of the Match.
That's the latest from the Daily OS newsroom. If you're looking for something else to listen to, make sure you catch up on today's deep Dive, where Billy and Zara explain Elon Musk's role in the White House.
We'll be back tomorrow morning with another deep dive. Until then, have a great evening. My name is Lily Maddon and I'm a proud Arunda Bunjelung Calcottin woman from Gadigol Country. The Daily oz acknowledges that this podcast is recorded on the lands of the Gadighl people and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait island and nations. We pay our respects to the first peoples of these countries, both past and present.