Two Indians attacked in Brisbane in Australia

Natasha Chaku
Melbourne, Jan 22 (PTI) Despite assurances by
Australian leadership, attacks on Indians continued with two
more youths, including a cabbie, being brutally assaulted and
robbed in separate overnight incidents in Brisbane.
The latest attacks, the seventh on Indians within a
fortnight, came a day after Australian Prime Minister Kevin
Rudd said these were "regrettable" but should be seen in the
context of "broader incidences of violence".
In the first incident, a 25-year-old youth was
assaulted and robbed while using a phone box near his home in
Macgregor in Brisbane's south on Thursday night, police said.
The youth was punched in the head twice and his wallet
stolen. Police, who have not disclosed his identity, described
the attacker as being tall, of Pacific Islander appearance,
with black curly hair.
In a separate incident, a taxi driver was attacked
early Friday morning after an argument broke out with two men
in Carindale, in Brisbane's southeast.
The men punched the driver on his face several times
and smashed the car's windscreen. The driver was taken to the
Princess Alexandra hospital for cuts on his face and swelling
on his right eye. Two men, aged 28 and 25, are helping police
with their enquiries, local media reported.
Meanwhile, the government again stressed that there
was no indication that the attacks were racially motivated.
Queensland's acting Premier Andrew Fraser said he wants to
assure Indians that Australia is a safe place. (More) PTI