It is the "toughest laws Australians ever had," said Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke
The Australian Senate has passed a new "controversial" law that will imprison people found guilty of some terrorism offenses or displaying "terror symbols," with critics fearing that the legislation will disproportionately harm marginalized people in the country.
Individuals convicted of terrorism-related offenses, financing terrorism, or displaying terror symbols will face mandatory prison sentences under new legislation passed on Thursday by both the Labour and opposition parties.
Critics argue that the law may unfairly impact Australia's marginalized communities while also being inconsistent with Australian tradition, according to SBS News.
Liberal MP Andrew Hastie criticized the legislation, arguing that allowing politicians to determine punishments in any given case is extremely risky.
The "toughest laws Australians ever had," coined by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, specify a one-year mandatory sentence for showing Nazi or terrorist symbols, three years for terrorism financing, and six years for other terrorism-related crimes, the broadcaster reported.
The law comes amid the rise of cases of antisemitism in Australia.
This new law's stance on mandatory jail time also contradicts Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's Labor Party platform, which states that minimum sentencing is "discriminatory in practice."
"We want people who are engaged in antisemitic activities to be caught, to be charged, and put in the clink. That's my priority," Albanese was quoted as saying by SBS while defending the law.
Separately, the Israeli Foreign Ministry praised Australia on the legislation, stating that “no Jew in Australia, or anywhere in the world, should have to live in fear,” according to the media outlet.
Thailand’s caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Saturday that Thai forces would continue military action along the Cambodia border u...
U.S. stock markets closed lower at the end of the week, as investors continued to rotate out of technology shares, putting pressure on major indices....
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that without concrete concessions from Russia, such as limiting its military forces or curbing its defe...
Multiple people were shot on Saturday at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, prompting an active shooter alert and a campus lockdown, city o...
The latest round of clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has left 15 Thai soldiers dead and 270 others injured, Thailand’s Ministry of Defence spok...
The possibility of restricting social media access for children is a hot topic in the European Union and the United Kingdom, after Australia implemented a world-first ban for those under 16. Lawmakers have labelled the ban a “real-world test” of how far governments can go to protect young people.
Wildfires swept through thousands of hectares of bushland in New South Wales, Australia, on Saturday, prompting authorities to issue top-level evacuation warnings for thousands of residents in the country’s most populous state.
Australia has moved to directly pressure the Taliban leadership, imposing financial sanctions and travel bans on four senior officials it says are responsible for the steady erosion of women’s rights in Afghanistan.
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Japan has lifted a tsunami advisory issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the country's northeastern region on Friday (12 December), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The JMA had earlier put the earthquake's preliminary magnitude at 6.7.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his offer to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Ankara, at his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The talks took place on the sidelines of the international Forum for Peace and Trust in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (12 December).
The United States issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela on Thursday, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro's wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas.
The resignation of Bulgaria's government on Thursday (11 December) puts an end to an increasingly unpopular coalition but is likely to usher in a period of prolonged political instability on the eve of the Black Sea nation's entry into the euro zone.
Thailand’s caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Saturday that Thai forces would continue military action along the Cambodia border until Bangkok believes there is no longer a threat to Thai territory or civilians.
U.S. stock markets closed lower at the end of the week, as investors continued to rotate out of technology shares, putting pressure on major indices.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that without concrete concessions from Russia, such as limiting its military forces or curbing its defence budget, new conflicts could erupt elsewhere, even if Ukraine receives security guarantees.
Multiple people were shot on Saturday at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, prompting an active shooter alert and a campus lockdown, city officials said.
The latest round of clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has left 15 Thai soldiers dead and 270 others injured, Thailand’s Ministry of Defence spokesman Surasant Kongsiri said at a press conference on Saturday.
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