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Foreign Minister Penny Wong says new counter-terrorism financing sanctions for online Neo-Nazi network “Terrorgram”, are part of the government’s efforts to respond to a rise in antisemitic attacks and hate crime.
It is now a criminal offence to use or deal with the assets of the platform, with penalties including a jail term of up 10 years and heavy fines.
Ms Wong says the decision is a clear statement on the zero tolerance for ideologies promoting violence and hate.
"This is the first time an Australian government has imposed these sorts of sanctions on an online entity this way. And we are doing it because we are working to keep Australians safe. We have to use all the tools of government to prevent the rise of extremism. To confront antisemitism and to confront hate in all its forms."
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New South Wales Premier Chris Minns says it is sickening to see ongoing antisemitic attacks in the community, with two incidents in Sydney's eastern suburbs over the weekend.
A man is due to face court today [[Feb 3]] over an incident that police are calling antisemitic abuse, with the 21-year-old charged with stalk/intimidate intend fear physical harm aimed at a woman.
In another incident over the weekend five women were targeted - and had eggs thrown at them at Bondi Beach [[9:30pm on Sat Feb 1]].
Mr Minns says he can't promise an end to the incidents, but says police are being given all the resources to catch the offenders.
"And arrests are being executed, almost on a daily basis. This is a massive police operation. And the police operation is bearing fruit. What it's doing is catching individuals either in the act - or closely, or soon after they've committed an offence. Two things that we need to do to support the police and to give confidence to the community. Number one is the hate speech laws, you can expect news on that soon. Number two is tougher penalties."
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A parliamentary inquiry has been told youth incarceration in Australia is at crisis levels and requires urgent attention.
The first public hearing heard from the Children's Commissioners and Guardians across Australia's jurisdictions.
The group has expressed concern that children as young as 10 years old are being sentenced in courts and locked up in detention centres.
Larrakia woman Shahleena Musk is the Children’s Commissioner in the Northern Territory where close to 100 per cent of children in detention - on any given day - are Aboriginal.
She says that has to change.
"A punitive approach to youth offending goes against the evidence of what works. Therapeutic models of youth justice are not ideological, they are evidence-based. Here in the Northern Territory, we have had multiple inquiries, reviews and a royal commission. Right now, Aboriginal community organisations are working outside the box; and with at-risk children and their families to address the intersectional needs in a wholistic and culturally strengthening way. I implore governments to support and resource these community-led and place-based alternatives and into the future."
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US President Donald Trump's 25 per cent tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China, are set to come into effect on Tuesday.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says the tariffs are also likely to impact world trade.
The EU is also being mentioned as the next target of US tariffs.
Mr Scholz says a wider trade conflict would cause more harm than good.
"Globalisation, the worldwide exchange of goods and commodities, has proven to be a great success story that has enabled prosperity for us all, in the United Kingdom, in the European Union and in Germany, in the USA, but also in many other parts of the world. That is why it is important that we do not divide up the world now with many customs barriers, but that we make this exchange of goods and services possible for the future too."
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The 67th Grammy Awards are set to take a dramatically different tone, as Los Angeles recovers from fires that destroyed more than 14,000 structures and displaced tens of thousands.
The Recording Academy has reformatted Sunday's award show to help wildfire victims.
Since the fires began, the Grammys and its affiliated MusiCares charity, have distributed A3.2 million in emergency aid and pledged more than A$6.5 million to help those in the music industry impacted by the wildfires.
Sheila O is the host of an Afrobeats radio show in the United States called Afrozons.
She told Channels TV - based in Lagos, Nigeria - she is excited about the potential for the award winners to showcase the influence of music from Africa, particularly in the Best African Music Performance category.
"It just shows the growth of Afrobeats. It was like before the Grammys it was like the Latin Grammy Awards. They just had a category as well. You know how big the Latino community is. The same way the African continent is. So, we're not being shoved aside it is a big deal. It took a while to get here. This category was only launched in 2024. In the past, we were first reggae - then we were world music. Now, they're actually using the word African to represent and respect the continent."
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In cricket, Australia's coach Andrew McDonald says Mitch Marsh's international future isn't over, despite an injury setback.
The 33-year-old has been ruled out of the ICC Men's Champions Trophy* due to ongoing lower back pain.
The injury also places his potential involvement in the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord's in July under a cloud.
A replacement has not been named for Marsh, but Beau Webster is a consideration.
McDonald says Marsh still has more to give.
"We feel as though he's got a future ahead. He's got some challenges at present, I'm not entirely sure what the injury is. It's potentially a combination of factors. It's unfortunate to see him ruled out of the Champions Trophy. He'll be a part of this group moving forward. He's got plenty left."
