INTERNACIONAL
Australia vows to strengthen hate speech laws, gun control in wake of Bondi Beach attack
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In the wake of the mass shooting attack at Bondi Beach during a Hanukkah celebration, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a national gun buyback program and proposed new hate speech laws.
While the legislation has not yet been drafted, it is already causing controversy as fears that the laws could be wielded as political weapons emerge. Critics have also said that neither the gun buyback nor the hate speech laws are addressing the root of what led to the terror attack.
«Well, it’s a bit hard for them to actually strengthen the laws. It’s not clear what they’re proposing to do,» Dr. Reuben Kirkham, one of the directors of the Free Speech Union of Australia, told Fox News Digital. «What they’re probably going to try and do is widen it to include a bunch of things that are not to do with hate speech, necessarily.»
Albanese told reporters on Friday that the government was working to «get the laws right» and acknowledged the complexities surrounding the issue. He said, «There are issues of free speech involved in this as well — we want to make sure that these laws don’t get passed and then get knocked over.»
SENATORS TED CRUZ AND JOHN FETTERMAN AGREE ON HATING ONE ‘EVIL’ DURING BIPARTISAN INTERVIEW
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visits the NSW Police headquarters following the deadly shooting at Bondi Beach, in Sydney, Australia, Dec. 16, 2025. (Hollie Adams/Reuters)
The proposed changes include federal offenses for «aggravated hate speech» aimed at preachers who promote violence and «serious vilification» based on race, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. The outlet noted that just 10 months ago, the government strengthened federal hate speech laws with the goal of curbing antisemitism and Islamophobia.
Simultaneously, New South Wales (NSW), where the terror attack took place, is considering banning chants of the phrase «globalize the intifada,» which many consider to be an antisemitic call for violence against Jews. The ban would also apply to public displays of ISIS flags and extremist symbols.
Additionally, NSW Premier Chris Minns said, under the ban, police would be given more powers to demand that protesters remove face coverings during demonstrations, according to The Associated Press.
People add to a floral tribute outside Bondi Pavilion at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Steve Markham)
THOUSANDS GATHER AS BONDI BEACH REOPENS, COMMEMORATING VICTIMS OF HANUKKAH ATTACK
Kirkham told Fox News Digital that existing anti-vilification laws have already been used to shut down speech that opposes government views. He believes that if these laws are strengthened in the wake of the Bondi Beach shooting, they would be used as political weapons, rather than protections for everyday people. Additionally, Kirkham said he sees this as the government using the attack as an opportunity to pass laws that fit its views.
Furthermore, Kirkham argues that Albanese’s proposal could actually increase antisemitism rather than put an end to it.
«What they’re basically saying is, ‘Well, we need more censorship laws. Why? Well, apparently to protect Jewish people.’ So what they’re saying to these communities is, ‘We’re censoring you to protect the Jews.’ I mean, how is that going to go down? Is that going to improve the issue of antisemitism, or is it going to make it worse?»
While the Australian government has focused its response on hate speech and gun laws, critics, such as Kirkham, say the Bondi Beach attack revealed intelligence failures.
Albanese said Friday that intelligence indicated that the attack at Bondi Beach was in fact inspired by ISIS.
«We’ve been informed that the Office of National Intelligence has identified a regular online video feed from ISIS that reinforces that this was an ISIS-inspired attack. Further work has been done by the security agencies around motivation, and we’ll continue to meet and provide them with whatever support they need at this difficult time,» Albanese told reporters.
Fox News Digital reached out to Albanese’s office for comment.
Bystanders were seen confronting one of the gunmen behind the deadly attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Australia’s Bondi Beach. (Jenny/Reuters)
FAMILIES MOURN LOVED ONES LOST IN BONDI BEACH TERROR ATTACK: ‘NO WORDS CAN DESCRIBE THE PAIN’
Bill Roggio, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that governments in the West have routinely failed to tackle the problems behind Islamic extremism-inspired attacks.
«The problem here is there’s this radical Islamist ideology that spans a spectrum from political Islam, the Muslim Brotherhood, to Hamas and Palestinian terrorist groups, to al Qaeda and Islamic State, and we in the West refuse to, and have from the very beginning since 9/11, refuse to actually take that on,» Roggio said. «We don’t want to admit that there is an actual problem within Islam, not with Islam, but within Islam.»
As authorities investigate the shooting attack, a focal point has become the father-son gunmen’s trip to the Philippines just before the shooting at Bondi Beach.
The GV Hotel in Davao City said the men booked their stay through a third party and were initially scheduled to arrive on Nov. 15 but instead arrived on Nov. 1, according to Reuters. An employee told Reuters the two booked the room for seven days but extended their stay three times and paid in cash. The hotel worker also said the men barely interacted with staff and had no visitors.
Philippine National Police Brig. Gen. Leon Victor Rosete, the Davao region’s police director, told the Guardian that the older gunman was interested in firearms. He also spoke of the gunmen’s «jog walk» that was captured on CCTV, adding that the two appeared to be doing «physical conditioning» exercises.
«The father has shown interest in firearms. He entered a firearms shop,» Rosete told the Guardian. He later said that they did not visit any firing ranges in Davao.
A split image shows an ISIS flag held by masked men, left, and a police-secured crime scene at Bondi Beach in Australia following a shooting. (Tauseef Mustafa/David Gray/AFP via Getty Images)
BYSTANDERS SEEN CONFRONTING AUSTRALIAN GUNMAN DURING ISIS-INSPIRED DEADLY RAMPAGE
Davao City is located on the island of Mindanao, which has been under a «Level 3: Reconsider Travel» advisory since May. However, the State Department said Davao City, in addition to a few other locations, is an exception to the advisory.
Roggio told Fox News Digital that Mindanao is a «known hotbed for Islamist groups.»
«If they weren’t at actual camps to get training, they could have been getting advice on how to plot the attack, where to plot the attack, what the target should be,» Roggio told Fox News Digital. He said the two could have also received additional «indoctrination» while in the Philippines.
People visit a floral tribute outside the Bondi Pavilion following the shooting at Bondi Beach, in Sydney, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (Steve Markham/AP Photo)
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«Three weeks-plus isn’t enough to become a highly efficient two-man fire team, but they clearly got enough training to make that happen,» Roggio said.
As authorities work to piece together how and why the Bondi Beach attack occurred, the debate over the government’s response continues, with critics warning that a Band-Aid solution will fail to address the root of the problem.
world,australia,terrorism,anti semitism,hate crime
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The number of American citizens arrested and held in Venezuela has risen in recent months, according to a new report.
Several Americans have been detained by Venezuelan security forces as the Trump administration stepped up efforts to isolate President Nicolás Maduro, including sanctions enforcement and an expanded military presence in the Caribbean, The New York Times reported.
A U.S. official familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the outlet that while some detainees face what Venezuelan authorities describe as legitimate criminal charges, Washington is considering designating at least two Americans as «wrongfully detained.»
.»TRUMP WARNS US MAY LAUNCH LAND OPERATIONS INSIDE VENEZUELA ‘VERY SOON,’ SAYS REGIME SENT ‘KILLERS’ TO AMERICA
Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro brandishes a sword said to have belonged to independence hero Simón Bolívar during a civic-military event at the military academy in Caracas, Venezuela, Nov. 25, 2025. (Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo)
This can speed up diplomatic efforts to secure their release.
Those arrested are said to include three Venezuelan-American dual nationals and two U.S. citizens with no known ties to Venezuela, the official told the outlet.
Maduro’s government has long been accused by U.S. officials and critics of using detained foreign nationals as leverage in negotiations with the U.S.
President Trump has made the release of Americans held overseas a priority during both of his presidencies. During his first term, he followed a campaign of maximum pressure against Maduro.
On his return to office in January, Trump also sent envoy Richard Grenell to Caracas to push for a prisoner agreement.
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Joseph St. Clair has been released by the Venezuelan government, his family said Tuesday. (Courtesy of the St. Clair family)
Grenell met Maduro in person and was tasked with securing the return of detained Americans, announcing he was bringing home six who had been imprisoned, per Reuters.
In May, Venezuela also released a U.S. Air Force veteran who had been detained for roughly six months.
Joseph St Clair, who served in Afghanistan, had traveled to South America for treatment for PTSD.
In July, as reported by Fox News Digital, 10 more Americans and U.S. permanent residents were released after a prisoner swap that saw more than 250 Venezuelans held in El Salvador also returned home. The U.S. State Department confirmed that release July 18, 2025.
«Our commitment to the American people is clear: We will safeguard the well-being of U.S. nationals both at home and abroad and not rest until all Americans being held hostage or unjustly detained around the world are brought home,» Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at the time.
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Nicolás Maduro and Marco Rubio (Fox News)
That diplomatic push led to talks between U.S. and Venezuelan officials and resulted in the release of at least 16 American citizens and permanent residents by mid-2025.
Those negotiations were later suspended as the administration shifted toward broader pressure.
The U.S. began expanding sanctions enforcement, redeploying naval assets to the Caribbean and increasing operations targeting vessels allegedly linked to drug-trafficking networks tied to Maduro’s regime.
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The USS Iwo Jima sits at a dock on a cold winter morning. (Getty Images)
The New York Times reported Wednesday that among those Americans currently reported missing is James Luckey-Lange, 28, of Staten Island, New York, who went missing after crossing Venezuela’s southern border in early December.
Luckey-Lange is the son of musician Diane Luckey, known as Q Lazzarus.
Another former detainee, Renzo Huamanchumo Castillo, a Peruvian-American, told the outlet he was arrested last year and accused of terrorism and plotting to kill Maduro.
«We realized afterward, I was just a token,» he said. He was released in the July prisoner swap after months of harsh detention.
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At least two others with U.S. ties remain imprisoned, according to their families: Aidel Suarez, a U.S. permanent resident born in Cuba, and Jonathan Torres Duque, a Venezuelan-American, according to reporting by The New York Times.
The exact number of newly detained Americans has not been publicly disclosed by U.S. officials.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of State for comment.
state department,venezuelan political crisis,donald trump,marco rubio,missing persons
INTERNACIONAL
El Gobierno de Taiwán mantiene la alerta máxima tras las masivas maniobras militares de China
Las autoridades de Taiwán mantuvieron este miércoles un estado de alerta máxima tras las maniobras militares a gran escala efectuadas por China alrededor de la isla, según informó la guardia costera taiwanesa. El centro de respuesta marítima de emergencia del país continuó operativo mientras se monitoreaban los movimientos navales chinos, luego de que la víspera se lanzaran decenas de cohetes hacia territorio taiwanés y se desplegara un considerable número de buques de guerra y aeronaves en las inmediaciones.
Los ejercicios, denominados “Justice Mission 2025”, concluyeron oficialmente el miércoles por la noche, tras un anuncio de Beijing en el que se aseguró que sus fuerzas armadas permanecerán en estado de alerta y reforzarán su preparación para el combate. Según la declaración recogida por la guardia costera taiwanesa, aún se mantenía una presencia significativa de barcos y aviones chinos en la zona de respuesta, por lo que las fuerzas armadas de Taiwán continuarían aplicando un “mecanismo de contingencia adecuado”. No se ofrecieron detalles adicionales.
A través de un comunicado, el Ministerio de Defensa de Taiwán denunció que “las provocaciones agresivas y militaristas del Partido Comunista Chino ponen en peligro la seguridad y estabilidad regional, y han sido condenadas por aliados democráticos de la comunidad internacional”. En su discurso de Año Nuevo, el presidente Xi Jinping insistió en el mensaje de reunificación nacional, transmitido por la cadena estatal CCTV. “Los compatriotas a ambos lados del Estrecho de Taiwán están unidos por lazos de sangre más fuertes que el agua, y la tendencia histórica hacia la reunificación nacional es imparable”, afirmó.
El régimen chino reiteró que considera a Taiwán parte de su territorio y no descarta el uso de la fuerza para lograr su control. Por su parte, la isla rechaza los reclamos de soberanía de Beijing y calificó los recientes ejercicios militares de amenaza a la seguridad regional y provocación directa.
El martes por la noche, los buques chinos comenzaron a alejarse de las aguas próximas a Taiwán, según declaró Kuan Bi-ling, titular del Consejo de Asuntos Oceánicos de Taiwán, en una publicación en Facebook. Un funcionario de la guardia costera informaba a Reuters que los 11 barcos de la guardia costera china habían abandonado la zona y se alejaban del área circundante. Otro funcionario de seguridad taiwanés confirmó que los centros de respuesta de emergencia tanto de las fuerzas armadas como de la guardia costera seguían activos.
Durante la jornada, dos funcionarios de seguridad regionales señalaron a Reuters que habían detectado más de 90 buques de la marina y la guardia costera chinas en la región, incluyendo despliegues en el mar de China Meridional, las cercanías de Taiwán y el mar de China Oriental. Los mismos funcionarios, que solicitaron anonimato por la sensibilidad del asunto, aseguraron que el tamaño del despliegue marítimo chino había ido aumentando desde principios de semana.
El Ministerio de Defensa taiwanés detalló el miércoles que en las últimas 24 horas se registraron 77 aeronaves militares y 25 embarcaciones de la marina y la guardia costera chinas operando en torno a la isla, con 35 aviones cruzando la línea media del estrecho de Taiwán.
Mientras se desarrollaban los ejercicios, los embajadores ante China de los países miembros del grupo Quad—Estados Unidos, Australia, Japón e India—se reunieron en Beijing. El embajador estadounidense David Perdue compartió en X una fotografía junto a sus homólogos, indicando que el Quad representa “una fuerza para el bien” que busca mantener un Indo-Pacífico libre y abierto, aunque no ofreció más detalles acerca del encuentro. La embajada estadounidense no respondió de inmediato a las consultas de Reuters sobre la reunión.
Debido a la magnitud de las maniobras, consideradas por China las más extensas hasta la fecha en cuanto a cobertura territorial, Taiwán se vio obligada a cancelar decenas de vuelos internos y desplegar cazas y buques para seguimiento y respuesta, además de ejecutar ejercicios rápidos de defensa y levantar barricadas en diversos puntos.
La Oficina de Asuntos de Taiwán de China, a través de su portavoz Zhang Han, calificó las maniobras como “una medida necesaria y justa” para salvaguardar la soberanía nacional y la integridad territorial, agregando que constituyen “una severa advertencia contra las fuerzas separatistas de la independencia taiwanesa y la interferencia externa”.
La agencia oficial Xinhua publicó que la simulación de “cerco” demostró la capacidad del Ejército Popular de Liberación para “presionar y contener a las fuerzas separatistas mientras se niega el acceso a interferencias externas”, citando al profesor Zhang Chi de la Universidad Nacional de Defensa de la PLA.
A pesar de la creciente intensidad de los ejercicios, el director del programa Asia del centro de estudios estadounidense Defense Priorities, Lyle Goldstein, opinó a Reuters que es improbable que Beijing inicie una guerra abierta, debido al elevado coste político y militar que supondría.
(Con información de Reuters)
Asia / Pacific,Defense
INTERNACIONAL
Zohran Mamdani will be first mayor to be sworn in on Quran during New York City inauguration
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New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s campaign confirmed on Wednesday he will make a historical move on New Year’s Day, using the Quran during his swearing-in ceremony.
Mamdani, a 34-year-old Ugandan-born socialist, will be the first Muslim mayor of New York City and the first mayor to be sworn in using the Quran, the central religious text of Islam.
New York Attorney General Letitia James will host a private midnight ceremony at Old City Hall Station, a historical decommissioned subway station, before he is sworn in during a public inauguration on the steps of City Hall by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Thursday afternoon.
He will use two family Qurans, as well as one that belonged to writer and Puerto Rican activist Arturo Schomburg, who built the foundation for Harlem’s Schomburg Center for research in Black culture.
New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani celebrates as he takes the stage at his election night watch party at the Brooklyn Paramount on November 4, 2025 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Mamdani defeated Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa in the closely watched election for New York City mayor. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty)
MAMDANI PICKS EDUCATOR WHO WORKED TO DISMANTLE GIFTED & TALENTED PROGRAM AS NYC SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR
Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is expected to deliver opening remarks at the latter event, which will be free and open to the public.
Mamdani defeated former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican gubernatorial candidate Curtis Sliwa in November, after campaigning on affordability and socialist policies including rent freezes, city-run grocery stores, and free buses and childcare.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., refused to endorse Mamdani during his campaign, though it is unclear if the choice was tied to Mamdani’s 2023 arrest while protesting the war in Gaza outside Schumer’s Brooklyn home.
Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani holds hands with his wife Rama Duwaji after they voted at a polling location at Frank Sinatra School of Arts in the Queens borough of New York City on Nov. 4, 2025. (LEONARDO MUNOZ/AFP via Getty Images)
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Mamdani has openly voiced his belief that Israel’s military campaign in Gaza is «genocide,» denying Israel is a Jewish state and failing to condemn the violent slogan «globalize the intifada.»
During his time at Bowdoin College, he founded the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter.
Though he promised to protect Jewish New Yorkers, he announced on Tuesday the city’s next top attorney would be Ramzi Kassem, who defended convicted al Qaeda terrorist Ahmed al-Darbi and Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil, who is accused of leading antisemitic demonstrations on campus.
Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani supporters gather outside 30 Rock in New York City on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavey)
Al-Darbi was convicted of conspiracy in connection with the fatal 2017 al Qaeda terrorist bombing of a French oil tanker off the coast of Yemen, and was transferred in 2018 by the Trump administration into Saudi Arabian custody. Khalil was released, but his case remains ongoing.
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During a news conference announcing Kassem’s appointment, Mamdani said, «I will turn to Ramzi for his remarkable experience and his commitment to defending those too often abandoned by our legal system.»
Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller, Deirdre Heavey and Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.
zohran mamdani,new york city,islam
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