Parliament

• A parliamentary inquiry has warned that Australian democracy is "under assault" from significant third parties ahead of the 2025 federal election. • To combat these threats, the inquiry is recommending the implementation of new laws to strictly police and regulate behavior at polling booths. • The Coalition has rejected these findings, with Liberal senator Jess Collins labeling the inquiry a "hyper-partisan witch-hunt" targeting church members.

• Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned the United States in a televised interview on Tuesday that Iran will "definitely react" to recent events in the Persian Gulf. • Ghalibaf characterized these recent developments as a direct violation of the existing understanding intended to end the conflict in the region. • The statement highlights escalating tensions between Iran and the U.S., suggesting that ceasefire breaches could lead to a cycle of retaliatory actions from both sides.

Parliamentary inquiry recommends new laws to police behaviour at polling boothsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastNew laws are needed to police behaviour at polling booths after Australia’s democracy came “under assault” at last year’s federal election – including from third parties such as Plymouth Brethren Christian Church members and rightwing lobby group Advance – the chair of a parliamentary inquiry has said.The proposed new code of conduct for campaigners was among several recommendations in the interim report from the Labor-led committee reviewing the 2025 ballot, which was tabled on Tuesday afternoon. Continue reading...

As Labor pushes on with reforms, the Coalition must decide whether to join in the parliamentary deal-makingGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIt’s the last week of parliament before the winter break, and not a minute too soon; tensions have been running a little high lately.The lower house speaker, Milton Dick, has been yeeting MPs mere moments into question time and accused Angus Taylor of “demeaning” the parliament by calling Anthony Albanese a liar; Andrew Hastie claimed One Nation “has declared war on me, so they shall have war”; Labor has been goading the Coalition and its media “cheer squad” for opposing the budget; the Greens hate Labor’s NDIS bill; and people in the Coalition seem to be mad at everyone, including themselves. Continue reading...

• British lawmakers have presented evidence to the UK Parliament regarding alleged civilian killings and human rights abuses committed by security forces in Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PoK). • The MPs are urging the UK government to take stronger diplomatic and political action against the administration of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. • These developments place the Pakistani government and military leadership, specifically Field Marshal Asim Munir, under increased international scrutiny for their conduct in the region.

• Türkiye has criticized the European Parliament's 2025 report, claiming it contains biased clauses that directly conflict with established international law. • The dispute centers on maritime delimitation, with Türkiye arguing that the report ignores the jurisprudence of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding coastal lengths and geographic configurations. • This conflict highlights a significant legal disagreement between the EU and Türkiye over the rights of states to balanced consideration in maritime boundary processes.

• Romanian parliament rejected center-right politician Adrian Veștea as prime minister after he failed to secure the required 233 favorable votes. • President Klaus Iohannis must now select a third candidate to form a government following this failed investiture. • The President is scheduled to meet with representatives from all Romanian political parties on Tuesday afternoon to discuss a new designate.