New laws in Victoria, known as Joy’s Law, will impose severe penalties for the offence of non-fatal strangulation.

Perpetrators face up to 10 years in prison if they injure victims intentionally, even without proof of injury, under reforms which became effective from October 2023.

Research shows that survivors of non-fatal strangulation are seven times more likely to face serious injury or death.

Victorian Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes emphasised that such acts often indicate ongoing coercive behaviour in family violence situations.

The laws exclude incidents during consensual sexual activity.

NSW now categorises non-fatal strangulation as a serious violent offence, aligning with measures in South Australia, where strangulation laws are also under review, amid a Royal Commission on domestic violence.

NSW may tighten laws to explicitly ban the Nazi salute following a white supremacist rally in Corowa, which drew around 50 participants.

While displaying Nazi symbols without reasonable excuse is already illegal in NSW, Premier Chris Minns vowed to eliminate any legal ambiguity regarding the salute.

No arrests were made at the rally, but investigations are ongoing.

Deputy federal opposition leader Sussan Ley urged stronger state action, noting participants crossed into NSW to exploit legal loopholes.

Federal laws banning Nazi symbols and salutes took effect in January, with Victoria and Tasmania already enforcing similar state bans.

In June, three men were convicted in NSW for making Nazi salutes, though they have appealed the convictions.

Boosting Australia’s adult vaccination rate to match childhood levels could generate significant economic and health benefits, according to a new report by consultancy Evaluate.

The report shows that raising adult immunisation rates to 95per cent, up from the current 51 per cent, could deliver a net benefit of 1.1 billion dollars, following a 320-million-dollar government investment.

As part of the report, the impacts of increasing immunisation rates for diseases like shingles, influenza, and whooping cough were analysed.

Experts noted that preventable diseases kept adults out of work, and increasing immunisation could prevent early retirement, and observed that better vaccine access would particularly benefit disadvantaged communities.

The report also noted that achieving higher adult vaccination rates could improve both public health and workforce participation, especially among Australia’s ageing population.