A man accused of carrying out Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades appeared briefly in a Sydney court on Monday (16 February), facing terrorism and murder charges over the 14 December attack on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach that left 15 people dead.
Naveed Akram, 24, appeared via video link from Goulburn Correctional Centre, a maximum-security prison south-west of Sydney, during a five-minute procedural hearing.
Prosecutors allege Akram and his father, Sajid Akram, opened fire on revellers on 14 December, killing 15 people and wounding dozens more. Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police at the scene.
Naveed Akram faces 59 charges, including 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder, terrorism offences and allegations of planting explosives.
However, the hearing focused largely on technical matters, including the extension of suppression orders protecting the identities of some victims.
Akram spoke only once, replying “yeah” when asked if he understood proceedings. He is due to return to court on 9 March.
Outside court, defence lawyer Ben Archbold said his client was being held in “very onerous conditions” and that it was too early to indicate how he would plead.
Police documents allege the father and son planned the attack over several months, undertaking firearms training in rural New South Wales and conducting a reconnaissance visit to Bondi Beach shortly before the killings.
Authorities said the pair had recorded a video railing against “Zionists” while seated before a flag associated with the Islamic State group.
The attack triggered national debate over anti-Semitism, intelligence oversight and gun control, after it emerged Akram had previously been flagged by Australia’s intelligence agency in 2019 but was assessed as posing no imminent threat.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 20th of January, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Australia’s most populous state has passed sweeping new gun control and anti-terror laws following a mass shooting at Bondi Beach, tightening firearm ownership rules, banning the public display of terrorist symbols and expanding police powers to restrict protests.
Australia has announced a nationwide gun buyback scheme following the mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday, as hundreds of surfers and swimmers gathered there to pay tribute to the victims.
Australia has been plunged into mourning following the deadly shooting at a Jewish holiday gathering on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, with the funeral of 10-year-old Matilda marking a deeply emotional moment for the nation.
Dozens of Chinese-made humanoid robots have demonstrated improvements in speed, balance and autonomous navigation after completing a half-marathon in Beijing on Sunday (19 April), in a showcase of the country’s fast-developing robotics sector.
Two Indian-flagged ships were shot at in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, India's Foreign Ministry said, as Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz again, less than 24 hours after reopening the 167km long sea passage, which is essential for global trade.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is open, lifting markets and sending oil lower. Meanwhile the U.S. blockade remains in place as President Donald Trump warns the ceasefire may not be extended. Talks continue as a fragile Israel-Lebanon truce holds, while the regional death toll has surpassed 5,000.
Six people have been killed after a man opened fire in a supermarket in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on Saturday (18 April). Ukraine's Security Service said it was investigating the incident as a "terrorist act."
Global leaders and diplomats gathered in southern Türkiye on 17 April for the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum, focusing on uncertainty, conflict, and the future of global cooperation.
Secretly filmed footage from two UK laboratories has reignited debate over animal testing in drug development, after a former worker alleged that monkeys, dogs and other animals endured prolonged distress during safety trials for new medicines.
Cleanup efforts are underway in Lena, Illinois, after a suspected tornado tore through the village on Friday (17 April), damaging homes, schools and infrastructure, leaving thousands without power. Residents and emergency crews spent Saturday clearing debris, and working around downed power lines.
North Korea fired ballistic missiles towards the sea off its eastern coast on Sunday (19 April), accelerating its weapons tests amid heightened regional tensions linked to the Iran war and renewed diplomatic signals toward the United States and South Korea.
Construction of U.S. President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project will be allowed to continue after an appeals court granted an administrative stay, temporarily blocking a lower court order that had halted parts of the work.
European countries should expand the role of natural gas in their energy systems to reduce the risk of supply shocks caused by international crises, an energy industry chief has said.
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