An initial inquiry into last year’s mass shooting at Bondi Beach has called for a series of counter-terrorism reforms, alongside increased security at Jewish public events and further gun control measures.
The interim report, released on Thursday (30 April) by a Royal Commission, sets out 14 recommendations following the attack on 14 December during a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney. Fifteen people were killed in what has been described as the deadliest mass shooting in Australia in three decades.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government would accept all of the recommendations. He noted that while the report does not propose immediate legislative changes, it highlights ways to strengthen existing counter-terrorism capabilities.
"This is as the government envisaged - that the first task of the Royal Commission, the priority, was to look at the security elements of these issues," he said. Albanese also added that due to national security concerns, five of the recommendations have not been made public.
The report found that Australia’s current legal and regulatory frameworks did not prevent security agencies from responding to the attack. However, it identified areas where coordination and preparedness could be improved at both federal and state levels.
Among the proposals is a comprehensive review of joint counter-terrorism teams, with results to be delivered within three months to police leaders and the head of the country’s domestic intelligence agency.
The report also suggests updating the national counter-terrorism handbook more quickly and involving senior government officials in training exercises.
Security arrangements for major Jewish religious occasions, including Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, are expected to be expanded to cover a broader range of events and gatherings.
The inquiry also recommends accelerating plans for a national gun buyback scheme.
The Bondi Beach attack shocked a country known for its strict firearms laws and led to renewed calls for stronger action against antisemitism and gun violence. Authorities have said the two suspects, a father and son, were influenced by the militant group Islamic State.
The Royal Commission was established in January after pressure from Jewish organisations and victims’ families, who had urged the government to launch a full investigation.
Public hearings are due to begin next week, with the Commission’s final report expected by the end of the year.
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The United Nations has said that at least 21 people have been executed in Iran and more than 4,000 arrested since the outbreak of war involving the United States and Israel on 28 February.
President Donald Trump discussed how to mitigate the impact of a possible months-long U.S. blockade of Iran's ports with oil companies, a White House official said on Wednesday, as the U.S. renewed its calls for other nations to help open the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel has intercepted aid ships for Gaza in international waters near Greece, flotilla organisers said on Thursday (30 April), decrying the move as an "escalation of Israel's impunity".
A Pentagon official provided the first official estimate of the cost of the U.S. war in Iran on Wednesday (29 April), telling lawmakers that $25 billion had so far been spent on the conflict, most of it on munitions. Earlier, Donald Trump said that the U.S. had "militarily defeated" Tehran.
A Pentagon official provided the first official estimate of the cost of the U.S. war in Iran on Wednesday (29 April), telling lawmakers that $25 billion had so far been spent on the conflict, most of it on munitions. Earlier, Donald Trump said that the U.S. had "militarily defeated" Tehran.
Tensions between the United States and Iran remain high after a U.S. official said President Donald Trump was unhappy with a proposal from Tehran that does not deal with its nuclear programme. Washington is insisting that any talks must address Iran’s nuclear activities.
The decision by the United Arab Emirates to leave OPEC+ on 1 May has put renewed focus on one of the most influential groups in global energy - and how its decisions can shape oil prices worldwide.
Mexican special forces arrested Audias Flores, known as “El Jardinero”, a senior commander of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), during an operation in the western state of Nayarit, Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said on Monday (27 April).
The United Arab Emirates has said it's quitting OPEC from 1 May, dealing a major blow to the oil producers’ group and its de facto leader, Saudi Arabia, amid disruption caused by the Iran war.
Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla commemorated victims of the 11 September, 2001, an al Qaeda attack on New York City on Wednesday, laying a floral bouquet at the memorial where the World Trade Centre's twin towers once stood.
Two Jewish men have been stabbed in London in an incident that British police are treating as a terrorist attack.
Reversing a decade of restrictions, New South Wales has opened new areas for gas exploration in its remote west. The move reflects growing concern over future energy supply across Australia’s east coast.
Travel demand across China is expected to remain robust during the upcoming five-day Labour Day holiday starting 1 May.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 29th of April, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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