An initial inquiry into last year’s mass shooting at Bondi Beach has called for counter-terrorism reforms, 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 rapidly 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 Islamic State group.
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.
Prosecutors in Paraguay have charged former President Santiago Peña and ex-central bank chief Carlos Carvallo Spalding over the collapse of ...
At least six people have been killed and 15 injured after a gunman opened fire in Kraków's main square, Polish authoritie...
The U.S. military has established a new unit to stop Iran transporting advanced weapons systems via its land borders and the Caspian Sea. ...
Democrats' sweeping victory in the U.S. midterm elections has sent technology stocks plunging, as investors fear tougher AI regulations could slow infrastructure development and threaten the boom that has driven market gains this year.
Romanian authorities said late on Thursday that two additional planes had received bomb threats including a KLM flight to Tel Aviv that had a layover in Bucharest.
At least six people have been killed and 15 injured after a gunman opened fire in Kraków's main square, Polish authorities have said. The suspect, a Polish national, opened fire on people at random in Rynek Główny at around 3pm local time on Saturday, according to Polish police.
U.S. President Donald Trump has predicted a breakthrough in efforts to end the war in Ukraine after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, ahead of U.S.-mediated peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv in Abu Dhabi on 10-11 November.
Two people, including a child, were killed and 16 others injured when an intercity bus crashed in eastern France on Friday morning, authorities confirmed.
Prosecutors in Paraguay have charged former President Santiago Peña and ex-central bank chief Carlos Carvallo Spalding over the collapse of Ueno Bank, and have asked a court to hold both men in pretrial detention.
At least six people have been killed and 15 injured after a gunman opened fire in Kraków's main square, Polish authorities have said. The suspect, a Polish national, opened fire on people at random in Rynek Główny at around 3pm local time on Saturday, according to Polish police.
Paraguay’s Vice President Pedro Alliana has assumed the presidency after the Senate impeached and ousted Santiago Peña amid a banking crisis that sparked widespread political backlash.
New Zealand’s ruling centre-right National Party has taken a narrow lead over the opposition Labour Party in Saturday’s general election, with the country’s current three-party coalition projected to retain power.
Russian forces launched a ballistic missile attack on Kyiv early on Saturday, 7 November, injuring two people and damaging residential buildings, just three days before U.S.-led peace talks with Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment