Following Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in 1996, the country implemented some of the strictest gun regulations globally, including mandatory licensing, background checks, and firearm registration. However, experts suggest that the gradual loosening of these laws, their failure to adapt to the digital age, and lapses in background checks may have made it easier for the two suspects in Sunday’s shooting at a Hanukkah event on Sydney’s Bondi Beach to obtain weapons.

The attack, which claimed 15 lives, has sparked renewed scrutiny over laws once regarded as a national achievement. Australia generally experiences far fewer gun deaths annually than the United States does in a single day, a statistic often attributed to these regulations. Australia’s gun laws operate as a patchwork system managed by eight state and territory police forces, coordinated by the federal government after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania that left 35 dead. Over the years, some states have relaxed oversight, allowing people to acquire firearms with less scrutiny, experts said.

Authorities reported that the older Bondi shooter, Sajid Akram, 50, who was killed by police, had obtained his gun licence in 2023 and legally owned six firearms that he and his son allegedly used in the attack. In 2008, New South Wales removed a mandatory 28-day waiting period for individuals seeking multiple guns—a rule still present in other states. Gun control advocate Rebecca Peters noted that such waiting periods were intended to ensure stricter checks for each additional firearm.

In response to the Bondi shooting, Australia’s federal government acknowledged gaps in current legislation and proposed measures such as limiting the number of guns a licence holder can own and ending lifetime licences. Peters emphasized that reinstating a cooling-off period would be more effective in reducing gun circulation than imposing ownership limits.

Currently, nearly one million Australians hold gun licences, owning over four million firearms—more than at the time the 1996 laws were enacted. Surveys indicate that around two-thirds of Australians support stronger gun laws, with only 6% favoring relaxed regulations. Experts also highlighted weaknesses in vetting processes. Even when background checks are conducted, they are often superficial. In New South Wales, at least 240,000 of 259,000 licences were issued through categories like recreational hunting or target shooting, which require minimal verification. Membership in some gun clubs can be largely nominal, with clubs operating from community centers without permanent addresses and minimal attendance monitoring.

Public health academic Simon Chapman pointed out that many licence holders rarely engage in the activities justifying their licences, pursuing guns for personal possession rather than sporting use. Gun Control Australia’s Roland Browne suggested that removing recreational hunting as a valid reason for obtaining a licence could cut licences by two-thirds.

The licensing system relies on self-reported declarations regarding criminal convictions or mental health history but does not automatically assess broader behavioral or social indicators, such as online activity or family input. Peters noted that dangerous behavior expressed on social media could be overlooked under current rules. The surviving suspect in the Bondi attack had known intelligence links to a group suspected of association with Islamic State, but this did not automatically trigger police notification. New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon explained that intelligence is not formally required under the Firearms Act when issuing licences.

The Bondi incident also highlighted that non-citizens can obtain Australian gun licences. Sajid Akram, an Indian national on a student visa, legally acquired his firearms, raising concerns about background checks for those without direct ties to local authorities. Tom Kenyon, CEO of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia, said that some gun clubs share ranges and therefore lack fixed addresses. He emphasized that no amount of training could have prevented the attack; the failure lay in the lack of information available to authorities, which hindered decisions that could have protected the community.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.

Federal authorities announced Monday that they thwarted a New Year's Eve bombing plot in Southern California targeting multiple sites of two U.S. companies, arresting members of an extremist anti-capitalist and anti-government group. The four suspects—Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30; Zachary Aaron Page, 32; Dante Gaffield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41, all from the Los Angeles area—were arrested Friday in the Mojave Desert east of Los Angeles while rehearsing the attack, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said. Officials showed aerial surveillance footage of the suspects moving a large black object to a table in the desert and noted they were apprehended before assembling a functional explosive device.

The suspects are affiliated with an offshoot of a pro-Palestinian group called the Turtle Island Liberation Front, which advocates for working-class uprisings against capitalism, according to the criminal complaint. Charges include conspiracy and possession of a destructive device, with additional charges expected.

Authorities said Carroll had created a detailed plan last month to bomb five or more business locations, described as Amazon-style logistical centers, on New Year's Eve. The handwritten eight-page plan, titled OPERATION MIDNIGHT SUN, outlined step-by-step instructions for building pipe bombs and listed multiple targets across Orange County and Los Angeles. The plan aimed to detonate the bombs simultaneously at midnight, coinciding with fireworks to avoid detection. It also allowed for adding more locations and mentioned future attacks on ICE agents and vehicles in 2026.

The plot was coordinated both in person in Los Angeles and via encrypted messaging. Court documents included photos of a desert campsite with bomb-making materials—PVC pipes, suspected potassium nitrate, charcoal, sulfur, fuses, and other components—brought by all four suspects. Instructions included manufacturing the devices and avoiding leaving evidence, with some materials recently purchased online.

The FBI intervened as the suspects rehearsed the attack near Twentynine Palms, California. Search warrants executed at Carroll’s and Page’s homes uncovered related materials, including posters advocating “Death to America” and “Death to ICE” and a copy of the detailed bomb plan. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell highlighted that despite differing views on immigration enforcement, federal and local authorities work together to protect residents. The suspects were arrested without incident and were scheduled to appear in court in Los Angeles Monday afternoon.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Business Standard.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Monday that tougher gun laws would be discussed at a National Cabinet meeting, indicating a potential tightening of the country’s already strict firearms regulations following a deadly antisemitic attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. Speaking to the media ahead of the 4:00 pm local meeting, Albanese said the agenda would include stricter controls, such as limiting the number of firearms an individual can hold and implementing periodic licence reviews. “People's circumstances change. People can be radicalised over time. Licences should not be permanent,” he said, emphasizing the need for ongoing oversight.

Albanese added that the federal government would propose measures to strengthen monitoring mechanisms. Later, he convened the National Cabinet to respond to what he described as an act of terror and antisemitism at Bondi. On X, he stated, “We stand with Jewish Australians and against hatred and violence. Australia is stronger than those who try to divide us, and we will come through this together.”

The attack targeted Jewish community members celebrating Hanukkah at Bondi Beach. Authorities have declared it a terrorist incident. According to New South Wales Health, 27 people remain hospitalized after the shooting. Investigators revealed the attack was carried out by a father-son duo; police killed the father at the scene, while the 24-year-old son is hospitalized. The son had previously been assessed by Australia’s domestic intelligence agency, ASIO, which had found no prior threat indicators. The father, who arrived in Australia in 1998, had a recreational hunting licence and was a member of a gun club.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns promised an “overwhelming” response, while nationwide security remains heightened. Australia already enforces some of the world’s strictest gun laws, introduced nearly 30 years ago after a mass shooting in Tasmania killed 35 people, leading to rapid reforms that restricted gun ownership and imposed strict licensing. Data from the Australian Institute of Criminology shows that between July 2023 and June 2024, Australia recorded 31 gun-related murders, a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 people.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from X/@AlboMP.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was intent on reaching Oslo this week, hoping to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in person. Leaving her place of concealment and securing safe passage to Norway meant navigating military roadblocks, surviving hours on turbulent seas, and trusting that the small boats ferrying her to a Caribbean island would not be targeted by a US drone strike. A private aircraft awaited her there.

Although she arrived in Norway after the award ceremony had already taken place, the hazardous journey energized her followers and highlighted her continued influence after a year spent in hiding from President Nicolás Maduro’s government. Her escape also reinforced her role in the escalating confrontation between Caracas and Washington. New details surrounding the operation have revealed the involvement of a discreet rescue firm led by former US special operations and intelligence personnel, who coordinated the covert removal of one of Venezuela’s most prominent political figures without detection.

“We weren’t the first to attempt this,” said Bryan Stern, a combat veteran and head of Grey Bull Rescue. Based in Tampa, the organization was founded after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, and Machado’s extraction marked its 800th mission. Despite the team’s extensive experience evacuating clients from dangerous situations, this mission stood apart. “Our systems are built to move people nobody knows,” Stern explained. “Maria is very much known — and that was the real challenge.”
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.

As funerals begin for the 15 people killed in the Bondi terror attack, one of the alleged gunmen, Naveed Akram, has regained consciousness in hospital and is being guarded by police. Meanwhile, further details have emerged about Naveed and his father. Police said that Naveed, 24, and his 50-year-old father, Sajid, travelled to the Philippines last month, though the purpose of the trip is still unknown. The prime minister also stated at a press conference that there is evidence suggesting the suspected attackers may have been influenced by Islamic State ideology.

Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from The Guardian.

Andrea Heng and Susan Ng discuss the impact of the US reviewing visa applicants’ social media histories, especially as tourist numbers are expected to rise for the football World Cup, with insights from Steven Okun, CEO of APAC Advisors.

Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from CNA.

After three days of discussions between Ukrainian and US officials in Miami, Florida, no clear progress was achieved by Saturday. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will now shift his focus to Europe, heading to London on Monday for direct talks with the leaders of Britain, France, and Germany. Andrea Heng and Genevieve Woo speak with Dr. Cedomir Nestorovic, Professor of Geopolitics at ESSEC Business School Asia Pacific, for the latest insights.

Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from CNA.

Pippa and Kiran talk about the prime minister’s Monday speech and consider whether it will distract from claims that the chancellor misled the public with her budget statements. Also: disorder at Your Party’s inaugural conference.

Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from The Guardian.