Overview
- Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said there is no evidence the father and son were part of a broader terrorist cell or directed by others in the December 14 massacre.
- Investigators probing the pair’s November trip to Davao in the Philippines found they rarely left their hotel and uncovered no signs of training or logistical preparation, though inquiries continue.
- Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police during the attack, while his son Naveed, 24, remains in custody charged with 15 murders, a terrorist act, and other serious offenses.
- Sydney’s New Year’s Eve will feature the largest police presence on record, including officers openly carrying long guns, a minute’s silence at 11 p.m., and menorah imagery projected on the Harbor Bridge.
- Seventeen victim families have urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to establish a Commonwealth royal commission into antisemitism and security failings, as the government advances a gun buyback, tougher hate-speech laws, and a Richardson-led review reporting in April.