Overview
- Officers intercepted two cars in Sydney’s southwest and detained seven men after a tip about a planned violent act, with police saying the group was known to authorities, a knife was found but no firearms, and no link to the Bondi case has been established.
- Hundreds of swimmers and surfers formed a circle off Bondi Beach at sunrise as prayers were held and victims’ names were read, while funerals continued including the burial of 10-year-old Matilda.
- Investigators say early indicators point to Islamic State inspiration, with homemade IS flags recovered from the gunmen’s vehicle as IS propaganda praised the massacre without claiming responsibility, and the pair’s November travel to the Philippines remains under examination.
- The surviving suspect, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, remains in hospital under guard after being charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and committing a terrorist act; his father, Sajid, was shot dead by police.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has outlined a crackdown on hate speech with expanded visa-cancellation powers and an education task force, while proposing tighter firearms rules including a national register and limits on ownership as opposition calls for an early parliamentary recall and populist parties resist new gun curbs.