If you were forwarded this email (Hi! Welcome!), you can sign up to the newsletter here.
Good morning.
As the nation continues to mourn the tragedy of the Bondi terror attack, here is one small story of brightness.
Yesterday, NSW Premier Chris Minns visited Ahmed al-Ahmed in hospital. He is the man who bravely disarmed one of the Bondi shooters on Sunday evening, in a video that has been seen around the world. Al-Ahmed was shot twice, and is still recovering in hospital.
Whilst in hospital, a GoFundMe page has been set up for the father-of-two. At the time of sending this newsletter, more than $1.6 million has been raised.
I’ve got 10 seconds
Quote of the day
“Many [police officers] who were off duty police headed towards Bondi [on Sunday] night from as far away as Newcastle and the Central Coast. They did so because of their commitment to their fellow Australians and the diligence that they show. And I think we need to recognise their incredible work at a time as well when two police officers have been seriously injured as a result of the efforts and bravery that they have shown.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a press conference in Sydney on Monday.
Stat of the day
10
The age of the youngest victim of the Bondi terrorist attack, a girl named Matilda. Her parents have asked the media not to share her last name.
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
17 people are dead and 20 others are injured after a bus carrying school children fell off a cliff in rural northern Colombia. Officials said the bus was travelling with around 40 passengers after a school trip to the beach, before it plunged into a ravine near Segovia. The injured were taken to hospital with most of them aged between 16 and 18, according to media reports. The students had been celebrating their graduation in the lead-up to the accident. Colombia's National Road Safety Agency is investigating the cause of the crash.
Hollywood actor-director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner have been found dead at their LA home. Reiner is best known for directing well-known films, including ‘The Princess Bride’, ‘When Harry Met Sally…’, ‘Stand by Me’, and ‘A Few Good Men’. The bodies of a 78-year-old man and 68-year-old woman, believed to be Reiner and his wife Michele Singer, were found inside a west LA home on Sunday night (local time). The Reiners’ family confirmed their deaths to local media. At a press conference, the LAPD said they were treating it as a “death investigation.”
I’ve got 1 minute
The Australian Govt will review gun laws after the Bondi terror attack
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced the country’s gun laws will be reviewed after the terror attack in Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
NSW Police have confirmed one of the gunmen had a gun licence, and that the guns used in Sunday’s attack were legally acquired.
On Monday, Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns announced gun laws will now be reviewed.
At a press conference, Albanese said: “I will put on the agenda of the National Cabinet tougher gun laws, including limits on the number of guns that can be used.”
National Cabinet is a meeting of all federal, state, and territory leaders.
Albanese added that he would propose reviewing gun licences.
“People’s circumstances can change. People can be radicalised... Licences should not be in perpetuity.”
Australia’s state and territory gun laws were significantly reformed in 1996 after the Port Arthur massacre, where a single gunman killed 35 people in Tasmania.
I’ve got 2 minutes
Here’s what we know about the perpetrators responsible for the Bondi terror attack
NSW Police have confirmed a father-son duo were the perpetrators behind Sunday’s Bondi terrorist attack.
However, authorities have not named the suspects publicly.
On Sunday, two gunmen opened fire on a gathering at a Jewish community event in Bondi, killing 15 innocent people.
A 50-year-old gunman died at the scene, while his 24-year-old son is under police guard in hospital with critical injuries.
The older suspect was a licensed gun owner, while the younger one was known to federal security officials.
Background
Prosecutors will allege the pair opened fire at a Jewish community event at Bondi Beach in Sydney’s east on Sunday night. Media publications still need to use the word ‘alleged’ because the surviving person in custody has not yet been formally charged and found guilty.
Hundreds had gathered to celebrate the start of the Jewish festival of Chanukah.
Police have declared the mass shooting a terrorist attack.
The death toll is 16, including 15 innocent people.
Shooters
Police claim a father-son duo carried out the terror attack, but have not confirmed their identities.
Following the shooting, investigators raided the suspects’ home in Bonnyrigg in Sydney’s west, along with a short-term accommodation site in Campsie.
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon confirmed the older man was a licensed gun holder, and that the firearms used in Sunday’s attack were legally acquired.
He owned six guns, all of which have been recovered from the scene in Bondi and the Campsie address, Lanyon said.
According to NSW Premier Chris Minns, the 50-year-old man had held a firearms licence since 2015.
His son remains in hospital under police guard.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed the 24-year-old was investigated by ASIO, the national spy agency, for six months in 2019.
“He was examined on the basis of being associated with others and the assessment was made that there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence,” Albanese said.
Gun laws
In NSW, firearms licences are limited to people who live on rural properties, work as farmers or are part of gun clubs for activities such as hunting or clay target shooting.
Guns and ammunition must be stored separately and securely in locked containers that are “not easily penetrable”.
Reporting by Emily Donohoe.
Give me some good news
Thousands of Australians have volunteered to donate blood in the wake of the Bondi terrorist attack.
Lifeblood told TDA that by 1pm on Monday, 20,000 people had booked appointments, the biggest response since the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009. Lifeblood donation centres around Sydney are now booked out for weeks.
If you want to donate, and can’t book an appointment now or have been turned away, Lifeblood told TDA it will need more donations in the coming weeks to replenish supply and provide people long-term support. You can find your nearest donation centre at lifeblood.com.au.
Reporting by Lucy Tassell.
Want more from The Daily Aus? Listen to our podcast!
On Sunday evening, a terror attack unfolded on the shores of Australia’s most recognised beach. Two gunmen fired dozens of bullets at a Jewish community event in Bondi, targeting crowds attending celebrations to mark the beginning of Chanukah. At least 16 people are dead, including one of the gunmen, and 40 are injured. Among those killed is a 10-year-old child.
TDA asks
