• The Prime Minister targeted extremist preachers and visas linked to hatred.
• Plan to list organisations associated with hate speech.
• Race-based serious insults would become a federal crime.

Sydney: Australia’s prime minister vowed to end extremism on Thursday, as the country mourned the youngest victim of the Bondi Beach shooting, a 10-year-old girl who was remembered as “our little ray of sunshine.”

Father-son gunmen are accused of opening fire into a crowd at a beachside Jewish festival on Sunday evening, killing 15 people in an attack by officers linked to “Daesh ideology.”.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised sweeping action to root out “the scourge of anti-Semitism from our society”.

“Australians are shocked and frustrated. I’m angry. It’s clear we need to do more to deal with this wicked crisis,” he told reporters.

This included new powers to target extremist propagandists and refuse or cancel visas for those spreading “hatred and division.”

Australia will develop a system for listing organisations.

Australia will develop a system to list organisations whose leaders engage in hate speech, he said.

“Serious insult” based on race would become a federal crime.

As the Prime Minister spoke, mourners gathered for the funeral of 10-year-old Matilda, the youngest victim killed in the attack.

“Matilda is our little ray of sunshine,” the rabbi leading the service said, reading a message from her school.

“She is truly the most kind, caring and compassionate young girl who brightens everyone’s day with her bright smile and infectious laugh.”

Mourners dressed in black hold bouquets of lilies as they walk to a funeral at Chevra Kadisha in Sydney, a Jewish society responsible for customary burial rites.

Others held balloons decorated with pictures of bumblebees—a reference to the young girl’s nickname, “Matilda Bee.”

Hours before the first shots fired, photos captured a young girl petting animals at the zoo and smiling after having her face painted.

Before the Russian invasion, Matilda’s family left Ukraine to settle in Australia.

“I couldn’t imagine that I would lose my daughter here. It’s a nightmare,” Mother Valentina told reporters before the funeral.

“It just lives here and here, and I can’t get it out,” she said, pointing to her head and heart.

Her father, Michael, said he chose her name as a nod to Australia, where the beloved folk song “Waltzing Matilda” is sung as an unofficial national anthem.

“We came here from Ukraine and Matilda was our first child in Australia,” he said earlier this week.

“And I thought Matilda was the most Australian name that could ever exist.

“So just remember. Remember his name.”

extremist ideology

Sajid Akram and his son Navid have been accused of carrying out the firing on the Jewish Hanukkah festival in an anti-Semitic attack.

 

Father Sajid, 50, died in an encounter with police, but Naved, 24, survived.

Naveed, reportedly an unemployed mason, was charged on Wednesday with 15 murders, terrorist acts and dozens of other serious crimes.

Authorities believe the pair was radicalised by “Daesh ideology.”

Australian police are investigating whether the pair met with extremists during a trip to the Philippines weeks before the shootings.

On Wednesday, the Philippines stated that they found no evidence of using the country for “terrorist training”.

Questions are being raised over whether authorities could have acted earlier to thwart the gunmen.

Naved came to the attention of Australia’s intelligence agency in 2019.

But at that time he was not considered an imminent threat.

The attack has also reignited accusations that Australia is neglecting its efforts to combat anti-Semitism.

“We stand at a very critical moment,” government envoy Jillian Segal said Thursday on anti-Semitism.

“This moment is crucial not only for our community but also for the global fight against anti-Semitism.”

Australia’s leaders have agreed to tighten the laws that allow Sajid Akram to own six guns.

The Bondi Beach attack is the deadliest mass shooting since 35 people were killed in the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.

Australia’s gun laws underwent sweeping reforms as a result of that shooting.

However, there has been a steady increase in privately owned firearms in recent years.

“Abramovich is holding on to $2.5 billion.

Rob Reiner’s son Nick appeared in court for the first time Wednesday on two counts of first-degree murder in the murders of his parents.

Wearing a suicide prevention smock and handcuffs, the 32-year-old man did not enter a plea as he was revealed from behind the glass wall of a detention area.

His next court appearance will be 7th January.

As it happened: Nick Renner appears in court for the first time

Nick Reiner acknowledged the date with a simple “Yes, your honour.”

It was charged on Tuesday. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the murders of 78-year-old actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michelle Singer Reiner, at a press conference.

Nick Renner is being held without bail and may face the death penalty.

Renner’s lawyer told the public, ‘Don’t be hasty in making decisions.’

In addition to the two counts of first-degree murder, prosecutors have included a special circumstance of multiple murders and allegations that Renner personally used a dangerous and deadly weapon, specifically a knife.

Speaking outside court, Nick Renner’s lawyer, Alan Jackson, called on the public to “not rush judgement.”

Mr Jackson emphasised the need for a thorough and meticulous investigation into the “complex and serious issues involved in this matter”.

He described the Renner family’s situation as a “devastating tragedy”.

‘Unimaginable pain’

Nick Reiner’s siblings, Jake and Romy, released a statement saying, “Words cannot describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day.”

Rob and Michelle Renner is something that no one should have to endure.

“The terrible and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michelle Renner, is something no one should have to experience,” he said.

They were not only our parents, but also our closest friends. “We are grateful for the compassion, kindness, and support we received, not only from family and friends but also from people from all walks of life.”

Both sought to be treated with “respect and privacy,” while also wanting speculation to be approached with “compassion and humanity.”

Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the killings.

Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer Reiner were found dead of apparent stab wounds in their homes in the posh Brentwood neighbourhood of Los Angeles.

Read more from Sky News:
In a moment Nick Renner was arrested for the murder of his parents
Could Reiner really face the death penalty?

When Nick Renner was arrested a few hours later, near the University of Southern California, about 14 miles (22.5 kilometres) from the crime scene, he did not resist, according to police.

Rob Reiner was a renowned director whose work included some of the most memorable films of the 1980s and 1990s, including This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, and A Few Good Men.

While directing Harry Met Sally in 1989, he met photographer, filmmaker and LGBTQ+ rights advocate Michelle Singer.

Nick Renner’s lawyer says case involves “complex and serious issues”

reuters

getty images

Scientists record large marine predators thriving inside an active underwater volcano that is thought hostile to complex life. Image: National Geographic Youtube

In 2015, a scientific expedition to one of the most volatile underwater volcanoes on Earth produced a finding few researchers expected to see on their monitors: sharks swimming calmly inside the crater.

Researchers made the discovery at Kavachi, a submarine volcano near the Solomon Islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean.

Kavachi is known for frequent eruptions that eject lava, ash, and highly acidic water. It is widely regarded as an environment where complex marine life should not be able to survive.

Yet footage captured during the expedition showed hammerhead sharks, silky sharks and a stingray moving through the volcano’s interior, apparently unaffected by conditions considered hostile to most fish.

A routine mission, and an unexpected sight

The expedition was led by ocean engineer Brennan Phillips, who travelled to Kavachi with a team to investigate hydrothermal activity.

At the time of their visit, the volcano was not actively erupting, allowing researchers to deploy instruments directly into the crater.

Among those instruments was a deep-sea camera, lowered into the volcano to record conditions below the surface. After roughly an hour, the camera was retrieved and its footage reviewed.

What the team saw surprised them immediately. “Not only were silky sharks spotted in the area, but hammerheads too,”

Phillips said, adding that the animals appeared “completely unfazed” by the hot, acidic waters inside the volcano.

The footage also captured a stingray, which the researchers speculated may have been sheltering inside a small cave-like feature within the caldera.

A stingray glides through Kavachi’s volcanic crater, filmed amid hot, acidic waters by deep-sea camera/National Geographic Youtube

“This volcano conflicts with what we know.”

Kavachi’s crater is a caldera, a large depression formed when a volcano’s magma chamber empties. During eruptions, the site releases superheated, acidic water, volcanic gases and rock fragments into the surrounding ocean.

For Phillips, the presence of large marine predators inside such an environment ran counter to established assumptions. “

The idea of there being large animals like sharks hanging out and living inside the caldera of this volcano conflicts with what we know about Kavachi,” he said. “Which is that it erupts, but when it’s erupting, there’s no way anything could live in there.”

Hammerhead and silky sharks were found in Kavachi’s caldera, seemingly unfazed by heat, acidity, and eruptive risk. Image: National Geographic Youtube

He added, “So to see large animals like these sharks that are living and could potentially die at any moment, it brings up lots of questions.

Do they leave? Do they have some sort of sign that it’s about to erupt? Do they blow up sky-high in little bits?”

A volcano nicknamed ‘Sharkcano’

National Geographic later released the footage, quickly garnering global attention. Kavachi became informally known as “Sharkcano”, a nickname that reflected both the surprise of the discovery and the extreme nature of the environment.

Seven years after the original expedition, NASA’s satellite imagery captured Kavachi erupting again, showing the volcano sending lava, ash, sulphur, and acidic water into the surrounding sea.

The eruption followed earlier documented events in 2007 and 2014. It remains unknown whether the sharks and other animals seen in the crater survived these eruptions.

Returning with robots

Because of the danger posed by Kavachi’s eruptions, follow-up research relied on robotic equipment rather than human divers.

Phillips later returned to the site with Alistair Grinham of the University of Queensland and Matthew Dunbabin of the Queensland University of Technology, using low-cost robotic systems designed to withstand—and be sacrificed for—extreme conditions.

Dunbabin said, “Your systems probably won’t survive an explosion, no matter how well-built or costly.”

The robots, small enough to fit into carry-on luggage, were treated as expendable. Sensors recorded surface pH drops, water temperatures up to ten degrees higher than normal, and confirmed that Kavachi is a strong greenhouse gas emitter.

“One unexpected result was that the eruption forced fresh material from the vent to be embedded in the robot itself,” Dunbabin said. “This means we have a unique way of collecting physical rock samples.”

Why sharks can survive, for now

Phillips acknowledged that, based on known biology, Kavachi should not support animal life beyond microorganisms. “

There are several reasons why there shouldn’t be anything living in there except maybe bacteria,” he said. “It’s scorching and acidic. It’s very turbid. None of these things are good for fish.”

Yet the sharks were observed “darting in and out between the clouds of the plume” during periods between eruptions.

Whether the animals possess behavioural adaptations, heightened sensitivity to volcanic activity, or physiological tolerance for extreme conditions remains unresolved.

Experts have suggested that studying these sharks could help scientists understand how marine species respond to extreme environmental stress, including rising ocean temperatures.

Some researchers have proposed that the sharks may have developed physiological adaptations that allow them to tolerate Kavachi’s hot, acidic conditions.

though no definitive conclusions have yet been reached,. As Phillips put it, “That’s a lingering question mark.”

The Metropolitan and Greater Manchester police forces have said they will arrest people holding placards and chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’ – an Arabic word for rebellion.

In a statement after Sunday’s mass shooting on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, he said, “Violent acts have occurred; the context has changed – words have meaning and consequences. We will act decisively and make arrests.”

Both forces also cited the Manchester synagogue attack in October.

Britain’s chief rabbi described the decision as “an important step towards challenging the hateful rhetoric seen on our streets, which has inspired acts of violence and terror.”

Police forces said,

We know the community is concerned about placards and chants such as ‘Globalisation of the Intifada’ and those using them in future protests or in a targeted manner should expect action from ‘both forces’.”

“Frontline officers will be briefed on this enhanced approach. We will also exercise our powers under the Public Order Act, particularly in the vicinity of London synagogues during services, according to the statement.

We have increased visible patrols and protective security measures around synagogues, schools, and community sites in London and Greater Manchester.

15 people were killed and dozens more injured in the Bondi attack on Sunday, which targeted Australia’s Jewish community at an event celebrating the first night of Hanukkah.

Two people died in a knife attack on Oct. 2 at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue.

Criticising the police forces’ decision on Wednesday, Ben Jamal, director of the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, described the move as “another low in the political repression of protests for Palestinian rights.”

He said the police did not consult with the coalition organising the major protests in London or representative groups of the Palestinian community in Britain “before making this far-reaching statement on our rights”.

Mr Jamal said, “The horrific massacre in Sydney, Australia, should not be used as justification to further suppress the fundamental democratic rights of freedom of protest and expression in this country.”

In support of the statement, the Board of Deputies of British Jews said, “We strongly welcome this necessary intervention.”

The board said, “We have long warned that people chanting slogans such as ‘Globalisation of the Intifada’ are inciting violence, and we have been making the case for stronger enforcement regarding this slogan with all levels of government for some time now.”

Gideon Falter, chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, said police chiefs were now waking up “after two years of repeatedly pretending to globalise the intifada”.

In a statement, he said that “banning this one chant is a useless symbolic measure” and added, “It is hard to see how they could possibly enforce this ban.”

The Jewish Voice for Liberation—which describes itself as standing up for the rights of Jews and Palestinians—said it did not believe the response was appropriate.

The group said it has almost never encountered any anti-Semitism in response to the demonstrations and said its community has “always been welcomed”, adding that “protests in London and elsewhere have not attacked synagogues or Jewish schools”.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced in parliament on Wednesday that his government has increased funding for Jewish security by £28 million.

“I’m pleased to do it, but I’m sad to do it,” he said, adding that he has ordered a review of protest and hate crime laws.

He was responding to a question from Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who said antisemitism was real and “poisonous” and “we must all work together to stamp it out”.

The term ‘intifada’ came into popular use in 1987 during the Palestinian uprising against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Some have interpreted the term as a call for violence against Jewish people.

Others have said it is a call for peaceful resistance to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and actions in Gaza.

The company behind the technology that enables more accurate decision-making in international cricket has admitted its mistake that cost England a crucial Australian wicket in the latest Ashes clash.

Australia’s Alex Carey was 72 when he faced a ball from Josh Tongue, which was caught by Jamie Smith, prompting an immediate appeal from the England team.

He believed that the ball had made contact with Carey’s bat before the catch. But an investigation using Snico technology – designed to provide umpires with the evidence they need in such cases – concluded otherwise.

So Carrie was saved and Was successful in scoring 106 runs In the first innings of a Test match that England cannot lose if they want to remain in the highly anticipated competition, the Ashes series with Australia.

But then, in a press conference after the first day of the Test match in Adelaide, Carey admitted that he thought he had actually made contact and edged the ball, meaning he should have been out.

He suggested there was “a little bit of contribution,” and he admitted that he had cashed in “a little bit of luck.”

The snicko uses microphones on the stumps to capture sound to determine whether the bat has contacted the ball.

The technology revealed a clear increase in noise on the ball in question. However, TV umpire Chris Gaffney immediately ruled it was not out, as the snicker spike was visible before the ball reached the bat.

However, after Carey’s confession on Wednesday, BBG Sports, the owner of Snicko, acknowledged an error and took responsibility.

The company admitted that the audio was incorrectly recorded from the stump mic at the bowler’s end instead of the batsman’s mic, which resulted in a delay that caused the audio spike and the still images to be out of sync.

Given that Alex Carey admitted that he had hit the ball,

BBG Sports said, “Given that Alex Carey admitted that he had hit the ball, the only conclusion that can be drawn from this is that the Snicko operator at the time may have selected the wrong stump mic for audio processing.”

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Carey scored his crucial century and added 76 more runs to Australia’s total of 326 for eight before he was eventually dismissed.

England appear to have lost faith in the Snicko system – the first Test in Perth saw Jamie Smith dismissed in a similar situation, where the picture once again appeared out of sync with the audio reading. England uses a different technology called UltraEdge for home matches.

Their Australian bowling coach, David Secker, expressed his frustration in the visiting dressing room and proposed taking the matter up with the match referee.

“I don’t think we’ve done anything about it yet,” he said. “After today, maybe it could go a little further.”

“The boys were quite confident that Carey hit the ball.” I think Snicko’s calibration is out of whack and that’s probably been the case for the series as well. There are certain aspects of the game that cannot be accurately measured. At that stage, it was a very important decision.

“There have been concerns about it throughout the series. We shouldn’t be talking about it after a day’s play; it should be better than that. These things hurt, but you get over it. In this day and age, you would think the technology is good enough to catch things like this.”