Bondi Beach shooting: Live updates as first funerals for victims begin, new details emerge on Sajid Akram

Anthony Albanese is asked again about his Government’s progress on the recommendations contained in anti-Semitism envoy Jillian Segal’s report.

He and other ministers have faced repeated questions since the Bondi shooting about the lack of a formal response to the plan.

The Prime Minister says he met Ms Segal again on Tuesday – they also spoke on Sunday and Monday – and that the Government is “continuing to work through a whole range of the measures” from her report.

“If we need to do something more about hate speech, for example – we have outlawed hate speech that can lead to violence – if there’s a need to strengthen them, we’re up for whatever’s necessary,” he says.

“It is, indeed … hard to legislate against such massive hatred and people who have this perversion of Islam that leads them to support Islamic State and to have a view that somehow there is some reward for them. There is not. They are evil.”

Asked about the feeling among Jewish families and leaders that his Government hasn’t done enough to fight anti-Semitism, Mr Albanese says the battle against the hatred “has been around for a long period of time”.

“We have called (it) out and will continue to call out. We’ll work with the community… We’ll do whatever is necessary to work with the community to stamp out the scourge of anti-Semitism, of which we have seen a rise in Australia and around the world since October 7.”

The Prime Minister also speaks about having met with rabbis and Jewish leaders on Tuesday evening at an event at the Governor-General’s official Sydney residence, Admiralty House.

“It was an opportunity for us to pray together, for us to have those personal discussions as well,” Anthony Albnaese says, mentioning that he spoke with family members of the victims of the shooting.

“This is an incredibly traumatic time for members of the Australian Jewish community. It has also shaken our nation.

“Our nation will respond. We will hold people to account for what has occurred.

“We will give whatever powers are necessary to our police forces, to our security and intelligence agencies arising from this act of terror, an act of anti-Semitism that we saw play out on Sunday night.”

Anthony Albanese and Governor-General Sam Mostyn have visited hospital staff at St Vincent’s in Sydney.

Speaking outside the hospital, the Prime Minister praises the doctors, nurses, surgeons and other health staff for saving lives in their work after the shooting on Sunday night.

The hospital had eight operating theatres running at once as gunshot victims arrived on the night.

“In a traumatic experience, they responded with professionalism, with compassion and with the best of Australian values,” Mr Albanese says.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has been heckled during a live interview in the wake of the Bondi Beach mass shooting.

While speaking with Sky News on Wednesday from Geelong in his Victorian electorate about the massacre, a man can be heard accusing the Labor frontbencher of failing Australians.

“You and your Government are an absolute disgrace… You, the Prime Minister, Penny Wong,” he yelled.

After the heckling, Sky host Peter Stefanovic asked Mr Marles if his Government had “failed” to act on the concerns of the Jewish community.

“We have been calling out anti-Semitic. Obviously, we commissioned the (Special Envoy Jillian) Segal report. Not for a moment would I suggest that the work is complete. This is a long term project,” he said.

It comes after fellow Labor frontbencher Tony Burke was heckled while laying flowers at the Bondi Pavillion.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong says the Labor Government knows it must do more to stamp out anti-Semitism.

“We all understand we need to do more. We will dedicate every resource required to making sure Jewish-Australians are safe and protected,” she told ABC Radio National on Wednesday.

“We are determined to work to bring Australians together. I keep saying this, but it is true. We are stronger when we are more united. And there is much in our community that we can look to that gives us hope and inspiration.

“Consistently, the Government, the Prime Minister, all ministers, including I, have been very clear about the unacceptable anti-Semitism in our society. I’ve made that public statement many times. But as I said to you at the outset of this interview, we all have to do more, and I accept that.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says tightening gun laws in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack is not a substitute for action on fighting anti-Semitism in Australia.

“This was ISIS-inspired extremist ideology leading to a terrorist act that has resulted in tragic consequences for the Jewish community in Sydney, with an attack taking place at an iconic destination. That is the main issue here,” he told ABC Radio on Wednesday.

“But we can’t get around the fact that also the fact that a fellow was able to get a gun licence, have six guns, four of which were used in this attack by someone living in the suburbs of Sydney in Bonnyrigg.”

The PM said a national approach is needed to impose stricter regulations.

“I don’t want there to be gaps in the system, which is why I want to see that occur. Now, that isn’t a substitute for action on anti-Semitism, but as a common-sense position that we shouldn’t allow just New South Wales to act alone.”

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon says he expects Naveed Akram, the surviving terrorist from the Bondi massacre, to face questioning this morning.

“Our investigators have been waiting for the effects of medication to wear off and for him to have access to a legal advisor. I expect that will happen this morning,” Mr Lanyon told 2GB.

Akram, who has been in hospital under police guard, woke from a coma on Tuesday afternoon.

The school attended by 10-year-old Matilda, the youngest victim of the horrific Bondi Beach terror attack, has shared a heartbreaking tribute to the girl they remember as a “little ray of sunshine”.

Matilda was one of the 15 innocent people who tragically lost their lives after two gunmen targeted a Jewish Chanukah by the Sea event at Bondi Beach Park on Sunday, December 14.

La Perouse Public School, where Matilda was a student, have described her as the “most kind, caring, and compassionate young girl, who brightened everyone’s day with her radiant smile and infectious laugh.”

They revealed that only last Friday, Matilda was “beaming” after winning a school literacy award.

“Matilda has an incredible gift for bringing joy to those around her,” the post read.

Read the full story here.

The dead gunmen in Australia’s Bondi Beach shooting, ⁠Sajid Akram, was originally from the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, police say, but had limited contact with his family in India.

“The family members have expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities, nor of the circumstances ‌that led to his radicalisation,” Telangana State Police said in a statement.

Hyderabad is the capital of Telangana state.

NSW Police said both men had travelled to the Philippines in November, the father ‍on an Indian passport and the son was on an Australian one.

The purpose of the trip is under investigation, officials said, adding it was not conclusive they were linked to any terrorist group or whether they received training in that country.

Telangana Police said the factors that led to the radicalisation of the two gunmen “appear to have no connection with India or any local influence in Telangana”.

Read the full story.

The first funerals for victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack will take place on Wednesday.

A service for Rabbi Eli Schlanger will take place at 11am at Chabad of Bondi. The surrounding road will be shut due to large crowds expected. The service will also be livestreamed.

Later today, Rabbi Yaakov Levitan’s funeral will take place at Macquarie Park Cemetery in North Sydney.