TRANSCRIPT:
- A deadly mass shooting on Bondi Beach declared a terrorist incident
- A person of interest detained over a shooting at Brown University in the US
- England coach Brendon McCullum rules out changes as he backs the same top seven in Adelaide's test
Australia's spy chief says one of the two alleged shooters of the mass Bondi shooting on Sunday is known to the Australia's intelligence authority.
Sixteen people are dead and several others injured in the incident, including two police officers.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon says the shooting was a terrorism incident.
The police deployed the rescue bomb disposal unit after finding a vehicle believed to contain several improvised explosive devices.
The head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Mike Burgess, said one of the individuals believed to be responsible is known to the agency and to police.
"It's too early to give you any more detail other than to say like the New South Wales Police, one of these individuals was known to us, but not an immediate threat perspective, so we need to know what happened here."
Mr Burgess says Australia's threat level to terrorism remains probable but there's no immediate evidence there will be connected attacks in the near future.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the attack as an evil act against Australian life.
"This is a targeted attack on Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah, which should be a day of joy, a celebration of faith. An act of evil antisemitism, terrorism that has struck the heart of our nation. An attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on every Australian."
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Leaders of Australia's Jewish community have condemned the mass shooting on Bondi Beach.
The shooting took place as the Jewish community gathered on Bondi Beach for the Chanukah by the Sea, a community event to celebrate Hanukkah.
Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, told Sky News Hanukkah should be the jewel in the crown of the faith's calendar, but he's heard horrific accounts from witnesses in the community.
A statement from the Jewish Council of Australia says the organisation is horrified and shaken.
On social media, the President of the Zionist Federation of Australia says an attack on Jews celebrating their faith is an attack on Australia itself.
One attendee was participating in bar mitzvah - a coming-of-age ritual for Jewish boys.
"It was a bar mitzvah where there's lots of singing and dancing, and lots of people having fun, and then there was a call for everyone to come in. I was looking for my daughter outside, and it sounded like fireworks going off, and a lot of it."
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Other communities have condemned the mass shooting on Bondi Beach, offering solidarity with the Jewish Australian community.
A statement from the Australian Multicultural Foundation unequivocally condemns the violent attack.
Anti Defamation Commission chair Dr Dvir Abramovich says the shooting is a national trauma.
The Australian National Imams Council has condemned the horrific shootings in Bondi, saying these acts of violence and crimes have no place in Australian society.
A local resident says the incident is very traumatising.
"As a Muslim, I feel very bad for what happened. I don't know what to say more, but that's very traumatising. I see many many bodies, I think they targeted everyone who was there."
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United States President Donald Trump has spoken about the mass shooting at Bondi Beach, paying his respects to the people of Australia and its leadership.
He says it is a tragedy to see the loss of life in shootings in the last 24 hours on the Brown University campus in the US, and at Bondi Beach in Australia.
"In Australia, as you know, that was a terrible attack, 11 dead, 29 badly wounded. And that was an antisemitic attack, obviously. And I just want to pay my respects to everybody, but to Australia and the Prime Minister, to everybody that we know so well we get along with so well. We have a great relationship. That's a terrible situation going on over there. Think of that."
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And in the United States, a person of interest is in custody after a deadly shooting on the Brown University campus during final exams.
Two students are dead and nine people injured.
The chief of the Providence police, Oscar Perez, says the person in custody is in their 20s, but did not provide any further details.
He says investigators are not looking for anyone else.
"We have detained someone of interest, but I respect and to protect the integrity of the investigation, I would only be limited in my details. The next process for us is what we do best, and our detectives is to coordinate with the prosecutors, to collect evidence, to conduct interviews, and then from there we'll be able to when it's appropriate and accurate to share more details with you all."
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To sport now and in cricket, England coach Brendon McCullum has vowed he won't make any ill-considered changes to his Test team as they head into the Adelaide Test.
He says England will stick with the same top seven for the third Test, as they fight to stay in the series and avoid going down to Australia 3-0.
McCullum rarely speaks publicly ahead of matches, but said he's trying to take the heat off his players after two losses.
"For us to go on and win the series is not about throwing out what's been successful for us over the last few years. It's about having more conviction and it's about making sure that we have our plans and our disciplines around it just screwed down a touch more. It's making sure we walk out there we have utter belief in what we're capable of achieving, and knee-jerk reactions and chopping and changing settled batting lineups is not is not really our way."
