TRANSCRIPT
- A planned protest at Cronulla Beach prevented from going ahead after the Bondi attack
- The United States says it won't be following Israel in recognising Somaliland
- Five yachts compete for line honours in this year's Sydney to Hobart
There has been a large police presence at Cronulla Beach in Sydney's South, responding to a social media post that police allege included a "violent call to action" at the beach.
20 years after the Cronulla riots, police say nothing was left to chance.
The mayor of the Sutherland Shire council, Jack Boyd, says violence and hatred must be condemned.
"It is incredibly upsetting disappointing. The legacy of the riots is long. But our community was upset to see such a time of national heartbreak being used to weaponise hatred in our community. After the Bondi attack, they (police) have obviously been monitoring things closely. They have been keeping us abreast of their plans today. They are collaborating to ensure that we can respond if anything did happen. But if you look around, everybody is just enjoying their day at the beach. There is nothing going on here."
A 20-year-old man was charged on Monday over a social media post allegedly promoting violence at a planned gathering at Cronulla Beach.
The man has since faced court. He remains in custody on remand and has not entered any pleas.
The court heard the man did not have authorisation for the gathering.
Police have warned they will not hesitate to enforce the ban on unauthorised public assemblies - that has come into effect following the Bondi attack.
They say action will be taken against anyone who engages in criminal activity that is motivated by hate.
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There are renewed calls for a federal royal commission into the Bondi terror attack as well as antisemitism more broadly.
The president of the Rabbinical Association of Australasia, Rabbi Nochum Schapiro, has released a letter dated on Christmas Day, arguing a federal royal commission would support prevention and healing.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has so far resisted calls for a royal commission, instead announcing a departmental review led by Dennis Richardson into intelligence agencies.
Assistant Minister for Immigration and Foreign Affairs, Matt Thistlethwaite, says the government doesn't want to wait years for findings to be delivered before implementing reform.
"I've had several meetings with victims’ families and with the leaders of the Australian Jewish community. Royal Commissions take years, they take even longer to implement the recommendations. We owe it to Australia’s Jewish community to act now, to keep them safe and to put in place measures to ensure that they are free to practise their religion and their faith in Australia in safety. And that is exactly what our government is doing."
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Ten people are still receiving care in hospital after being injured in the Bondi terror attack.
Fifteen people were killed and 40 others injured in the worst mass shooting in Australia since the 1996 Port Arthur attack.
In a statement, a spokesperson for New South Wales Health conveyed their sympathies to the families impacted.
Five patients are in a stable condition, one patient is in a critical condition; and the remainder are in a critical but stable condition.
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President Donald Trump says the United States won't be recognising Somaliland, after Israel became the first country to recognise the breakaway region in East Africa.
It's not yet known why Israel made the declaration now or whether it was expecting something in return.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the move is historic.
"I think this will be a great opportunity for expanding our partnership. We intend to work together with you on economic fields, on agriculture, in the fields of social development, all the things that we hope we can assist you. And we obviously believe in this friendship. And I have to tell you that there's a lot of excitement here in Israel."
In a phone interview with the New York Post, Mr Trump says his administration won't be adopting the same step, adding the comment: "Does anyone know what Somaliland is, really?"
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In sailing, five yachts are competing for line honours in the Sydney to Hobart race.
Master Lock Comanche, LawConnect, Scallywag, Lucky and Palm Beach 11 are in the mix.
Eight vessels, including supermaxi yacht Wild Thing, have retired after rough offshore conditions overnight.
The next 20 hours are expected to bring even tougher conditions - including high gusts.
Chris Nicholson is onboard defending champion LawConnect, currently in second place.
He says the crew is doing its best to adapt.
"Now, we're not far off Grand Cape, then launching into the Bass Strait. I have been looking at it all week. And there is going to be more breeze and waves again. So we're just considering jumping ahead and make two sail changes where we have a combination, where we can go to our smaller jib in the one move. We've been losing distance. We have a difficult sail change."
