Australia Passes Anti-Hate Speech and Gun Control Laws After Bondi Beach Attack

Australia's Parliament passed new anti-hate speech and gun control laws following a December 14 mass shooting at a Jewish festival in Sydney's Bondi Beach that killed 15 people. The legislation includes a national gun buyback scheme, tighter background checks using intelligence data, and expanded powers to ban extremist groups not previously classified as terrorist organizations. The bills passed with support from the Labor government, Greens, and some Liberal Party members, despite opposition from the conservative coalition. The measures aim to address hate crimes and reduce firearm availability after the attack inspired by the Islamic State group.