From a busy charity kitchen in Sydney’s east to quiet vigils at churches and synagogues around the country, Australians marked a National Day of Mourning for the victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack with food, flowers, candles and a minute’s silence.

The day of observance fell six weeks after 15 people were killed at a Hanukkah gathering at Bondi on 14 December, an attack the Prime Minister has described as antisemitic and a blow to the Australian way of life.

The centrepiece was an invitation only memorial at the Sydney Opera House where family representatives lit candles for each victim and the nation was asked to stop for one minute at 7:01pm AEDT.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the service he was sorry the country could not protect those who died.

Away from the stage and speeches, the day was designed to channel grief into small, practical gestures.

Under the New South Wales government backed One Mitzvah for Bondi campaign, Australians were encouraged to complete a charitable act from checking on neighbours to volunteering time or donating meals.

In Paddington, primary school aged children chopped vegetables and stirred pots at Kids Giving Back, a charity that has run weekly sessions since the attack.

The group said about 350 meals prepared on the day would be distributed to vulnerable people in Sydney’s north west.

At Bondi itself, mourners moved through the pavilion precinct near the site of the shooting, leaving wreaths, flowers and small stones in keeping with Jewish mourning tradition.

Foot traffic ebbed and flowed through the day, with visitors stopping quietly before heading back to work, school or holiday plans.

Federal and state governments also leaned on symbolism to make the day feel national rather than local.

Flags were ordered to half mast at Commonwealth buildings and New South Wales government sites, and major institutions in Canberra and across NSW were lit up after dark.

A national lighting installation titled 15 Pillars of Light was also scheduled from sundown to midnight in capital cities and selected regional locations including at Bondi Pavilion and sites in Brisbane, Darwin and Canberra.

The government said the aim was a visible sign of remembrance and solidarity and confirmed the day was not a public holiday.

A travel agent from Sydney who was convicted of defrauding people out of their money in thousands of dollars has avoided further time in prison after the court ruled that further time would be a formality considering the time he had already spent.

The offender was due to appear in a court in Sydney this week to make a decision regarding a case of sentencing for multiple counts of fraud after the offender was previously convicted for the case.

Which caused people to be financially disappointed as their planned vacations did not come to pass because the flights were not taken or were canceled without the customers receiving the money back.

In arriving at a ruling, the judge recognized the gravity of the offense alongside the financial loss to the victim who had conserved to take a holiday that he would only take once in a lifetime.

Despite the gravity of the offense the court failed to increase the jail time citing the doctrine of proportionality where a sentencing effect would have been over bearing.

The travel agent has indeed been serving his sentence and will continue to be under strict monitoring and requirements imposed in relation to payment.

The judge explained that although there has been a breach of trust considering the nature of the travel industry there has been very little evidence pointing to an improvement in the community and victims if he were subjected to further imprisonment.

The victims were told that the perpetrator was still liable for restitution through existing court orders and civil procedures.

The judge was quoted as saying that accountability did not stop with the decision in the case and that financial restitution would still be pursued where possible.

Renewed debates surround consumer protection in the travel industry especially with travel bookings involving large pre payments.

There have been repeated suggestions and reminders to customers to seek the services of accredited travel agents and the advantages of credit cards that provide protection against non completion of services.

Advocates for consumers say the ruling puts into sharp relief the discrepancy between prison time and restitution.

Though prison time may correctly reflect the seriousness of fraud they say victims more often value recovering some money than having offenders put in prison longer.

The court underscored that it should not be construed as minimizing the injury.

In this regard, the fraud offenses against vulnerable consumers undermine market confidence and call for strong condemnation even when sentencing choices are confined by the time already served and individual circumstances of the fraudster.

The decision brings a measure of closure to the criminal proceedings for the affected customers while many are mindful that true recoveries will be a much longer process.

The court confirmed that the existing orders stay in force, enforcement continues through appropriate channels of the law.

A major police operation is under way in the Central West of New South Wales after three people were shot dead in Lake Cargelligo with a fourth man taken to hospital and the alleged gunman still at large.

Police said the violence unfolded across multiple locations on Thursday afternoon. Officers first responded to reports of shots fired into a vehicle where a man and a woman were found dead at the scene.

A short time later, police were called to Walker Street where another man and woman were found with gunshot wounds. The woman later died while the man was taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Western Region Commander Assistant Commissioner Andrew Holland said police had identified an offender and were working to locate him.

Residents were told to stay indoors as officers expanded the search and lifted the police presence across the town. Police also sent a geotargeted emergency text message covering the area and warn people to avoid the streets while the operation continued.

The public was asked to help investigators build a clearer picture of the suspect’s movements with NSW Police appealing for dashcam footage, mobile phone video, CCTV and other material from around Lake Cargelligo.

Police urged anyone with information to contact local officers or Crime Stoppers.

The tragedy has jolted a tight knit community with official figures putting Lake Cargelligo’s population at about 1,430 people.

Roy Butler, the state MP for the area, predicted that the news would be felt far beyond the town. Butler stated that one of the victims was a pregnant woman in remarks made on social media and subsequently reiterated in media reports, adding that the situation was still being investigated.

Police have not publicly detailed the suspected offender’s relationship to the victims or what prompted the attack.

Holland described the scenes confronted by first responders as horrendous and said additional resources were being deployed to maintain community safety while the hunt continued including the possible use of public order officers and specialist detectives.

NSW Police said an investigation had begun and more information would be released as it became available.

Three people are dead and a town in the NSW central west is in lockdown after a fatal shooting that has prompted a large scale police operation and encouraged residents to remain inside their homes.

NSW Police stated that officers were called to the scene after reports of shots being fired were made on Monday morning.

Emergency services later confirmed that three people lost their lives at the location where the shooting occurred while the suspect was believed to have fled the scene as a manhunt for the suspect lasted for hours across the area.

One victim was taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life threatening.

Lockdown operations were carried out shortly after the initial response whereby schools, childcare centers and businesses were closed in the region.

People were advised to stay inside their homes while the police inspected neighboring properties. They also inspected rural areas in search of the suspects.

Meanwhile, roadblocks were put in place along major routes entering and exiting the town. Additional police officers were deployed from neighboring police commands.

The senior police described it as a targeted crime. However, it was emphasized that it was too soon to know details regarding it.

The NSW detectives from the homicide squad had been dispatched to assist with investigations in central west.

In addition, a crime scene was declared as investigations went on. The victims were not named as well as their attacker to enable them to be informed.

However, a number of individuals from the tight knit community have spoken up regarding a sudden and heavy police presence, as a result of the shooting.

Community leaders have asserted that support services are being put into place for individuals as well as first responders once the crisis has been addressed.

Emergency protocols were put into place at the local hospital to deal with the patient as well as staff members dealing with the crisis.

NSW police also urged people to come forward if they had any information such as CCTV and dashcam footage regarding the incidents in the specific areas.

There were also warnings regarding the suspect, stating that police believed the suspect to be armed and dangerous and people were advised not to approach anyone who matched the police description.

The incident rate of gun crime in regional NSW is low with a highly regulated approach to gun owners in this area.

New South Wales indeed boasts some of the toughest gun laws in the nation introduced in 1996 after the Port Arthur tragedy.

The police did not reveal what kind of weapon had been employed and how this had been done citing this as part of their investigations.

With the lockdown extending into the afternoon authorities gradually began to ease restrictions outside the area of concern while maintaining a strong presence near the primary search area.

Police said the town will continue under alert status until the fugitive is located and there is no ongoing risk to the general public.

Further information on the matter is expected to be released by the police when it is confirmed.

The authorities have directed the closing of the northern beaches of Sydney following a spate of shark attacks because sharks continue to pose a risk in the area.

Some beaches along Sydney’s northern coast will remain shut down following an extension of precautionary arrangements due to shark attacks that injured swimmers along those shores.

Authorities took this step after consultations with Surf Life Saving NSW, local council representatives and state bodies in charge of maritime safety.

It has been reported that the situation is highly unpredictable with shark activity still being intermittently detected offshore.

The warmer waters the movement of bait fish and weather systems have been attributed to the situation though authorities indicated that shark patterns are highly unpredictable.

NSW Police and Surf Life Savers have maintained a strong beach presence in the impacted areas.

Drone surveillance and helicopter surveillance have been conducted to sweep the waters close to shore and the surveillance of smart drum lines and listening stations is ongoing to detect the presence of tagged sharks in the region.

Local councils said the decision to keep beaches closed was taken as a precaution given the notorious reputation of the northern beaches during summer.

Some residents have questioned the length of the closures but surf lifesaving officials said the priority must remain public safety.

The state government said it was working with scientists and marine experts to understand the recent spate of shark activity.

Scientists say white sharks a protected species under Australian law are known to move closer to shore during specific seasons as they follow prey.

The authorities equally made efforts to highlight that animals are part of the marine ecosystem and that encounters remain rare compared to the number of people who use the ocean every year.

Locals are also raising concern over the psychological impact that the attack is having on residents and families who regularly use the ocean.

Counseling services for affected residents are however available. Investigation processes are underway.

Official sources again reinforced the following essential safety guidelines for anyone venturing into the coastal zone swimming at patrolled beaches only when they reopen avoiding the water during dawn and dusk times and staying away from fish shoals.

Members of the public are also asked to report shark sightings to lifeguards.

There is no set time frame for when these closed beaches are set to reopen.

“The closures are planned to remain in place until there is a period with no sightings or detections of any of these species with advice from surf lifesavers and marine biologists,” said authorities.

A man from Sydney has been charged in relation to allegations of multimillion dollar fraud against the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Cases such as this highlight concerns about fraud being committed against this taxpayer funded system.

Police claim that the man was using a number of businesses that provide support for people with a disability to lodge false claims for the NDIS for a prolonged period of time.

He was arrested in Sydney for a number of offences linked to fraud and dealing with the proceeds of crime.

Allegations include charging for services that were never delivered exaggerated billing and the misuse of participant information without authority, according to the allegations by the investigators.

This was revealed in a joint investigation that analyzed various financial transactions, business registrations and NDIS payment information as reported by authorities.

The man is scheduled to appear before the court in Sydney and according to the police there are possibilities of more charges and arrests. There is no plea as yet.

The situation comes at a time when the government is stepping up campaigns to reduce fraud in the NDIS set to provide services to over 600,000 Australians at an estimated cost of tens of billions of dollars to the Commonwealth every year.

Though very few of them engage in fraudulent activities it has been estimated that the complexity of the NDIS program makes it vulnerable to fraud.

The sustainability of the NDIS is a major focus for the federal government with reforms underway to improve registration of providers, compliance and data matching between agencies.

Then came allegations of fraud that put further pressure on the government to ensure its reform is working to contain costs that are growing faster than projected.

Officials state that strict legal action has become imperative in ensuring that the intention to save public money does not affect confidence for all players participating in the system.

Fraud might affect the market by reducing the cost of care for disabled individuals.

Cases of fraud against the scheme from the past have been used by the opposition to criticize the government’s control of the scheme.

While disability groups have warned of policies that may inadvertently hinder the scheme’s participation and increase bureaucracy.

They urge policies focusing on the offenders without discouraging the smaller providers.

For those in the disability sector the recent fines serve as an indication of ever tightening compliance obligations.

There is an appeal to keep records in order and to be able to substantiate any allegations of improper conduct.

The police said that investigations into NDIS related fraud are ongoing and encouraged anyone who has information to come forward.

The case that has been charged against the man in Sydney will be dealt with in court where the prosecution will have the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

After being bitten by a shark while surfing at North Steyne Beach in Manly, a man who is thought to be in his 20s is fighting for his life in the hospital.

This is the most recent of several shark incidents that have occurred throughout Sydney which leading to widespread beach closures.

According to NSW Police, reports of a surfer being bitten prompted the despatch of emergency personnel to North Steyne at approximately 6:20 p.m. on Monday, January 19.

Before paramedics could arrive, onlookers pulled the man out of the water and started administering first aid. According to police, he was admitted to Royal North Shore Hospital in critical condition after receiving treatment for severe leg injuries.

The incident was the third shark related event in Sydney in just over 24 hours, following a serious attack in the city’s east on Sunday and a near miss on the Northern Beaches earlier on Monday.

Earlier on Monday, an 11 year old boy was uninjured after a shark took a chunk from his surfboard at Dee Why Beach with authorities saying photo analysis suggested it was likely a bull shark.

The bite happened late morning near Dee Why Point, with surf lifesavers helping the boy and shark protocols triggered at the beach.

On Sunday afternoon, emergency services were called to the Hermitage Foreshore Walk area near Shark Beach at Vaucluse after a 12 year old boy was attacked while jumping into the water with friends.

Police said his friends pulled him from the surf and water police applied tourniquets before he was taken to Sydney Children’s Hospital at Randwick where he remained in intensive care with critical injuries.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said its scientists could not definitively confirm the species based on photos of the injuries but believed a bull shark was likely responsible based on the nature of the injuries and environmental conditions at the site.

Local MP Kellie Sloane said beachgoers were right to be alarmed and called for expanded drone surveillance while risks to swimmers and surfers were assessed.