Australia on high alert after Bondi Hanukkah terror attack

Good morning. Here's what happened overnight and what you need to know today.

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1.

Hanukkah Massacre: Australian authorities remain on high alert amid fears of further terrorist acts following Sunday’s shooting at a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach, which left at least 12 people dead and 29 injured. One of the attackers was killed at the scene, another is in custody, and a third is being investigated. NSW Police confirmed two arrests in Bonnyrigg related to the attack, and bomb disposal teams are examining several improvised explosive devices found in a vehicle linked to one of the suspects. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has convened the national security committee and described the attack as a “targeted” and “evil” act of antisemitic terrorism. It is the deadliest mass shooting in Australia since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, which left 35 people dead. Rabbi Eli Schlanger, assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi, and a 12-year-old girl were among the victims. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed the Albanese government’s recognition of Palestine for fuelling antisemitism and said he warned Albanese months earlier. Security has been increased at Jewish sites globally. The FBI is assisting with investigations. A bystander who disarmed one attacker has been hailed as a hero. (Capital Brief)(SMH)(ABC)(Reuters)

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The Signal: A lobby group tied to Australia’s teen social media ban drafted a sponsorship pitch deck using an Australian government logo to sell access and “influence”. The deck, prepared by advocacy group 36 Months and seen by Capital Brief, featured the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet logo to secure $150,000 corporate sponsors for a 36 Months event at the Old Mates pub in New York during the UN General Assembly in September. The deck was first reported by Crikey and described the offering as “more than media or access”, calling it “influence”, and promised “high-level networking” with world leaders. It included Albanese’s letter to UN ambassador James Larson expressing support for a potential event with 36 Months and the UN Development Programme. Two events took place in NY: one funded by the government at a cost of $70,000, and another hosted by 36 Months and attended by Albanese. 36 Months said only a draft carried the PMC logo and that no brands were present at the event. The Prime Minister’s Office said it had no knowledge of the deck before media reports and declined to comment on the logo use.(Capital Brief)

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Gauge guard: The Albanese government will outlaw excessive grocery pricing by large supermarkets from 1 July 2026, as part of a broader push to improve competition and transparency in the sector. The new law will make it illegal for “very large” grocery retailers like Coles and Woolworths to charge prices deemed excessive relative to their cost of supply plus a reasonable margin. Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Assistant Minister for Competition Andrew Leigh said in a statement the changes are aimed at “getting a fairer go for families in their weekly shop”. Breaches could result in penalties of up to $10 million, three times the value of any benefit gained, or 10% of annual turnover. The ban follows an ACCC inquiry that found Australia’s grocery sector is one of the most concentrated globally, with Coles and Woolworths dominating the market and showing little incentive to compete vigorously. Coles said it earns $2.43 in profit per $100 spent and warned that further regulation may increase costs for shoppers. Woolworths said the “unprecedented” law unfairly targets only Australian-owned companies. (Capital Brief)(AAP)

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Rocket valuation: SpaceX is moving ahead with an insider share sale that values the company at around $800 billion, according to a company memo cited by media reports Friday. Shares are reportedly being sold at USD421 each, nearly double the USD212 price from July, setting a new record for the most valuable closely held company, surpassing OpenAI’s USD500 billion valuation. CFO Bret Johnsen told employees the company is preparing for a possible public offering in 2026, though he said “whether it actually happens, when it happens, and at what valuation are still highly uncertain”. In the letter, Johnsen said an IPO could enable SpaceX to increase Starship’s launch rate, deploy AI data centres in orbit, build a base on the moon and send missions to Mars. Bloomberg reported the company is targeting a valuation of about USD1.5 trillion in the potential IPO, which could raise significantly more than USD30 billion. Alphabet, which invested in SpaceX in 2015 as part of a USD1 billion funding round with Fidelity for a combined 10% stake at the time, is expected to record another large unrealised gain following the new valuation. (NYT)(Bloomberg)

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Deal now: ServiceNow is in advanced talks to acquire cybersecurity startup Armis in a deal that may be valued at as much as USD7 billion ($10.5 billion), Bloomberg reported citing unnamed sources. The deal could be announced in the coming days, though talks could still fall apart or attract another bidder, according to the report. Armis was founded by Israeli military cyber intelligence veterans and is based in San Francisco. It focuses on identifying and tracking security threats on devices across industries including medical, financial services and defence. In August, CEO Yevgeny Dibrov said the company had reached USD300 million in annual recurring revenue, up from USD200 million the previous year, and remained focused on a public listing in 2026. The firm is majority owned by Insight Partners, which acquired it in 2020 for USD1.1 billion in a deal that included Alphabet’s CapitalG. In March, ServiceNow acquired AI firm Moveworks for USD2.85 billion. It followed a wave of large cybersecurity deals, including Alphabet’s USD32 billion agreement to buy Wiz and Palo Alto Networks’ USD25 billion acquisition of CyberArk Software.(Bloomberg)

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Juve rejects: Crypto group Tether made an unsolicited EUR1.1 billion ($1.9 billion) all-cash offer to acquire Italian football club Juventus, but the Agnelli family’s holding company Exor rejected the bid saying it has “no intention of selling any of its shares in Juventus to a third party”. Tether proposed to pay EUR2.66 per share for Exor’s 65.4% stake in the Turin-based Serie A club, a 21% premium to the most recent share price of EUR2.19, according to a source cited by Reuters. Headquartered in El Salvador and led by Juventus supporter Paolo Ardoino, Tether has built an 11.5% stake in the club this year and said it planned to invest EUR1 billion if the deal were successful. Exor CEO John Elkann, wearing a Juventus hoodie in a video statement, said: “Juventus, our history and our values are not for sale.” It comes as Juventus has not posted a net annual profit for almost a decade and has struggled financially and on the pitch since its last title win in 2020. The bid also comes as Exor streamlines its Italian portfolio and as Tether faces mounting regulatory scrutiny in the European Union. (FT)(Reuters)

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MYEFO spotlight: Jim Chalmers will face the spotlight this week with one of the final major economic announcements of the year, the 2025-26 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO). Economists expect a smaller deficit than the $42 billion forecast in the March budget, with UBS tipping a $30 billion shortfall, Commonwealth Bank predicting $32 billion, AMP forecasting $37 billion and Chris Richardson expecting $33 billion. Ahead of the update, the government has flagged new spending including $10 billion in first home buyer support to drive construction of 100,000 homes, $1.1 billion for free mental health services and training, $1 billion for an Economic Resilience Fund, $956 million for infrastructure and local projects, and $98 million to fast-track qualifications for 6,000 tradies. Energy rebates will not be extended. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said in a statement $20 billion in additional savings and reprioritisations had been identified, including $6.8 billion from reduced use of consultants, contractors and non-wage costs across the public service. Chalmers said the update will be “sensible” and “responsible” but not a mini budget. (Capital Brief)

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More terror: Donald Trump vowed “very serious retaliation” after two US soldiers and an interpreter were killed in an ambush by an Islamic State gunman in Palmyra, Syria. Three other Americans were wounded, according to Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell. The attack took place during counter-terrorism operations and the gunman, identified as an Islamic State militant, was killed. Trump said on social media the attack occurred in a dangerous area “not fully controlled” by Syrian authorities. Separately, police have detained a person of interest in connection with a shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island that killed two people and injured nine during final exams on Saturday. Brown President Christina Paxson said the two who died and at least eight of the injured were students. Seven are in critical but stable condition, one remains critical, and the ninth victim had non-life-threatening injuries. Authorities released footage of a person leaving campus, and NBC reported a firearm with a unique feature was found during the arrest. (Bloomberg)