Australia gun buyback to start in November

Sydney - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that Australia's New South Wales state will commence a gun buyback program in November, following a shooting incident at a Jewish festival that claimed 15 lives. This initiative is part of the national response to recent gun violence, with laws introduced in January to strengthen gun control measures.

The alleged gunman utilized legally obtained powerful firearms, and Australia currently possesses a record 4.1 million firearms, with over 1.1 million located in the populous state of New South Wales. The buyback aims to be the largest since a similar campaign post-1996 Tasmania massacre, in which 35 individuals were killed. Albanese and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns stated that eligible participants can receive up to A$1,000 ($700) compensation per firearm.

Australia's Prime Minister emphasized that while the nation is proud of its gun laws, the number of firearms has increased since the previous buyback. In New South Wales, legislation now limits individuals to owning a maximum of four guns, prompted by the Bondi Beach attack, which police suspect was influenced by the Islamic State militant group. The surviving suspect, Naveed Akram, 24, faces multiple charges, including 15 counts of murder.