LONDON: King Charles III and his wife Camilla, the queen consort, visited Scotland Monday in their first joint public engagement since the royal mourning period to remember Queen Elizabeth II ended.
Large crowds turned out on the streets of Dunfermline in Fife, north of Edinburgh, hoping to get a glimpse of the new monarch. Charles, who wore a kilt for the visit, spent some time shaking hands with well-wishers after he greeted Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and other leaders.
The royal couple were visiting to formally give city status to Dunfermline, the birthplace of another King Charles: Charles I, who reigned in the 17th century before his execution, was the last British monarch born in Scotland.
Dunfermline was among towns that won city status as part of Platinum Jubilee celebrations to mark Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne.
Later Monday, Charles and Camilla will host a reception for around 300 guests at Edinburgh to celebrate the British South Asian community. The royals will meet British Indians, Pakistanis, and many others and pay tribute to the contributions they made to the UK
Charles became sovereign immediately upon the death of his mother Elizabeth in Balmoral Castle, Scotland, on Sept. 8. Britain held 10 days of national mourning, while the royal family extended the mourning period for a week after the queen’s funeral on Sept. 19.
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King Charles III in first engagement since queen’s death
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King Charles III in first engagement since queen’s death
- Large crowds turned out on the streets of Dunfermline in Fife, north of Edinburgh, hoping to get a glimpse of the new monarch
- Charles wore a kilt for the visit and greeted Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and other leaders
Australian government says firearms hit a record high in 2025
SYDNEY: The number of firearms in Australia reached an all-time high of more than 4 million in 2025, the center-left government reported on Sunday, a day after saying it would introduce a gun reform bill in parliament in response to the Bondi massacre.
There were a record 4,113,735 guns in Australia last year, with 1,158,654 of those in the most populous state of New South Wales where the Bondi attack took place, the government said, citing Department of Home Affairs data.
The Labor government on Saturday said parliament, recalled from its summer break, would debate bills this week to authorize a gun buyback and lower the bar for hate speech prosecutions — measures drafted in the wake of the December 14 shooting that killed 15 at a Hanukkah celebration.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said there were now more guns in Australia than at the time of a 1996 shooting that killed 35 and prompted a gun buyback scheme by the conservative government of former Prime Minister John Howard.
“The deadly antisemitic terrorist attack at Bondi Beach is a national tragedy which can never be allowed to happen again,” Burke said, adding that the government was committed to “getting dangerous guns off our streets.”
New South Wales, responding to the Bondi massacre, passed state laws in December banning private individuals from owning more than four firearms, with exemptions for farmers, who can have up to 10.
The shooting in Bondi has also sparked calls for efforts to tackle antisemitism in Australia. Police say the alleged gunmen were inspired by Daesh.
There were a record 4,113,735 guns in Australia last year, with 1,158,654 of those in the most populous state of New South Wales where the Bondi attack took place, the government said, citing Department of Home Affairs data.
The Labor government on Saturday said parliament, recalled from its summer break, would debate bills this week to authorize a gun buyback and lower the bar for hate speech prosecutions — measures drafted in the wake of the December 14 shooting that killed 15 at a Hanukkah celebration.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said there were now more guns in Australia than at the time of a 1996 shooting that killed 35 and prompted a gun buyback scheme by the conservative government of former Prime Minister John Howard.
“The deadly antisemitic terrorist attack at Bondi Beach is a national tragedy which can never be allowed to happen again,” Burke said, adding that the government was committed to “getting dangerous guns off our streets.”
New South Wales, responding to the Bondi massacre, passed state laws in December banning private individuals from owning more than four firearms, with exemptions for farmers, who can have up to 10.
The shooting in Bondi has also sparked calls for efforts to tackle antisemitism in Australia. Police say the alleged gunmen were inspired by Daesh.
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