Canberra: More than 17,000 weapons were surrendered in the first year of Australia’s permanent national firearms amnesty, the government revealed on Saturday.
The government released the first annual report on the amnesty program, which allows Australians to hand in unregistered, illegal or unwanted weapons without facing punishment, revealing 17,543 weapons were surrendered in the first 12 months, reports Xinhua news agency.
The permanent amnesty was set up in mid-2021 following temporary programs in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre in 1996 and again in 2017.
According to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, there are approximately 260,000 illicit firearms in circulation in Australia.
Among the weapons handed in between July 2021 and June 2022 were 8,140 rifles, 2,896 shotguns and 789 pistols.
“It is an important measure to reduce the number of firearms circulating in our community, and keep Australians safe,” the country’s Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said on Saturday.
Every few years, without fail, a new group of young players emerges ready to consolidate the Czech Republic’s reputation as one of the dominant nations in women’s tennis. At the Australian Open, the process is unfolding once more. On Saturday, the 17-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova reached the fourth round of a grand slam tournament for the first time, defeating her compatriot Marketa Vondrousova, a former Czech prodigy herself, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 to advance.
As both players struggled with physical problems in the final stages of a dramatic encounter, Fruhvirtova sealed victory by playing clear and focused tennis in the decisive moments as she recovered from a break down in the third set.
The victory marks another step forward for one of the most promising young players on the tour. Last year, Fruhvirtova broke through by defeating Victoria Azarenka en route to the fourth round of the Miami Open. After qualifying for her first grand slam main draw at the US Open, she won her first WTA title in Chennai in September. She is now the youngest player inside the top 100.
Czech teens have already marked some of the biggest stories of the year so far. The 2023 season began with a surprise run from Fruhvirtova’s junior teammate Linda Noskova, 18, who reached the final in Adelaide from qualifying, beating two top-10 players along the way.
As Noskova fell in the first round of qualifying at the Australian Open, fatigued by her efforts in Adelaide, two other Czech teenagers stole the spotlight by reaching the main draw: the 16-year-old Sara Bejlek and Fruhvirtova’s younger sister, Brenda, who became one of the youngest players to qualify for the main draw of a slam at 15.
While Linda was establishing herself inside the top 100 last year, Brenda built her ranking by tearing through the lower-level ITF events, winning eight $25,000 titles. Now projected to rise to 129th in the live rankings, Brenda is progressing at an even quicker rate than her elder sister and it is only a matter of time before she joins her inside the top 100.
Spectators hold up the Czech flag after Linda Fruhvirtova secures her place in the fourth round. Photograph: William West/AFP/Getty Images
In the fourth round, Linda will face Croatia’s Donna Vekic for her first grand slam quarter-final. Earlier, Vekic easily defeated Nuria Párrizas Díaz of Spain 6-2, 6-2. Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka reinforced her status as one of the favourites as she tore through Elise Mertens, the 26th seed, 6-2, 6-3 to reach the fourth round.
After suffering from serving problems through much of last season, Sabalenka has served confidently and efficiently as she started the year by winning her 11th career title in Adelaide. She still has not dropped a set in 2023.
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( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )
The quarter-finals of a grand slam has been for Alex de Minaur what platform nine and three-quarters is for mere humans – impossible to get in. Aside from last year’s US Open, when he made it that far in a draw reduced by Covid 19, the fourth round has been the Australian’s ceiling.
He is on the verge again at Melbourne Park, after making the fourth round here for a second consecutive year, except that the draw has handed him Novak Djokovic. And he does not think the nine-time Australian Open champion’s hamstring problem will make his assignment any easier.
“Look, I’m not going to read into too much of that injury,” he said. “Ultimately he’s one of the best players in the world, and I’m just going to have to take it to him and not shy away from the occasion. I’m going to make sure I make it as tough as I can, and just bring the recent experience I’ve had on court and how I’ve been feeling.”
De Minaur, the 22nd seed and Australia’s only remaining men’s hope after Alexei Popyrin’s loss to the American Ben Shelton, wasted no time surging into the second week on Saturday, dispatching Benjamin Bonzi in straight sets. The 23-year-old broke his French opponent seven times on Rod Laver Arena in a regulation 7-6 (7-0), 6-2, 6-1 victory lasting only two hours and eight minutes.
“I’m very happy, I can’t lie,” De Minaur said. “Honestly, as a kid, this is what you train for, to be playing on this court in front of you guys on the biggest stages in the world. Every time I get out here I’ve got to pinch myself.”
De Minaur has never faced Djokovic, but he has speed on his side against a player who was visibly hampered by injury in his win over Grigor Dimitrov and afterwards described De Minaur as “one of the quickest players on the tour”.
He also has morale-boosting form on his side, having beaten reigning champion Rafael Nadal in this month’s United Cup and last year’s runner-up, Daniil Medvedev, in November. “These are the matches you want to be playing,” he said. “You don’t want a walkover into the final of a slam. You want to be playing the best in the world. That’s what I’ve got.
“I’m going to probably have the best in the world in front of me, and I’m ready for the battle. I want to take it to them and show what I’m made of in the biggest of stages and just test myself out there and really take it to them.”
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( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )
