SYDNEY: A suspected “large shark” mauled a surfer to death in a rare fatal attack off a Sydney beach on Saturday, Australian police and rescuers said, leading to a string of beach closures.

The man was pulled out of the Pacific surf onto shore at northern Sydney’s Long Reef Beach but died at the scene, New South Wales police said in a statement.

“A man has died on the Northern Beaches after being bitten by what is believed to have been a large shark,” police said.

Two sections of a surfboard were recovered and taken for examination, police said, adding that they were working with experts to identify the species of shark involved.

Images of the scene on local media showed police gathered on the shore and ambulances parked nearby.

The victim was bitten by the ocean predator while surfing in the morning away from a patrolled area of the beach, according to Surf Life Saving NSW.

Beaches between the northern suburbs of Manly and Narrabeen have been closed for at least 24 hours, it said.

“For now, please remain clear of the water at beaches in the vicinity and follow the direction of lifeguards and lifesavers,” Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steven Pearce said in a statement.

“Our deepest condolences go to the family of the man involved in this terrible tragedy.”

Surf life saving clubs nearby have cancelled all water activity and training for the weekend.

‘Critical injuries’

It was the first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 2022, when 35-year-old British diving instructor Simon Nellist was killed off Little Bay.

The previous fatal attack in the city was in 1963.

Drones were now scanning the beach for shark activity, according to Australian public broadcaster ABC.

Police said emergency services rushed to the scene following alerts that the man, who was not identified, had suffered “critical injuries”.

An unnamed surfer said the victim had been surfing off the adjoining Long Reef and Dee Why beaches.

“Four or five surfers pulled him out of the water and it looked like a significant part of his lower half had been attacked,” the surfer said, according to Sydney’s Daily Telegraph.

People were ordered out of the water, he told the paper.

“There was a surf lifesaving guy waving a red flag,” the surfer said. “I didn’t know what it was … but thought I should probably go in (to shore).”

Australia’s last deadly shark attack was in March, when a surfer was taken off the remote Wharton Beach of Western Australia.

There have been more than 1,280 shark incidents around Australia since 1791, of which over 250 resulted in death, according to a database of the predators’ encounters with humans.

• Parliament confirms Anutin as PM ending week-long power vacuum. 
• PM receives backing of People’s Party, which holds plurality of seats.
• Apex court due to rule on Tuesday over Thaksin’s hospital stay.

Thailand’s next prime minister has pledged to make good on his promise to lead the fractured interim government to new polls.

Conservative tycoon Anutin Charnvirakul was confirmed by parliament on Friday, ending a week-long power vacuum following the ouster of his predecessor, Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

The construction magnate cobbled together a coalition of opposition blocs to shut out Pheu Thai, the electoral vehicle of the once-dominant Shinawatra dynasty’s patriarch Thaksin.

He received the backing of the People’s Party, which holds a plurality of seats, on condition that he dissolve parliament within four months for fresh elections.

“I will follow all agreements,” he said Friday outside his party headquarters.

“We must bring back the spirit of the ‘Land of Smiles’ to our country during my short time in office,” he said, adding that he was known to dislike conflict.

Anutin addressed Thaksin’s unexpected flight from the kingdom the night before Friday’s vote — and days before a court case — bound for Dubai, where he said he would visit friends and seek medical treatment.

“There will be no favouritism, no persecution, and no revenge,” Anutin said.

The Supreme Court is due to rule on Tuesday in a case over Thaksin’s hospital stay following his return from exile in August 2023, a verdict some analysts say could see him jailed.

Anutin´s right-wing Bhumjaithai party went into coalition with Pheu Thai in 2023, but pulled out in June over Paetongtarn’s alleged misconduct in a leaked phone call with Cambodian ex-leader Hun Sen.

The Shinawatras have been a mainstay of Thai politics for the past two decades, sparring with the pro-monarchy, pro-military establishment that views them as a threat to the kingdom´s traditional social order.

But they have faced a series of setbacks, including Paetongtarn´s removal last week.

Anutin previously served as deputy prime minister, interior minister and health minister — but is perhaps most famous for delivering on a promise to legalise cannabis in 2022.

His elevation to premiership still needs to be endorsed by Thailand’s king to become official.

Pakistani-origin politician Shabana Mahmood was appointed Britain’s new interior minister on Friday as Prime Minister Keir Starmer carried out his first major cabinet reshuffle since taking office in July 2024.

Starmer brought in his “loyal friends” on Friday in a sweeping reshuffle intended to restore his authority after the resignation of his deputy, Angela Rayner.

After reshaping his Downing Street team last week to bolster his economic advice, a ministerial reshuffle had been expected. 

Mahmood, 44, a former barrister and the most senior Muslim in UK politics, takes charge of the Home Office after serving as justice minister. 

She has been an MP since 2010 and has held several shadow portfolios, but declined to serve in Jeremy Corbyn’s team when he was party leader.

The shake-up followed the resignation of deputy premier Angela Rayner. Other key moves saw Yvette Cooper, previously at the Home Office, become foreign minister, while David Lammy moved up to deputy prime minister and justice secretary.

Rayner’s departure meant it was much deeper than widely predicted, forcing Starmer to draw a line under more than a week of distracting speculation over her tax affairs.

Starmer could do little to protect Rayner after Britain’s independent adviser ruled that she had breached the ministerial code by failing to pay the correct tax.

“Angela is a ‘big beast’ and hard to replace,” said one Labour lawmaker, adding that the three new appointments were “sound” if not overly exciting.