Australian police say homemade pipe and tennis ball bombs were thrown at a crowd at Bondi Beach before a mass shooting, but failed to detonate, according to court documents released on Monday.

Fifteen people were killed, and dozens were injured in the mass shooting at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi on December 14. The attack has shocked the nation and sparked calls for tougher gun laws and heightened efforts to stop antisemitism.

One of the alleged gunmen, Sajid Akram, 50, who was shot dead by police, owned six firearms. His 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, has been charged with 59 offences, including murder and terrorism, according to police.

Bombing Plan

The alleged gunmen had planned the attack for several months and visited the Bondi beachside park for reconnaissance two days prior, said a police fact sheet released by the court.

Pictures included in the police report showed the father and son allegedly training with firearms in an isolated rural part of New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state, which includes Sydney.

Police found a video taken in October on one of the gunmen’s mobile phones showing them sitting in front of an image of an Islamic State flag and making statements in English about their reasons for the attack, while condemning the acts of Zionists.

Just after 2:00 a.m. (1500 GMT) on the day of the attack, the men were captured on CCTV video carrying long and bulky items wrapped in blankets from a short-stay rental house in the suburb of Campsie to a car, said the police report.

They later drove to Bondi around 5:00 p.m. (0800GMT).

Police believe the items wrapped in the blankets were two single-barreled shotguns, a Beretta rifle, three pipe bombs, a tennis ball bomb and a large improvised explosive device.

Police allege the men threw the pipe bombs and tennis ball bomb at the crowd in the Bondi park before they began shooting, but the explosive devices did not detonate, according to the statement tendered to the court.

Police said that they later found 3D printed parts for a shotgun component at the Campsie house, bomb making equipment and copies of the Quran.

Tougher Gun Laws

The parliament of New South Wales state was recalled on Monday to vote on proposed new laws that would impose major curbs on firearm ownership, ban the display of terror symbols and restrict protests, following the mass shooting.

The state legislation would cap the number of firearms a person can own at four, or up to 10 for certain groups, such as farmers.

Although Australia has some of the toughest gun control laws in the world after a 1996 shooting that killed 35 people, the Bondi shooting has highlighted what authorities say are gaps.

In New South Wales, there are more than 70 people in the state who own more than 100 guns, a police firearms registry shows. One licence holder has 298 guns.

The proposed legislation would also give police more powers to remove face coverings during protests or rallies. The state government has vowed to ban the chant “globalise the intifada”, which it says encourages violence in the community.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns told reporters outside parliament that he expected opposition to the legislation, which includes restrictions on public assemblies in the aftermath of a terrorism event, but said it was needed to keep the community safe.

“We have a responsibility to knit together our community that comes from different races and religions and places from all over the world. We can do it in a peaceful way,” he said.

PM Albanese Apologises

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has faced mounting criticism from opponents who argue his government has not done enough to curb a rise in antisemitism. He was booed by sections of the crowd during a memorial event in Bondi attended by tens of thousands of people on Sunday, one week after the shooting.

A poll conducted for the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper among 1,010 voters released on Monday found Albanese’s approval rating slumped 15 points to -9 from +6 at the beginning of December, the lowest since his resounding election win in May.

Albanese on Monday said he understood that some of the anger in the Jewish community in the aftermath of the attack was directed towards him and pleaded for national unity.

“As prime minister, I feel the weight of responsibility for an atrocity that happened whilst I am prime minister and I am sorry for what the Jewish community and our nation as a whole has experienced,” he told reporters in Canberra.

Albanese’s government says it has consistently denounced antisemitism and highlighted legislation passed over the last two years to criminalise hate speech and doxxing. It also expelled Iran’s ambassador earlier this year after accusing Tehran of directing antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne.

Further measures to stop hate speech proposed by Albanese’s government on Monday include a new offence of adults seeking to influence and radicalise children.

(with inputs from Reuters)

Japan took its most significant step toward reviving nuclear energy in nearly 15 years as Niigata Prefecture on Monday approved the restart of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, the world’s largest nuclear facility. The decision marks a defining moment in the nation’s gradual return to nuclear power since the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

Located about 220 kilometres northwest of Tokyo, the seven-reactor Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant was among 54 reactors shut down after the earthquake and tsunami that crippled Fukushima Daiichi in the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl. The restart will be the first by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), operator of the Fukushima plant, since that catastrophe.

Niigata’s assembly passed a vote of confidence in Governor Hideyo Hanazumi, who endorsed the restart last month, clearing the last political hurdle for the plant to resume operations.

Divided Public Reaction and Local Protests

Despite the assembly’s approval, public sentiment in Niigata remains deeply divided. About 300 protesters gathered outside the prefectural assembly in cold winter weather, holding placards reading “No Nukes” and “Support Fukushima.” The demonstrators sang Furusato, a nostalgic song about homeland ties, as they voiced opposition to the restart.

“Is TEPCO qualified to run Kashiwazaki-Kariwa?” one protester shouted. The crowd answered in unison: “No!”

TEPCO spokesperson Masakatsu Takata said the company is “firmly committed to never repeating such an accident” and pledged that residents would “never experience anything similar.” Public broadcaster NHK reported that TEPCO may restart the first reactor on 20 January, although the company has not confirmed a date.

A survey conducted in October found that 60% of Niigata residents believe conditions for restarting the plant have not been met, while nearly 70% expressed concern about TEPCO’s management. In a bid to rebuild trust, the utility has promised to invest 100 billion yen (£520 million) in the region over the next decade.

Among those protesting was 52-year-old farmer Ayako Oga, who fled the Fukushima exclusion zone in 2011. “We know firsthand the risk of a nuclear accident and cannot dismiss it,” she said, recalling her ongoing trauma from the disaster.

Energy Security at the Forefront

Japan’s government views the restart as vital to national energy security. The Ministry of Trade and Industry estimates that reactivating just one reactor at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa could boost electricity supply to the Tokyo region by 2%. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in office since October, has strongly backed nuclear restarts to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels, which currently generate up to 70% of Japan’s electricity.

Last year, Japan spent 10.7 trillion yen (£61 billion) on imported coal and liquefied natural gas—about one-tenth of total import costs. Officials say the country must increase nuclear generation to stabilise energy prices and achieve its decarbonisation goals.

Tokyo aims to double the share of nuclear power in its energy mix to 20% by 2040, in part to support growing demand from power-intensive industries and artificial intelligence data centres.

A Milestone for Japan’s Nuclear Revival

Industry analysts see the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa decision as a turning point. Joshua Ngu, vice-chairman for Asia Pacific at consultancy Wood Mackenzie, described it as “a critical milestone” for Japan’s energy strategy.

Other utilities are also moving forward: Kansai Electric Power announced in July that it would begin site surveys for Japan’s first new reactor since Fukushima.

However, Governor Hanazumi remains cautious, expressing hope that Japan will ultimately reduce reliance on nuclear energy. “I want to see an era where we don’t have to rely on energy sources that cause anxiety,” he said.

For survivors of Fukushima like Oga, the restart evokes painful memories. “As a victim of the nuclear accident, I wish that no one ever again suffers the damage of a nuclear disaster,” she said, her voice breaking amid chants of “Never forget Fukushima’s lessons!”

(with inputs from Reuters)

Home Bangladesh Mourns Slain Youth Leader as Election Nears

Bangladesh Mourns Slain Youth Leader as Election Nears

Tens of thousands of mourners gathered in Dhaka on Saturday to bid farewell to Sharif Osman Hadi, a slain youth leader and parliamentary candidate whose death has shaken Bangladesh’s fragile political transition. The 32-year-old, celebrated as a driving force behind last year’s student uprising that ended Sheikh Hasina’s long rule, was shot in the head by masked gunmen during a campaign event last week. He died on Thursday in Singapore after six days on life support.

The funeral, held under heavy security, drew crowds from across the country, including interim government leader Muhammad Yunus, the army chief, and representatives of rival political factions. Police and paramilitary forces were stationed throughout the capital to prevent unrest, and authorities later confirmed that the ceremony ended peacefully.

A Nation in Mourning and Transition

Addressing mourners, Yunus a Nobel Peace Prize laureate  vowed to carry forward Hadi’s vision of democratic renewal. “Today, we have come to promise you that we will fulfil what you stood for,” he said, describing the gathering as a national pledge to uphold justice and unity.

In a symbolic tribute, Hadi was buried on the Dhaka University campus beside national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, a resting place reserved for the country’s most revered figures. The government declared a day of national mourning in his honour.

Hadi’s killing has triggered widespread grief and anger, sparking mob attacks on media outlets and cultural institutions. Demonstrators flooded Dhaka’s Shahbagh area demanding justice and accountability, while violence spread to other cities. In Chittagong, protesters targeted the Indian Assistant High Commission, highlighting growing anti-India sentiment following Hasina’s flight to New Delhi after her ouster.

Rising Tensions Ahead of February Election

Bangladesh is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections on 12 February — a pivotal moment many hope will restore stability after nearly two years of political turbulence. The interim government, however, faces growing scrutiny over its ability to contain unrest and manage competing interests among secular, nationalist and Islamist groups.

Analysts say the unrest has exposed the limits of Yunus’s authority and could threaten Bangladesh’s recovery as one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies. The country, home to 175 million people, remains the world’s second-largest apparel producer after China.

The banned Awami League, led by Hasina, has threatened further agitation, fuelling fears that escalating violence could derail the vote.

Rights Groups Demand Accountability

Human rights organisations have condemned Hadi’s killing and the attacks that followed. Human Rights Watch called it a “terrible act” and urged swift government action to stop the spiralling violence. Amnesty International demanded independent investigations into both the assassination and subsequent assaults on journalists and activists.

Media offices, including those of leading newspapers and cultural groups such as Udichi Shilpigosthi, have been targeted in recent days. Bangladesh ranks 149th of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index, and rights advocates warn that continued hostility toward the press could narrow civic space ahead of the election.

As the nation mourns, Hadi’s death has come to symbolise both the promise and peril of Bangladesh’s democratic transition — a struggle now shadowed by grief, uncertainty and the fear of renewed unrest.

(with inputs from Reuters)

Home Heritage Foundation Has Influenced Trump’s National Security Strategy?

Heritage Foundation Has Influenced Trump’s National Security Strategy?

Thinktanks in the US heavily influence the political thought and guidance of political parties and while some are aligned to the Republicans, others are with the Democrats.

The Heritage Foundation is one thinktank which leans towards the former and there is a view that President Trump’s recent National Security Strategy document is heavily influenced by the foundation.

Brig Anil Raman (Retd) who studies the US from his perch in the Takshashila Institution, told The Gist in an interview that the “Heritage (Foundation) is primarily one which focuses very heavily on domestic agenda. It does look at international relations, but they are driven to a large extent by their domestic agenda, and that you find that seeing expression in (this) document.”

The ideologies which it (Heritage) propagates, one is of course free enterprise, market driven economy is the best. Then it again believes in limited government. You find that reflected in Republican statements.  Individual freedom of course.

Then traditional American values in which the Christian aspect is highly emphasized. So this is a place where the evangelical Christians form the sort of voting bloc of the Republicans. They are also about strong national defence.

Raman believes these ideas were there during Trump’s first term but he was never able to implement them. There were people all around him who prevented him from carrying out his agenda. Cut to today when those restraints do not exist.

The focus clearly is on domestic priorities. Alliances are being weakened, the Western Hemisphere is being promoted and transactionalism is taking centre stage.

that where this entire thing about immigration, and the focus on, South America, Latin America is there where it comes from.

“Immigration may have been mentioned in the past but what has happened in the current analysis, it has found very clear mention in the Heritage document, the primacy of immigration, the primacy of border control of the southern border.  Immigration has been elevated to the status of the main and the most critical national security threat.”

Tune in for more in this conversation with Brig Anil Raman (Retd) of the Takshashila Institution.

 

Home China Renaming Arunachal ‘Is A Signal Of Intent, To Control And Own’

China Renaming Arunachal ‘Is A Signal Of Intent, To Control And Own’

When China publicly renamed Tibet as Xizang in 2023, it was to tell the world that Tibet is fully under China’s control. Then how does one interpret Arunachal Pradesh being renamed Zangnan when it remains firmly under India’s control?

This is basically a signal of China’s intent, that it will fully control Arunachal Pradesh at an appropriate time, said Tenzin Dhamdul, researcher at the Foundation for Non-Violent Alternatives in New Delhi.

Dhamdul was a guest on The Gist, and in his view, “They are not just renaming the territory, they are claiming it as their own … they don’t have officials on the ground but they have district maps, official maps and you will find them everywhere.”

The first target of these claims is their own people, says Dhamdul. They want to hammer home to their people that this is China’s land, China’s territory, and as and when the time comes when they make a push for it, they will have the full backing of their people.

It also lays the ground for selling this claim overseas. Allies like Pakistan will accept it, perhaps even countries or even some other neighbours that are dependent on Beijing. Increasingly, the internet and social media will be flooded with these maps and claims, with the intention of sensitising the world about it.

“If you see locations district wise that China is targeting, you can clearly find Tawang is number one. They have targeted total 12 locations (in Arunachal), and the important districts where Itanagar the capital is located, the other being the Dibang valley and West Siang district.”

India has opened the Dibang Valley for adventure tourism and West Siang is where a major hydroelectric project is planned. So does China renaming these places have to do with India’s own activities there?

Another case in point could be Tawang, where an international conference was recently held to mark the legacy of the sixth Dalai Lama Tsangyang Gyatso. China’s state-owned media fumed over the conference since it underscored that Buddhism belongs to Tibet and China cannot own it.

Tune in for more in this conversation with Tenzin Dhamdul of the Foundation for Non-Violent Alternatives.

Home In Photos: ISRO To Launch AST’s BlueBird Block-2 Satellite On 24 December

In Photos: ISRO To Launch AST’s BlueBird Block-2 Satellite On 24 December

Home Closer Military, Nuclear, Maritime Ties With India: US Defence Law

Closer Military, Nuclear, Maritime Ties With India: US Defence Law

President Trump’s mammoth $901 billion defence bill that he signed late on Friday calls for expanded U.S. military engagement with India and deeper cooperation through the Quad as part of Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy.

It calls for increased participation in joint military exercises, greater defence trade, and closer cooperation on humanitarian assistance and disaster response. It also identifies maritime security as a priority area for deeper U.S.-India collaboration.

It requires the secretaries of state and defence to establish and maintain a secuinitiative to strengthen cooperation among the defence industrial bases among allied and partner countries in the Indo-Pacific.

The two officials will determine which among six countries (Australia, Japan, Korea, India, the Philippines and New Zealand) will be invited to participate in this initiative

The new law authorises the creation of an Ambassador-at-Large for the Indian Ocean who will coordinate diplomatic efforts across the region to counter the “malign” influence of China.

The law mandates a joint U.S.-India assessment of nuclear liability rules under the United States-India Strategic Security Dialogue.

It directs the Secretary of State to establish a recurring consultative mechanism with India to review implementation of the 2008 civil nuclear agreement, explore opportunities for aligning India’s domestic nuclear liability framework with international norms, and develop joint diplomatic strategies on civil nuclear cooperation.

It embeds expanded military, nuclear and regional engagement with India into US defence legislation.

The new law also sets aside $1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative and includes a provision aimed at preventing Chinese military firms from evading US restrictions through third party countries.

It requires the Trump administration to maintain at least 76,000 troops in Europe and sets aside $800 mn for Ukraine to be spent half this year and half the next. Another $400 million was set aside to fund manufacture of weapons for Ukraine.

Israel too has benefited with $600 million that would fund joint missile defence programmes such as the Iron Dome.

Home Pakistan Ex-PM Imran Khan, Wife Receive 17-Year Jail Sentence For Corruption

Pakistan Ex-PM Imran Khan, Wife Receive 17-Year Jail Sentence For Corruption

A Pakistani court on Saturday sentenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 17 years in prison each in a corruption case involving the under-priced purchase of luxury state gifts, the court and Khan’s lawyers said.

The latest conviction adds to a series of legal troubles for Khan, who has been behind bars since August 2023 and faces dozens of cases filed since he was ousted from office in 2022, ranging from graft to anti-terrorism and state secrets charges.

Khan has denied wrongdoing in all the cases, which his party says are politically motivated.

“The court announced the sentence without hearing the defence and sentenced 17 years imprisonment to Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi with heavy fines,” Khan’s family lawyer Rana Mudassar Uemr Umer?, told Reuters.

They were handed 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment under Pakistan’s penal code for criminal breach of trust and a further seven years under anti-corruption laws, along with fines of 16.4 million rupees each, the court said.

The case relates to luxury watches gifted to Khan by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during official visits, which prosecutors said Khan and his wife then purchased from the state at a heavily discounted price in violation of Pakistan’s gift rules.

The case is separate from an earlier state gifts prosecution linked to Khan’s August 2023 arrest. Earlier sentences of 14 years for Khan and seven years for Bushra Bibi were later
suspended on appeal. The couple denies wrongdoing.

The cases are commonly known in Pakistan as the Toshakhana cases, referring to the state repository where gifts received by public officials are deposited.

Khan, a former cricket star turned politician, remains one of Pakistan’s most polarising figures, with his legal battles unfolding as his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party remains
sidelined from power.

With Reuters inputs

Home Iran Executes Student Who Spied For Israeli Intelligence

Iran Executes Student Who Spied For Israeli Intelligence

Iran executed a man on Saturday who it said was convicted of spying for Israel and having ties to Iranian opposition groups, the judiciary’s Mizan news agency
reported.

Entangled in a decades-long shadow war with Israel, Iran has executed many people it accused of having links with Israel’s intelligence service and facilitating its operations in the country.

The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights group said on X that the man, whom it identified as 27-year-old architecture student Aghil Keshavarz, was sentenced to death on charges related to espionage for Israel “based on confessions extracted under torture”.

The Iran-Israel conflict escalated into a war in June, when Israel struck various targets inside Iran, including through operations that relied on Mossad commandos being deployed deep inside the country.

Executions of Iranians convicted of spying for Israel have significantly increased this year, with multiple death sentences carried out in recent months.

In September 2025, Iran executed a man accused of killing a security officer during unrest sparked by the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini. She died in the custody of Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating the hijab law.  The death Amini underscores a broader attack on women’s rights in Iran.

According to a DW report quoting women’s rights activist Mahdieh Golrou, “We are dealing with a system that is deeply misogynistic in its ideology.”

She has been living abroad since 2019, has been arrested several times in Iran for her campaigning in favor of women’s rights and democracy.  Women who refuse to wear the mandatory headscarf in public have had a major impact on the image of women in Iranian society.

“Their struggle and civil resistance are far from over, because this system is always finding new ways to undermine women’s rights, such as through the reform of the dowry law,” said Golrou.

The Iranian parliament has adopted changes to the dowry law, with members of parliament describing them as “urgently necessary.”

It lowers the amount of money, usually in the form of gold coins, that a man pays to his bride before the wedding. From 110 gold coins its now down to just 14, undermining the woman’s only source of financial independence in the event of divorce.

With Reuters inputs

Home Attack On Australia’s Bondi Beach ‘Was The Work Of Islamist Terrorists’

Attack On Australia’s Bondi Beach ‘Was The Work Of Islamist Terrorists’

“It’s a terrorist attack. It’s an Islamist terrorist attack. And we need to call it out for what it is,” says Mahadevan Shankar, Indian origin entrepreneur based in Brisbane, Australia.

He was a guest on The Gist, offering a perspective on the Bondi Beach killings and believes that this attack has been coming for a while and there have been warnings.

“For the past 12 to 24 months, anti-Semitic attacks have been happening, the synagogues have been attacked. A lot of Jewish leaders have been targeted. Some of their houses have come under attack with graffiti, and death threats have been made. In fact, the Israeli government has been sending out quite a bit of Intel inputs, also warning that things are going to happen.”

But for whatever reason, the government of Prime Minister Albanese ignored or looked the other way, even as pro-Palestine protests swept the country, those protests turned into hate, then hate crimes and terrorism began showing its true colours.

Over a decade ago, “When George Brandis, the former attorney general of Australia, was in Washington, DC, he had mentioned that conservatively, more than 200 Australian citizens had volunteered to go and fight with ISIS in Syria.”

Others close to him had even given the figure of 1000.

But Shankar’s point is, if even 200 Australian citizens fought for ISIS, it means an ecosystem exists in the country where people are likely being radicalised or even indoctrinated.

Important to note that Australian intelligence agencies had Sajid Akram and his son Navid on their radar but somewhere they fell off, despite warnings that the son was being brainwashed at a particular mosque in Sydney.

“The people who were preaching hate and pretty much preaching killing infidels, slit their throats, and that kind of rhetoric was being used there. You can imagine he’s one of many who have attended that place. So yeah, it’s it’s pretty ghastly.”

A 10-year-old girl Matilda who was among those killed, was the child of Ukrainian parents who, ironically, had fled their native land to escape the Russian invasion.  They had moved to Australia for a better life, or so they thought.

Tune in for more in this conversation with Mahadevan Shankar, Indian origin entrepreneur from Brisbane.

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