Death toll from Bondi Beach massacre rises to 15, attackers of Pakistani origin

Today's headlines: Thailand-Cambodia, Bangkok acknowledges its first civilian casualty in the conflict; Beijing has imposed sanctions on a former senior Japanese army officer for collusion with Taiwan; Delhi: online classes and a ban on construction work due to air pollution 30 times higher than the WHO limit; The IDF has struck three Hezbollah members in southern Lebanon

AUSTRALIA

The death toll rises to 15 yesterday at Bondi Beach, Sydney. The attackers have been identified by local media as Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed, 24, of Pakistani origin. The older man died at the scene, while his son is in hospital in critical condition. The shooting targeted Jewish people attending an event related to the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah: among the victims were a 10-year-old girl and a British-born rabbi. A video showed that Ahmed al-Ahmed, 43, an Australian of Syrian origin, helped disarm the attackers and is now being praised for his courage.

THAILAND - CAMBODIA

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reiterated that there would be no ceasefire, while the country officially recognized the first civilian casualty caused by a Cambodian attack after eight days of fighting. Thailand is determined to “defend the integrity of our territory and our people at all costs,” he said. On December 7, the conflict along the border resumed: the most serious escalation since the five days of fighting in July, which was interrupted by a ceasefire negotiated by Trump and Malaysian President Anwar Ibrahim.

CHINA - JAPAN - TAIWAN

China has imposed sanctions on former senior Japanese military officer Shigeru Iwasaki, accusing him of collusion with Taiwanese “separatist” forces. Beijing has frozen all his assets in China, banned him from entering the country, and prohibited all Chinese organizations and individuals from interacting with him. The sanctions, largely symbolic, appear to be in response to his appointment in early 2025 as an advisor to the Taiwanese cabinet.

INDIA

Schools in Delhi and surrounding areas have moved classes online and construction work has been banned as the Indian capital grapples with dangerous air quality. This morning, a toxic haze enveloped the city, compromising visibility and causing flight and train delays. The city's air quality index - PM2.5 - was more than 30 times higher than the WHO recommended limit. Exposure to this level of pollution can cause serious health problems.

ISRAEL - LEBANON

The Israeli army has struck three members of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group in southern Lebanon. “The terrorists took part in attempts to reestablish Hezbollah's terrorist infrastructure,” the IDF said in a statement. “Their activities constituted a violation of the agreements between Israel and Lebanon,” referring to the November 2024 ceasefire. The same agreement broken by Israel, which has repeatedly bombed Lebanon over the past 12 months despite the truce.

RUSSIA

Military spending in Russia's federal budget between January and September 2025 reached 12 trillion rubles, over 0 billion, according to calculations by Janis Kljuge, an expert at the German Institute for International Security, analyzing data from the Russian Ministry of Finance. This is a record figure, 30% higher than in 2024, 95% higher than in 2023, 173% higher than in 2022, and 295% higher than in 2021.

TURKMENISTAN

The international Peace and Trust forum was held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Neutrality Day and on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Turkmen neutrality, celebrated with a ‘family photo’ bringing together President Serdar Berdymukhamedov and the leaders of the region, Vladimir Putin, Irakli Kobakhidze, Masud Pezeshkyan, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Armenian President Vaagn Khačaturyan, Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov, and others.