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Australia was rocked by one of its deadliest mass shootings in decades after a Pakistani-origin father and son opened fire at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, killing 16, including gunman, during a Jewish festival. The shooting has been declared a “terrorist incident”, with two Islamic State (IS) flags being recovered during subsequent raids, ABC news reported.Authorities identified the assailants as a 50-year-old father and his 24-year-old son. The father was shot dead by police at the scene, while the son was taken to hospital with critical injuries. Police said the father legally owned six firearms, believed to have been used in the attack.What we know so far
Who were the attackers
The two suspected gunmen behind were identified as a father and his son, authorities said. The 50-year-old father, Sajid Akram, was shot dead by police at the scene, while his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, was critically injured and remains hospitalised, CBS news cited New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon..

Xu Bo, a 48-year-old Chinese billionaire and founder of online gaming company Duoyi, has fathered more than 100 US-born children through surrogacy agencies and reportedly hopes they will one day marry Elon Musk’s children to create a sprawling family dynasty, according to social-media posts verified by the Wall Street Journal.Xu, who calls himself “China’s first father,” publicly stated he intended to sire at least “50 high-quality sons.” Duoyi later posted on social media that he had produced over 100 children via US surrogacy.The story ignited on Chinese social media after Xu’s ex-girlfriend, Tang Jing, claimed he had fathered more than 300 children, 11 of whom she said she had raised for years. “That number might even be undercounted, but it’s certainly not exaggerated,” said Tang Jing, Xu’s ex, in a post Nov. 15, according to the India Times.The pair are now engaged in a custody battle over two daughters they share, with Xu claiming his ex owes him tens of crores in expenses he pai..

AdvertisementUnited StatesWorldUnited States & Canada2 people found dead in Los Angeles home of director Rob ReinerAuthorities have not yet confirmed the identities of the people found dead in Reiner’s home
Reading Time:1 minuteWhy you can trust SCMPAgenciesPublished: 11:21am, 15 Dec 2025Two people were found dead at a Los Angeles home owned by director-actor Rob Reiner on Sunday, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation.
The official could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said it responded to a medical aid request Sunday afternoon and found a 78-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman dead inside.
AdvertisementReiner was long one of the most prolific directors in Hollywood, and his work includes some of the most memorable films of the 1980s and ‘90s, including This is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally and The Princess Bride.
His role as Meathead in the 1970..

AdvertisementJapanThis Week in AsiaPoliticsJapan’s retreat from global health funding hands China diplomatic openingTokyo’s over 52 per cent funding cut to a global body fighting Aids and malaria risks damaging its hard-won reputation as a ‘peace nation’
Reading Time:3 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPJulian RyallPublished: 11:14am, 15 Dec 2025Updated: 11:18am, 15 Dec 2025Japan’s sharp reduction in funding for a leading international body fighting infectious diseases risks damaging Tokyo’s credibility and long-held “peace diplomacy”, in a move analysts say could give China an opening to expand its influence across developing nations.The Switzerland-based Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, established in 2002, has saved an estimated 70 million lives in more than 100 countries by boosting testing capacity, surveillance systems, community networks and medical training.
At a meeting in Johannesburg last month, Japan pledged “up to” 81 billion yen (US$520 million) in contribut..

AdvertisementTikTokChinaPoliticsSoft power – hard work: can China harness social media apps to rewire its global image?After the US migration to RedNote, experts say transforming engagement into influence will require a ‘light touch’ from Beijing
Reading Time:7 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPMeredith ChenPublished: 11:10am, 14 Dec 2025Mary Roettger was just one of millions of Americans seeking a social media life raft when she warily logged onto China’s RedNote platform for the first time in January.As fears loomed over a threatened US ban on TikTok, the Florida writer braced for a clumsy, spam-filled experience full of “negative people”.Instead, she was struck by a starkly different culture. Roettger was “blown away with the amount of tenderness and excitement” of the online community suddenly before her.
Advertisement“That was new,” said the 27-year-old, who shared on RedNote her poems, pictures of her cat and videos taken during casual strolls. “It was people speaking with people, not..