Australia rejects criticism of its antisemitism record after attack

Australia defended its record on combating anti-Semitism after an attack that drew national attention, saying it has robust laws and community protections in place as police investigate the incident. Officials condemned the violence and said authorities are working with community leaders to reassure the public and gather information. Law enforcement agencies did not immediately release details about the motive, injuries or suspects, and urged anyone with relevant information to come forward. The government pointed to…

Nigerian Opposition Claims Government Is Shifting Toward a Single-Party System

Opposition Accuses Nigerian Government of One-Party Drift Ahead of 2027 Elections Opposition politicians in Nigeria have sounded the alarm over what they describe as the government's drift toward a de facto one-party state. They contend this shift is being executed "through coercion," primarily by weaponizing state institutions, particularly the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). In a joint statement that has drawn significant attention, key opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar…

Video Shows Ukrainian UN Helicopter Pilot Held by Al‑Shabaab Since 2024

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s Al-Shabaab insurgents have released a new video showing Oleynik Aleksandr, a Ukrainian national and helicopter pilot held by the group since early 2024, appealing to the Ukrainian government and the United Nations to launch talks for his release and that of fellow crew members. The footage features Aleksandr identifying himself as the captain of a United Nations–contracted helicopter that made an emergency landing in militant-held territory in January 2024 while en route to Wisil, near Ceelbuur, in…

Singer Cliff Richard discloses he received treatment for prostate cancer

LONDON — Sir Cliff Richard has revealed he has been treated for prostate cancer for the past year, saying the disease is “gone at the moment” and urging the U.K. government to introduce a national screening program for men. Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, the 85-year-old singer said he learned of the diagnosis during health checks for insurance ahead of a concert tour of Australia and New Zealand. “I don’t know whether it’s going to come back. We can’t tell those sort of things but we need to, absolutely, I’m…

US director Rob Reiner and his wife, photographer and producer Michele Singer Reiner, have been found dead at their home in Los Angeles.

Police are investigating the deaths as an "apparent homicide". The Los Angeles Police Department has not publicly named the deceased, but the couple were identified in a family statement and were also named in statements from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom. The Los Angeles Fire Department said it responded to a medical aid request shortly after 3.30pm local time on Sunday and found a 78-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman dead inside the residence. A law enforcement official briefed…

Bangladeshi Peacekeepers Tragically Killed in Sudanese Conflict

U.N. Condemns Deadly Attack on Bangladeshi Peacekeepers in Sudan The United Nations has strongly condemned a recent attack on Bangladeshi peacekeepers in southern Sudan, marking the incident as a potential war crime. The attack has drawn international outcry and highlights ongoing conflict in the region. Six Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed in a drone attack. Eight additional peacekeepers sustained injuries. The attack occurred at a U.N. base in Kadugli. International Reactions and Condolences U.N.…

Somali Soldier Fatally Shoots Auto‑Rickshaw Driver in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A man believed to be a Somali National Army soldier shot and killed a rickshaw operator in Mogadishu’s Dayniile district on Sunday night before fleeing the scene, according to local witnesses and family members. The victim was identified by relatives as Abdirisaq Abuukar Mohamud. He was shot in the Barwaqo area of Dayniile, witnesses said. The assailant, described as wearing a military uniform, escaped while firing sporadly as he fled. Family members accused the gunman of an unprovoked killing and said…

Several registered political parties deny being listed as Banadir election candidates

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Several Somali political organizations have rejected the National Electoral Commission’s announcement that 20 groups are registered for the December 25 local council elections in the Banadir region, accusing the commission of violating electoral law and operating under political influence. Representatives from the organizations told reporters in Mogadishu on Sunday that five rounds of talks with the National Electoral Commission (NEC) “ended in vain,” arguing the body lacks the independence required to…

Chile elects Jose Antonio Kast president, marking a conservative shift

Jose Antonio Kast won Chile’s presidency with about 58% of the vote, becoming the country’s most right-wing leader since the return to democracy 35 years ago. He defeated Jeannette Jara, a communist who headed a broad leftist coalition, after campaigning on a sweeping security and immigration crackdown and a promise to jump-start the economy. “Chile wanted change,” Kast told supporters, vowing to “restore respect for the law.” He has pledged to expel more than 300,000 immigrants in the country illegally, seal the northern…

Hong Kong court convicts Jimmy Lai on national security charges

HONG KONG — Pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai was found guilty Monday on two counts of foreign collusion and one count of seditious publication, a landmark verdict under Hong Kong’s national security law that could send the 78-year-old founder of the shuttered Apple Daily newspaper to prison for life. Lai, who has been jailed since 2020, listened impassively with folded arms as a panel of national security judges delivered the verdict in one of the Chinese territory’s most closely watched trials since Beijing imposed the…