Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya on Saturday said the Maharashtra government under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had canceled 224,000 allegedly fake birth certificates issued to Bangladeshi nationals and announced plans for a &ldquo;special campaign&rdquo; to identify and deport undocumented migrants following local body elections.&nbsp;Speaking to the Indian news agency IANS, Somaiya said: &ldquo;Maharashtra is the first state where Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has canceled 224,000 fake birth certificates of Bangladeshi citizens.&rdquo;&nbsp;He added that a statewide drive would begin after Jan. 16 to identify Bangladeshi nationals living &ldquo;illegally&rdquo; in Maharashtra.&nbsp;&ldquo;A special drive will be launched after the elections to identify each and every one of them and deport the Bangladeshi nationals,&rdquo; Somaiya said, adding that authorities would scrutinize Aadhaar cards, ration cards, voter identity cards, and birth certificates, according to local media reports.&nbsp;The remarks follow similar statements earlier this week by Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane on action against undocumented migrants.&nbsp;Somaiya also criticized West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of opposing investigations for political reasons.&nbsp;&ldquo;Mamata Banerjee does not show any concern about the killings of Hindus in Bangladesh. She sees the vote bank before the upcoming assembly elections,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Her vote bank includes people of Bangladeshi origin. All this comes out, so she does not want to allow any investigation to proceed.&rdquo;&nbsp;He further alleged that Bangladeshi nationals had settled in large numbers in West Bengal and Assam. &ldquo;Today in these states, Bangladeshi citizens decide the leadership,&rdquo; Somaiya said, without providing evidence.&nbsp;Somaiya also targeted the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen Chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, and regional political rivals in Maharashtra. &ldquo;Owaisi&rsquo;s party is saying that they want to make Mumbai a Muslim city,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;The BJP leader also criticized opposition candidates for their campaign practices, accusing them of promoting what he described as &ldquo;extremism.&rdquo;&nbsp;Citing demographic changes in Mumbai, Somaiya noted that the city&rsquo;s Muslim population had increased from 8.8% in 1947 to 24.8% at present.&nbsp;&ldquo;Bharatiya Janata Party will not tolerate any compromise on repatriation of Bangladeshi citizens,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Somaiya&rsquo;s remarks come amid rising tensions between India and Bangladesh, particularly following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.&nbsp;Bangladeshi officials allege that New Delhi has long meddled in their domestic politics, operating behind the scenes and influencing political outcomes.&nbsp;Dhaka has expressed concern that the Indian system is increasingly replacing Bangladesh&rsquo;s electoral process, casting shadows over upcoming elections. For Bangladesh, such statements from Indian political leaders underscore fears over sovereignty, democratic integrity, and activist safety, reflecting a marked deterioration in bilateral relations since Hasina&rsquo;s exit.

India

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya announces statewide drive to identify and deport 224,000 Bangladeshi nationals, escalating India-Bangladesh tensions amid concerns over electoral interference and activist safety.

India threatens ‘special mission’ to deport 224,000 Bangladeshi nationals

LAGOS: Nigeria&#39;s drug enforcement agency Sunday said it had arrested 22 Indian crew members of a merchant ship after 31.5 kilograms of cocaine was found on the vessel at Lagos&#39;s main port.&nbsp;The seizure was made on January 2 aboard MV Aruna Hulya which &quot;originated from Marshall Islands,&quot; Femi Babafemi, spokesman for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), said in a statement.&nbsp;Nigeria has long been considered a trafficking and production hub for drugs bound for Europe and other African countries.&nbsp;The agency said in November that it arrested 20 Filipino sailors caught ferrying at least 20 kilograms of cocaine from Brazil to the same port.&nbsp;Earlier that month, NDLEA said it was working with US and British anti-drug agencies to investigate a cartel behind the importation of 1,000 kilograms of cocaine discovered in a container at a Lagos port.

Africa

On Sunday, Nigeria’s drug enforcement agency arrested 22 Indian crew members after 31.5 kilograms of cocaine were found on their merchant ship at Lagos’s main port.

Nigeria arrests 22 Indian ship crew members in drug bust

DHAKA: Bangladesh has requested their matches at next month&#39;s T20 World Cup be played in Sri Lanka, after India forced a Bangladeshi player to quit the Indian Premier League. Political relations between India and Bangladesh soured after a mass uprising in Dhaka in 2024 toppled then prime minister Sheikh Hasina, a close ally of New Delhi. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), after an emergency meeting on Sunday, said it had &quot;formally requested&quot; the International Cricket Council (ICC) shift their games to Sri Lanka. &quot;The Board of Directors resolved that the Bangladesh National Team will not travel to India for the tournament under the current conditions,&quot; a BCB statement read. It said its decision was made due to &quot;growing concerns regarding the safety and security&quot; of its players, and based on its government&#39;s advice. Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was on Saturday released by the Kolkata Knight Riders after the IPL team were &quot;advised&quot; by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to do so, following tensions between the neighbouring nations. Earlier, Asif Nazrul, Youth and Sports Adviser in the interim government, said that Dhaka &quot;will not accept any insult to Bangladeshi cricket, cricketers and Bangladesh under any circumstances.&quot; &quot;The days of slavery are over,&quot; he added, in a statement carried by the state-run BSS news agency on Sunday. &quot;Where a Bangladeshi cricketer cannot play in India despite being contracted, the entire Bangladeshi cricket team cannot feel safe going to play in the World Cup,&quot; he wrote.&nbsp;Dignity and securityThe T20 World Cup begins on February 7, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh are scheduled to play their four group matches in India. Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka, part of a deal that allows both India and Pakistan to play at neutral venues in multi-nation tournaments. India&#39;s foreign ministry last month condemned what it called &quot;unremitting hostility against minorities&quot; in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. Bangladesh&#39;s interim leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, has accused India of exaggerating the scale of the violence. BCB president Aminul Islam Bulbul earlier said that &quot;the dignity and security of our cricketers are our top priorities&quot;. Mustafizur, who has previously played in the IPL for other teams, was snapped up at auction in December by Kolkata for more than $1 million. But BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said that &quot;considering recent developments&quot; Kolkata had been &quot;advised to release&quot; the 30-year-old. The 2026 IPL season begins on March 26. Nazrul said he would also ask that the IPL be blocked by Bangladeshi broadcasters. &quot;I have requested the Information and Broadcasting Adviser to stop the broadcasting of the IPL tournament in Bangladesh,&quot; he said. Kolkata, majority-owned by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, subsequently said that Mustafizur&#39;s &quot;release has been carried out following due process and consultations&quot;. The cricket row comes only days after tensions between the nations had appeared to have eased. India&#39;s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited Bangladesh last week, the most senior visit by an Indian official since the overthrow of Hasina. On Friday, the BCB announced that India would go to Bangladesh for six white-ball matches in September. Bangladesh will hold its first elections since the uprising on February 12.

Cricket

Bangladesh asked for their T20 World Cup games to be moved to Sri Lanka after India forced Mustafizur Rahman out of the IPL, saying their players’ safety and respect are at risk because of political tensions.

Bangladesh say will not play T20 World Cup matches if in India

ISLAMABAD: A senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the leader of the opposition in India&rsquo;s West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, on Saturday called for Bangladesh to be &ldquo;taught a lesson,&rdquo; invoking Israel&rsquo;s military campaign in Gaza, while leading a protest in Kolkata. &ldquo;A lesson should be taught [to Bangladesh]. Like Israel taught in Gaza,&rdquo; Adhikari said while marching to the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission alongside party leaders and seers, according to the Times of India. TRT World later shared the video footage of the incident on their official Instagram page.&nbsp; <div class="fr-embed instagram-embed" style="width: 50%; display: block; max-width: 600px;"><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSx8cdSgXw-/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=14&wp=592&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com&rp=%2Farticles%2F3092#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A3366212.0999999996%2C%22ls%22%3A554.7000000001863%2C%22le%22%3A654.3000000007451%7D" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="1023" scrolling="no" style="background: white; max-width: 540px; width: calc(100% - 2px); border-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 0px 0px 12px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div> The comments referenced Israel&rsquo;s ongoing war in Gaza, which has drawn widespread international scrutiny. Israel&rsquo;s military campaign has killed over 70,000 Palestinians and injured 179,100 since October 7, 2023, according to Gaza&rsquo;s Health Ministry. Earlier this year, the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israel is responsible for genocide in Gaza, resulting in mass civilian casualties, the deliberate starvation of the population, the collapse of health and education systems, and violations of binding orders issued by the International Court of Justice. Adhikari also linked his remarks to India&rsquo;s recent confrontation with Pakistan. &ldquo;Our country&rsquo;s 100 crore Hindus; the government is being run in the interest of Hindus. A lesson should be taught. Like we taught Pakistan during Operation Sindoor,&rdquo; he said, according to the Times of India. India&rsquo;s ruling party rivals condemned the language. The Trinamool Congress wrote on X that the Bharatiya Janata Party had &ldquo;perfected hate and intolerance into an art form,&rdquo; accusing Adhikari of making incendiary and extremist remarks. The controversy unfolded amid renewed political debate in India over the outcome of the May conflict with Pakistan. Earlier this month, senior Indian Congress leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan had said India was &ldquo;completely defeated&rdquo; during the fighting, claiming the &ldquo;entire Indian Air Force&rdquo; was grounded. &ldquo;On the very first day, we faced a complete defeat,&rdquo; Chavan said while addressing a meeting of party workers in Pune. After another Bharatiya Janata Party politician, Subrahmanyam Swamy, claimed that Pakistan had downed five Indian aircraft during the escalation, India&rsquo;s top military commander acknowledged losses. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan told Bloomberg on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue that India had suffered &ldquo;some losses.&rdquo; According to Indian media, US&nbsp;President Donald Trump has at least 25 times cited claims that five to eight &ldquo;brand new, beautiful&rdquo; aircraft were shot down during the Pakistan-India May conflict.

A senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the leader of the opposition in India’s West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, on Saturday called for Bangladesh to be 'taught a lesson,' invoking Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, while leading a protest in Kolkata.

Indian BJP leader says Bangladesh should be taught a lesson 'like Israel did in Gaza'

ISLAMABAD: The killing of a Bangladeshi activist known for his outspoken criticism of India has sparked nationwide protests across Bangladesh and heightened political tensions, as authorities launched a manhunt for those responsible, according to Indian media reports. Sharif Osman Hadi, 32, was a vocal opponent of India, where Bangladesh&rsquo;s ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina has taken refuge since fleeing Dhaka following the 2024 uprising. His death has triggered unrest across Bangladesh, with demonstrators demanding swift arrests and accountability. Iqbal Hossain Saikot, a government employee who traveled to the capital to attend Hadi&rsquo;s funeral, said he believed the killing was linked to Hadi&rsquo;s political stance. &ldquo;The millions of Bangladeshi people who love the land and its sovereign territory will carry on Hadi&rsquo;s legacy,&rdquo; Saikot said. Police in Bangladesh said they had launched a manhunt for the attackers but had not reported any breakthroughs by Tuesday. In neighboring India,&nbsp;counterprotests were held&nbsp;over the alleged mob lynching of a Hindu worker in Dhaka.&nbsp; On Monday, leaders from Indian opposition parties and members of the Congress party staged demonstrations outside the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata and outside its High Commission in New Delhi. The report said Hindutva organizations, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal, called the demonstrations. Protesters clashed with police after being barred from entering the diplomatic mission. Effigies of Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser to Bangladesh&rsquo;s interim government, were burned on the road during the unrest, according to Indian media reports. Ties between neighbors Bangladesh and India have deteriorated since the uprising, with Dhaka demanding New Delhi extradite Sheikh Hasina, who has been sentenced to death in absentia after being charged with crimes against humanity.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and religious activists with posters of Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of Bangladesh's interim government shout slogans during a protest near the Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh office in Kolkata on December 22, 2025.

Asia

The killing of a Bangladeshi activist known for his outspoken criticism of India has sparked nationwide protests in Bangladesh and heightened political tensions, as authorities launched a manhunt for those responsible.

Anti-India sentiment grows in Bangladesh after killing of activist

ISLAMABAD: Football fans around the world voiced sharp criticism of the management of Lionel Messi&rsquo;s tour in India, highlighting chaotic arrangements and the forward&rsquo;s apparent discomfort during public appearances. Fans reacted angrily on social media after video clips showed Messi being surrounded and hugged by a local Indian politician, leaving the superstar looking visibly uneasy.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 708px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1999930651462824174&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=2be54c40ba3fcd94a01692bbc121079296bf6530&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Lionel Messi&#39;s tour, December 13-15,&nbsp;India kicked off chaotically as fans threw objects, ripped up seats and invaded the pitch at Kolkata&#39;s Salt Lake stadium. According to Reuters, Satadru Dutta, the event&#39;s chief organizer, has been detained by police, said Rajeev Kumar, director general of West Bengal police. Many fans around the world expressed disappointment, describing the event as poorly organized and &ldquo;chaotic,&rdquo; while the politician&rsquo;s presence and interference overshadowed Messi&rsquo;s engagement with the public.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 625px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1999871162835427746&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=2be54c40ba3fcd94a01692bbc121079296bf6530&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>In the event, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis honored Bollywood actors Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff during the ceremony, while Messi and Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul were seen standing to the side.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 673px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2000384977075306917&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=2be54c40ba3fcd94a01692bbc121079296bf6530&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The incident has sparked a wider debate among international football communities about event organization and fan experience, saying the tour failed to deliver a proper fan experience despite high expectations. Messi, however, was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying: &ldquo;It was beautiful to receive all the love and support. I knew it was there, but to receive it first-hand was, well, amazing,&rdquo; adding that he will &ldquo;definitely be back.&rdquo;

Football

Football fans worldwide criticized the management of Lionel Messi’s India tour after chaotic scenes at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium and videos showing him uncomfortable, saying the event was poorly organized and failed to deliver a proper fan experience.

Football fans slam India over Messi tour mismanagement

ISLAMABAD: The deadly shooting near Sydney&rsquo;s Bondi Beach has sparked concern in Pakistan after sections of Indian media, followed by some Israeli and Afghan social media accounts, rushed to link the attack to Pakistan despite no confirmation from Australian authorities. Soon after the incident, multiple Indian media outlets circulated the name Naveed Akram, portraying him as a &ldquo;Pakistani attacker.&rdquo; The claim quickly unraveled when a Pakistani-Australian man with the same name publicly denied any connection, calling the allegations false and dangerous. Akram said his photographs were taken from his personal social media accounts and falsely linked to the attacker. &ldquo;That is not me and I have nothing to do with that incident or with that person,&rdquo; he said, stressing that the misinformation has placed his safety at risk. &ldquo;This issue is very serious. I am stressed, scared, and cannot even go outside safely,&rdquo; Akram added, describing the &ldquo;dual trauma&rdquo; caused first by the tragedy itself and then by being falsely identified online. Investigators have tentatively identified one of the attackers, according to Sky News citing three senior law enforcement officials in the US and Australia. New South Wales Police have confirmed that 16 people were killed and 40 remain in hospital following Sunday&rsquo;s shooting. The police added that &ldquo;more information will be made available soon&rdquo; and that Bondi Beach and surrounding roads would remain closed as investigators continue processing the crime scene. Nevertheless, unverified narratives continued to circulate online, with some Indian, Israeli, and Afghan-based accounts attempting to associate the attack with Pakistan. International Relations scholar Ahmad Hassan Al-Arbi noted on X that reports suggested &ldquo;at least one Afghan national may have been involved,&rdquo; while emphasizing that official details remain limited and investigations are ongoing. The rapid spread of unverified claims has renewed concerns over misinformation during crises. Observers note that Indian media, frequently criticized for disinformation, once again amplified an unsubstantiated narrative targeting Pakistan, which was then echoed across aligned online platforms. Islamabad has strongly criticized New Delhi for a recurring pattern of baseless accusations against Pakistan in the aftermath of international security incidents. The Foreign Office has repeatedly called for restraint, responsible reporting, and reliance on verified facts, warning that premature allegations undermine credibility and threaten regional stability. The Pakistan Australian Cultural Association Inc (PACA) also issued a statement expressing shock and grief over the attack, condemning the &ldquo;atrocious and inhumane act of violence and terror&rdquo; at Bondi Beach. PACA extended condolences to the victims and their families, expressed solidarity with Australia&rsquo;s Jewish community, and praised the swift response of emergency services and community members. The association urged all communities to stand together, reject violence, and reaffirm a commitment to peace, compassion, and resilience, offering professional support to those traumatized by the tragedy. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with Australia. &ldquo;My deepest condolences to the victims of the tragic terrorist attack at Bondi Beach. Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,&rdquo; he said in a post on X. He also conveyed Pakistan&rsquo;s sympathy to the families of the victims and reaffirmed the country&rsquo;s commitment to opposing terrorism globally. <h1 style="line-height: 2;">Australian PM proposes &#39;tougher gun laws&#39;</h1>Australia&#39;s prime minister proposed &quot;tougher gun laws&quot; on Monday a day after gunmen killed 15 people in a mass shooting targeting a Jewish festival at a Sydney beach. &quot;The government is prepared to take whatever action is necessary. Included in that is the need for tougher gun laws,&quot; Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said after police confirmed one of the assailants was licensed to hold six firearms. Report about IS links&nbsp;Australia&rsquo;s intelligence service investigated one of the alleged gunmen in the Bondi Beach shooting for links to the Islamic State group six years ago, the national broadcaster said Monday, according to AFP. A 50-year-old father and his 24-year-old son are accused of opening fire Sunday on a Hanukkah festival at the famed Sydney beach, killing 15 people and wounding more than 40 others. Australian media named the gunmen as Sajid Akram, who was killed in a shootout with police, and his son Naveed Akram, who was in hospital in a critical condition under police guard. The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) looked into the son in 2019, according to public broadcaster ABC, which cited an unnamed senior official in the joint counter-terrorism operation investigating the Bondi Beach attack. It said Naveed Akram was believed to be closely connected to an Islamic State member who was arrested in July 2019 and convicted of preparing a terrorist act in Australia. Allegiance to Islamic State&nbsp;The broadcaster said counter-terrorism detectives believed the two Bondi Beach gunmen had pledged allegiance to Islamic State. Senior officials reportedly told that the ABC two IS flags were found in the gunmen&#39;s car at the beach. ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess told reporters on Sunday that one of the gunmen was &ldquo;known to us but not in an immediate threat perspective&rdquo;. &ldquo;So, obviously we&nbsp;need to look into what happened&nbsp;here,&rdquo; he added. New South Wales police said they could not confirm the ABC report. ASIO said it &ldquo;does not comment on individuals or ongoing investigations&rdquo;.

Foreign Affairs

Following deadly attack that killed 16 in Sydney, Pakistani-Australian Naveed Akram says he is falsely linked to the shooter online; condemns misinformation and urges people to stop spreading it.

Bondi shooting sparks false blame campaign against Pakistan

MUMBAI: Bitter rivals India and Pakistan have been clubbed together in the same group and will play each other on February 15 in Colombo in the T20 World Cup 2026, cricket&#39;s world body announced Tuesday.&nbsp;Defending champions India and Pakistan have been placed in Group A in the 20-team competition being co-hosted by Sri Lanka, according to the schedule released by the International Cricket Council in Mumbai.&nbsp;It will be the first time the two teams play each other since their three heated contests at the 2025 Asia Cup in the UAE, where they skipped the customary handshake at the toss and post-match greetings.&nbsp;The Asia Cup was the first time they had met since deadly border conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors in May.&nbsp;The T20 World Cup will see Pakistan playing all their matches in Sri Lanka, part of a compromise deal that allows both India and Pakistan to play at neutral venues in multi-nation tournaments.&nbsp;Matches in the tournament will be held from February 7 across five venues in India and three in Sri Lanka.&nbsp;The tournament will use the same format as 2024, 20 teams in four groups, ahead of a Super Eights phase, with the top two finishers from each group making it to the playoffs.&nbsp;The final will be played on March 8 either in Ahmedabad or Colombo, depending on whether Pakistan go all the way.

India and Pakistan will meet on February 15 in Colombo after being grouped together for the 2026 T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Their fixtures will be held at neutral venues under an agreed arrangement.

India and Pakistan set for group-stage clash in T20 World Cup

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday denounced Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh&rsquo;s recent comments about Sindh, calling them &ldquo;delusional&rdquo; and &ldquo;dangerously revisionist&rdquo; and warning that such statements threaten regional stability.&nbsp;The Foreign Office said Singh&rsquo;s remarks reflected &ldquo;an expansionist Hindutva mindset that seeks to challenge established realities&rdquo; and violate international law and the sovereignty of states.&nbsp;The statement came after Singh was quoted by Indian media as saying: &ldquo;Today, the land of Sindh may not be a part of India, but civilisationally, Sindh will always be a part of India. And as far as land is concerned, borders can change. Who knows, tomorrow Sindh may return to India again.&rdquo;&nbsp;He was also cited as claiming that Hindu community in Sindh of his generation had &ldquo;never fully accepted the province&rsquo;s accession to Pakistan.&rdquo;&nbsp;Islamabad rejected these assertions outright, urging Indian leaders to refrain from rhetoric that could inflame tensions.&nbsp;&ldquo;We urge Mr. Rajnath Singh and other Indian leaders to refrain from provocative rhetoric that threatens regional peace and stability,&rdquo; the Foreign Office said, arguing the Indian government would be &ldquo;far more constructive&rdquo; if it focused on protecting its own citizens, especially &ldquo;vulnerable minority communities.&rdquo;&nbsp;The statement also criticized the treatment of communities in India&rsquo;s northeast, noting that many continue to face &ldquo;systematic marginalization, identity-based persecution, and cycles of state-enabled violence.&rdquo;&nbsp;Reiterating its longstanding position on Kashmir, Pakistan called on India to take &ldquo;credible steps toward the genuine resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people under occupation.&rdquo;&nbsp;Islamabad added that while it remains committed to peace based on &ldquo;justice, equity and established international legal norms,&rdquo; it is &ldquo;firmly resolved to safeguard its security, national independence and sovereignty.&rdquo;&nbsp;The exchange marks the latest in a series of diplomatic tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors, underscoring how historical grievances, territorial disputes and identity-based politics continue to shape regional discourse.

Islamabad condemns Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh’s Sindh comments as “dangerously revisionist,” urging India to avoid provocative rhetoric and address internal grievances while reiterating its stance on Kashmir.

Pakistan denounces Indian minister’s remarks on Sindh, warns of destabilization

ISLAMABAD: Indian television news is facing a &ldquo;large-scale credibility crisis&rdquo; driven by sensationalism and hyper-nationalist rhetoric, which analysts and journalists say is now damaging India&rsquo;s image across South Asia.&nbsp;In the latest episode of Al Jazeera&rsquo;s The Listening Post released on Sunday, journalist Smita Sharma said the credibility decline stems from Indian television news increasingly drifting away from objectivity. &nbsp;&ldquo;Whether it is sensationalizing a bunch of issues or trying to sound patriotic and hyper-nationalist, the media ends up losing objectivity in its coverage,&rdquo; she said, adding that Indian television news has increasingly become a &ldquo;liability&rdquo; to India&rsquo;s regional interests.&nbsp;She noted that the crisis &ldquo;has spilled over as a larger image problem in the neighborhood, where Indian channels are followed closely.&rdquo;&nbsp;Roman Gautam, editor of Himal Southasian, said this is especially visible in Nepal.&nbsp;&ldquo;If there is one media that should know Nepal better, it is India, because of the depth of the relationship, government to government, people to people,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;&ldquo;Yet Indian media tends to pay close attention to Nepal only at moments of great crisis, without the nuance or understanding required. When events move fast, it becomes very difficult to report well or make sense of what is happening.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed youtube-embed"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NLR9D4o2pqc" title="Indian journalists caught in a credibility war in Bangladesh and Nepal | The Listening Post" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="" style="width: 100%; height: auto; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; max-width: 100%; display: block;"></iframe>&nbsp;</div>&nbsp;During recent protests in Nepal, Indian journalists were sometimes &ldquo;heckled, chased, even assaulted,&rdquo; as many protesters viewed them as promoting a political agenda on behalf of &ldquo;a larger, more powerful neighbor.&rdquo;&nbsp;Analysts said Indian channels attempted to frame protests as evidence that Nepalese citizens wanted &ldquo;a leader like Modi&rdquo; or a return to a Hindu state, narratives described as &ldquo;completely off the mark&rdquo; compared to realities on the ground.&nbsp;A similar reaction emerged in Bangladesh during the political turmoil that led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina&rsquo;s government.&nbsp;Filmmaker Deepak Kumar Goswami said, &ldquo;As soon as Hasina&rsquo;s regime fell, Indian media started saying Bangladesh had collapsed, that it no longer exists, that its economic foundations have disappeared.&rdquo;&nbsp;He said Indian channels portrayed the protests as driven mainly by &ldquo;extremists, Islamists or reactionary groups,&rdquo; ignoring the role of ordinary citizens. This approach, observers said, appeared patronizing and reinforced perceptions of a &ldquo;political big brother attitude.&rdquo;&nbsp;Analysts argue that the problem originates at home, where media ownership has tightened and critical journalists have been sidelined. Critics say many Indian channels have embraced &ldquo;more noise and less information,&rdquo; relying on aggressive panel debates and nationalist theatrics.&nbsp;One analyst noted that some channels even make false claims during conflict coverage, such as announcing the capture of Pakistani cities. &ldquo;When the media behaves like that, you turn yourself into a circus,&rdquo; they said.&nbsp;The overall effect, analysts warn, is strategic harm. If Indian media is functioning as &ldquo;a propaganda arm or strategic extension of government policy,&rdquo; then it is &ldquo;actually hindering Indian interests in the region.&rdquo;&nbsp;Instead of projecting influence and goodwill, the media now risks &ldquo;alienating the very audiences it seeks to influence.&rdquo;

Indian TV news faces a credibility crisis driven by sensationalism and hyper-nationalism, analysts say, damaging India’s image in Nepal and Bangladesh. Critics warn this domestic media shift now harms regional relationships and undermines India’s strategic influence.

Articles tagged with "india"

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Bondi shooting sparks false blame campaign against Pakistan

India and Pakistan set for group-stage clash in T20 World Cup

Pakistan denounces Indian minister’s remarks on Sindh, warns of destabilization

Indian media’s credibility crisis spills over, harming regional influence

India threatens ‘special mission’ to deport 224,000 Bangladeshi nationals