Latest Asia Pacific Breaking News

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – A mass shooting in which 15 people were killed during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach was “a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State,” Australia’s federal police commissioner Krissy Barrett said Tuesday. The suspects were a father and son, aged 50 and 24, authorities have said. The older man, whom state officials named as Sajid Akram, was shot dead. His son was being treated at a hospital. A news conference by political and law enforcement leaders on Tuesday was the first time officials confirmed their beliefs about the suspects’ ideologies. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the remarks were based on evidence obtained, including “the presence of Islamic State flags in the vehicle that has been seized.” There are 25 people still being treated in hospitals after Sunday’s massacre, 10 of them in critical condition.

SYDNEY (AP) – Before the bloodshed and broken hearts, there was a little girl with a gentle soul, a loving grandmother who delivered meals to the needy and a young man dubbed a “golden person” for his kindness. And there was an 87-year-old grandfather who sought solace in Australia after surviving the Holocaust, only to die in what officials have called antisemitic terrorism. They are among the 15 people killed Sunday evening by two gunmen during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach. Australia’s federal police commissioner said it was a terrorist attack inspired by the Islamic State group.

SYDNEY (AP) – As the sounds of bullets rang out and the bodies fell, the young mother threw herself on top of her 5-year-old son and prayed. “Please don’t let us die,” 33-year-old Rebecca begged God from her hiding place under a table in a park overlooking Bondi, Australia’s most iconic beach. Rebecca spoke on condition that her last name not be used for fear of retaliation. “Please just keep my son safe.” It was faith that drew Rebecca and hundreds of other members of Sydney’s Jewish community to this picturesque spot to celebrate the start of Hannukah. And it was faith that authorities said made her and others attending the Channukah by the Sea gathering a target of two gunmen who began firing at revelers around 6:40 p.m.

NEW YORK (AP) – Leading Jewish groups in the United States are urging all Jewish organizations to ratchet up security measures at public events – including restrictions on access – following the deadly mass shooting that targeted a Hanukkah celebration on a popular Australian beach. The groups – including three which specialize in security issues – said Jewish public events in the coming days should be open only to people who had been screened after preregistering. “Provide details of location, time, and other information only upon confirmed registration,” the groups’ advisory said. “Have access control (locks and entrance procedures) to only allow known, confirmed registrants/attendees into the facility/event.” Coinciding with this urgent appeal for increased precautions, some rabbis said their synagogues would proceed with large-scale celebrations, intended to demonstrate resilience.

SYDNEY (AP) – Australian leaders promised on Monday to immediately overhaul already-tough gun control laws after a mass shooting targeted a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach. At least 15 people died in the attack, which has fueled criticism that authorities are not doing enough to combat a surge in antisemitic crimes. Among the new measures proposed would be a limit on the number of guns someone can own and a review of licenses held over time. Those and other actions would represent a significant update to the landmark national firearms agreement, which virtually banned rapid-fire rifles after a gunman killed 35 people in Tasmania in 1996, galvanizing the country into action.

TOKYO (AP) – Japan lifted a megaquake advisory for the country’s northeastern coast Tuesday, one week after a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off northern Japan that officials said had caused an increased risk of a subsequent major quake. The lifting means residents in the designated area under the advisory are no longer asked to sleep in their day clothes, with helmets, shoes and grab bags at their bedside in case a magnitude 8 or larger quake hits the area. At a joint news conference, officials at the Japan Meteorological Agency and Cabinet Office said the probability of a megaquake has somewhat decreased, but the lifting doesn’t mean the risk has disappeared, urging residents to maintain adequate levels of vigilance and preparedness.

HONG KONG (AP) – Jimmy Lai, the pro-democracy former Hong Kong media mogul and outspoken critic of Beijing, was convicted Monday in a landmark national security trial, which could send him to prison for the rest of his life. Three government-vetted judges found Lai, 78, guilty of conspiring with others to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiracy to publish seditious articles. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. Lai was arrested in August 2020 under a Beijing-imposed national security law that was implemented following massive anti-government protests in 2019. Lai has spent five years in custody, much of it in solitary confinement, and his family said his health has declined rapidly.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy former Hong Kong media mogul who has come to symbolize defiance to Beijing, would devote himself to God and his family rather than political activism if he were released, his daughter said Monday after he was convicted in a national security case. Claire Lai made an appeal for her 78-year-old father’s freedom following the verdict in Hong Kong stemming from his political advocacy. He now faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars. “He just wants to reunite with his family. He wants to dedicate his life to serving our Lord, and he wants to dedicate the rest of his days to his family,” she told The Associated Press in an interview in Washington.

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) – A Pakistani anti-terrorism court sentenced a senior leader of a banned Islamist party to 35 years in prison for inciting violence, more than a year after the cleric publicly called for the killing of the country’s then-chief justice, court officials and a defense lawyer said Tuesday. Zaheerul Hassan Shah, a leader of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, was arrested last year after a video circulated on social media showing him offering 10 million rupees ($36,000) to anyone who beheaded then-Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa. Isa had faced criticism from hardline religious groups last year after he granted bail to a man from the minority Ahmadi community in a blasphemy case.

MONGKOL BOREY, Cambodia (AP) – Heavy combat between Thailand and Cambodia entered a second week on Monday, with Phnom Penh claiming that Thai bombing is hitting deeper into its territory, coming close to shelters for people who had already fled dangerous areas along the border. According to Cambodia’s defense and information ministries, Thai F-16 fighter jets dropped two bombs shortly after 10 a.m. near camps for displaced people in Oddar Meanchey and Siem Reap provinces. The bombing in Siem Reap’s Srei Snam district, more than 70 kilometers (43 miles) inside Cambodian territory, targeted a bridge, Cambodian authorities said. The province is home to the world-famous Angkor Wat temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the country’s biggest tourist attraction.