The incident took place in Chakwal when Punjab Police Elite Force personnel reportedly mistook the family’s vehicle for a getaway car used by armed thieves.

Police said the family was trying to escape after suspected robbers attempted to stop them at gunpoint. During the confusion, an officer allegedly fired at the vehicle, resulting in the death of Hania Ahmed and injuries to her father Adeel Ahmed and brother Aafan.

The Punjab Police Crime Control Department said the shooting was a mistaken assessment and the officer involved has been taken into custody.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called for transparency and a full investigation, saying the circumstances surrounding the child’s death were deeply concerning.

Authorities said the two robbery suspects were later killed in a separate encounter, while the investigation into the police shooting continues.

Pauline Hanson is emerging as a central force in Australian politics nearly three decades after entering federal parliament, as growing economic anxiety, concerns over immigration and dissatisfaction with mainstream parties fuel renewed support for rightwing populism.

The resurgence of Hanson’s One Nation has intensified pressure on both the governing Labor Party and the opposition Liberal-National Coalition, with both major political blocs adjusting policy positions in response to shifting voter sentiment.

This month, One Nation secured its first federal lower house seat after defeating conservative candidates in the rural electorate of Farrer, a district long considered a stronghold of the Coalition. The result followed gains in South Australia’s state election earlier this year and marked a significant breakthrough for a party that for years struggled to convert national attention into sustained parliamentary representation.

Angus Taylor described the Farrer byelection outcome as an “existential moment” for the Coalition, which has faced internal instability and declining support since its defeat in the 2025 federal election.The rise of One Nation mirrors broader international trends in rightwing populism associated with figures such as Donald Trump in the United States and Nigel Farage in Britain.

Hanson’s messaging has focused heavily on immigration, opposition to climate policies and criticism of political institutions, themes that analysts say resonate with economically insecure and politically disillusioned voters.

Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, who defected from the National Party of Australia to One Nation last year, said voter frustration was being driven by fears of economic decline and a perceived lack of long-term national direction.

“There is a frustration, there is a malaise,” Joyce said. “People feel they are going to hand to their children a lesser nation than their parents handed to them.”Hanson first entered national politics in 1996 after being disendorsed as a candidate for the Liberal Party of Australia over controversial remarks about Indigenous Australians.

Running as an independent, she won the Queensland seat of Oxley and used her maiden parliamentary speech to attack multiculturalism and warn that Australia risked being “swamped by Asians.”Her rhetoric made her one of the country’s most polarizing political figures. In 1997, she co-founded One Nation, which rapidly gained traction, particularly in Queensland.

The party secured 11 seats at the 1998 Queensland state election, though Hanson herself later lost federal representation despite receiving the highest primary vote in her electorate under Australia’s preferential voting system.Hanson spent nearly two decades largely outside federal politics, a period that included failed campaigns, internal party disputes and a prison sentence for electoral fraud convictions that were later overturned on appeal.

She returned to the Senate in 2016 and remained a prominent figure through a series of controversial campaigns focused on immigration, Islam and national identity.Among the most widely criticized incidents was her appearance in the Senate chamber wearing a burqa in support of proposals to ban the garment, an act she repeated in 2025 and which resulted in a parliamentary suspension.

Despite persistent controversy, One Nation’s electoral support continued to grow. The party secured 6.4% of the national vote at the 2025 election, roughly doubling its previous result.Its momentum accelerated after a mass shooting at a Hanukkah gathering in Sydney’s Bondi area in December that killed 15 people. Authorities described the attack as allegedly inspired by the militant group Islamic State.

Hanson and Joyce attended memorial events for victims while simultaneously linking the incident to broader immigration and security debates.Polling conducted after the attack showed One Nation overtaking the Coalition in some voter surveys, particularly in working-class outer suburban areas where dissatisfaction with housing affordability and cost-of-living pressures has intensified.

The Coalition’s response has included a more aggressive stance on immigration and border policy following the appointment of new leadership after its 2025 defeat. Political observers say the party is increasingly attempting to reclaim conservative voters shifting toward Hanson.

At the same time, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the governing Australian Labor Party have also adjusted policy positions amid concerns that economic insecurity is driving support for populist movements.

Labor this week abandoned an earlier election commitment not to alter tax concessions benefiting property investors, part of a broader housing affordability package intended to address rising public concern over home ownership access among younger Australians.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers framed the policy shift as a response to broader political and economic pressures reshaping democracies globally.“We’re doing what’s necessary, not what’s convenient, at a time of extraordinary, accelerating change in the world playing out in our economy and society,” Chalmers said.

“And when you look around the world, from Farage to Farrer the choice this moment presents for parties of government is clear.”Chalmers argued Labor remained “the sensible centre” of Australian politics while acknowledging that both major parties were under growing pressure to respond to rapidly changing voter expectations.

As One Nation expands beyond its traditional regional and protest-vote base, analysts say the party’s influence is now being measured not only by seats won, but by its ability to shape the national political agenda and force strategic recalibrations from Australia’s two dominant parties.

Wale secured 26 votes against 22 for rival candidate Peter Shanel Agovaka in a parliamentary ballot announced by Governor General David Tiva Kapu.
“We take government at a difficult time, given what is happening throughout the world,” Wale said after his election.

“We are not immune from the impacts of these geopolitical events,” he added.

The leadership transition comes at a sensitive moment for the Pacific island nation, whose growing strategic relationship with China has drawn scrutiny from the United States, Australia and regional allies.

Located about 1,600 kilometers northeast of Australia, the Solomon Islands has become a focal point of geopolitical competition in the Pacific since signing a security pact with China in 2022.

Wale had previously emerged as one of the agreement’s most vocal domestic critics, warning the deal could undermine regional security arrangements and strain ties with traditional partners including Australia and the United States.

However, his stance toward Beijing appeared to soften in recent years. In 2025, Wale led a delegation to China where he praised the country’s economic development and reaffirmed support for the “one-China” policy, according to a statement released by the Chinese Communist Party.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese congratulated Wale after the vote and signaled Canberra’s intention to maintain close engagement with the new government.

“Congratulations to Matthew Wale, on being appointed Prime Minister of Solomon Islands. I look forward to working together to continue strengthening our economic, development and security partnership,” Albanese said in a post on X.

The Solomon Islands has experienced repeated political turbulence in recent years as external powers deepen engagement across the Pacific through security agreements, infrastructure projects and economic aid programs.

Speaking in Canberra after talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Takaichi said both countries would act with urgency to strengthen energy security amid a supply squeeze linked to reduced shipping through the strait.

Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil typically transits through the Strait of Hormuz, with flows curtailed after Iran throttled shipping following attacks by the United States and Israel. About 80 percent of that oil is destined for Asia, according to the International Energy Agency.

“The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has been inflicting enormous impact on the Indo-Pacific,” Takaichi told reporters, adding that Japan and Australia would maintain close communication to respond to the situation.

Both governments said they would seek to enhance resilience and autonomy in energy supply chains. Australia is Japan’s largest supplier of liquefied natural gas, while Japan provides a share of refined fuel products, including diesel, to Australia.

The two sides issued a series of agreements covering energy, economic cooperation, defense and critical minerals. Albanese said the measures would help shield Australia from “global shocks” stemming from conflict in the Middle East.

Japan has also emphasized the importance of securing stable supplies of critical minerals used in semiconductors, electric vehicle batteries and defense systems. Australia has positioned itself as a key supplier of such resources, highlighting its reserves as an alternative to concentrated global supply chains.

Defense cooperation has expanded alongside economic ties, including a deal valued at around Aus$10 billion for Japan to supply Mogami-class stealth warships to the Australian navy.

In a separate foreign policy address in Vietnam over the weekend, Takaichi reiterated Japan’s commitment to a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” a strategy aimed at strengthening regional security and supply chain resilience.
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The federal inquiry found that Australia’s Jewish community “was the evident target of the attack,” in which Sajid Akram and his son Naveed allegedly opened fire on crowds gathered at the Sydney beachfront suburb on Dec. 14, marking the country’s deadliest mass shooting in three decades.

An email sent by the Community Security Group to police before the event warned that “a terrorist attack against the NSW Jewish Community is likely and there is a high level of antisemitic vilification,” the report said.Police responded that they could not provide dedicated officers for the Hanukkah gathering but said mobile patrols would be sent to “check in and monitor the event,” according to the inquiry.

The commission said police should consider strengthening security arrangements for Jewish celebrations that have a strong public presence, particularly during periods of heightened threat.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday the federal government would implement all recommendations made by the inquiry and pledged stronger protections for the community.“I can assure the Australian public that the government will do everything necessary to protect the community in the wake of the Bondi attack,” Albanese told reporters.

Asked whether police had failed to adequately monitor the Bondi event, Albanese said operational responsibility rested with the New South Wales state government.The royal commission, Australia’s highest form of public inquiry, is examining intelligence failures, police preparedness and the broader rise of antisemitism across the country following the attack.

It said Australia’s counter-terrorism capabilities “could be improved” and recommended an immediate review of leadership structures and information-sharing arrangements between agencies responsible for national security and counter-terrorism.

The shooting triggered widespread debate over antisemitism in Australia, public anger over the protection of Jewish communities and renewed political pressure to tighten gun control and hate crime laws.

Victims’ families wrote an open letter in December urging Albanese to establish a federal royal commission into what they described as the rapid rise of antisemitism in Australia.“We demand answers and solutions,” the letter said.

Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police during the attack. His 24-year-old son Naveed, an Australian-born citizen, remains in custody and has been charged with terrorism offenses and 15 counts of murder.

The inquiry is being led by former High Court judge Virginia Bell and is expected to continue examining evidence through public hearings over the coming months.

Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme, once hailed as one of the country’s most ambitious social policy reforms, is undergoing its most significant restructuring since its creation as the Albanese government moves to curb rising costs and restore what ministers describe as long-term sustainability.

The federal government this week announced sweeping changes to the NDIS, including tighter eligibility rules and mandatory independent functional assessments for all participants, in a package projected to save the budget A$35 billion over four years.

The reforms come as annual scheme costs approach A$50 billion and concerns intensify over whether the system can remain financially viable in its current form.David Bowen, the inaugural chief executive of the National Disability Insurance Agency, said the scale the scheme has reached would likely have prevented it from being approved had governments anticipated its current size.

“Had any government, of any political persuasion, known it was going to be this size, by this time, it would have never been funded in the first place,” Bowen said.The NDIS was introduced following a landmark 2011 Productivity Commission report, which described Australia’s previous disability support framework as underfunded, fragmented and inefficient.

The commission proposed a national insurance model that would provide individualised support for people with permanent and significant disabilities, replacing the inconsistent state-based systems that had long drawn criticism.At full implementation, the scheme was expected to support around 410,000 Australians and cost approximately A$13.5 billion annually. Alongside it, a second level of support—known as tier two was intended to provide broader community-based assistance for the roughly four million Australians living with disability who would not qualify for individualised packages under the NDIS.The commission argued that while the upfront costs would be substantial, the long-term economic and social benefits would significantly outweigh the expenditure.

Over time, however, participation and costs expanded far beyond original projections. Health Minister Mark Butler said the growth was driven by both structural design flaws and implementation failures, including poor market regulation and an eligibility system that allowed broader entry than originally intended.

Butler said the NDIS had become vulnerable to what he described as a “free-for-all” environment in parts of the support market, allowing some providers to exploit weak oversight while costs accelerated.He also said the eligibility framework had shifted away from assessing functional impairment toward diagnosis-based access, allowing significantly more people to enter the scheme than policymakers initially expected.

The largest area of growth has been autism-related participation. According to government figures, people with autism now account for 324,200 participants, representing 43% of all people currently enrolled in the NDIS.Bowen said that during the trial years of the scheme, an autism diagnosis alone was not sufficient for entry and eligibility was based more strictly on the level of functional impairment.

He said that changed after his retirement from the NDIA in 2017 and described the policy shift as one that broadened the scheme “incalculably.”In response to this expansion, Butler last year announced a jointly funded A$4 billion federal-state initiative known as Thriving Kids, aimed at supporting children under nine with mild developmental delays and autism outside the NDIS and reducing pressure on the scheme.

The government now plans to legislate a system under which every participant will undergo evidence-based independent assessments to determine both eligibility and the level of support required. The proposal mirrors, in part, reforms previously attempted by the Coalition government under Scott Morrison.

In 2021, the Coalition proposed mandatory independent assessments requiring participants to complete a three-hour interview with a government-contracted health professional. The plan was met with strong opposition from disability advocates, state governments and Labor, which accused the government at the time of undermining the scheme.

Labor campaigned in the 2022 election on protecting the NDIS and criticised the Coalition over attempts to reduce access. After winning government, however, the fiscal reality of the scheme’s rapid expansion prompted a policy shift.Bill Shorten, appointed as NDIS minister, took charge of reforms to a system he had helped establish during the Gillard government.

He commissioned a major review led by Bruce Bonyhady, another key architect of the NDIS, which recommended creating a stronger system of foundational disability supports outside the scheme—effectively implementing the second-tier support model originally proposed by the Productivity Commission.

At the same time, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese secured agreement from national cabinet for the first formal annual growth target for NDIS costs, initially set at 8%.“We know that the trajectory of NDIS expenditure is just not sustainable into the future,” Albanese said after the April 2023 meeting, warning that without intervention the scheme could reach A$97 billion within a decade.Following another A$13 billion cost blowout, that target has now been revised further, with the government aiming to reduce annual growth to 2% until 2030.

The changes have triggered significant concern across the disability community, particularly among participants uncertain about how new eligibility rules and reassessments may affect their access to support.

Australian Disability Network chief executive El Gibbs and other advocates have warned that while reform is necessary, the political language surrounding cost containment risks framing disabled Australians as a financial burden rather than citizens entitled to support.

Disability advocacy groups say many participants remain deeply anxious about what the reforms will mean in practice, especially for families who rely on the scheme for daily care, therapy and independence.

Australian Federation of Disability Organisations chief executive Ross Joyce Bennison said uncertainty around the reforms had created widespread fear among participants.“I think people are also feeling like they’re being heralded as a burden on society,” Bennison said.“It feels really not very nice to be a disabled person in Australia at the moment.”

As parliament prepares to consider the legislation next month, the government faces the challenge of balancing fiscal restraint with preserving confidence in one of Australia’s largest and most politically sensitive social programs.

National broadcaster ABC reported that four Australian women and nine of their children and grandchildren departed Roj Camp on Friday, citing the camp’s director, with Syrian authorities transporting them to Damascus to facilitate onward travel to Australia.

The Australian government said it was not involved in the operation and maintained its long-standing policy against actively repatriating individuals from such camps.“The Australian Government is not and will not repatriate people from Syria,” a government spokesperson said in a statement.

The spokesperson added that intelligence and security agencies were continuing to monitor developments closely and were prepared for any Australians who attempted to return independently.

“People in this cohort need to know that if they have committed a crime and if they return to Australia they will be met with the full force of the law,” the statement said.Canberra said its “overriding priority” remained the safety of Australians and the protection of national interests, reflecting ongoing political sensitivity surrounding the possible return of families linked to members of the extremist group Daesh.

Roj Camp, located in northeastern Syria, houses women and children associated with suspected Daesh fighters following the collapse of the group’s territorial control in Iraq and Syria.

The families reported this week are believed to be part of a group of 34 Australians who were unable to leave the camp during a failed repatriation attempt in February, reportedly due to coordination issues involving Syrian authorities.

At the time, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government would not provide assistance, using the phrase: “You make your bed, you lie in it,” to describe Canberra’s position.The return of Daesh-linked families has remained highly divisive in Australia, with some lawmakers and security officials warning that repatriation could create long-term domestic security risks.

Humanitarian organizations, however, have argued that women and especially children trapped in the camps face deteriorating living conditions, legal limbo, and prolonged statelessness.In 2023, Save the Children Australia filed legal action on behalf of 11 women and 20 children in Roj Camp, seeking government intervention to secure their return.

Australia’s Federal Court ruled against the group, finding that the government did not exercise legal control over the detainees’ confinement in Syria and therefore was not obligated to repatriate them.

Australia has previously repatriated some women and children from Syrian detention camps under earlier operations, but officials have remained cautious, balancing humanitarian concerns against domestic political and security pressures.

The latest developments suggest that any return of Australian citizens from Roj Camp will likely proceed without direct government facilitation, under close scrutiny from law enforcement and intelligence agencies upon arrival.

Fire Rescue Victoria said crews were called at around 11:15 p.m. local time to the Viva Energy Refinery, where the fire involved liquid fuels and gases and remained uncontrolled as of early Thursday.“All emergency response personnel and Viva employees have been accounted for,” the agency said in a statement, adding there were no reported casualties.

Authorities urged residents in Geelong and surrounding areas to remain indoors and close windows and doors as smoke spread across the region due to shifting winds.The refinery, operated by Viva Energy Group, is one of only two remaining oil refineries in Australia and can process up to 120,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

It supplies more than half of fuel demand in Victoria state and about 10% of Australia’s total fuel consumption.Fire officials said the blaze was contained to the plant, while the company indicated there was no immediate disruption to fuel supplies.

Australia’s Energy Minister Chris Bowen said an investigation would be launched, describing the incident as likely accidental at this stage. He added that while diesel and jet fuel production continued, petrol output could be affected for some time.

The incident comes as Australia faces heightened fuel security concerns linked to disruptions in global energy markets, particularly following tensions affecting the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for international oil shipments.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said last month the government would temporarily cut fuel excise and road user charges to offset rising costs driven by the conflict.

Coyle, currently chief of joint capabilities, will replace Lieutenant General Simon Stuart, the government said. Her appointment comes as the Australian Defence Force seeks to increase female representation and address allegations of systemic sexual harassment and discrimination.

Defence Minister Richard Marles described the move as a “deeply historic moment,” adding that Coyle’s leadership would be significant for women serving in the military and those considering enlistment.Coyle, 55, joined the army in 1987 and has held several senior command roles.

Marles said she would also become the first woman to lead any service branch within the ADF.Women currently account for about 21% of ADF personnel and 18.5% of senior leadership positions. The military has set a target of raising female participation to 25% by 2030.

The leadership changes come after a class action lawsuit filed in October alleged the ADF failed to protect thousands of female personnel from sexual assault, harassment and discrimination.

In parallel appointments, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond will become chief of the ADF, replacing Admiral David Johnston, while Rear Admiral Matthew Buckley will take over as head of the navy.

”Albanese’s comments came after Trump warned that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Tehran failed to meet a U.S. deadline for a deal, language the Australian leader said would cause concern.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate to use language such as that from the president of the United States,” Albanese said, while adding that the ceasefire represented a positive step.

“What we have called for is a de-escalation, and that is what has occurred, and that’s a good thing.”Australia has been among countries urging restraint amid escalating tensions that have disrupted global energy markets and heightened economic uncertainty.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong also criticized Trump’s remarks in an interview with national broadcaster ABC, saying threats of widespread destruction were unacceptable.

“I don’t think anyone should be threatening the destruction of a civilization,” Wong said, adding that the ceasefire must hold given its implications for the global economy and energy supplies.

Wong also rejected Israeli assertions that the ceasefire does not extend to Lebanon, where ongoing strikes have caused significant casualties and displacement.

The statements reflect broader international concern over the tone and scope of rhetoric surrounding the conflict, even as diplomatic efforts seek to stabilize the region under the fragile truce.