Australian authorities say the mass shooting that killed 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach was a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State ideology, carried out by a father and son originally from Pakistan.Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett confirmed on Tuesday that investigators now believe the attack was ideologically motivated, following the recovery of Islamic State-linked material and improvised explosive devices. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the assessment was based on evidence seized during the investigation, including flags and online material connected to the extremist group.

Also read: Father-son duo visited Philippines – What we know about Pakistan-origin shootersThe victims ranged in age from 10 to 87 and included a British-born rabbi, a Holocaust survivor, a retired police officer and a 10-year-old girl. Twenty-five people remain in hospital, several in critical condition, including children.

The suspects were identified as Sajid Akram, 50, who was shot dead by police at the scene, and his son Naveed Akram, 24, who remains under guard in hospital. Authorities say the pair deliberately targeted Jewish attendees in what was intended to be a mass-casualty attack.Also read: Shooter spoke to mother hours before Bondi beach attackAlbanese said the gunmen appeared to have been radicalised by “an ideology of hate” aligned with Islamic State. Investigators found two homemade IS flags draped over a vehicle used in the attack, along with improvised explosive devices.

What happened during Bondi beach attack?

Australian intelligence agency ASIO had previously investigated Naveed Akram in 2019 over associations with individuals linked to a Sydney-based pro-IS network. He was interviewed, along with family members, but was not assessed as posing an imminent threat at the time. Authorities insist there was no intelligence failure and that neither man was on a terrorism watchlist before the attack.Sajid Akram legally owned six firearms and held a licence for recreational hunting. Several of those weapons were taken to Bondi Beach. The revelations have renewed scrutiny of gun licensing, with Albanese and state leaders pledging the most significant tightening of Australia’s gun laws since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.

Investigators are also examining a trip the pair took to the Philippines in November, weeks before the attack. Philippine immigration authorities confirmed that Sajid Akram travelled on an Indian passport, while his son used an Australian passport. Both declared the southern city of Davao as their destination.Australian security sources cited by ABC Australia, said the men may have undergone “military-style training” during their visit, though Philippine authorities have said there is no immediate confirmation of such activity. Islamist militant groups have previously operated in parts of southern Mindanao, although officials say their capabilities have been significantly degraded in recent years.NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said no security alert was triggered by the trip and that the purpose of the visit remains under investigation. Counter-terrorism officers later searched a short-term rental in Sydney where the men had been staying and recovered additional firearms.

Several civilians were praised for intervening during the attack. Ahmed al Ahmed, a Syrian-born shop owner, was filmed tackling and disarming one gunman before being shot multiple times. Albanese visited him in hospital, calling him “a true Australian hero”.Bondi Beach lifeguards also rushed towards the gunfire to assist victims, while police officers were wounded confronting the attackers.

Reliance Industries (RIL) new AI subsidiary Reliance Intelligence has started operations. Reliance Intelligence (REIL) will be led by Gaurav Aggarwal, chief AI scientist at Reliance Jio. The unit has started hiring AI/ML engineers for Indic-language model development and new product incubation. Aggarwal shared openings for AI (artificial intelligence) and ML (machine learning) engineers in posts on Twitter and LinkedIn. “At Reliance Intelligence, we’re assembling a team that can push what is technically possible in India’s AI ecosystem,” Aggarwal said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Whether we’ve worked together or you’ve followed my journey from afar: if you have the skills and the fire, I want you on this team. I am all in on this mission, but to achieve the impossible, I need the best builders by my side. Let’s make history,” he added in another. He has also shared a Google Form with the post that says: ‘AI/ML Engineer’, Reliance Intelligence – Research Org.In a post on LinkedIn, Aggarwal wrote, “If you’ve worked on training pipelines, distributed systems, model optimisation, or deep learning research, and want to operate at national scale -this is an opportunity to build something meaningful.”Aggarwal has worked as an AI researcher with stints at Google DeepMind and IBM. Aggarwal assumed his current role in Jio in May 2024. He has also headed data science and AI teams at Ola and Snapdeal previously.

REIL is JV with Meta Platforms

Incorporated in September 2025, Reliance Intelligence is a wholly-owned unit of RIL housing its AI partnerships with global technology companies such as Google and Meta. The group is building a gigawatt-scale AI-ready data centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat.REIL will be engaged in developing marketing and distributing enterprise AI services as per the JV arrangement. Reliance Intelligence will hold 70% and Meta Arm Facebook will hold 30% in REIL. Reliance Intelligence and Facebook have jointly committed an initial investment of Rs 855 crore.In October this year, Google, in partnership with Reliance Intelligence, started rolling out Google’s AI Pro plan with the latest version of Google Gemini to eligible Jio users free of charge for 18 months. This offer includes higher access to Google’s most capable Gemini 2.5 Pro model in the Gemini app, higher limits to generate stunning images and videos with their state-of-the-art Nano Banana and Veo 3.1 models, expanded access to Notebook LM for study and research, 2 TB of cloud storage and more. This 18-month offer is worth Rs 35,100.

Google is retiring its free Dark Web monitoring tool. In a support page, Google announced that it is discontinuing the “Dark Web report” tool. Since the past two years, the tool has been available for free to all Gmail users. Google’s ‘Dark Web tool’ feature worked by scanning users’ email addresses to determine whether they had appeared in data breaches, which often circulate on Dark Web marketplaces. The tool then alerted users about where the data that was exposed in the breach, including any accompanying details such as date of birth, addresses, and phone numbers.Google, however, says that the tool has not been helpful enough. “While the report offered general information, feedback showed that it didn’t provide helpful next steps,” says the company on its support page. Some users also reportedly complained that it didn’t provide meaningful alerts.

When will ‘Dark Web Report’ tool stop working

Google Support page says that the company is discontinuing the Dark web report. The key dates are:* January 15, 2026: The scans for new dark web breaches stop.* February 16, 2026: The dark web report is no longer available.

Google on why it has discontinued the Dark web report

While the report offered general information, feedback showed that it didn’t provide helpful next steps. We’re making this change to instead focus on tools that give you more clear, actionable steps to protect your information online. We’ll continue to track and defend you from online threats, including the dark web, and build tools that help protect you and your personal information.Google says that it encourages users to use the existing tools we offer to strengthen your security and privacy, including:* Security Checkup* Create a Passkey to Log Into Your Google Account* Authentication Tools for secure Sign-In Google Safety Center* Google Password Manager* Password Checkup* We encourage you to also use Results about you. This tool helps you find and request the removal of your personal information from Google Search results, like your phone number and home address.

Citigroup maintained its buy rating on Maruti Suzuki with the target price hiked to Rs 19,000 from Rs 18,900 earlier. Analysts said they were making minor changes to their estimates for the company’s numbers to account for the recent strength in volume growth. They increased the volume growth for Maruti for FY26 to FY28 by 2–3%, and trimmed margin assumptions, accounting for slightly lower gross margins. They said the company’s earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) and earnings estimates over FY26 – FY28 were increased by 0–1%.CLSA has upgraded its rating on JSW Energy to hold with the target price at Rs 486. Analysts said that the stock had, over the last 12 months, underperformed the market by 35%. They believed this underperformance had absorbed its recurring decline in net profit of 17% despite thermal power acquisition, mainly as the Supreme Court reversed a faulty regulatory order curtailing its merchant hydro power volume along with higher funding costs from leveraged M&As. Promoters have stepped-in to address its aggressive leverage via an Rs 3,000 crore equity injection along with a potential Rs 10,000 crore in additional equity. Analysts said while JSWE’s transition has slowed due to its move toward coal asset additions, this thin free-float stock at current valuations looks rich.Nuvama has a buy rating on Amber Enterprises with the target price at Rs 9,100. Analysts said that the company’s management reiterated their guidance, implying a strong 13–15 percentage point outperformance to industry in consumer durables, excellent traction in electronics and gradual improvement in Mobility. The management also highlighted deeper backward integration and recent acquisitions strengthen Amber’s capabilities and margin profile in the electronics business. Baking in recent takeover and raw material cost inflation yields a modest 6%/2% cut in FY26/27 earnings per share, analysts said.Jefferies has a buy rating on TBO Tek with the target price raised to Rs 1,950 from Rs 1,800 earlier. Analysts said that the management underscored sustained relevance of offline agents amid rising luxury and experiential travel demand. TBO is scaling AI tools to empower advisors, while partners like Emirates, Hilton value its reach, curated content, and service depth. With key account manager investments tapering, margin turnaround is underway.Morgan Stanley has initiated its coverage of Lenskart Tech at equal weight and a target price at Rs 445. Analysts said Lenskart is a distinctive play on shifting lifestyle dynamics and is largely insulated from macro headwinds. They believe the company has elements to be Essilor Luxottica (global eyewear leader) from India, given its leading position and fully integrated business model. However, at current levels the stock is fairly valued.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday filed a chargesheet in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack case, naming Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)/The Resistance Front (former’s front) among seven accused. Sources said the LeT/TRF role was established after the origin of the two messages put out by TRF on its digital media platform, first claiming responsibility shortly after the attack, and the denial thereafter, were traced to Pakistan.The six other accused listed in the chargesheet, filed before the Special NIA court in Jammu, are top Lashkar mastermind and Pakistani handler Sajid Jatt; neutralised Pakistani attackers Faisal Jatt, alias Suleman Shah, who hailed from Pakistan Punjab, Habeeb Tahir, alias Jibran, from Rawlakote in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and Abu Hamza; and arrested Kashmiri locals Parvaiz Ahmad and Bashir Ahmad Jothad, who had harboured the three Pakistani attackers days before the attack.The 1,597-page chargesheet records how NIA, through a meticulous probe spanning eight months, traced the Pahalgam attack conspiracy to Pakistan, “which has been unabatedly sponsoring terrorism against India”. The links to Pakistan were confirmed by belongings and articles – IDs, M4 assault weapons and chocolates – recovered from the hideout of the three attackers who were killed in Operation Mahadev in July.

In A 1st, Lashkar Charged As A Legal Entity

This is perhaps the first time that LeT has been chargesheeted as a legal entity; earlier chargesheets filed in terror attacks launched by LeT, including the 26/11 Mumbai strikes, had named its top leaders, including chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed and Sajid Jatt. There, however, are precedents of an ‘unlawful association’ like Popular Front of India (PFI) being chargesheeted by NIA.“The chargesheet, which details Pakistan’s conspiracy, roles of the accused and supporting evidence in the case, has charged the banned LeT/TRF as a legal entity for its role in planning, facilitating and executing the Pahalgam attack,” NIA said.Pahalgam mastermind listed as an individual ‘terrorist’ under UAPATOI had on July 29 reported that Sajid Jatt, who leads TRF/LeT operations in Kashmir, had masterminded the Pahalgam attack as part of a closely-guarded ISI-LeT conspiracy to carry out a high-impact attack in Kashmir. Jatt was specifically instructed by ISI to only deploy foreign terrorists for the gruesome targeted killings on religious lines, while ensuring minimal involvement of local Kashmiris.Sajid Jatt, alias Saifullah, born on Sept 3, 1982, and hailing from Kasur, Pakistan, is listed as an individual ‘terrorist’ under the UAPA. He was the key handler of terrorists who killed five Indian soldiers in Bhata Dhurian, Poonch in 2023. LeT/TRF as well as the four Pakistani terrorists have been charged under provisions of BNS, Arms Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and for waging war against India. Parvaiz and Bashir had, following their arrest in June, disclosed identities of the attackers, confirming that the latter were Pakistani nationals affiliated to LeT. Sources had earlier told TOI that Parvaiz and Bashir were paid Rs 3,000 by the terrorists.

NEW DELHI: Set to consign the Congress-stamped MGNREGA to history, Modi govt will unveil a new law on guaranteed unskilled rural jobs, with a structure that will shift the Centre’s financial burden to states, provide fixed budgets for states instead of the present practice of it being demand-driven, and annually pause the scheme for two months during the agricultural season – in tweaks that will rewrite the concept of job guarantee from what has been known for the last two decades.Titled ‘Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025’, the bill will repeal MGNREGA, and put in place an implementation paraphernalia that is similar to the job scheme even as it diverges on consequential provisions. Also, it hikes the promised employment for a rural household from 100 days under MGNREGA to 125 days.The bill, set to draw protests from the opposition in Parliament, was not tabled Monday even though it was listed in the agenda.As per the proposed Act, the Centre will bear 60% of the cost, while states will bear the remaining 40%. In case of NE states and hill states of Uttarakhand, Himachal and J&K, the fund-sharing between the Centre and state will be 90:10.

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Unlike MGNREGA, demand won’t drive new schemeThis fund-sharing formula is a major departure from MGNREGA, as it constitutes a flat division of costs on the lines of a “centrally sponsored scheme”, without the distinctions of “labour cost” and “material cost” as prevalent under MGNREGA.Under MGNREGA, Centre bears the entire cost of labour budget (wages) and 75% of material cost, besides a big part of administrative expenditure.Moreover, the scheme will no longer be “demand-driven” as under MGNREGA in which budget for states is cleared according to “work plan” and “labour budget” — anticipated work demand — presented to Union rural development ministry by individual states at start of the year. In contrast, in new law, as per Sec 22, Centre will determine annual state-wise “normative allocation” based on parameters to be laid down. The “normative allocation” is defined as allocation of fund being made so far by Centre to state. Any expenditure above the “normative allocation” will be borne by the state.Most importantly, ‘VB-G RAM G’ will not be in operation for two months of a year, which would be notified as “peak agricultural seasons” — 60 days to correspond with sowing & harvesting, and which states will announce in advance. As per Section 6, no work shall be commenced or executed during this period. The govt’s rationale for the 60-day pause is “to facilitate adequate availability of agricultural labour during the said period”. Essentially, the govt has agreed with the claims that MGNREGA is responsible for shortage of agricultural labour during peak seasons.In finer detail of the implementation framework, provisions of proposed bill mirror details of MGNREGA — from fixation of wages to the role of panchayats to setting up of monitoring authorities like “central gramin rozgar guarantee council” and its state counterparts, audit, preparation of village and block development plans. A job-seeker will still be entitled to “unemployment allowance” to be paid by state, if s/he is not provided work within a fortnight of demand. The wages under the new scheme will be similar to the one under MGNREGA.The programme will now be a centrally-sponsored scheme, and every state govt will have to prepare a scheme within six months after the commencement of the Act.

NEW DELHI: Allrounder Axar Patel has been ruled out of the remaining two T20Is against South Africa due to illness.Axar is currently with the Indian team in Lucknow, where he will undergo further medical assessment, the BCCI informed on Monday.

“The Men’s Selection Committee has named Shahbaz Ahmed as his replacement for the T20Is in Lucknow and Ahmedabad,” a release by the BCCI said. Axar missed the third T20I of the series in Dharamshala on Sunday due to illness. Under chilly climes and dewy conditions, India’s seamers and spinners combined to bowl out South Africa for 117 in 20 overs in the third T20I at the HPCA Stadium on Sunday.Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav picked two wickets apiece, while Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube chipped in with a scalp each, as the visitors never recovered from being 30/4 inside seven overs in seam-bowling friendly conditions.Captain Aiden Markram fought hard with a fluent 61 off 46 balls, but found little support as only Donovon Ferreira (20) and Anrich Nortje (12) reached double figures, as India’s attack remained relentless despite the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel.Having gone for runs in the previous outing, Arshdeep struck early to give India the perfect start. Abhishek Sharma played a sparkling little innings after the pacers produced a riveting exhibition of swing bowling, powering India to a smooth seven-wicket victory in the third T20I.India lead the 5-match T20 series 2-1. India’s updated squad for the last two T20Is:Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed.

Elon Musk’s ex-girlfriend and mother of his three children Grimes said that the tech billionaire has blocked her on X (formerly Twitter). Responding to an X users post observing that he seemingly no longer follows Musk on the platform, the Canadian singer said: “For context I’m just living my life.” “He followed me then blocked me. I’m not gna be following and unfollowing,” she added. She further continued saying “My only priority is co parenting, i am not interested in public dramatics. This is so silly lol.”

Elon Musk and Grimes shares three children

Elon Musk and Grimes made their relationship public in 2018. The couple’s relationship has been on and off, with both confirming over the years that they remain close despite not being together romantically. The duo welcomed their first child X Æ A-Xii in May 2020, popularly known as ‘X’.

Their second child, Exa Dark Sideræl, known as “Y,” was born via surrogate in December 2021. Their third child, Techno Mechanicus, also known as “Tau,” was born in 2022.In 2021, Grimes said the two were “semi-separated,” but they continued to co-parent. By 2023, she confirmed that they were no longer in a relationship but were committed to raising their children together. Musk has nine known children overall from previous partnerships, while Grimes has three—all with Musk.The two continue to maintain a cooperative parenting arrangement, even as they pursue separate professional and personal paths.

Custody battle between Elon Musk and Grimes

Elon Musk and Grimes have been involved in an ongoing custody dispute that began in 2023. The conflict became public when Grimes filed a petition in a California court seeking parental rights and a formal custody arrangement for their children — X AE A-Xii (X), Exa Dark Sideræl (Y), and Techno Mechanicus (Tau).In October 2023, Grimes said publicly that she had been unable to see one of her sons and asked Musk for access. Shortly after, she filed for custody, stating that she wanted a “fair and reasonable” arrangement for all three children. Musk responded by filing a separate case in Texas.In a 2024 post, Grimes expressed her frustration writing: “Spent a year locked in battle in a state with terrible mothers rights having my instagram posts and modeling used as reasons I shouldn’t have my kids and fighting and detaching from the love if my life as he comes unrecognizable to me, with a fraction of his resources (or iq/strategy experience)”.

Luthra brothers likely to arrive in India on Tuesday

NEW DELHI: The Luthra brothers are likely to arrive in India on Tuesday morning after being deported from Bangkok, sources said. They are scheduled to land at the Delhi Airport, from where they will immediately be taken into custody by a team from the Goa Police.A senior Goa Police officer confirmed the developments.

Following their arrival and apprehension at the airport, the Goa Police will present both brothers before a Delhi court tomorrow. The primary objective of the court appearance will be to secure a transit remand for the accused, a crucial step that legally authorises the police to move the Luthra brothers out of the jurisdiction of Delhi and transport them to Goa.Once the transit remand is successfully obtained, the Luthra brothers will be taken to Goa, where further legal proceedings and investigation related to their case are expected to continue.The legal action against brothers Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, co-owners of the nightclub ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ in North Goa’s Arpora village, stems from a devastating fire that occurred on the night of December 6, 2025. The blaze, believed to be triggered when electric firecrackers used during an event struck the wooden ceiling, resulted in the tragic deaths of 25 people, including tourists and staff.The Goa Police have filed serious charges against the brothers, which reportedly include culpable homicide not amounting to murder, endangering public safety, and negligent conduct concerning fire hazards.Investigations have revealed that the nightclub was allegedly operating illegally for nearly 18 months without mandatory safety permissions and on an expired licence. The Luthra brothers reportedly fled to Phuket, Thailand, just hours after the fire broke out.They were subsequently detained by Thai authorities after the Indian govt suspended their passports and issued an Interpol Blue Corner Notice for their apprehension. The custody transfer at Delhi Airport is part of the final deportation process to bring them back to India to face the charges.