 "This Week in Explainers: How Bangladesh is being roiled by the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi")
Bangladesh is being roiled by yet another upheaval.
This time, it is the killing of an anti-India youth leader and vocal critic of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The death of Sharif Osman Hadi, who was shot by motorcycle-borne gunmen in broad daylight in Dhaka, has resulted in thousands of people taking to the streets to indulge in arson and vandalism.
Meanwhile, tragedy gripped Australia as the country witnessed its first mass shooting in decades. The incident, which left over a dozen dead, including a 10-year-old girl, and several injured, was carried out by a father-son duo at Bondi Beach as the Jewish festival of Hanukkah was being celebrated.
Also, an interview by White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles about the Trump White House has rocked Washington. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump’s remarks about Rob Reiner and the slain director having ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ have drawn condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans.
We cover all this and more in our weekly roundup.
1. Until this week, the name Sharif Osman Hadi was not known to many people. The 32-year-old youth leader was among those who had participated in the uprising to overthrow the Hasina government.
Hadi, the spokesperson and leading organiser of Inqilab Mancha, an Islamist organisation stridently opposed to India, Hasina and the Awami League, was campaigning in Dhaka last week ahead of next year’s elections. Then, in the blink of an eye, chaos erupted. Hadi was shot by multiple gunmen on motorcycles, who fled the scene.
Hadi, who had announced his intention to stand for next year’s parliamentary elections as an independent candidate from Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area, was rushed to hospital and placed on life support. But with his health deteriorating, Hadi was airlifted to Singapore for advanced medical treatment. News of his death, which was announced by Bangladesh interim government adviser Muhammad Yunus, has resulted in thousands of angry people taking to the streets. But who was Hadi? What do we know about him?
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View All2. Australia this week witnessed its worst mass shooting in three decades. The gunmen, 50-year-old Sajid Akram and 24-year-old Naveed Akram, a father-son duo, left at least 15 dead in their wake and several injured.
The attack came just as the Jewish community in Australia was getting ready to celebrate the festival of Hanukkah. While Sajid was killed in a showdown with police personnel, Naveed was apprehended at the scene and taken to hospital. He remains in critical but stable condition and is under guard.
But what do we know about Sajid, a fruit seller who brought six guns to the beach, and his son, an unemployed bricklayer who was described as a ‘model student’?
3. In Australia, it was just another Sunday at the beach – full of sun, fun and surf. Over 1,000 people were at the famed Bondi Beach, including families with children, the elderly and visitors. A “Chanukah by the Sea” event, organised by Chabad of Bondi to mark the first day of the Jewish holiday, was unfolding.
Then, around 6.45 pm, the sound of gunfire began ringing out. Chaos ensued as thousands of people fled in all directions while the gunmen fired into the crowd. A heroic bystander managed to disarm one of the gunmen before being shot himself.
By the time the terror ended, at least 15 were dead, including a rabbi and a 10-year-old girl who was shot in front of her younger sister. Here’s a closer look at how the terror unfolded at Bondi Beach.
4. In October, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. At the time, it remained unknown whether the 58-year-old would turn up in person to accept the award.
This is because Machado, who the Nobel Prize committee said was chosen for ‘her untiring efforts to restore democracy and her commitment to human rights’, was hiding from President Nicolas Maduro somewhere in Venezuela.
Then, on December 10, Machado turned up in Oslo just hours after her daughter accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf. As it turns out, it was a US Special Forces veteran, Bryan Stern, and his team who scripted Machado’s escape from Venezuela. But how did Stern and his team do it?
5. Asim Munir is in a bind. The Pakistan Army chief has made every attempt to cosy up to US President Donald Trump. Munir, who was named Field Marshal by Pakistan, has made three visits to the United States in the past six months.
Munir is also among the high-level Pakistani officials who are said to be collaborating with the Trump White House, as well as the president’s family and inner circle, when it comes to cryptocurrency. Munir has also signed a deal to make Pakistan’s rare earths available to America. However, as ever, with Trump’s friendship comes an ask.
Now, the US President wants Pakistan to send its troops as part of the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) to Gaza. While Pakistan was among the dozens of countries to send its representatives to Qatar to discuss the ISF, actually sending troops to Gaza could be fraught for Munir. This piece takes a look at why.
6. Does Donald Trump have the personality of an alcoholic? Is JD Vance a conspiracy theorist? Is Elon Musk an ‘avowed ketamine user?’ These are just some of the bombshells that White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles dropped during a recent interview.
The interview, part of a larger series conducted by Vanity Fair, has left many in Washington shaken. It also sheds light on what is seemingly an even more dysfunctional White House in Donald Trump’s second term – which many thought impossible.
While Wiles has attempted to do damage control and called it a ‘hit piece’, Vanity Fair seems to have all the receipts, including recordings of the White House chief of staff. This article recounts the major statements made by Wiles and offers a fascinating look at the White House and its many occupants from someone at the centre of it all.
7. News that Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer, had been brutally murdered shocked many. Even more so when it turned out Reiner’s son Nick, 32, who has a long history of drug abuse and homelessness, was arrested for the murder. Though many offered sincere condolences for Rob and Michele and reflected on their contributions to art and the lives they touched, US President Donald Trump was not among them.
In fact, Trump somehow chalked up the brutal murders of Reiner and his wife to ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ – remarks that were criticised by both Democrats and Republicans alike. This article examines Trump’s remarks, how politicians and Hollywood reacted, how Reiner’s activism targeted Trump, and the president’s past reaction to political violence, including the death of Charlie Kirk.
8. The year 2025 was one for the underdogs. In Britain, Prince Andrew fell from grace after Virginia Giuffre spoke out about her alleged experiences with Prince Andrew. Giuffre, who died by suicide at the age of 41, published a posthumous memoir called Nobody’s Girl, in which she recounted being trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell to powerful men, including Andrew.
Then, in America, Zohran Mamdani created history as just the second socialist mayor of New York. The young Muslim with Indian roots, the son of filmmaker Mira Nair and professor Mahmood Mamdani, decisively defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Mamdani harnessed the power of social media and an army of volunteers to bring change to the Big Apple.
Back in India, Shafali Varma helped the country win the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup trophy. The 21-year-old, who wasn’t even in the final 15-member squad, came good when it mattered the most – in the final. This article takes a look at how the Davids in 2025 slew the Goliaths.
9. Do you feel lonelier in winter? You’re not alone.
Turns out, when you are by your lonesome in the cold winter months, you are more likely to swipe right on dating apps. This phenomenon, known as cuffing season, can often be mistaken for true love and impact even the most cautious and choosy of daters.
Though the term itself is not new, more awareness of this phenomenon has been growing over the past year. This piece takes a look at cuffing, whether it is bad for you, and how you can avoid it.
That’s all from us this week as far as world news goes. You can find more such explainers here.
 "‘Bangladesh’s Yunus govt failed to control ‘mobocracy’’: BNP leader on attack on Indian mission")
 "Tarique Rahman to return to Bangladesh after 17 years: Can Khaleda Zia’s son influence February elections?")
 "US Congressmen raise alarm over anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh")
 "‘Time to Kash out’: Why Kash Patel’s choice of new wheels has sparked a row")
 "‘Bangladesh’s Yunus govt failed to control ‘mobocracy’’: BNP leader on attack on Indian mission")
 "Tarique Rahman to return to Bangladesh after 17 years: Can Khaleda Zia’s son influence February elections?")
 "US Congressmen raise alarm over anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh")
 "‘Time to Kash out’: Why Kash Patel’s choice of new wheels has sparked a row")
