THE BRIEFING 

Here’s what’s happening in geopolitics today.

Today’s briefing spans tragedy and tension at home and abroad, from the shocking attack at a Jewish festival in Sydney and a grim discovery in Los Angeles, to political upheaval in Chile and a major legal verdict in Hong Kong.

We also track the expanding reach of the Ukraine war as Kyiv strikes deep into Russia’s energy infrastructure, underscoring how the conflict continues to reshape global security calculations.

In today’s Deep Dive, we examine the Bondi attack not only as a security failure, but as a moment that exposes how global conflicts, identity politics, and domestic cohesion are increasingly intertwined.

THE LAST 24 HOURS IN GEOPOLITICS 

1. Father and son behind Bondi Jewish festival shooting that killed 15
Australian police have identified the two gunmen behind the Bondi Beach shooting that killed 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration as a father and son, with the 50-year-old father killed by police at the scene and the 24-year-old son critically wounded and taken into custody. Authorities say the pair opened fire on the crowded “Chanukah by the Sea” event from a footbridge overlooking the gathering, using licensed firearms and prompting a rapid police response, and the attack has been treated as an act of terrorism.
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2. Ultra-conservative Jose Antonio Kast elected Chile’s next President
Ultra-conservative former lawmaker José Antonio Kast has been elected Chile’s next president, winning about 58 % of the vote in the December 14 runoff and defeating leftist candidate Jeannette Jara, marking a significant rightward shift in Chilean politics. Kast campaigned on a platform focused on cracking down on crime, tightening immigration controls, and reviving the economy, tapping into voter concerns over security and migration despite Chile historically being one of Latin America’s more stable democracies. His victory is set to usher in the most right-wing government in Chile in decades.
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3. Two people found dead inside director Rob Reiner’s home in Brentwood, LA
Two people were found dead inside the Brentwood, Los Angeles home of acclaimed director and actor Rob Reiner on Sunday afternoon, prompting the Los Angeles Police Department to launch a murder investigation. The deceased were discovered by the Los Angeles Fire Department around 3:30 p.m., and authorities believe both suffered stab wounds, with detectives treating the scene as an apparent homicide. Although LAPD had not officially confirmed identities at the time of reporting, multiple sources indicated that the victims were Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner.
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4. Ukraine says it hit Russia’s Afipsky Oil Refinery overnight
Ukrainian forces struck the Afipsky oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region overnight, hitting one of the country’s key fuel production facilities and causing explosions and a large fire, according to Ukraine’s General Staff. The attack was part of a broader wave of strikes that also targeted the Uryupinsk fuel depot in Russia’s Volgograd region and several military sites in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory, as Kyiv aims to disrupt Russia’s logistics and offensive capabilities.
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5. Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai found guilty of sedition and collusion
Hong Kong’s High Court has found media mogul and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai guilty of sedition and collusion with foreign forces under the city’s national security law. The 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper was convicted of conspiring to publish seditious materials and to collude with foreign entities to endanger national security, charges that could carry a life sentence at sentencing scheduled for January.
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DAILY DEEP DIVE
The Bondi Massacre

Context
More than 24 hours on from the Bondi terror attack, Australia is still coming to terms with the deadliest mass shooting the country has seen in nearly three decades. The investigation is ongoing, but key details have now emerged as communities mourn and authorities assess what went wrong.

Fifteen people were killed after Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed Akram, 24, opened fire at a Hanukkah event near Bondi Beach on Sunday evening. Twenty-six people remain hospitalised across Sydney, twelve of them in critical condition. Ten-year-old Matilda was the youngest victim. Among the dead were a Holocaust survivor, a former police officer, community volunteers, and family members simply attending a religious gathering.

Two NSW Police officers were shot while responding. Constable Scott Dyson has been identified as one of the injured and remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition. The second officer, a probationary constable, is also in a serious but stable condition. Police have praised the actions of first responders and civilians who intervened during the attack.

One civilian, Ahmed al Ahmed, has been widely recognised for wrestling a firearm from one of the attackers while sustaining multiple gunshot wounds. He remains hospitalised.

Sajid Akram was shot and killed by police at the scene. Naveed Akram remains under police guard in hospital after suffering critical injuries. Authorities confirmed Sajid legally owned six firearms and was a member of a recreational gun club. Investigators are examining a recent overseas trip to the Philippines and previous intelligence attention involving Naveed.

In response, National Cabinet has pledged decisive action on antisemitism, extremism, and gun law reform. Floral tributes continue to grow at Bondi Pavilion, as the country reflects not just on the attack itself — but on the systems meant to prevent it.


Our Comment
There are two things I want to highlight personally. First and foremost, this is an unspeakable tragedy. Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and everyone who was caught up in the horror. This attack will leave a deep stain on the Australian soul. Thousands will be impacted by what they saw. Children who were present will carry the trauma of witnessing violence in a place that should have been defined by innocence and normalcy. Some will have seen friends, family members, or members of their own community bleeding on the grass. That damage cannot be undone.

This will weigh heavily on the Australian spirit. For Australians, Bondi Beach is not just a place — it is the hallmark of national pride, culture, and identity. It is a place where Australians from all walks of life gather, where families bring their children, where people feel safe. This tragedy will be remembered, but it will not break the spirit of a country built on mateship, decency, and standing together.

It is deeply confronting that such an act could occur in a country where we often take for granted how fortunate we are. Australia prides itself on the “mate” culture — on looking out for one another, on social trust, on shared public spaces that feel genuinely safe. This attack strikes at the heart of that identity. Major questions will need to be asked as to how this was allowed to unfold. In moments like this, unity matters. Mourning matters. Reflection matters. But so too does the responsibility to ensure that what happened at Bondi is never allowed to become normal, accepted, or repeated.

On a more analytical note:
As we have seen in this case, the targeting of a Jewish community event during Hanukkah underscores how the Israel–Hamas conflict can reverberate far beyond the Middle East. More broadly, the war illustrates how a globalised and digitised world pulls distant conflicts into the centre of domestic politics and social cohesion across the globe. Across the Western world, major elections are increasingly shaped by far-off wars, dividing voters along generational, ethnic, and ideological lines. Geopolitics was never simple, but in the age of social media and constant connectivity, it has become more complex and deeply entangled than ever.

Sources:
News/Journal sources available upon request, not shown to maintain visual integrity of page.

TWEET OF THE DAY

TODAY IN HISTORY

(December 15, 2011): The Iraq War officially ended when the United States formally declared that its mission in Iraq was over.