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Nepal is just one of at least 150 countries to which Chinese companies are supplying surveillance technology, from cameras in Vietnam to censorship firewalls in Pakistan to citywide monitoring systems in Kenya. This technology is now a key part of China’s push for global influence, as it provides cash-strapped governments cost-effective, if invasive, forms of policing — turning algorithms and data into a force multiplier for control. The irony at the heart of this digital authoritarianism is that the surveillance tools China exports are based on technology developed in its greatest rival, the United States, despite warnings that Chinese firms would buy, copy or outright steal American designs, an investigation by The Associated Press has found.

Thousands of mourners have gathered at Sydney’s Bondi Beach to mark a week since two gunmen targeted a Jewish festival, killing 15 people. The attack has spurred Australian governments to act against antisemitism and tighten gun controls. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and other dignitaries attended the commemoration, which drew over 10,000 people. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Albanese, linking calls for a Palestinian state to rising antisemitism. A national Day of Reflection was declared, with images of victims projected and moments of silence observed. Security was tight, and new hate speech and gun laws are being debated.

The Australian state of New South Wales is proposing a ban on public displays of Islamic State group flags and extremist symbols. This follows a mass shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach that killed 15 people. The draft laws, to be debated Monday, include penalties of up to two years in prison and fines. Premier Chris Minns says chants like “globalize the intifada” will also be banned. Police will have more power to demand protesters remove face coverings. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to curb radicalization and hate, including broadening hate speech definitions and toughening punishments. Albanese said “Australia will not allow these evil antisemitic terrorists to divide us."

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Thousands of people have returned to Australia's Bondi Beach in the first full day of opening since a mass shooting killed 15 people. People gathered Friday on the sand and in the water to commemorate those killed five days earlier. Two shooters attacked a Hanukkah celebration at a nearby park Sunday in an attack believed to have been motivated by antisemitism. Authorities reopened parts of the famed beach Thursday, leading to the commemoration Friday morning. Armed police officers are standing guard Friday outside synagogues and mosques in Sydney. The country is dealing with questions about whether Australian Jews were sufficiently protected and fears of a backlash against Muslims.

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Hundreds of mourners have gathered in Sydney for the funeral of a 10-year-old girl killed in an antisemitic massacre during a Hanukkah celebration. The attack at Bondi Beach on Sunday left 15 people dead. Authorities say the suspects, a father and son, were inspired by the Islamic State group. The tragedy has sparked a national conversation about antisemitism in Australia. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced reforms to curb radicalization and hate, including tougher hate speech laws and stricter gun controls. Meanwhile, investigations into the suspects’ backgrounds continue, as the Jewish community mourns the victims.

Turning Point is beginning its annual Christian youth conference, the first event since the assassination of founder Charlie Kirk. The four-day meeting in Phoenix kicking off Thursday gathers thousands of young supporters of the MAGA movement, which faces internal debates over its future. A year ago, the conference celebrated President Donald Trump’s victory. Now the movement faces challenges, including debates over antisemitism. Turning Point is being led by Kirk’s widow and is confronting its own future. The event features MAGA influencers like Donald Trump Jr. and Tucker Carlson. Erika Kirk has stepped into the spotlight, addressing conspiracy theories surrounding her husband's death.