Entertainment
Bondi shooting families demand national probe into Australia’s ‘rise in antisemitism’
- Albanese backs NSW-led commission, resists federal probe.
- Minister warns national inquiry could amplify worst voices.
- Families call federal response not nearly enough.
SYDNEY: Families of victims killed in the Bondi Beach mass shooting called Monday for an independent national inquiry into antisemitism in Australia and alleged failures in policing, intelligence and policy, they say, enabled the attack.
Father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram are accused of targeting a Hanukkah event on Sydney’s Bondi Beach on December 14, killing 15 people and wounding dozens in what authorities have described as an antisemitic terrorist attack.
Seventeen families, in an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, urged him to “immediately establish a Commonwealth Royal Commission into the rapid rise of antisemitism in Australia” and examine “law enforcement, intelligence, and policy failures that led to the Bondi Beach massacre”.
“We demand answers and solutions,” the families wrote.
“We need to know why clear warning signs were ignored, how antisemitic hatred and extremism were allowed to dangerously grow unchecked, and what changes must be made to protect all Australians going forward.”
Albanese has resisted calls for a federal inquiry, citing a need for urgent action rather than waiting “years for answers”.
“We need to get on with any changes that are required,” he told reporters Monday.
“I have nothing except sympathy for those families. My job, as prime minister, is to look at how we build unity, how we build social cohesion, how we do what the nation needs at what is a very difficult time.”
Albanese said last week that a New South Wales-led royal commission — where the shooting occurred — would suffice and promised full support.
Canberra has flagged a suite of reforms to gun ownership and hate speech laws, as well as an inquiry into police and intelligence services.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke warned Monday that a national royal commission could give “some of the worst statements and worst voices” a platform to relive “the worst examples of antisemitism over the last two years”, which he said was not in the interest of unity or national security.
But the families of those killed at Bondi Beach said the federal government’s response is “not nearly enough”.
“We have lost parents, spouses, children, and grandparents. Our loved ones were celebrating Chanukah at Bondi Beach, a festival of light and joy, in an iconic public space that should have been safe,” the letter said.
“You owe us answers. You owe us accountability. And you owe Australians the truth.”
The families said the rise of antisemitism was a “national crisis”, adding the “threat was not going away”.
“We need strong action now. We need leadership now. You cannot bring back our loved ones. But with a well-led Commonwealth Royal Commission and strong action, you may be able to save many more.”
One of the gunmen, Sajid Akram, 50, was shot and killed by police during the attack. An Indian national, he entered Australia on a visa in 1998.
His 24-year-old son Naveed, an Australian-born citizen, remains in custody facing multiple charges, including terrorism and 15 murders, as well as committing a “terrorist act” and planting a bomb with intent to harm.
Entertainment
Jackie Chan left baffled when asked about the ‘Kardashians’
Jackie Chan is clueless about the Kardashians and fans are not surprised by the revelation at all.
A throwback video has resurfaced on the internet, where Jackie was asked to name his favourite Kardashian and he was completely confused.
The incident occurred in 2017, while he was promoting his film The Foreigner on Access Hollywood Live.
The host asked him, “Who is you favourite Kardashian”. Chan, who was totally perplexed, replied, “Kardashian? What do you mean, Kardashian?”
The Rush Hour actor even inquired “if the name was English”.
Fans are not surprised at all by Chan being clueless about the popular American media and business dynasty, led by Kris Jenner as they emphasized that both belong to “different worlds.”
“Jackie Chan has been making action classics for decades… Meanwhile the Kardashian family built a whole empire off reality TV. Two completely different worlds colliding”, wrote one.
Meanwhile, another one highlighted how big of a star Jackie himself is that even the Kardashians are his fan.
A social media user commented, “The truth that’s not everyone knows the kardashians and Jackie wasn’t a new school type of person He’s an icon from way back, even the Kardashians are his fans.”
Work wise, the 71-year-old Hong Kong based actor last featured in Karate Kid: Legends (2025). He is all set to return for a potential Rush Hour 4 movie.
Entertainment
Dor Brothers, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt shake industry
Artificial intelligence has stormed into Hollywood with breathtaking speed and alarming consequences.
What began as experimental novelty has now escalated into a full-blown industry crisis, as viral AI-generated films and hyperrealistic clips of A-list actors force studios, unions, and lawmakers to confront the future of entertainment.
Earlier this week, the Dor Brothers, Berlin-based AI Video Production company, claimed they had produced a “$200,000,000 AI movie in just one day.”
The video, created entirely with generative tools, went viral on X (formerly Twitter), amassing millions of views and sparking debate over whether AI can truly replicate blockbuster filmmaking.
Supporters hailed it as proof of a new era, while skeptics dismissed it as hype.
Regardless, the post underscored how quickly AI is encroaching on traditional production models.
Deepfake Shock: Tom Cruise vs. Brad Pitt in AI combat
If the Dor Brothers’ film was a provocation, the viral AI fight sequence between Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt was a shockwave.
Created with Seedance 2.0, the 15-second clip depicted the two megastars trading blows on a rooftop with uncanny realism.
Variations of the video circulated online, complete with dialogue and camera angles, leaving audiences unsettled.
Screenwriter Rhett Reese (Deadpool & Wolverine) warned bluntly, “It’s likely over for us.”
The clip crystallized Hollywood’s worst fears that AI could convincingly mimic actors without their consent, eroding both creative integrity and livelihoods.
SAG-AFTRA draws line on AI exploitation
In response, SAG-AFTRA has taken a hard line.
The union condemned Seedance 2.0’s use of actors’ likenesses as “blatant infringement” and called for an outright ban on AI creations featuring real movie stars.
It is argued that unauthorized replication of voices and faces undermines performers’ ability to earn a living and strips them of control over their identities.
The guild has worked for several years on AI protections, with demands for strict consent requirements, compensation frameworks and federal safeguards.
Hollywood Divided: Threat or opportunity?
Hollywood is now split between alarm and opportunity.
Unions, screenwriters, and many actors see AI as an existential threat.
They warn of job losses, creative theft and a collapse of artistic value if studios embrace AI without regulation.
Some studios and technologists argue AI can be a powerful tool if used responsibly for previsualization, special effects, or enhancing workflows.
They stress that AI is not yet capable of producing true 4K theatrical-quality films, highlighting its current limitations.
The Road Ahead: 2026 as a defining year for cinema
2026 is shaping up as a pivotal year.
With studios investing billions in AI, unions mobilizing for protection, and viral clips eroding trust, Hollywood faces a defining choice: embrace AI intelligently or risk chaos.
Entertainment
Why Robert Duvall’s ‘napalm’ line in ‘Apocalypse Now’ is so iconic
One of the most referenced and iconic dialogues in the history of cinema that truly enjoyed a life of its own is “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.”
These timeless lines were performed by Robert Duvall in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 Vietnam War classic Apocalypse Now.
The chilling monologue is what is making buzz on social media again after the demise of the Oscar winner for Tender Mercies, who passed away at his home in Middleburg, Virginia, on Sunday, February 15.
Let’s find out why, decades later, the monologue has become one of the most quoted lines in cinema history.
The line was said by Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore, a daring and eccentric cavalry officer, when he set a helicopter ambush on a Vietnamese village.
Colonel Kilgore calmly reflects on the ashes left after the napalm bombing, finally coming to terms with the fact that it smells like “victory.”
The line is, “Napalm, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of napalm in the morning. You know, one time we had a hill bombed for twelve hours. When it was all over, I walked up. We didn’t find one of ‘em, not one stinking drink body.
“The smell, you know, the gasoline smell, the whole hill. Smelled like… victory.”
What follows is, “Some day this war’s gonna end.”
It was a quiet introspection of what war takes and steals from human lives.
Why does the line continue to resonate?
The dialogue has taken on a life beyond the film, becoming a symbol for glorifying chaos, dark irony, and battlefield arrogance.
Cultural critics have been referencing it across pop culture, memes, viral trends, and television shows, often using it with a taste of sarcasm to introspect obsession, destruction, or self-indulgence.
Above all, Robert Duvall’s iconic performance in the film, especially in the immortal sequence, has been etched into the memories of cinema lovers, as long as the shadows of war continue to loom over our planet.
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