By CAITLIN POWELL – NEWS REPORTER

Updated: 16:30 EST, 18 December 2025

The Islamic state has praised alleged Bondi terrorists Naveed Akram, 24, and his father Sajid, 50, as ‘lions’ and a ‘source of pride’ in a statement. 

The pair are accused of opening fire into a crowd of Jewish people celebrating the first day of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach on Sunday. 

Naveed remains in hospital under police guard after being shot by officers and woke from a coma on Tuesday. He has been charged with 59 offences. 

His father Sajid, a licensed firearms holder, was shot dead by police at the scene. 

Fourteen of the 15 innocent people who lost their lives have been identified.

A group of over 700 surfers have paddled out at Bondi Beach in memory of the 15 people who lost their lives in Australia’s worst massacre since 1996. 

Hero couple Boris and Sofia Gurman, who confronted one of the alleged gunmen before their deaths, are expected to be laid to rest today. 

Up to seven men were dramatically arrested by heavily-armed officers in Sydney’s south-west on Thursday night over fears ‘a violent act was possibly being planned’. 

The youngest victim was 10-year-old Matilda, who was farewelled in an emotional service in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on Thursday. 

British-born Chabad Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41, was also laid to rest, with some of his five children seen sobbing as they arrived at the service. 

Other victims include Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, 39, French national Dan Elkayam, 27, Wellington Street synagogue assistant Reuven Morrison, Slovak citizen Marika Pogany, 82, retired NSW Police detective sergeant Peter Meagher, 61, Edith Brutman, Boris Gurman, 69, and his wife Sofia, 61, Soviet immigrant Boris Tetleroyd and Adam Smyth, 50. 

Bondi hero handed massive $2.5million cheque in his hospital bed

The hero grocer who disarmed one of the alleged gunmen during the Bondi shooting has been handed a cheque for $2.5million.

During the mass shooting at Bondi Beach on December 14, where two gunmen allegedly opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration killing at least 15 people, Ahmed Al Ahmed, 43, tackled one of the attackers and wrestled away his weapon.

A Syrian-born tobacconist owner, Mr Al Ahmed has been widely praised for his heroism, with Australians raising $2.5million in donations, including $100,000 from US billionaire Bill Ackman.

In a heartwarming video, the hero was presented with the huge cheque in his hospital bed by Canadian content creator Isaac.

‘And I deserve it?’ Mr Al Ahmed asked, to which Isaac responded ‘every penny’.

Mr Al Ahmed said his actions came ‘from the heart’ and were ‘to save lives’, before describing how wonderful the day had been before the nightmare began.

‘It was a nice day, everyone enjoying, celebrating with the kids… We’re not going to stand and keep watching. Enough is enough. God protect Australia,’ he said.

Islamic State group heralds Bondi shooters as ‘lions’ and a ‘source of pride’

The Islamic state group has praised the alleged actions of the Bondi Beach shooters.

The terrorist group applauded the father-and-son as ‘lions’ and a ‘source of pride’ in its weekly bulletin Al-Naba on Friday morning, The Herald reported.

However, it stopped short of claiming responsibility for the attack that left 15 dead – including a 10-year-old girl – and over 40 hospitalised.

It also claimed the pair may have been ‘inspired’ by its teachings.

The terrorist group did not claim responsibility for the massacre but said ‘the zealous ones answered the call’.

A terrifying admission, translated by The Australian, praised the gunmen after they ‘implemented the recommendations to target holidays and gatherings’.

ISIS fighters are seen in a recruiting video targeting the Philippines

A group of ISIL fighters are seen standing on a vehicle at an undisclosed location

‘Whether the attackers received its guidance and support or were the result of its incitement and policies … all your heroics, O strangers, will not be surprised by the bloodshed and bloodshed,’ it read.

Bondi hero’s heartwarming tattoo revealed

Ahmed Al Ahmed, who heroically tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen during the Bondi Beach shooting, has a sweet tattoo of a man walking a dog.

A video published overnight showed the hero grocer receiving a massive cheque for $2.5million after dozens of Aussies donated to fundraisers after the Bondi shooting.

The Syrian-born tobacconist has been in hospital recovering from serious injuries.

But a small detail spotted in the footage hints at Mr Al Ahmed’s golden heart; a tattoo of what appears to be a man walking a dog.

Tony Burke refuses to confirm ban of three-word chant now illegal in the UK

The Albanese government has avoided banning certain phrases, despite rolling out a series of reforms to hate speech laws in the wake of the Bondi Beach shooting.

There have been calls to prohibit the use of ‘globalise the Intifada’ chants in Australia, including from former federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg.

The phrase is a call for people from around the globe to participate in uprisings against Israel.

Un the UK, protesters were prohibited from using the chant earlier this week, with those caught shouting the phrase now facing arrest, according to Greater Manchester and Metropolitan police force.

But Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has avoided confirming whether there would be a similar rule under the latest reforms.

‘We will lower the (hate speech) threshold,‘ he told ABC Radio National this morning.

‘But what I can’t do is play the game of this sentence will be in, this sentence will be out, these words will be in, these words will be out.

‘We will be lowering the threshold to the extent that, constitutionally, we are able to, and it will be the strongest step forward in making hate speech illegal in Australia.‘

The new laws, agreed on by the National Security Committee, will include:

• Introducing aggravated hate speech offence laws for preachers and leaders promoting violence;
• Putting forward higher penalties for hate speech promoting violence;
• Making hate an aggravating factor when sentencing crimes of online threats and harassment;
• Listing organisations whose leaders engage in hate speech, promote violence or racial hatred;
• And developing a federal offence for serious vilification based on race and/or advocating racial supremacy.

Sydney on edge: Men dragged out of their cars and arrested over fears ‘violent act was being possibly being planned’

Heavily-armed tactical officers have intercepted two cars and arrested a group of men in southwest Sydney as part of a dramatic counter-terrorism operation.

Shocking images show several officers standing over the group, believed to be from Melbourne, at the intersection of George and Campbell streets, in the suburb of Liverpool, about 5pm on Thursday.

It’s understood the group was travelling to Bondi Beach when their vehicle was rammed and stopped by officers from the Counter Terrorism unit and the Public Order and Riot Squad.

‘Tactical Operations police responded to information received that a violent act was possibly being planned,’ NSW Police said in a statement.

‘Police subsequently intercepted two cars as part of the investigation.

‘As investigations continue, seven men are assisting police with their inquiries.’

Police have not identified any connection to the ongoing investigation into the Bondi terror attack. The motive of the men remains unclear.

Health Minister Mark Butler praised the efforts of police as ‘extraordinary’.

‘They are extraordinary images,’ Butler told Nine’s Today show on Friday.

‘And they remind us that while we’re all mourning, while the nation’s trying to come to grips with what happened on Sunday night, our policing intelligence authorities are still working day and night to keep our country safe from any further threats of violence and harm.’

‘Thousands’ paddle out at Bondi in honour of the victims killed

Hundreds of surfers have taken to the water at Bondi Beach early this morning for a community ‘paddle out’ in honour of the victims of the massacre.

The event was one of Rabbi Eli Schlanger’s final initiatives that he organised before he was fatally shot during the massacre on Sunday.

It was part of ‘Project Noah’, which was inspired by the Seven Noahide Laws seeking to unite people of all backgrounds around kindness, responsibility, and basic human decency.

But, following the shooting, it became a place to pay tribute.

The crowd gathering in front of the Surf Club in North Bondi at 6.30am to honour the lives lost, pray for those in recovery and thank first responders.

A prayer was read by a rabbi before hundreds ran into the surf.

‘While the attack was directed at the Jewish community, its impact has been felt by all of us – shaking our shared sense of safety, trust, and peace,’ organisers wrote on social media.

Rabbi Yossi Friedman was at the beach for the event.

‘There’s thousands of people here behind me to do a paddle out in peace for the victims and those impacted,’ he said.

‘Here at Bondi, there’s also going to be putting on tefillin right now as well, at the same time on the actual grounds, on the site where it all happened.’

Laying tefillin is a Jewish ritual typically reserved for adult males, which involves wrapping two small black leather boxes, containing Torah scrolls, around the arm and the head.

Rabbi Friedman added that people will be laying flowers at the memorial and sharing stories each hour about the victims to ‘ensure that their memories continue’.

Dozens of people were seen clapping on the shoreline as the surfers formed a massive circled and splashed the water.

Hero couple Sofia and Boris Gurman who confronted one of the alleged gunmen to be laid to rest today

A married couple who died side-by-side while trying to stop one of the alleged terrorists at Bondi, days before one of their birthdays, will be laid to rest on Friday.

Boris Gurman, 69, and his wife Sofia, 61, were tragically gunned down when they bravely confronted Sajid Akram, 50, and prevented him from opening fire at a Jewish event on Sunday.

Ms Gurman was due to celebrate her 62nd birthday on Wednesday, with the couple set to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary in January.

It is understood that the Gurmans are Russian Jews from the Soviet Union, who have lived in Australia for decades.

Viral footage that emerged on Tuesday showed Boris ripping away Sajid’s weapon moments after he and his son Naveed, 24, exited their IS-flagged car.

The couple fought the older shooter for several minutes before he retrieved a second firearm and fatally shot them on the footpath beside the vehicle.

Heartbreaking pictures of the crime scene circulating in the aftermath of the massacre showed Ms Gurman died while lying over her husband.

The couple are seen confronting one of the alleged shooters

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Bondi Beach shooting LIVE updates: Islamic state praises Bondi Beach gunmen as ‘source of pride’ after 15 were killed in massacre – as Bondi hero is handed a $2.5million cheque

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Snow looks set to hit several cities including London as a blizzard from the East could bring several centimetres of the white stuff between Christmas Day and New Year

Snow hitting East Anglia at midday on December 27(Image: WXCHARTS)

Millions of Brits could soon see snow as weather maps suggest major cities are in the firing line.

The GDPS weather model shows blizzards moving across the UK from the East on December 27, primarily hitting southern and eastern regions at first. Norwich and Ipswich could both see snow as East Anglia is hit by the initial flurries at around midday.

By 3pm, the maps show snow falling in Kent as well as over London. The weather front is also expected to bring rain along the east coasts of England and Scotland.

Maps for 6pm show snow still falling in London, as well as in regions further south. Southampton could be among the cities set to see some of the white stuff.

Snow could hit London by 3pm on December 27(Image: WXCHARTS)READ MORE: UK snow forecast as Russian blizzard ‘may bury all regions on Christmas Day’READ MORE: UK snow forecast maps show cities soon buried in blizzard bringing six inches

Further north, Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester could also see flurries around this time. Snow is expected to reach Northern Ireland and Scotland too.

Snow coverage maps reveal the full extent of this blizzard, with snow covering most of Northern Ireland, East Anglia, the Midlands, the south-east, and large swathes of northern England. Snow is expected in the Scottish Highlands, but could also hit Glasgow and regions closer to the border with England. As much as 3cm could settle in the south-east of England including London, the data suggests.

Snow is expected further north at around 6pm(Image: WXCHARTS)

The Met Office expects temperatures to feel colder between now and the New Year, with some “wintry showers” on the cards in places. Its forecast for December 23 to January 1 states: “A gradual transition to more settled conditions is expected, as high pressure builds to the north of the UK and low pressure eases away to the south.

“This will bring a strengthening easterly wind over the Christmas period, making it feel noticeably colder than of late. Whilst there will be a fair amount of dry weather, a few showers will still be possible, particularly across eastern and southern parts which may be wintry in places, more especially over high ground.

Snow coverage (in purple) at 6pm on December 27(Image: WXCHARTS)

“Temperatures will likely trend below average with the potential for frost, especially in the north where winds will be lighter. Towards New Year, high pressure may become centred more towards the west of the UK, allowing a greater chance of some wet weather to spread into parts of the UK.”

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Sharif Osman Hadi was a leading figure during the uprising toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024.

Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, a leader of Bangladesh’s 2024 student-led uprising who was flown to Singapore for treatment after being wounded in an assassination attempt, has died, Singapore officials said.

“Despite the best efforts of the doctors … Hadi succumbed to his injuries,” Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Thursday.

According to a report by Bangladeshi daily Dhaka Tribune, Hadi, who was being considered as a potential candidate for the Dhaka-8 constituency in the country’s national elections next February, was shot in the head on December 12 in the capital, Dhaka, while travelling in a battery-powered auto-rickshaw.

The attacker shot him from a motorcycle, and Hadi was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.

Local physicians told the Dhaka Tribune that his brain stem was damaged and he was evacuated from Bangladesh to the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) neurosurgical intensive care unit on December 15 for further treatment.

Hadi, 32, was a senior leader of the student protest group Inqilab Mancha and has been an outspoken critic of India, an old ally of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and where the ousted leader remains in self-imposed exile.

Announcing his death on Facebook late on Thursday, Inqilab Mancha said: “In the struggle against Indian hegemony, Allah has accepted the great revolutionary Osman Hadi as a martyr.”

Condolences have also poured in from leaders and political groups across the country.

The country’s interim government head, Muhammad Yunus, expressed his condolences and said his death “is an irreparable loss for the nation”.

“The country’s march towards democracy cannot be halted through fear, terror, or bloodshed,” he said in a televised speech on Thursday.

The government also announced special prayers at mosques after Friday prayers and a half-day mourning on Saturday.

“We are deeply saddened by the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inqilab Manch and independent candidate for Dhaka-8 constituency,” the acting chairman of the Bangladesh National Party (BNP), Tareq Rahman, said on Facebook.

In a press statement to local media reports, the National Citizen Party (NCP) said it was “deeply saddened” by Hadi’s death and expressed condolences to his family.

Police have launched a manhunt for the attackers who shot Hadi, releasing photographs of two key suspects and offering a reward of 5 million taka (about $42,000) for information leading to their arrest.

According to a report by Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star, the country’s police and border guards have arrested at least 20 people linked to the incident so far, but investigations into the murder are ongoing.

Yunus, the 85-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner leading Bangladesh until the February 12 elections, said last Saturday that Hadi’s shooting was a premeditated attack carried out by a powerful network, without providing a name.

He said “the objective of the conspirators is to derail the election”, and added that the attack was “symbolic – meant to demonstrate their strength and sabotage the entire electoral process”.

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Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke has been speaking on Radio National.

He said no government would ever be able to say they have done enough on antisemitism:

The fight against anti-Semitism is an ancient fight that will never end, and there will never be a point, never be a point where any government of the day will have the right to say they have done enough on anti-Semitism.

He goes back to 2014, when then Aboott government minister George Brandis moved to change the hate speech laws, saying Australians had the right to be a bigot.

Burke said:

We are no longer the nation where we had the government of the day a decade ago claiming that the right that mattered was the right to be a bigot. The right that matters is the right for people to be able to be free, to have a celebration at the beach and to do so safely.

That’s the freedom that matters, not the freedom that somehow under freedom of speech you can go off and belittle and demean and dehumanise your fellow Australians.

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Surfers pay tribute to victims of Bondi attack

About 700 surfers have been out on the water this morning in Bondi, forming a massive circle to pay tribute to the victims of the Bondi attack.

Their cheers could be heard from the shore.

The community has been organising swimming tributes this week to mourn the victims and begin to reclaim the iconic beach.

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Updated at 21.20 CET

Morning everyone, this is Cait Kelly. I will be with you today, bringing you all the updates.

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Updated at 21.14 CET

Daniel Mookhey’s comments come after the Albanese government mapped out a plan to crack down on hate speech.

The five key points are:

• A new aggravated hate speech offence for preachers and leaders who promote violence.

• Increased penalties for hate speech promoting violence.

• Making “hate” an aggravating factor in sentencing crimes for online threats and harassment.

• Developing a regime for listing organisations whose leaders engage in hate speech promoting violence or racial hatred.

• Developing a federal offence for serious vilification based on race and/or advocating racial supremacy.

Read our explainer here:

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Islamic State calls Bondi terrorism attack a ‘source of pride’

Islamic State has published an article on the Bondi Jewish festival shooting calling it a “source of pride”, Reuters reports.

The article published on the group’s Telegram channel praised the attack without explicitly claiming responsibility for it, the wire service said.

Jihadist media specialist Mina al-Lami, from BBC Monitoring, wrote on X about the article:

The group appeared to take credit for inspiring the attack, rather than for directly orchestrating it or being in contact with the attackers. It referred to the attackers as ‘heroes’ and ‘lions’.

It boasted about the influence of its ideology, narratives and online messaging, claiming that governments are unable to control its reach unless they shut down the internet entirely.

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Updated at 20.52 CET

NSW treasurer: Palestinian resistance phrase should be considered hate speech

Stephanie Convery

The NSW treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, says the Palestinian resistance phrase “globalise the intifada” should be considered hate speech as governments consider tougher laws on what can be said in public.

Mookhey was responding to questions at a press conference yesterday that came after British police announced this week they would arrest anyone chanting the phrase or holding a placard saying it.

Intifada means uprising or resistance, and is the term used by Palestinians for uprisings against Israel. The first intifada started in 1987, the second in 2000. For Palestinians it means resistance against oppression, but some Israelis associate the term with violence against them.

At the press conference yesterday, Mookhey responded to the question:

I think anyone who is saying something like ‘globalise the intifada’ is committing hate speech. I think that it’s clear, as we’ve seen, that the prime minister has just announced some reforms in these areas, but I personally think that any reasonable person would just see what the consequences of that has been on Sunday night. I think a person who is chanting globalise the intifada is chanting hate speech. They are dividing the community. They are jeopardising community cohesion. I don’t think that there’s a place for that in peaceful protest.

It is worth noting that, on Wednesday, the Victorian police commissioner, Mike Bush, said that since anti-vilification laws passed Victorian parliament earlier this year, there had been 40 investigations into hate speech but “globalise the intifada” was not considered hate speech under those laws.

Leading campaigners for Palestine in the UK called the crackdown on the phrase “political repression of protest for Palestinian rights”, while some Jewish groups welcomed it, saying the phrase was “intolerable” and “violent incitement”.

You can read more here:

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Updated at 20.51 CET

Welcome

Morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories before the morning blogger takes over.

The New South Wales treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, told a press conference yesterday that the Palestinian resistance phrase “globalise the intifada” should be considered hate speech as governments consider tougher laws on what can be said in public. More coming up.

Police in Sydney detained seven men yesterday evening after an operation in Liverpool which was prompted by what police called “information received that a violent act was possibly being planned”. We’ll have more updates as they come in this morning.

And Islamic State has published an article about the Bondi attack overnight, calling it a “source of pride” but stopping short of claiming responsibility. More on that soon as well.

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President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that will expand access to cannabis, a long anticipated move that would mark the most significant shift in US drug policy in decades.

The order directs the US attorney general to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I narcotic, to a Schedule III drug – placing it under the same category as Tylenol with codeine.

Cannabis will remain illegal at the federal level. But classifying it as a Schedule III narcotic would allow expanded research to be conducted into its potential benefits.

Several Republican lawmakers cautioned against the move, with some arguing it could normalise cannabis use.

The US Drug Enforcement Agency notes that Schedule III narcotics – which also include ketamine and anabolic steroids – have only a “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence”.

Speaking in the Oval Office during a signing ceremony on Thursday, Trump said that people have been “begging” for the change, particularly those in “great pain” from ailments including “incurable pain”, cancer, seizure disorders and veterans with service-related injuries.

The president compared cannabis to prescription painkillers that have legitimate uses “but can also do irreversible damages”.

The new classification also has tax implications for state-authorised cannabis dispensaries, as current regulations bar them from some tax deductions if they sell Schedule I products.

In addition to the rescheduling of cannabis, Trump has ordered White House officials to work with Congress to allow some Americans access to cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD.

Trump has also asked White House officials to work with Congress to allow some Americans access to cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD.

Health officials have also been tasked with developing “methods and models” to examine the real-world health benefits and risks of CBD.

A senior administration official said that the order was a “commonsense action that will let us better understand and study” cannabis and CBD.

In recent years, a majority of US states have approved cannabis for some medical use, and nearly half – 24 – have legalised recreational use. But since 1971, cannabis has been a Schedule I narcotic, which means it has no accepted medical use and a high potential to be abused.

The Biden administration proposed a similar reclassification, and in April 2024 the DEA proposed a rule change, but got bogged down under administrative and legal issues.

Trump’s order drew praise from organisations that have been working to change US cannabis regulations.

Tim Barash, chairman of the Coalition of Cannabis Scheduling Reform, said in a statement that the move represents a “fundamental shift” in government and social perceptions of the drug.

“This change will empower the 425,000 people working in the US cannabis industry and bring in new talent, capital, and awareness to an industry that has a positive impact on millions of people’s lives,” Mr Barash said.

But the reclassification order has met some resistance from Republican lawmakers.

On Wednesday, a group of 22 Republican Senators sent an open letter to the president, arguing that marijuana use would mean that “we cannot re-industrialise America”.

The Senators pointed to lingering concerns over the health impact of cannabis, as well as research suggesting that cannabis can be linked to “impaired judgement” and “lack of concentration”.

“In light of the documented dangers of marijuana, facilitating the growth of the marijuana industry is at odds with growing our economy and encouraging healthy lifestyles for Americans.”

In a separate letter sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi in August, nine Republican representatives argued that “no adequate science or data” exists to support the change.

“Marijuana, while different than heroin, still has the potential for abuse and has no scientifically proven medical value,” the letter said. “Therefore, rescheduling marijuana would not only be objectively wrong, but it would also imply to our children that marijuana is safe. That couldn’t be further from the truth.”

More broadly, polls show that a majority of Americans support efforts to legalise marijuana.

One Gallup poll released in November found that 64% of Americans believe that it should be legalised, although support had drifted slightly from previous years because of a 13-point drop among Republicans.

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Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal has breached core principles of European Union (EU) law, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled on Thursday.

The court also found the tribunal cannot be considered independent or impartial because of serious irregularities in the appointment of judges.

The tribunal, dominated by judges appointed under the former nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government, had previously declared Poland’s constitution superior to EU law , ignoring ECJ decissions and case law.

European Council challenged Poland at ECJ

The case stems from two 2021 Polish tribunal rulings rejecting ECJ decisions as unconstitutional, claiming the ECJ overstepped by interfering in Poland’s judiciary.

Brussels challenged those rulings, and the current pro-European government says it does not recognize them.

On Thursday, the ECJ ruled that Poland cannot disregard binding EU values, which all member states must uphold.

The court also criticized the way three of the judges and the tribunal’s president were appointed under the former ruling party.

PiS drastically transformed the country’s justice system, establishing political control over top courts such as the Constitutional Tribunal and the Supreme Court.

Polish tribunal remains defiant

The PiS lost power with the election of pro-European Prime Minister Donald Tusk in 2023, but his government has so far failed to roll back the changes, blocked by two subsequent nationalist presidents who support the PiS overhaul of courts.

On Thursday, Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek wrote on social media that the ECJ judgment obliged the state to take action, and the government was prepared to act.

The tribunal itself said the judgment had no impact on its functioning and that the European court had no authority over it.

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko

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A plane has crashed at a North Carolina airport, reportedly leaving multiple people dead.

The plane crashed around 10:15 a.m. Thursday, while landing at the Statesville Regional Airport, according to a statement from airport officials. Public records indicate the plane was operated by GB Aviation Leasing, which is owned by the former NASCAR star Greg Biffle, WCNC reports.

Six people were on board on plane, which was a Cessna C550 jet, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The plane was heading to Sarasota Bradenton International Airport in Florida, an airport official told WCNC.

There were multiple fatalities, but the exact number is still unknown, police told CNN. Officials have yet to confirm who owned the plane and who was on board.

open image in gallery

The plane crashed at the Statesville Regional Airport around 10:15 a.m. Thursday morning (AP)

The city-owned airport, which is located about 50 miles north of Charlotte, provides “corporate aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies and several NASCAR teams,” according to its website.

Photos from the scene show the plane engulfed in flames near the airport’s runway. The plane took off from the airport before immediately turning back around and attempting to land, WCNC reports.

William Hamby, chief deputy for the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, told The Independent his agency has sent a “Mobile Command Unit to the scene to help with the investigation.”

“The investigation will be conducted by the North Carolina Highway Patrol and the FAA. Our agency was first on scene and reported back the initial information,” he said.

open image in gallery

Six people were on board the Cessna C550 jet, officials said (AP)

About 80 minutes after the crash, the airport’s weather station recorded light rain and visibility of less than three miles, though it’s unclear if these conditions were present during the crash, CNN reports.

A National Transportation Safety Board team is heading to the scene, and the agency plans to provide further updates at press conference scheduled for Friday.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

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NEED TO KNOW

• Rep. Joyce Beatty, an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center board, claims she was silenced while trying to voice opposition to renaming the arts organization after President Donald Trump
• White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed that the Kennedy Center board voted “unanimously” on Dec. 18 to change the name of the Kennedy Center to the “Trump-Kennedy Center”
• “This was not consensus,” Beatty wrote on X. “This is censorship”

Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty is accusing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt of misleading the public about the level of support behind renaming the Kennedy Center after President Donald Trump.

Beatty, who has an automatic seat on the Kennedy Center board as a congressional leader, spoke out after Leavitt announced on Thursday, Dec. 18, that the board had just voted “unanimously” to change the name of the John F. Kennedy Memorial for the Performing Arts to the “Trump-Kennedy Center.”

“I’m sitting here in my congressional office in Washington, D.C., just ending a call with the Kennedy Center, where I serve as an ex-officio member,” Beatty, 75, said in a video posted to X. “I am bringing this to you live today because what you may hear is that there was a unanimous vote to rename the Kennedy Center, the Trump Center.”

“Be clear: I was on that call, and as I tried to push my button to voice my concern, to ask questions and certainly not to vote in support of this, I was muted. Each time I tried to speak, I was muted. Participants were not allowed to voice their concerns who were online, yet it was said at the end it was a unanimous vote,” she continued.

“Clearly the Congress has a say in this. This center, the Kennedy Center, was created by the Congress,” the Ohio congresswoman added. “I think it’s important for us to know that this is just another attempt to evade the law and not let the people have a say.”

In a caption above her video, Beatty wrote, “Also for the record, this was not on the agenda. This was not consensus. This is censorship.”

Shortly after taking office, Trump seized control of the Kennedy Center by purging the appointed members of the board and installing his own MAGA loyalists. The Trump-friendly board then established Trump as chairman of the arts organization, which was dedicated in 1964 as a “living memorial” to slain President John F. Kennedy.

“I want to make sure it runs properly,” Trump said at the time. “We don’t need woke at the Kennedy Center, and we don’t need — some of the shows were terrible. They were a disgrace that they were even put on.”

Trump appeared to hint at his interest in renaming the Kennedy Center in August when he previewed the annual Kennedy Center Honors on social media.

“GREAT Nominees for the TRUMP/KENNEDY CENTER, whoops, I mean, KENNEDY CENTER, AWARDS. They will be announced Wednesday,” Trump, 79, wrote on Truth Social at the time. 

Trump made history at the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors as the first sitting president to host the event, where he honored Sylvester Stallone, George Strait, KISS, Gloria Gaynor and Michael Crawford.

President Donald Trump tours the Kennedy Center in March after getting appointed as its chairman.

JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty 

JFK’s only grandson, Jack Schlossberg, previously spoke out against the possibility of renaming the Kennedy Center to honor Trump.

He argued on social media over the summer that the move would go against federal law, citing a congressional act that said, “no additional memorials or plaques in the nature of memorials shall be designated or installed in the public areas of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.”

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“The Trump Administration stands for freedom of oppression, not expression. He uses his awesome powers to suppress free expression and instill fear. But this isn’t about the arts,” Schlossberg, 32, wrote in a July Instagram post.

“Trump is obsessed with being bigger than JFK, with minimizing the many heroes of our past, as if that elevates him. It doesn’t,” he added. “But there’s hope — art lasts forever, and no one can change what JFK and our shared history stands for.”

The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Kayla Bartkowski/Getty

The Kennedy Center was opened as an interactive memorial for the late president, per Public Law 88-260, which explains why no other memorials are permitted within the center.

Kennedy, a devoted supporter of the arts, frequently advocated for what he called “our contribution to the human spirit,” per the center’s site. Though plans to open a national cultural center in D.C. were already in the works before Kennedy’s death, the establishment was redesignated as a JFK memorial in the months after his assassination. Construction began in 1964, and the center opened in 1971.

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The Brown University mass shooting which killed two students may be connected to the assassination of an MIT professor two days later, police have said.

An unidentified gunman opened fire on the Brown campus in Providence, Rhode Island on Saturday, and investigators failed to track the attacker down. 

Two days later, an unknown assailant fatally shot Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Nuno Loureiro inside his Boston home around 50 miles away. 

FBI agent Ted Docks said Tuesday ‘there seems to be no connection’ between the two shootings, but investigators told WPRI Thursday that there may be a link. 

The outlet did not give further information about the connection, but said it marks ‘a new break in the case’ which has baffled investigators for days. 

Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, of Virginia, and Ella Cook, of Alabama, were fatally gunned down during the mass shooting at Brown on Saturday. 

They were in a study session held at the Ivy League’s School of Engineering Barus and Holley Building when a gunman burst in shortly after 4pm and opened fire. 

The gunman fired 40 rounds, killing the two students and wounding 12 more. 

The Brown University shooting which killed two students and the assassination of an MIT professor two days later may be connected, police have said. (Pictured: Victim Ella Cook)

Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov (pictured left), the second Brown University victim killed on Saturday, has been remembered by his roommate as an aspiring neurosurgeon and ‘ball of joy’

FBI agents have released several photographs and videos of ‘persons of interest’, but they are yet to name a suspect in the tragedy. 

Two days later, at around 8.30pm Monday evening, married father-of-three Loureiro was shot dead in his home in Brookline, Boston. 

Loureiro’s neighbor and friend, Louise Cohen, said she discovered his body after hearing shots disturb the peace of their beautiful area on Gibbs Street. 

Cohen said she was lighting a menorah candle when she heard gunshots fired. She rushed to the hallway of their building and found Loureiro lying on his back. 

The professor’s heartbroken wife was also in the entry along with another neighbor, and they scrambled to dial 911. Loureiro was taken to hospital but died the next day.

Loureiro’s neighbors remembered him as a kind-hearted, ‘wonderful man’, while students flocked to the candle-lit vigil in his memory.

MIT paid tribute to him as, ‘a lauded theoretical physicist and fusion scientist’ who became the director of the college’s Plasma Science and Fusion Center in 2024, an institution with more than 250 full-time researchers.

Loureiro specialized in nuclear science, engineering and physics. He leaves behind ‘many devoted students, friends, and colleagues’, according to his MIT obituary. 

His academic career started at the Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, Portugal, where he gained a physics degree. 

Loureiro obtained a doctorate in physics from Imperial College London in 2005, before starting post-doctoral work at Princeton later that year. 

Married father-of-three Nuno F.G. Loureiro (pictured), 47, was gunned down at his home in a leafy Boston suburb at 8.30pm by an unknown shooter who is still on the loose

He also worked at the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s Culham Centre for Fusion Energy between 2007 and 2009.

MIT President Sally Kornbluth acknowledged that the beloved professor died in the wake of the Brown University shooting just two days before. 

‘This shocking loss for our community comes in a period of disturbing violence in many other places,’ she said in a statement. 

‘It’s entirely natural to feel the need for comfort and support. 

‘If you or anyone you know would like counsel or just a listening ear, I encourage you to make use of our many campus resources.

‘In time, the many communities Nuno belonged to will create opportunities to mourn his loss and celebrate his life.’

The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office told the Daily Mail no arrests have been made.  

‘This is an active and ongoing homicide investigation,’ they said in a statement. ‘No further information is being released at this time.’

This is a breaking news story with updates to follow.  

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Jordan Gray, 26, was shot dead at his home in Motherwell after recently becoming a dad – police believe it was a ‘targeted’ incident and have launched a murder probe



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