China likely loaded more than 100 ICBMs in silo fields, Pentagon report says
China is likely to have loaded more than 100 intercontinental ballistic missiles across its latest three silo fields and has no desire for arms control talks, according to a draft Pentagon report which highlighted Beijing’s growing military ambitions, Reuters reported.
China is expanding and modernizing its weapons stockpile faster than any other nuclear-armed power, according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a Chicago-based non-profit. Beijing has described reports of a military buildup as efforts to “smear and defame China and deliberately mislead the international community.”
Last month, US President Donald Trump said that he may be working on a plan to denuclearise with China and Russia. But the draft Pentagon report, which was seen by Reuters, said Beijing did not appear to be interested, according to Reuters.
Amid unrest and calls for Home adviser’s resignation, another leader shot in Bangladesh
Amid continuing nationwide unrest in Bangladesh and mounting demands for resignation of the country’s Home Affairs Adviser following the killing of July uprising leader Sharif Osman Hadi, another leader linked to the movement was shot on Monday (December 22, 2025), The Hindu reported.
The shooting intensified fears of a widening cycle of political violence at a time when Bangladesh is already grappling with instability, protests, and uncertainty over the path to elections.
Motaleb Shikdar, a leader of the Jatiya Sramik Shakti, the labour wing affiliated with the National Citizen Party (NCP), which spearheaded the July uprising that toppled the Sheikh Hasina government, was shot in broad daylight in Khulna city, in a manner reminiscent of the attack on Hadi, according to The Hindu.
Australian state set to pass tougher gun laws after Bondi attack
Australia's most populous state is set to pass tougher gun laws, ban the display of terrorist symbols and curb protests after the state parliament's lower house cleared a bill late on Monday in an emergency sitting following the Bondi mass shooting, Reuters reported.
The terrorism and other legislation amendment bill won support from the opposition Liberal Party in New South Wales state, and is expected to clear the upper house on Tuesday.
The ruling centre-left Labor government has proposed capping most individual gun licences at four firearms and allowing up to 10 for farmers, according to Reuters.
US conducting surveillance flights over Nigeria after Trump intervention threat
The U.S. has been conducting intelligence-gathering flights over large parts of Nigeria since late November, according to flight tracking data and current and former U.S. officials, in a sign of increased security cooperation between the countries, Reuters reported.
Reuters could not determine what information the flights are meant to obtain.
But the flights in West Africa follow U.S. President Donald Trump's threats in November to militarily intervene in Nigeria over what he says is its failure to stop violence targeting Christian communities. The flights also are occurring just months after a U.S. pilot working for a missionary agency was kidnapped in neighboring Niger, according to Reuters.
