Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Australia and expressed solidarity with the people of the country in their hour of grief, news agency PTI reported. “Strongly condemn the ghastly terrorist attack carried out today at Bondi Beach, Australia, targeting people celebrating the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah,” the prime minister said. “On behalf of the people of India, I extend my sincere condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. We stand in solidarity with the people of Australia in this hour of grief,” he added. Strongly condemn the ghastly terrorist attack carried out today at Bondi Beach, Australia, targeting people celebrating the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. On behalf of the people of India, I extend my sincere condolences to the families who lost their loved ones.… — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 14, 2025 PM Modi reiterated that India has “zero tolerance” for terrorism and supports the fight against all its forms and manifestations, PTI reported. The attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach left at least 11 people dead, according to Australian authorities, and was declared a terrorist act. Two gunmen opened fire during a Jewish event called Chanukah by the Sea, celebrating the start of the Hanukkah festival. One gunman was fatally shot by police, while the second was arrested and remained in critical condition. At least 29 others were wounded, including two police officers, said New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon. “This attack was designed to target Sydney's Jewish community,” said New South Wales Premier Chris Minns. The massacre was declared a terrorist attack due to the target and the weapons used, Lanyon added. Dramatic footage broadcast on Australian television showed a member of the public apparently tackling and disarming one of the gunmen before pointing the weapon at him. News agency AP reported that the police’s operation was “ongoing” and that “a number of suspicious items located in the vicinity” were being examined, including an improvised explosive device found in one of the suspect’s cars. Emergency services responded to reports of gunfire on Campbell Parade around 6.45 pm local time, rushing the injured to nearby hospitals. Hundreds had gathered at the event when the attack occurred, turning a festive celebration into a scene of terror. Mass shootings are extremely rare in Australia. A 1996 massacre in the Tasmanian town of Port Arthur, where a lone gunman killed 35 people, prompted the government to drastically tighten gun laws, making it much more difficult for Australians to acquire firearms. Other notable incidents this century included two murder-suicides in 2014 and 2018, which claimed five and seven lives respectively, in which gunmen killed their own families and themselves. In 2022, two police officers were shot and killed by Christian extremists at a rural property in Queensland. The three shooters in that incident, who were conspiracy theorists targeting police, were also killed by officers after a six-hour siege, along with one of their neighbours. (With PTI and AP inputs)
14 December,2025 06:43 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThailand’s Government on Sunday confirmed that a rocket attack from Cambodia killed a 63-year-old villager, marking the first civilian fatality in a week of renewed fighting along the two countries’ border, news agency AP reported. Both the countries acknowledged that large-scale clashes, triggered by a December 7 skirmish that wounded two Thai soldiers, continued on Sunday. The dispute centres on longstanding claims over frontier land, some containing centuries-old temple ruins, AP reported. Over the past week, more than two dozen people on both sides have been reported killed, while over half a million have been displaced. Reporters arriving at the scene in Sisaket Province’s Kantharalak District witnessed the victim, identified as Don Patchapan, being taken away on a stretcher. A nearby house was ablaze, with villagers attempting to extinguish the fire using buckets of water. Shrapnel from the rocket was embedded in the road nearby, AP reported. The Thai Army said Patchapan was killed in a residential area near a school. Thai government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat condemned Cambodia for firing into civilian areas, calling the act “cruel and inhumane”. Cambodia has deployed truck-mounted BM-21 rocket launchers, capable of firing up to 40 rockets at a time over 30-40 km, though they lack precise targeting. Most rockets have landed in evacuated areas, but Thai authorities say thousands have been launched nearly daily. Thailand has responded with airstrikes, while Cambodia reported continued bombing on Sunday. Both sides have also used drones for surveillance and bomb delivery. Thai military officials confirmed 15 of their soldiers have died and estimated at least 221 Cambodian military fatalities. Cambodia has rejected these figures, reporting at least 11 civilian deaths and more than 60 injuries. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet posted on social media that he was proud of the nation’s strength amid “aggression from neighbouring countries.” The renewed fighting has disrupted a ceasefire brokered in July by Malaysia, and promoted by US President Donald Trump, who had threatened to withhold trade privileges unless both sides agreed. A new ceasefire had been announced last Friday at Trump’s urging, but Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul denied committing to it, and Cambodia said it was acting in self-defense. The conflict has also spread to a new front in the Gulf of Thailand, where a Thai Navy warship exchanged fire with Cambodian forces in Koh Kong province, with both sides blaming the other for initiating the confrontation. (With AP inputs)
14 December,2025 05:42 PM IST | Thailand | mid-day online correspondentTwo gunmen shot dead nine people on Sunday at Sydney's Bondi Beach, and police killed one of them, Australian Broadcasting Corp reported. Another 12 people were wounded and the other gunman was arrested, ABC reported, citing a police spokesperson on the scene. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
14 December,2025 04:14 PM IST | Sydney | APExternal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has met with his counterparts from Europe, the UK and Egypt on the sidelines of a high-level international summit in the United Arab Emirates, where leaders and policymakers gathered to discuss key geopolitical and security challenges. In a social media post on Saturday, Jaishankar said "it was great to be" with Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel, Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, and Latvia's Foreign Minister Baiba Braze. The minister was in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi to attend the three-day Sir Bani Yas Forum 2025, which concluded on Sunday. Jaishankar also met UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy on the sidelines of the summit. "Good to see UK DPM @DavidLammy on the sidelines of Sir Bani Yas Forum 2025," he said in another social media post. In another meeting, the External Affairs Minister said it was "nice to catch up" with Egypt's Foreign Minister Dr Badr Abdelatty. Sir Bani Yas Forum is an annual platform that brings together global leaders, ministers and experts to deliberate on regional and international issues. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
14 December,2025 12:51 PM IST | Dubai | PTIAt least three children were killed and another sustained injuries when a quadcopter drone crashed into a residential area in northwest Pakistan, police said. According to initial reports, the incident occurred in the Mumand Khel area, in Bannu district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the drone fell into a populated neighbourhood late Saturday, causing casualties among children. Following the incident, residents immediately launched rescue efforts and shifted the injured child and the bodies of the deceased to a nearby hospital. Rescue and security personnel also rushed to the scene soon after the incident. Hospital authorities confirmed that the injured child is out of danger, while the bodies of the three children have been placed in the hospital morgue. The incident triggered panic and fear among residents of the area. Security forces cordoned off the locality and launched an investigation to ascertain the nature of the drone and the circumstances leading to the crash. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 December,2025 09:52 AM IST | Peshawar | ANIUS President Donald Trump on Saturday (local time) pledged "very serious retaliation" after an ISIS gunman killed two US soldiers and one civilian interpreter in an ambush in Syria, calling the attack a strike against both the United States and Syria. Speaking at the White House, the president described the victims as "three great patriots" and characterised the incident as an assault on both Washington and Damascus. "This was an ISIS attack on us and Syria," he told reporters. "We mourn the lost and we pray for them and their parents and their loved ones." Asked if the US would respond, Trump was unequivocal: "Yes, we will retaliate." He repeated the warning on Truth Social, writing, "There will be very serious retaliation. We mourn the loss of three Great American Patriots in Syria--two soldiers and one civilian interpreter. Likewise, we pray for the three injured soldiers who, it has just been confirmed, are doing well." US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that the attack occurred on 13 December during counter-terrorism operations near Palmyra. The lone gunman was engaged and killed by US and partner forces. Three other US soldiers were wounded but are recovering. The identities of the deceased will be withheld for 24 hours until next of kin are notified. Trump also said Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, was "extremely angry and disturbed" by the attack, which occurred in "a very dangerous part of Syria" not fully under government control. The US has approximately 900 troops deployed in Syria as part of ongoing operations against Islamic State militants. The shooting occurred weeks after Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, held talks with Trump at the White House. Al-Sharaa came to power after the downfall of Bashar al-Assad's government last year. Assad later fled to Russia, where he was granted asylum, and has vowed to continue opposing rebel forces. Al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda member who was previously detained by US forces in Iraq, had his global terrorist designation lifted by Trump ahead of their meeting. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 December,2025 09:50 AM IST | Washington | ANIThe Election Commission (EC) has demanded extra security for its chief, other commissioners and officials as fresh unrest visibly gripped Bangladesh after gunmen shot an upcoming parliamentary polls candidate and frontline leader of last year's violent street movement dubbed 'July Uprising'. "The EC has written to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) urging comprehensive security arrangements for the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Election Commissioners (ECs), senior officials of the Election Commission Secretariat," the state-run BSS news agency reported on late Saturday. The EC simultaneously sought the extra security for its field-level offices ahead of the 13th national election, as two of them came under attack in southeastern Lakshmipur and southwestern Pirojpur by unidentified miscreants after the announcement of the schedule for the upcoming polls on Thursday. The commission demanded an additional escort vehicle for the CEC, while one such police escort with a vehicle was currently in place for him. It asked for round-the-clock police escorts for the four commissioners and the senior secretary. The letter said the enhanced security measures were "urgent and necessary," while EC officials said their 10 regional offices, 64 district election offices and 522 sub-district level offices would store important documents and election materials. The EC on Thursday said the upcoming parliamentary election would be held on February 12 next year, while a day later, Sharif Osman Hadi was shot from a close range in the head, critically wounding him, as he initiated his election campaign from a constituency in the capital. Critically ill former prime minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) simultaneously asked Muhammad Yunus' government to provide security for all candidates in the upcoming election after the attack on Hadi, who leads a radical right-wing cultural group called Inquiab Mancha. "We demand that the real culprit be identified immediately and brought under the law, and we call upon this government to ensure the security of all candidates without delay," BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said. Hadi was also a frontline leader of last year's student-led violent uprising that toppled then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government on August 5, 2024. His Inquilab Mancha was also at the forefront of a campaign to disband the Awami League, which the interim government complied with in May this year, disqualifying the party from contesting the polls. The government on Saturday ordered a nationwide security clampdown called 'Operation Devil Hunt 2' amid escalated fears over the law and order situation and promised to issue firearms licenses for election candidates for their own security. Home adviser (retd) Lieutenant General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said the government had taken steps to ensure special security for the "frontline fighters" of the July Uprising and promised to issue firearms licenses for the election candidates. He emphasised that the second phase of the 'Devil Hunt' was aimed at helping ensure public safety and combat the growing threat of illegal arms. The operation was initially launched in February this year following protests over an attack on the private house of a former minister of the ousted government in the northern suburb of the capital, when it targeted alleged "henchmen" and supporters of the now disbanded Awami League. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 December,2025 09:47 AM IST | Dhaka | PTIAt least two people were killed and eight others injured following an active shooting at Brown University's Barus & Holley Engineering Building on Saturday (local time), the university said in an official alert, with the suspect still at large. In an update issued, the university located in the Providence region in the state of Rhode Island confirmed the fatalities and said eight additional victims were hospitalised and are in critical but stable condition. Authorities have imposed a shelter-in-place order as law enforcement continues to search the area. "We are providing an update to the active shooting situation. We are very sorry to share that we have confirmed reports of two deceased victims from the active shooting situation at the Barus & Holley engineering building. There are eight additional victims in critical, but stable condition at the hospital. There remains a shelter in place order. The shooter or shooters still are not in custody at this time. Law enforcement is active in the area," the alert read. The university acknowledged widespread fear and uncertainty following the incident, adding that police are working to identify the deceased victims, while hospital personnel are identifying those transported for medical treatment. Brown University urged students, staff and residents to continue following law enforcement instructions and to avoid the area. "The safety of our community is foremost," the alert said. Authorities also asked any students or Brown community members who were inside the Barus & Holley Engineering Building at the time of the shooting and have since left the area to contact police. Authorities said no suspect has been taken into custody as investigations continue into the shooting at the university, CNN reported, citing Providence Mayor Brett Smiley. He said Brown University officials, the City of Providence, and the FBI are closely coordinating efforts to locate the shooter or shooters. Providence Deputy Police Chief Tim O'Hara, during a press conference, said that the suspected shooter is a male dressed in black. "We are using every resource available to locate this suspect," he said, as quoted by CNN, urging the public to stay away from the area. He further added that police are still determining how the suspect entered the Brown University building, but confirmed that he exited through the Hope Street side. Meanwhile, according to CNN, citing law enforcement sources, police officers were involved in a confrontation with an individual that led to gunfire a few blocks away from the university, but it remains unclear whether that incident is connected to the Brown University shooting. Built in 1965, the facility includes 117 laboratories, 150 offices, 15 classrooms, 29 laboratory classrooms, and three lecture halls, according to the university's website. Brown University is a private Ivy League research institution and ranks among the oldest centres of higher education in the US. According to CNN's analysis of data from the Gun Violence Archive, Education Week, and Everytown for Gun Safety, more than 70 school shootings have occurred in the United States this year. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 December,2025 09:44 AM IST | Rhode Island | ANILed by New York attorney general Letitia James, a coalition of 18 other attorneys general on Friday filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts, challenging the administration’s decision to impose a one-time $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa petitions. The states argue the fee hike is massive, abrupt and imposed without legal authority or due process. The H-1B programme, a cornerstone of the US skilled-immigration system and heavily used by Indian professionals, allows employers to hire highly trained workers in specialised fields. The attorneys general say the new fee threatens to place the programme out of reach for public institutions, government agencies and non-profit employers that rely on H-1B workers to keep essential services running. New York attorney general Letitia James. Pic/X@mmpadellan “H-1B visas allow talented doctors, nurses, teachers and other professionals to serve communities in need across the country,” James said in a statement. “The administration’s illegal attempt to sabotage this programme will make it harder for New Yorkers to get health care, disrupt our children’s education, and harm our economy.” Joining California in the lawsuit are Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 December,2025 07:57 AM IST | Washington | AgenciesEver saw the tiniest sculpture to ever exist? Well, you can’t! The sculpture is so small that it is not visible to the human eye, and its size can only be compared to a human blood cell. Micro-artist David Lindon from England created a tiny sculpture called The Yellow Smiley Face, breaking his own world record for the smallest sculpture. The record was previously held after he made a piece called Red Lego Brick. The sculpture is placed on the Queen Elizabeth II stamp. Pics/METRO.CO.UK The Yellow Smiley Face sits on a first-class stamp of the late Queen Elizabeth II, forming a single microdot on her eye. It can be compared to a particle of talcum powder, a human blood cell, mold spores, bacteria and even a fog droplet! It measures 0.01104mm by 0.01233mm. He got help from scientists at Bournemouth University to measure and verify the results using their high-end microscopes. Lindon is also known for creating miniature creatures for his solo exhibition, the World’s Smallest Zoo — consisting of different animals contained in the eye of a needle. Lindon claimed that he works at midnight, when there is lesser traffic and few chances of disturbances. He added that the process of creating his miniature sculptures includes slowing his heartbeat down, thus ensuring that sudden movements do not ruin his work. The Queen Elizabeth II stamp which has the Yellow Smiley Face, is now mounted on a glass tower and kept inside a sealed glass box at an undisclosed location. This man is breaking bad In Italy, man gets called an escape king for breaking out of jail for the 4th time in 16 years He timed his escape so well that no one caught him. PIC/ODDITYCENTRAL No one noticed when this man snatched a file from the prison workshop, using it to break the jail cell bars. This Hollywood-style jailbreak was executed by Toma Taulant, a 41-year-old Albanian man, who escaped the Opera maximum security prison in Milan. This mastermind timed everything perfectly — he escaped right when the guards were changing their shifts. While all of this was impressive, it was Taulant’s reputation as a prison break expert that dubbed him as the escape king. This was his fourth escape in 16 years. Fairy tale frogs Pic/Instagram@earthdotcom Frogs at Chernobyl have begun to change colour as a bizarre animal mutation. One discovery of this involves the Eastern tree frog (Hyla orientalis), which is bright lime-green in colour. These frogs have turned black in colour as an evolutionary adaptation. No worm for early bird Pic/iStock In a company based in Spain, a woman kept arriving at her workplace early. This displeased her manager because she started her shift before others. She was then fired for serious misconduct. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 December,2025 07:52 AM IST | Los Angeles | AgenciesPresident Donald Trump said on Friday that Thai and Cambodian leaders have agreed to renew a truce after days of deadly clashes had threatened to undo a ceasefire the US administration had helped broker earlier this year. Trump announced the agreement to restart the ceasefire in a social media posting following calls with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. "They have agreed to CEASE all shooting effective this evening, and go back to the original Peace Accord made with me, and them, with the help of the Great Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim," Trump said in his Truth Social posting. Thai and Cambodian officials offered no immediate comment following Trump's announcement. Anutin, after speaking with Trump but before the US president's social media posting, said he reiterated to Trump that Thailand's position was to keep fighting until Cambodia no longer poses a threat to its sovereignty. Trump, a Republican, said that Ibrahim played an important role in helping him push Thailand and Cambodia to once again agree to stop fighting. "It is my Honor to work with Anutin and Hun in resolving what could have evolved into a major War between two otherwise wonderful and prosperous Countries!" Trump added. The original ceasefire in July was brokered by Malaysia and pushed through by pressure from Trump, who threatened to withhold trade privileges unless Thailand and Cambodia agreed. It was formalised in more detail in October at a regional meeting in Malaysia that Trump attended. Despite the deal, the two countries carried on a bitter propaganda war and minor cross-border violence continued. The roots of the Thai-Cambodian border conflict lie in a history of enmity over competing territorial claims. These claims largely stem from a 1907 map created while Cambodia was under French colonial rule, which Thailand maintains is inaccurate. Tensions were exacerbated by a 1962 International Court of Justice ruling that awarded sovereignty to Cambodia, which still riles many Thais. Thailand has deployed jet fighters to carry out airstrikes on what it says are military targets. Cambodia has deployed BM-21 rocket launchers with a range of 30-40 kilometres. According to data collected by public broadcaster ThaiPBS, at least six of the Thai soldiers who were killed were hit by rocket shrapnel. The Thai army's northeastern regional command said Thursday that some residential areas and homes near the border were damaged by BM-21 rocket launchers from Cambodian forces. The Thai army also said it destroyed a tall crane atop a hill held by Cambodia where the centuries-old Preah Vihear temple is located, because it allegedly held electronic and optical devices used for military command and control purposes. Trump has repeatedly made the exaggerated claim that he has helped solve eight conflicts, including the one between Thailand and Cambodia, since returning to office in January, as evidence of his negotiating prowess. And he is not been shy about his desire to be recognised with a Nobel Peace Prize. In an exchange with reporters later Friday, Trump credited his administration with doing a "a very good job" with its push to stem the renewed fighting. "And we got it, I think, straightened out today," Trump said as he hosted members of the 1980 US men's hockey team in the Oval Office. "So Thailand and Cambodia is in good shape." Another ceasefire that Trump takes credit for working out, between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, is also under strain, just after the leaders of the African nations travelled to Washington to sign a peace deal. A joint statement released by the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes expressed "profound concern" over the situation in Congo's South Kivu region, where new deadly violence blamed on the Rwandan-backed M23 militia group has exploded in recent days. The Great Lakes contact group -- which includes Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States and the European Union -- has urged all sides "to uphold their commitments" under the deal signed last week and "immediately de-escalate the situation." And Trump's internationally endorsed plan to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza is still not finalised and in limbo, with sporadic fighting continuing while a critical second phase remains a work in progress. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
13 December,2025 02:22 PM IST | Washington | APADVERTISEMENT
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