A Pakistan accountability court on Saturday sentenced jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 17 years imprisonment each in the Toshakhana 2 corruption case. The case is about alleged fraud in state gifts, which the former first couple received from the Saudi government in 2021. Special court judge Shahrukh Arjumand announced the judgment in the case in the high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. Khan and Bushra were awarded 10 years' rigorous imprisonment under Section 409 (criminal breach of trust) of the Pakistan Penal Code and seven years under different Sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 10 million on each of them. 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.
20 December,2025 12:30 PM IST | Islamabad [Pakistan] | PTIThe US Justice Department released a batch of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking investigation, including photos and records showing Bill Clinton, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Michael Jackson in social settings with Epstein, CNN reported. The files, made public under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, are heavily redacted to protect victims and ongoing investigations. Some of the material was already made public, but other documents are "very likely to have never seen the light of day before," CNN reported. The released materials included multiple pages and large datasets. Some notable revelations include former US President Bill Clinton, swimming with Ghislaine Maxwell and relaxing in a hot tub with an unidentified person; Michael Jackson posing with Epstein and Clinton. Former US president Bill Clinton, Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger, Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson and Ghislaine Maxwell, after the US Justice Department began releasing the long-awaited records from the investigation into the politically explosive case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein Other prominent figures, Mick Jagger, Woody Allen, and Noam Chomsky, are also featured in the released documents. Earlier, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer released a statement slamming Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche for saying the department will release some of the files at a later date, despite today's deadline. Blanche said in an interview on Fox News that "several hundred thousand" documents in their possession will be released today, with more to come in the weeks ahead. US President Donald Trump signed into law legislation passed by Congress in November that mandates the release of all non-exempt information from the files by December 19, CNN reported. The Epstein Files Transparency Act required the Department of Justice to release files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by today. At around 4 pm (local time), the Justice Department released some of the documents. The massive trove includes thousands of apparently never-before-released documents along with thousands of files that were already public from various court cases and public records requests. DOJ disclosures, court records, public records requests, and congressional releases were among the documents released, according to CNN. Several previously unreleased photographs of former President Bill Clinton with Epstein and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, were released. The DOJ's redactions of the files are extensive, and the reasons for them extend beyond what the law requires. In some cases, entire pages are redacted. To comply with the law, several redactions had to be made, according to the DOJ. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said, "any material that contained personally identifiable information of victims, child sexual abuse materials, classified national defence or foreign policy information, or would jeopardise an active investigation." Among the thousands of documents released as part of the Epstein files is a photo of pop icon Michael Jackson standing next to Epstein. The two are seen standing in front of a painting of what appears to be a naked woman. It is unclear when or where the photo was taken. Another photo released shows President Bill Clinton with his arm around Jackson. A woman whose identity is redacted and Supreme's singer Diana Ross are to their right. Epstein is not pictured, as per CNN. Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender, was found dead in his jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide by hanging, but many questions and conspiracy theories surround the circumstances of his death. 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
20 December,2025 10:14 AM IST | Washington | ANI | Bipin DaniUS President Donald Trump’s announcement of sweeping prescription drug price cuts is expected to ripple across global pharmaceutical markets, including India’s generics-driven drug export sector, as Washington moves toward international price benchmarking. Trump said Americans would soon pay no more than the lowest price charged anywhere in the world. “You’re going to get most favored nations pricing,” Trump said. The announcement was made alongside HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, as well as executives from multinational pharmaceutical companies. “For decades, Americans have been forced to pay the highest prices in the world,” Trump said. He said drugmakers had agreed to deep price reductions on major products. “We signed historic agreements… to reduce prices by 300, 400, 500, 600 and even 700 percent,” Trump said. Executives present included Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson, Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan, Genentech CEO Ashley Magargee, Gilead CEO Dan O’Day, GSK CEO Emma Walmsley, Merck CEO Robert Davies and Amgen Executive Vice President Peter Griffith. Trump said the administration would use tariffs to compel foreign governments to align prices. “We would never be able to do this without the use of tariffs,” he said. He added that US drug prices would soon be “among the lowest in the developed world.” “So we will get the lowest price anywhere in the world,” Trump said. Trump also tied the policy to expanded US-based pharmaceutical manufacturing. “They’re coming in and they’re building already,” he said. India is one of the world’s largest producers of generic medicines and a key supplier to the US market, particularly for affordable treatments for chronic diseases. Indian drug prices are often among the lowest globally. Any US move toward global price benchmarking is closely watched by Indian pharmaceutical exporters, given the importance of the American market to India’s drug industry. 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
20 December,2025 09:54 AM IST | Washington | IANSUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio referred to the conflict between India and Pakistan that US President Donald Trump claims he resolved along with several others this year, saying the American leader "has made it a priority to be a peacemaker." Trump has repeated the claim of stopping the conflict between India and Pakistan nearly 70 times so far. Rubio said that the US remains engaged around the world, including in conflicts that "perhaps are not central to everyday life in America." "The President has made it a priority to be a peacemaker and so you've seen us engaged whether it's Russia, Ukraine, or India and Pakistan or Thailand and Cambodia, which is an ongoing challenge," Rubio said Friday at a year-end news conference. He said that some of the conflicts resolved by the US have "deep roots that go back many, many years, but we are prepared to be engaged and helpful." "In ways that perhaps other nations can't, we've been viewed as indispensable in that regard, and it's a role the President takes great pride in, in the promotion of peace around the world and something he deserves a lot of credit for. He has personally engaged in all of this," he added. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes. India has consistently denied any third-party intervention in resolving the conflict. Responding to a question on China and Japan, Rubio said "we understand that's one of the dynamics that has to be balanced in that region, and I believe that we feel very strongly that we can continue with our strong, firm partnership and alliance with Japan and do so in a way that continues to allow us to find productive ways to work together with the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese government." He said that at the end of the day, China will continue to be a rich and powerful country and a factor in geopolitics. "We have to have relations with them, we have to deal with them. We have to find the things we are able to work together on, and I think both sides are mature enough to recognise that there will be points of tension now and for the foreseeable future," he added. He said that China and the US need to find opportunities to work together. "I think we can do that without imperilling or in any way undermining our very firm commitment to our partners in the Indo-Pacific, that includes not just Japan but South Korea, and obviously, if you extend further out, I don't want to leave anybody out but India and Australia and New Zealand and all the other countries," he added. Responding to a question on whether the US has got consent from Pakistan that they will be sending troops in Gaza for peace building and peacemaking, Rubio said all the countries Washington has talked to about being and having a presence on the ground, "I think they want to know specifically, what the mandate, what the specific mandate, funding mechanism looks like. "We're very grateful to Pakistan for their offer to be a part of it, or at least their offer to consider being a part of it. I think we owe them a few more answers before we can ask anybody to firmly commit," he added. Rubio added that Pakistan is "key if they agree to do so. But I think we owe them a few more answers before we get there." 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
20 December,2025 09:49 AM IST | New York/Washington | AP | PTIThe Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) claims that the recent unrest, including attacks on newspaper offices and other establishments, is a conspiracy to destabilise the upcoming national election scheduled for February 2026, BD News reported. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir stated that these "heinous attacks" are aimed at disrupting the democratic transition process and foiling the election. The violence erupted after the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a youth leader and election candidate, who was shot by masked assailants. Protests and attacks followed, targeting media outlets, including Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, with allegations of being pro-government or pro-India. Chhayanaut, Udichi, and the Indian High Commission in Khulna were also targeted amid anger and protests following the news of the death of Inqilab Manch convener Sharif Osman Bin Hadi. Alamgir expressed the party's reaction at a press conference after the BNP's national standing committee meeting on Friday night. The BNP is pointing fingers at the government, alleging that it's trying to create an atmosphere of fear and instability to delay or disrupt the polls. They've urged all patriotic forces to unite against this conspiracy and ensure a peaceful election. "We strongly condemn and express our disgust at these heinous incidents. These incidents prove that an old and identified group wants to lead the country towards anarchy systematically," he said, as quoted by BD News. Fakhrul commented that those circles are trying to create a new version of fascism in the country by "subverting the democratic rights and voting rights that were "earned with much blood". He said, as quoted by BD News, "When all parties in the country are protesting against the killing of Osman Hadi and demanding justice for the killers, they are putting pressure on the government to arrest the killers and bring them to justice. In such a situation, we consider such heinous attacks as a conspiracy to destabilise the upcoming national elections and the democratic transition process." Fakhrul said, "On behalf of the peace-loving countrymen, we want to warn these despicable conspirators that we cannot allow our country, which was acquired at the cost of so much blood, to be destroyed. We must unite and stop this evil force." "There is no alternative to uniting all anti-anarchist political and social forces today to thwart this conspiracy." He called for unity in the face of the protests, "In continuation of the unity through which we brought down fascism and achieved an interim government and national elections, we are calling on all patriotic forces to unite again." Fakhrul expressed his dissatisfaction with the government's role in the situation. He said, as quoted by BD News, "They are carrying out this activity right under the nose of the government. People also feel the government's role is unsatisfactory. As a result, the image of the government and the country is being tarnished both at home and abroad." As Sharif Osman bin Hadi rested in the cold storage at the National Heart Institute, the protest continued to boil the nation. The procession surrounding the ambulance was part of the day-long anger and protest of people who took to the streets to protest Hadi's killing. The outpouring of anger that erupted on Thursday night after news of the death of Inqilab Manch convener Osman Hadi from Singapore continued throughout Friday. Incidents of attacks, vandalism and arson were not spared on that day either. After Friday prayers, many streets and areas of the capital were filled with protesters. Shahbagh was also in turmoil on Friday. The interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, has urged people to resist violence and maintain peace, blaming "fringe elements" for the unrest. 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
20 December,2025 09:47 AM IST | Dhaka | ANIUS President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) said that in response to ISIS's killing of two Americans in Syria, the US retaliated by striking the nation. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on Friday that the US commenced Operation Hawkeye Strike in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters. Hegseth stated in a post on X, "Earlier today, U.S. forces commenced OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on U.S. forces that occurred on December 13th in Palmyra, Syria. This is not the beginning of a war -- it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump's leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people." Earlier today, U.S. forces commenced OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on U.S. forces that occurred on December 13th in Palmyra, Syria. This is not the beginning of a war — it is a… — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) December 19, 2025 "As we said directly following the savage attack, if you target Americans -- anywhere in the world -- you will spend the rest of your brief, anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you, and ruthlessly kill you. Today, we hunted, and we killed our enemies. Lots of them. And we will continue," he added. Trump warned in a post on Truth Social that the terrorists will be hit harder than they have ever been. "Because of ISIS's vicious killing of brave American Patriots in Syria, whose beautiful souls I welcomed home to American soil earlier this week in a very dignified ceremony, I am hereby announcing that the United States is inflicting very serious retaliation, just as I promised, on the murderous terrorists responsible. We are striking very strongly against ISIS strongholds in Syria, a place soaked in blood which has many problems, but one that has a bright future if ISIS can be eradicated." "The Government of Syria, led by a man who is working very hard to bring Greatness back to Syria, and is fully in support. All terrorists who are evil enough to attack Americans are hereby warned -- YOU WILL BE HIT HARDER THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN HIT BEFORE IF YOU, IN ANY WAY, ATTACK OR THREATEN THE U.S.A," he added. "Operation Hawkeye," a reference to the fact that the two US soldiers killed were from the "Hawkeye State" of Iowa, the strikes hit dozens of targets the military connected to ISIS -- including infrastructure and weapons storage sites across Syria, one of the officials told CNN. The two US service members killed in Syria were identified this week as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa. They were killed while engaging hostile forces in Palmyra, Syria, the US Army said. Both soldiers were assigned to the Iowa National Guard's 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division. Three additional Iowa National Guard members were wounded in the attack and evacuated for further medical treatment. 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
20 December,2025 09:43 AM IST | Washington DC | ANIPresident Donald Trump suspended the green card lottery programme on Thursday that allowed the suspect in the Brown University and MIT shootings to come to the US and study at Brown on a student visa in 2000. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on X that she is ordering the US Citizenship and Immigration Services to pause the programme. “This heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country,” she said of the suspect, Portuguese national Claudio Neves Valente. Neves Valente, 48, is suspected in the shootings at Brown University that killed two students and wounded nine others, and the killing of an MIT professor. He was found dead on Thursday evening from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. 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
20 December,2025 09:08 AM IST | New York | AgenciesSingapore, will start from December 30, caning for scammers, recruiters and members of scam syndicates under its amended criminal law. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Friday that the amendment imposes mandatory caning of at least six strokes to tackle the increasing number of scams, with a maximum penalty of 24 cane strokes. Scam mules who enable scammers by laundering scam proceeds, providing SIM cards or giving up their confidential Singpass credentials will face discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes. Singpass is important for citizens to have access to official websites. 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
20 December,2025 09:05 AM IST | Singapore | AgenciesEuropean leaders have agreed to provide Ukraine with 90 billion euros in financial support for 2026-27, a decision aimed at funding Ukraine’s military and economic needs. The decision to provide 90 billion euros of support to Ukraine for 2026-27 is approved,” Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, said. “This sends a clear signal from Europe to Putin: This war will not be worth it. We will keep Russian assets frozen until Russia has compensated Ukraine,” said Olaf Scholz, former German Chancellor, who suggested the interest-free loan. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the package was the result of focused discussions. “We gathered today with a clear objective: to address Ukraine’s pressing financing needs,” she said. The announcement followed a meeting on Thursday between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine and European leaders in Brussels, where he made a last-minute appeal for the EU to tap frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s war effort and sustain the country economically. 02No. of years the aid package is for 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
20 December,2025 09:02 AM IST | Kyiv | AgenciesThe interim government on Friday urged Bangladeshi citizens to resist all forms of mob violence following the death of prominent July Uprising leader — Inqilab Moncho spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi — six days after he was shot by masked gunmen in the national capital. In a statement, the interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, also condemned the lynching of a Hindu man, saying there is no space for such violence in the new Bangladesh. “The perpetrators of this heinous crime will not be spared,” it added. The Hindu man, identified as Dipu Chandra Das, was lynched to death and his body set on fire over alleged blasphemy on Thursday in Mymensingh city, the Bangla Tribune news portal reported. “At this critical hour, we call upon every citizen to honour Hadi by rejecting and resisting violence, incitement and hatred,” said the statement issued by the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing. While no incidents of violence were reported during the day, protesters on Thursday night vandalised the already demolished structure of 32 Dhanmandi, the home of Bangladesh’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and attacked the offices of two leading media houses in Dhaka. Protesters also hurled bricks and stones at the residence of the Assistant Indian High Commissioner in Chattogram. 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
20 December,2025 08:59 AM IST | Dhaka | AgenciesTikTok has signed a deal backed by US President Donald Trump to sell its US assets to a group of American investors, CEO Shou Chew told employees in a memo on Thursday (local time). Although the transaction is not yet complete, the move brings TikTok one step closer to securing its long-term future in the United States, reported ANI. This comes after a law passed last year required that the US version of the app be spun off from its parent company, ByteDance, or be banned in the United States, an American news agency confirmed. US President Trump further signed an executive order on September 26 clearing the way for the completion of a deal to sell TikTok's US assets to a consortium of mostly American investors. The executive order also marked an important procedural step toward finalising the TikTok sale, but the deal is not yet complete. Although both US and Chinese officials have signalled they are aligned on the deal's framework, it will still likely require regulatory approvals from both countries, reported ANI. However, during the signing event, Trump said Chinese leader Xi Jinping had green-lit the deal and expressed confidence that it would be completed. As reported by news agency ANI, US President Trump said, "I had a very good talk with President Xi," while referring to a phone call between the two leaders. Trump further said, "And we talked about TikTok and other things, but we talked about TikTok, and he gave us the go-ahead" for the deal, as per an American news agency. The executive order also stated that the deal constitutes a qualified divestiture as required by the ban-or-sale law that passed with strong bipartisan consensus last year. The US law, which went into effect in January, bans the app unless parent company ByteDance divests approximately 80 per cent of its US assets to non-Chinese investors. Trump has repeatedly delayed enforcement of the law. The order mentions, "I have determined that the proposed divestiture would allow the millions of Americans who enjoy TikTok every day to continue using it while also protecting national security," as per ANI. Furthermore, it adds that the deal to transfer control of TikTok's US assets will also apply to ByteDance's other popular platforms, Lemon8 and CapCut. (With inputs from ANI)
19 December,2025 05:02 PM IST | New York | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
-1766213380064_d.png?tr=w-436,h-271 "Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi. File Pic")
