Sajid Akram, accused of shooting dead 15 people at Sydney’s Bondi Beach in an antisemitic attack, faced a lengthy delay in getting a gun licence because of a bureaucratic mishap, not because he raised suspicions. Sajid, who was killed by police during the attack, and his son Naveed Akram, 24, are accused of assailing hundreds of Jews celebrating Hanukkah on December 14. Chris Minns, New South Wales premier, on Tuesday confirmed that the father applied for a state license to own firearms in 2000, three years before it was granted. The process typically takes six to 10 weeks. “The latest information that we have is that there was a real mess in relation to the bureaucracy when it comes to gun licenses and the delays related to that — not a specific threat,” Minns said. Naveed, was investigated by Australian intelligence in 2019 over his extremist links. 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
24 December,2025 08:29 AM IST | Melbourne | AgenciesResearchers have transformed female mosquito feeding tubes into ultra-high-resolution 3D-printing nozzles. The approach allows printers to lay down material with line widths as small as 20 microns — slightly smaller than a white blood cell. The result pushes current 3D-printing limits. The team named the technique “3D necroprinting.” The process uses a non-living biological structure directly as a functional manufacturing tool. Unlike conventional nozzles, the mosquito proboscis evolved for efficient penetration and fluid transport. Its natural geometry reduces clogging and pressure buildup, making it well-suited for controlled material deposition. 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
24 December,2025 08:24 AM IST | Quebec | AgenciesOver 120 years ago, in 1902, the Wright Brothers performed the first controlled, sustained, powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. On December 17, a team of US students unveiled the first plane built there since the original Wright Brothers’ creation, unveiling a raft on the exact day the Wright Brothers first took flight over a century ago. The aircraft was built over 2 years. More than 100 people, including Paul Wright-Jameson — a great-great-nephew of Wilbur and Orville Wright — gathered at Kill Devil Hills to celebrate the moment. 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
24 December,2025 08:22 AM IST | New York | AgenciesJapan’s beloved former Emperor Akihito marked his 92nd birthday Tuesday as his heart condition stabilised, palace officials said, following health concerns earlier this year. Akihito, the father of Emperor Naruhito, was diagnosed in May with insufficient blood flow to the heart muscles but has been in stable condition since he started a new medication in July, the Imperial Household Agency said in a statement. He still enjoys scientific research into goby fish, career work in which he found 10 new species, and he visits a biology lab on the palace compound twice a week, the agency said. Akihito has held the title of emperor emeritus since his father’s abdication in 2019. 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
24 December,2025 08:19 AM IST | Tokyo | AgenciesA British man, Philip Young, 49, has been charged with 56 sexual offences against his ex-wife over 13 years, while five other men have also been charged in connection with the case. Young has been remanded in custody. The allegations include multiple counts of rape and administering a substance with the intent to overpower to carry out sexual activity. He has also been charged with voyeurism, possession of indecent images of children and possession of extreme images. Five other men have been charged with offences linked to the same victim, 48-year-old Joanne Young, who has chosen to waive her automatic legal right to anonymity. The offences are said to have occurred between 2010 and 2023. 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
24 December,2025 08:15 AM IST | London | AgenciesRussia launched one of its largest aerial attacks on Ukraine overnight on Monday, firing more than 650 drones and over 30 missiles across at least 13 regions, killing three people, including a four-year-old child, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, in an X post. In a strong statement on social media, Zelenskyy said the attacks primarily targeted Ukraine’s energy system and civilian infrastructure. “As of now, air raid alerts remain in effect across most of Ukraine. At the same time, all necessary services are engaged in dealing with the aftermath of the strike. Tragically, lives were lost.” Zelenskyy said that while Ukrainian air defence systems managed to shoot down a large number of drones and missiles, several targets were still hit. “Repair crews and energy workers are already on the ground, working to ensure normal life for people, our cities, and our communities,” he said. Condemning the timing of the assault, Zelenskyy said the strike was carried out just days before Christmas, when families hoped to be safe at home. Zelenskyy also pointed out that the attack came during ongoing discussions aimed at ending the war, accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of refusing to stop the violence. “Now is the time to respond. Russia must be pushed toward peace and guaranteed security,” he said. 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
24 December,2025 08:02 AM IST | Kyiv | AgenciesRussia unleashed a massive combined attack on Kyiv early Friday, sparking fires and scattering debris across many districts of the capital, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. At least 11 people were injured as emergency crews responded to multiple strikes, he said in a statement. Five people were hospitalized, including one man in critical condition and a pregnant woman, after a series of powerful explosions sounded in the city and airs defenses were activated. The attack on the capital was ongoing, officials said, urging residents to remain in shelters until the air raid alert is lifted. City authorities warned that power and water outages are possible. In the Darnytskyi district, debris landed in the yard of a residential building and on the grounds of an educational facility. A car caught fire after being hit by falling fragments. In the Dniprovskyi district, debris damaged three apartment buildings, a private household and caused a fire in an open area. In the Podilskyi district, five residential buildings and a nonresidential structure were damaged. In the Shevchenkivskyi district, falling debris sparked a fire in an open area near a medical facility and inside a nonresidential building. In the Holosiivskyi district, debris ignited a fire at a medical facility and damaged another nonresidential building. In the Desnianskyi district, fires were recorded in two residential buildings. In the Solomianskyi district, a fire broke out on the roof of a residential building. In the Sviatoshynskyi district, debris caused a fire in a private home. In the Kyiv region, Russian strikes damaged critical infrastructure and private homes, injuring at least one civilian, regional head Mykola Kalashnyk said. A 55-year-old man in Bila Tserkva suffered thermal burns and was hospitalized, he said. Fires broke out in private houses in the capital's suburbs. The strike came as European Union officials warned this week that Ukraine must continue to crack down on corruption following a major graft scandal that has put top nuclear energy officials under scrutiny. But they also offered assurances that aid will continue to flow as Kyiv strains to hold back Russia's invasion. 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
23 December,2025 04:43 PM IST | Kyiv | APA Brown University sophomore who was killed in an attack at the Rhode Island university was remembered Monday as "smart, confident, curious, kind, principled, brave", at a funeral in her home state of Alabama. Hundreds gathered at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in downtown Birmingham to remember Ella Cook, 19. She and freshman MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, 18, were killed Dec 13 when a gunman entered a study session in a Brown academic building and opened fire on students. Nine other students were wounded. Authorities believe the attack was carried out by Claudio Neves Valente, 48, who had been a graduate student at Brown studying physics during the 2000-01 school year. Neves Valente then fatally shot Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Nuno FG Loureiro at Loureiro's Boston-area home two days later, officials said. Neves Valente, who had attended school with Loureiro in Portugal in the 1990s, was found dead days later in a New Hampshire storage facility, killed by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. An autopsy determined that Neves Valente died Dec 16, the same day Loureiro died in a hospital. On Monday, Cook's family invited attendees to wear "Easter colors," underscoring Cook's Christian faith, at an Episcopal funeral service that also nodded to the Christmas season. The Rev Paul FM Zahl, who formerly led the church, read from several letters written by members of the Brown community to Cook's parents, Anna Bishop Cook and Richard Cook, who raised Ella and her two younger siblings in the affluent Birmingham suburb of Mountain Brook. "Ella was smart, confident, curious, kind, principled, brave. She had a big impact on campus in only three semesters," wrote Brown professor of political economy David Skarbek. "I used to tell Ella, We need an Alabama to Brown pipeline.' In fact, her nickname on campus was Ellabama." Zahl told the congregation that the funeral was "a kind of bigger stage, a kind of more amplified mic" for Cook to spread her Christian faith. Zahl said he dreamed last week that he was skiing behind Cook and her family. "Ella turned around and shouted confidently, self-assuredly, Come on, will you?'" he said, saying he believed God had shown himself through the dream. "I pray now that everyone who has loved Ella so much in this life would be given a vivid, individual feeling of Ella's love, still present with us," Zahl said. "Because Ella's love is eternal and entirely altruistic." Cook was an accomplished pianist who was studying French, math and economics at Brown, where she also served as vice president of the college Republicans. Her political activity brought a wave of reaction from national and Alabama Republicans. Alabama Gov Kay Ivey ordered flags to be flown at half-staff statewide in Cook's memory. 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.
23 December,2025 03:45 PM IST | Birmingham | APUS President Donald Trump has repeated his claim of resolving the India-Pakistan conflict and asserted that Islamabad's leadership credited him for saving millions of lives. "We stopped a potential nuclear war between Pakistan and India. And the head of Pakistan, a highly respected General, he's a Field Marshal and also the Prime Minister of Pakistan, said President Trump saved 10 million lives, maybe more...", Trump said Monday. He made these remarks at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, flanked by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Navy Secretary John Phelan, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "You know, eight planes were shot down. That war was starting to rage, and he actually said the other day that President Trump saved 10 million lives, maybe more. So we solved all these wars. The only one I haven't solved yet is Russia, Ukraine", he said. Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a "full and immediate" ceasefire after a "long night" of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim over 60 times that he "helped settle" the tensions between the two neighbours. New Delhi has consistently denied any third-party intervention. 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. 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.
23 December,2025 01:17 PM IST | New York/Washington | PTIThe US military said Monday that it had conducted another strike against a boat it said was smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing one person. In a social media post, US Southern Command said, "Intelligence confirmed the low-profile vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations". Southern Command provided no evidence that the vessel was engaged in drug smuggling. A video posted by US Southern Command shows splashes of water near one side of the boat. After a second salvo, the rear of the boat catches fire. More splashes engulf the craft and the fire grows. In the final second of the video, the vessel can be seen adrift with a large patch of fire alongside it. Earlier videos of US boat strikes showed vessels suddenly exploding, suggesting missile strikes. Some strike videos even had visible rocket-like projectiles coming down on the boats. The Trump administration has said the strikes were meant to stop the flow of drugs into the US and increase pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. At least 105 people have been killed in 29 known strikes since early September. The strikes have faced scrutiny from US lawmakers and human rights activists, who say the administration has offered scant evidence that its targets are indeed drug smugglers and say the fatal strikes amount to extrajudicial killings. Meanwhile, the US Coast Guard has stepped up efforts to interdict oil tankers in the Caribbean Sea as part of the Trump administration's escalating campaign against Maduro. 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.
23 December,2025 12:20 PM IST | Washington | APUS President Donald Trump has announced the appointment of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland, signalling renewed attention to the strategically significant territory. Trump said the Louisiana Republican “understands how essential Greenland is to our national security, and will strongly advance our country’s interests for the safety, security, and survival of allies and the World.” The appointment comes against the backdrop of Trump’s long-standing interest in Greenland, which he first publicly expressed during his first term when he floated the idea of purchasing the island from Denmark. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said his country insists that everyone, including the US, must respect “the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark” after Trump’s announcement of a special envoy to Greenland, whose goal would be to “make the territory part of the US”. 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
23 December,2025 09:53 AM IST | New York | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
