The much-anticipated deportation of Luthra brothers, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, from Thailand to India is now in its final stage, with top sources indicating they are likely to be sent back to India soon. The brothers are expected to land in Delhi following the deportation. Indian authorities have furnished all required documentation to the Thai side, including the necessary Emergency Certificates (ECs) issued after the brothers' passports were cancelled. Sources confirm that procedural bottlenecks have been largely resolved. Thai immigration authorities are coordinating closely with Indian officials and are preparing to present the case before a local Bangkok court. This court appearance is understood to be the final, mandatory legal requirement under Thai law before a formal deportation order can be executed. Sources close to the matter says,"Relevant documentation is submitted. The matter now moves for its last legal review by a local Bangkok court." Earlier in the day, a legal team representing the Luthra brothers met them in Thai custody for approximately 30 minutes. Thai Police had detained the brothers from a resort in Phuket on Thursday after India had moved to suspend their passports, reported local media. Local police say the detention followed a request from Indian law enforcement. According to Thai authorities, an Indian law enforcement team is also coordinating formalities for the brother's return. This is possible due to an extradition treaty between two countries that is in force since 2015. Thai officials stressed that due process will be followed while cooperation continues between the two countries. Authorities say they will work with their Indian counterparts to ensure a prompt lawful handover. The Embassy of India in Bangkok is also actively coordinating with the Thai authorities regarding the ongoing case. The swift developments signal a breakthrough after earlier reports suggested the case was headed for a prolonged legal battle in Bangkok due to competing claims and human rights issues stemming from the cancellation of their travel documents. On December 6, late at night at 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub, a devastating blaze claimed 25 lives, including five tourists and 20 staff members. Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra own the restaurant. 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.
15 December,2025 06:19 PM IST | Bangkok [Thailand] | ANIWaste management in Pakistan's major cities is reportedly in crisis, as both Islamabad and Karachi struggle to maintain cleanliness, Dawn reported. Streets, roads, and open spaces across urban and rural areas are littered with garbage, leaving residents exposed to foul odours, dust, and toxic air. In Islamabad, Dawn reported, rural areas have been particularly neglected. With no formal system in place, residents dispose of garbage in nullahs and open grounds. "Secondary collection by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) is irregular, and rural waste management contracts that expired a year ago have not been renewed, leaving services inconsistent. Urban areas receive temporary coverage through CDA staff, ex-contractor workers, and machinery, but repeated efforts to outsource waste management across the city were cancelled several times this year," Dawn said. According to report, several bids submitted in response to a November tender are currently under evaluation. In Karachi, Dawn highlighted, waste collection remains a major challenge across both formal and informal settlements. Overflowing bins, unattended garbage along main roads, and open dumping along riverbanks and nullahs have created similar health and environmental hazards. Residents of areas near the Malir River in Karachi reportedly endure stench, dust, and toxic gases, Dawn said, with air pollution and unhygienic conditions disrupting daily life and increasing disease risks. Dawn further reported that in both cities, large numbers of birds and flies circle dump sites, adding to the unsanitary conditions. Citing World Health Organisation and UN-Habitat guidelines, Dawn noted that transfer stations should only provide temporary, covered storage of waste. Without sealed containers or proper facilities, Dawn warned, these sites effectively become dumping grounds, threatening public health and urban living in Pakistan's two major cities. Pakistan's major cities reveal a total collapse in waste management. Islamabad's rural areas and Karachi's urban settlements suffer from uncollected garbage, open dumping, and overflowing bins, creating toxic, unhygienic environments. Failed contracts, inconsistent services, and inadequate infrastructure show that authorities have been unable to maintain basic sanitation. The situation exposes residents to severe health risks, highlighting that Pakistan has utterly failed to manage urban waste, putting public health and city life in grave jeopardy. 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.
15 December,2025 06:19 PM IST | Islamabad [Pakistan] | ANIPrime Minister (PM) Anthony Albanese on Monday said the issue of tougher gun laws would be taken up at a meeting of the National Cabinet, signalling a possible tightening of Australia’s already strict firearms regulations following the deadly anti-Semitic terror attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, news agency ANI reported. Speaking to the media ahead of the National Cabinet meeting scheduled for 4 pm local time, Albanese said stricter gun controls—including limits on the number of firearms licensed to individuals and periodic reviews of licences—would be placed on the agenda. “This afternoon, at four o’clock, I will put on the agenda of the National Cabinet tougher gun laws, including limits on the number of guns that can be used or licensed by individuals, a review of licences over a period of time,” he stated. Stressing the need for continuous oversight, PM Albanese added, “People’s circumstances change. People can be radicalised over a period of time. Licences should not be in perpetuity.” Albanese said the federal government would present a proposal aimed at strengthening monitoring mechanisms. “The Australian government will take to National Cabinet this afternoon a proposal to empower agencies to examine what can be done in this area,” he said. Australia mass shooting: 24-year-old attacker undergoing treatment in hospital Later in the day, Albanese convened the National Cabinet in response to what he described as an act of terror and antisemitism at Bondi Beach, ANI reported. In a post on X, the Prime Minister said, “Today I convened National Cabinet to respond to the act of terror and antisemitism in Bondi last night. We stand with Jewish Australians and we stand against hatred and violence. Australia is stronger than those who try to divide us and we will come through this together.” The attack targeted members of the Jewish community who had gathered at Bondi Beach to mark Hanukkah celebrations, according to CNN. Authorities have declared the incident a terrorist attack. As per the latest update from New South Wales Health, 27 people remain hospitalised across Sydney after being injured in the mass shooting, CNN reported. Investigators said the attack was carried out by a father-son duo. Police shot and killed the father at the scene, while the 24-year-old son is undergoing treatment in hospital, ANI reported. Officials said the son, who was born in Australia, had previously been assessed by the country’s domestic intelligence agency, ASIO, which at the time found no indication that he posed a threat of engaging in violence. The father, who arrived in Australia in 1998, held a recreational hunting licence and was a member of a gun club, CNN reported. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has vowed an “overwhelming” response to the attack, as security remains heightened across the country. Australia already enforces some of the world’s toughest gun laws, introduced nearly three decades ago after a mass shooting in Tasmania that killed 35 people. The incident prompted sweeping reforms within weeks, sharply restricting gun ownership and introducing strict licensing rules, according to CNN. Official data from the Australian Institute of Criminology shows that between July 2023 and June 2024, Australia recorded 31 gun-related murders, translating to a homicide rate of 0.09 per 100,000 people. (With ANI inputs)
15 December,2025 03:03 PM IST | Sydney | mid-day online correspondentA child is one of at least 16 people killed in an attack in Australia at one of the world's most famous beaches, officials said Monday. Hundreds of people had gathered at Bondi Beach in Sydney for an event to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah, when gunmen opened fire. At least 16 people are dead and 38 others injured in a terrorist attack authorities say was designed to target the Jewish community. New South Wales Health Minister Ryan Park said the death toll had risen from 12 to 16 overnight, including a 12-year-old child. Three other children are being treated in hospital, 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
15 December,2025 08:15 AM IST | Sydney | APA Turkish roll-on-roll-off (RoRo) commercial ship was reportedly hit by a Russian drone on Ukrainian ports on Friday, while the vessel was moored at the port city of Odesa. The ship, called the Cenk T, was reportedly carrying food supplies (fruit, vegetables, and other consumables), and not any military equipment. According to sources, another two Turkish ships were also hit and damaged. 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
15 December,2025 06:52 AM IST | Kyiv | AgenciesA raccoon that passed out drunk after running amok in a Virginia liquor store is suspected of two other “break-ins”. Images of smashed bottles and the animal splayed out next to the toilet went viral last week — but the woman who found him has revealed the raccoon has form. “This is not the first time he’s been in one of the buildings. This is the third break-in he’s had,” said animal protection officer Samantha Martin. “He was in the karate studio, I think he got into DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) - ate some of their snacks one time.” Ms Martin said the “smart little critter” had been removed both times from those businesses, which are in the same complex as the ABC liquor store in Ashland. 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
15 December,2025 06:49 AM IST | Virginia | AgenciesUS envoys arrived in Berlin on Sunday morning for another round of talks intended to secure a deal to end the war in Ukraine. US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were spotted in downtown Berlin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian, US and European officials will hold a series of meetings in Berlin in the coming days. “Most importantly, I will be meeting with envoys of President Trump, and there will also be meetings with our European partners, with many leaders, concerning the foundation of peace — a political agreement to end the war,” Zelenskyy said on Saturday. Washington has tried for months to navigate the demands of each side as Trump presses for a swift end to Russia’s war and grows increasingly exasperated by delays. 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
15 December,2025 06:44 AM IST | Berlin | AgenciesA 52-year-old Indian-origin man is among four people killed after a four-storey Hindu temple under construction collapsed in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, officials said. The New Ahobilam Temple of Protection, situated on a steep hill in Redcliffe in north of eThekwini (formerly Durban), was being expanded when a section of the building gave way on Friday while workers were on site. The exact number of workers and temple officials believed to be trapped beneath tonnes of rubble is unknown. While two people, a construction worker and a devotee, were confirmed dead on Friday, the death toll rose to four on Saturday after rescue teams recovered more bodies. Of the four deceased, one has been identified as Vickey Jairaj Panday, an executive member of the temple trust and manager of the construction project. 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
15 December,2025 06:42 AM IST | Johannesburg | AgenciesPrime 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 | APADVERTISEMENT
