World news: 29 injured in aerial firing in Karachi on New Year’s night
New Year celebrations in Karachi turned grim as aerial firing across the city left at least 29 people injured, including women and children, rescue officials confirmed. The injuries occurred during celebratory gunfire in the early hours of January 1, 2025, ARY News reported.
The incidents were reported from multiple areas, including Liaquatabad, Tariq Road, Shah Faisal, Orangi Town, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Azizabad, and Korangi. In Liaquatabad, three individuals were injured by stray bullets, while two women sustained injuries in separate incidents on Tariq Road and Shah Faisal.
Orangi Town and Gulshan-e-Iqbal reported two injuries each, and in Azizabad, a child was struck by a stray bullet, highlighting the dangers of celebratory firing in densely populated areas.
India news: Woman tries to kill 21-year-old friend in Noida for refusing to marry her
A woman in Noida allegedly attempted to murder a 21-year-old man she recently befriended on social media after he refused to marry her, police reported on Wednesday. The victim, currently receiving treatment at a hospital, was reportedly targeted after the woman spiked his drink and enlisted two accomplices to attack him with a sharp weapon.
Rabupura police station in-charge, Inspector Raghavendra Kumar Singh, stated that Hansraj, a resident of Ronija village, filed a complaint on Tuesday night. According to the report, his son Dheeraj, a 21-year-old BCom student, received a call from Priya on the morning of December 24, asking to meet.
Hansraj revealed that Priya and Dheeraj had connected through social media approximately six months ago, leading to her arrival in Greater Noida.
Pakistan hikes petrol and diesel prices amid public outcry over inflation
The Pakistan government announced on Tuesday an increase in fuel prices, raising high-speed diesel by PKR 2.96 per litre and petrol by 56 Pakistan paisas per litre, ARY News reported.
Following the hike, petrol is now priced at PKR 252.66 per litre, while high-speed diesel stands at PKR 258.34 per litre.
As reported by ARY News, these price adjustments are part of routine revisions driven by global market trends and domestic economic factors.
This marks the second fuel price increase in a month, highlighting ongoing economic pressures in the country.
IDF confirms elimination of Hamas Commander Abd al-Hadi Sabah, leader of Oct 7 Kibbutz Nir Oz attack
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Tuesday (local time) confirmed the killing of Hamas’ Nukhba Platoon commander, Abd al-Hadi Sabah, in a recent drone strike.
As per the IDF, Sabah had led the attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7, 2023, massacre.
The Nukhba Platoon commander in Hamas’ Western Khan Yunis Battalion was eliminated in the Khan Yunis area of southern Gaza, the IDF added in its statement.
“Abd al-Hadi Sabah, a Nukhba Platoon Commander in the Western Khan Yunis Battalion was eliminated in an intelligence-based IDF and ISA strike,” the IDF wrote on X.
They also added,” Abd al-Hadi Sabah–who operated from a shelter in the Humanitarian Area in Khan Yunis–was one of the leaders of the infiltration into Kibbutz Nir Oz during the murderous October 7 Massacre. Sabah also led and advanced numerous terrorist attacks against IDF troops throughout the current war. The IDF and ISA will continue to operate against all of the terrorists who took part in the murderous October 7 Massacre.”
Earlier, the IDF reported that its units, working with the Shin Bet (Israel’s General Security Service), eliminated 14 Hamas terrorists, six of whom had participated in the October 7 massacre. These operations were carried out as part of the IDF’s 162nd “Steel” Division’s ongoing activity in the Gaza Strip.
The 162nd Division operated in the areas of Jabalia and Beit Lahia, as part of the joint activity of the IDF and Shin Bet to locate and eliminate terrorists who took part in the October 7 attack.
The 162nd Division has been operating in the areas of Jabalia and Beit Lahia, as part of the joint effort between the IDF and Shin Bet to locate and eliminate terrorists involved in the October 7 attack.
On October 7 last year, Hamas launched a massive terror attack on Israel, killing over 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. Around 100 hostages remain in captivity, with many feared dead.
In response, Israel launched a strong counteroffensive targeting Hamas units in Gaza. However, the Israeli operation has resulted in over 45,000 Palestinian casualties in Gaza. The mounting civilian toll has raised global concerns and increased calls for a ceasefire.
The conflict has escalated further, with Houthi rebels from Yemen and Hezbollah from Lebanon–both considered Iran’s proxies–intensifying their offensives against Israel, compelling Tel Aviv to engage in a multi-front war.
Thief swipes USD 13 million in jewels, handbags, cash from London mansion
Police in London are searching for a burglar who broke into an occupied mansion and stole more than USD 13.2 million worth of jewellery, designer handbags and cash. The owners of the estate, identified in British media as an Instagram influencer and her developer husband, were not home at the time on December 7. But employees were there and a housekeeper had a near run-in with the armed intruder, according to surveillance footage.
“This is a brazen offense where the suspect has entered the property while armed with an unknown weapon,” Det. Constable Paulo Roberts of the Metropolitan Police said on Monday, when the theft was announced.
Among the stolen items were a 10.73-carat diamond ring, diamond earrings and a clip studded with gold, diamonds and sapphires. The haul also included USD 1,89,000 worth of handbags.
The homeowners have offered a USD 6,28,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the suspect, and an additional reward of 10 per cent of the value of recovered items.
Police said the suspect broke in by climbing through a second-floor window.
Surveillance footage obtained by the MailOnline showed the man walking down a corridor a minute before a maid stepped off an elevator in the same place.
The home near Regent’s Park in one of London’s wealthiest areas.
No one can ever stop China’s reunification: President Xi Jinping
Chinese President Xi Jinping underlined that no one could prevent China’s ‘reunification’ with Taiwan, and affirmed that China will continue its “united front” efforts.
In his New Year’s message on Tuesday, Xi also highlighted China’s aim to strengthen international cooperation, promote mutual understanding, and build a community with a shared future for humanity.
Earlier, Chinese Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, said in a post on X, “On New Year’s Eve, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered his 2025 New Year message via China Media Group and the Internet.”
“We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same family. No one can ever sever the bond of kinship between us, and no one can ever stop China’s reunification, a trend of the times,” Xi Jinping said.
He also stressed that China will work with other countries to ensure enhanced cooperation.
“As changes unseen in a century accelerate across the world, it is important to rise above estrangement and conflict with a broad vision, and care for the future of humanity with great passion. China will work with all countries to promote friendship and cooperation, enhance mutual learning among different cultures, and build a community with a shared future for mankind. We must jointly create a better future for the world,” he said.
Earlier, on December 28, China’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) announced that it would investigate claims made in a YouTube video about China’s efforts to politically influence young Taiwanese and encourage them to apply for Chinese ID cards, Taipei Times reported.
The council’s comments followed the release of a video on Saturday by Taiwanese rapper Chen Po-yuan and YouTuber “Pa Chiung,” detailing China’s “united front” tactics. It is the second video on the subject released by the pair this month.
In the video, Chen visited the Taiwan Youth Entrepreneurship Park in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, and the Strait Herald news platform in Xiamen, China.
Lin Jingdong, Assistant Director of the Strait Herald and a member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), discussed strategies used to influence young Taiwanese as part of China’s “united front” tactics, Taipei Times reported.
The tactics include “incubating” young Taiwanese through Taiwan-related organisations and collaborating with small-scale influencers.
FBI makes its largest bomb bust on Virginia farm
The FBI uncovered more than 150 homemade bombs on a farm in Virginia in what is thought to be the largest such seizure in the agency’s history, according to court documents filed this week.
Agents found the explosives while searching the family home of 36-year-old Brad Spafford after being tipped off by a neighbor that he was stockpiling weapons and homemade ammunition.
A court document filed Monday said Spafford, who works at a machine shop, had used pictures of President Joe Biden for shooting target practice and expressed support for political assassinations.
Some explosives assessed as pipe bombs were found in a backpack in a bedroom on the property, which Spafford shares with his wife and two young children, the document said.
It added that Spafford’s freezer contained a jar of HMTD — a “highly unstable” explosive device — stored alongside food and labeled “Do Not Touch.”
His home also had a notebook of “recipes” for making explosives including grenades, according to the filing.
A neighbor told FBI agents that Spafford had discussed fortifying his property with “a 360-degree turret for a 50-caliber firearm on the roof.”
Prosecutors said Spafford, who has been charged with unlawful possession of a rifle, would likely face additional charges over the explosives, which each carry a maximum sentence of ten years of imprisonment.
In a separate filing on Tuesday, Spafford’s attorneys defended him as “a hard-working family man with no criminal record” while arguing for him to be released from custody.
US imposes sanctions on Russian, Iranian entities over attempt to influence presidential elections
The United States Treasury on Tuesday (local time) imposed new sanctions on Iranian and Russian entities accused of attempting to influence the US 2024 presidential election.
The entities are accused of using artificial intelligence to spread false information in an attempt to influence the US elections, The Washington Post reported.
The US Treasury, in an official statement, announced that it was imposing sanctions on both a subsidiary of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and an affiliate of Russia’s military intelligence agency over their efforts to “stoke socio political tensions and influence the U.S. electorate during the 2024 election.”
The Treasury also alleged that the Russian entity used AI tools to “quickly create disinformation that would be distributed across a massive network” of fake news websites and produced “baseless accusations” about a 2024 vice-presidential candidate, The Washington Post reported.
The sanctions targeted minor entities, which are unlikely to have major economic effects on both countries. However, these sanctions mark another step backward in the already deteriorating relationship between Russia and Iran.
“The Governments of Iran and Russia have targeted our election processes and institutions and sought to divide the American people through targeted disinformation campaigns,” Bradley Smith, Treasury’s acting undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement, while adding, “The United States will remain vigilant against adversaries who would undermine our democracy.”
According to The Washington Post, the Treasury imposed sanctions on the Center for Geopolitical Expertise (CGE), a Moscow-based group funded by Aleksandr Dugin. The Treasury had already sanctioned the group in 2015.
The Treasury accused CGE of working with the Russian military intelligence service that “oversees sabotage, political interference operations, and cyberwarfare” against the West.
In its statement, the Treasury said the intelligence service both directed and provided financial support to the center to influence the 2024 presidential election. With that support, Treasury said, the center maintained a network of “at least 100 websites” for its “disinformation operations,” through which it pushed false information.
“CGE and its personnel used generative AI tools to quickly create disinformation that would be distributed across a massive network of websites designed to imitate legitimate news outlets to create false corroboration between the stories, as well as to obfuscate their Russian origin,” the Treasury statement said.
The sanctions also targeted Cognitive Design Production Center, a subsidiary of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, over its “influence operations.”
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