WORLD NEWS
Trump says US ‘will retaliate’ after three Americans killed in Syrian ‘Islamic State attack’ | US News
Donald Trump has said the US “will retaliate” after three Americans were killed in a suspected Islamic State attack in Syria.
Two US service members and one civilian died and three other people were injured in an ambush on Saturday by a lone IS – also often called ISIS in Syria and Iraq – gunman, according to the he US military’s Central Command.
The attack on US troops in Syria is the first to inflict fatalities since the fall of President Bashar Assad a year ago.
“This is an ISIS attack,” the US president told reporters at the White House before leaving for the Army-Navy football game in Baltimore.
He paid condolences to the three people killed and said the three others who were wounded “seem to be doing pretty well”.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Mr Trump said “there will be very serious retaliation”.
The shooting took place near historic Palmyra, according to the state-run SANA news agency, and the casualties were taken by helicopter to the al Tanf garrison near the border with Iraq and Jordan.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attacker was a member of the Syrian security force.
Syria’s Interior Ministry spokesman Nour al Din al Baba said authorities are looking into whether the gunman was an IS member or only carried its extreme ideology, and denied reports suggesting he was a security member.
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Central Command earlier said in a post on X that the gunman was killed, while the identities of the service members killed wouldn’t be released until 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified.
Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said the civilian killed in the attack was a US interpreter.
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X: “Let it be known, 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.”
The US has hundreds of troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting IS.
The group was defeated on the battlefield in Syria in 2019 but the UN says the group still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq, and its sleeper cells still carry out deadly attacks.
Syria’s interim president, Ahmad al Sharaa, made a historic visit to Washington DC last month as Syria signed a political cooperation agreement with the US-led coalition against IS.
“This was an ISIS attack against the US, and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by them,” Mr Trump said in his social media post, adding that Mr al Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed”.
WORLD NEWS
Masked suspect is seen fleeing Brown University as students remain in lockdown after rampage that left two dead
A masked gunman sparked chaos on the Brown University campus on Saturday evening after opening fire on a classroom of students preparing for a final exam, killing two people and injuring at least nine others.
The horror shooting triggered an urgent manhunt that plunged the Providence, Rhode Island community into lockdown overnight, as terrified students were made to shelter in place for hours.
Over 400 armed law enforcement agents including the FBI and ATF were deployed to the ongoing search, with authorities stressing that ‘every minute counts’ in tracking down the at-large killer.
The shooting unfolded inside the campus’ engineering building at 4:22pm local time, and hours later surveillance footage was released showing the suspect fleeing the scene after unleashing a barrage of bullets on students.
The footage did not reveal the shooter’s face, but showed the stocky suspect fully outfitted in dark clothing and what appeared to be a bomber jacket with black boots, a beanie and gloves.
At a press conference Saturday evening, officials said they believe the gunman was in his 30s, and may have been wearing a dark camouflage mask during the horrific episode.
The identities of the victims have not yet been released, however Brown University President Christina Paxson said all of the victims were students at the university. Six survivors are in stable condition, one in critical condition, and one sustained minor injuries.
During the chaotic aftermath of the shooting, officials released conflicting reports that a suspect had been arrested and a secondary attack occurred blocks away – sparking confusion before both reports were later walked back by authorities.
A gunman, seen on surveillance footage moments after opening fire, plunged Brown University into chaos on Saturday after shooting students preparing for final exams, killing two and injuring nine others
Over 400 armed law enforcement agents including the FBI and ATF were deployed to an ongoing manhunt for the killer
Students seen sheltering in place as the Providence, Rhode Island college was sent into lockdown for hours on Saturday evening following the horror shooting spree
The first reports of shots fired were issued at 4:22pm local time inside the Barus and Holley Engineering Building, where students had gathered to prepare for final exams.
Police arrived minutes later and a huge law enforcement response descended on the scene, but by the time officers swept the building the suspect had escaped onto the adjacent Hope Street.
It was during this getaway that investigators captured the chilling surveillance footage showing the suspect walking briskly away from the carnage left behind.
Chaos overwhelmed the campus as students barricaded doors and desperately texted loved ones, with the campus issuing an emergency alert warning anyone in the area to ‘RUN, HIDE, FIGHT’ if they encounter the killer.
Social media was swept with images from terrified students and faculty, showing desks, chairs and possessions pushed up against doors.
Timothy O’Hara, the deputy Providence police chief, issued a desperate plea for answers from the public as cops released the footage, which did not show the suspect’s face and offered little detail on his identity.
‘If anybody should recognize this person in any way – seen him earlier, recognize his gait – obviously, we want to know about that,’ O’Hara said at a press conference.
A strict police perimeter was maintained across an area of several miles throughout Saturday night, and anyone in the area was urged to shelter in place while the killer remained at large.
Hours after the shooting took place, terrified students remained in lockdown as images surfaced on social media showing barricaded doors while the gunman remained on the loose
Students were told to ‘RUN, HIDE AND FIGHT’ as the active shooter alerts were issued at 4:22pm local time
Law enforcement officials seen on the Brown University campus on Saturday evening
Over 400 heavily armed law enforcement agents were deployed to the ongoing manhunt
Providence mayor Brett Smiley urged anyone with information to contact authorities, as he told reporters: ‘Every minute matters. We know every minute matters.’
Investigators have not yet recovered any weapons used in the shooting, however O’Hara said at the press conference that investigators had recovered key forensic evidence in shell casings from the scene.
A source told the Associated Press investigators believe a handgun was used by the gunman, who fired a barrage of bullets inside a single classroom during the massacre.
The shooting spree unfolded as the campus was in the midst of final exams, and Smiley said the gunman ‘walked right into’ the building because doors were left unlocked for students taking the tests.
Soon after the shooting, horrific witness accounts surfaced from students and faculty swept up in the agonizing scenes.
Law enforcement officers seen escorting students near the Barus & Holley engineering building where the gunman opened fire Saturday
A huge law enforcement presence remained at the campus through Saturday night, as officials appealed to the public for help in in tracking down the at-large gunman
Brown University student Wayne McNamara said he saw two people bleeding outside his dorm room, around a block from where the shooting was reported.
‘People started running and I sprinted downstairs and back outside, took my clothes off and tried my best to stop the bleeding on the two kids by wrapping my clothes around their wounds,’ he told the Boston Globe.
McNamara said one of the people shot was ‘bleeding severely,’ while the other was ‘panting and [was] shot around his shoulder.’
Sophomore Zoe Weissman, who survived the Parkland school shooting in February 2018, described her horror at being plunged back into the chaos of a shooting.
‘I think mentally, you know, I feel like I’m 12 again. This just feels exactly like how I felt in 2018,’ she said while speaking on MS NOW. ‘But honestly, I’m really angry. I’m really angry that this is happening to me all over again, and I’m just in shock.’
Officials urged the public to come forward with any information that could track down the killer
Amid the confusion over a possible suspect in custody during the shooting, President Donald Trump quickly announced that a suspect was in custody soon after university officials did so, before the alert was soon reversed.
‘The Brown University Police reversed their previous statement — The suspect is NOT in custody,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Law enforcement sources told CNN that the conflicting reports were sparked by a ‘confrontation’ with an individual blocks away from the campus, which resulted in gunfire.
The police source said that the connection between the second incident and the suspected shooter was found to be ‘unfounded’, but the ‘confrontation’ was the reason for conflicting reports that a suspect was in custody.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were reportedly ‘tipped over the edge’ during the final Christmas with the Royal Family, leaving them certain they needed to make their ‘own path’
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle haven’t had a Christmas with the Royal Family since 2018(Image: Getty Images)
When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle last celebrated Christmas as part of the Royal Family, they were reportedly left ‘furious’ over a snub by the late Queen Elizabeth in her annual address. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sensationally quit their royal duties in January 2020, after one particular moment was the “final straw” for them just weeks earlier.
In 2019, Harry and Meghan, with seven-month-old Prince Archie in tow, spent the festive period in Canada with Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland and they were allegedly ‘tipped over the edge’ during the late Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas broadcast. As the monarch addressed viewers, family portraits were clearly visible on her desk, however, one was missing as there was no picture of Meghan and Harry with their then-newborn son.
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were ‘furious’ at the late Queen during their last Christmas with the royals
In the book Finding Freedom, authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand claimed the Sussexes believed the Royal Family were “conspiring against them” with the move, as they said the couple felt they had “long been sidelined by the institution and were not a fundamental part of its future”.
They wrote: “One didn’t have to look further than the family photos displayed during the Queen’s Speech on Christmas Day. In the Green Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace, where the Queen delivered her address, viewers glimpsed photos of the [Waleses] and their children, Charles and Camilla, Prince Philip, and a black-and-white image of George VI.
Harry and Meghan’s photo was not on display during the late Queen’s 2019 Christmas address(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
“Noticeably absent was a photo of Harry, Meghan, and their new baby, Archie.” The authors explained the Palace’s reasoning behind the snub, as royal sources insisted the photos were chosen to represent the “direct line of succession”. However, Omid and Carolyn said Harry and Meghan felt it was “yet another sign that they needed to consider their own path.”
During the 2019 Christmas period, the royal couple missed the Queen’s pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace and were not present for the traditional royal family gathering at the monarch’s private Sandringham estate on Christmas Day.
It was the second time Prince Harry has missed spending December 25 with his immediate family, the first being when he was on a tour of Afghanistan while in the Army in 2012.
In 2020, the couple decided to step back from life as senior royals and moved overseas to America, where they still live today with their children Archie and Lilibet.
Harry and Meghan relocated to the US in 2020(Image: MLB Photos via Getty Images)
A year later, the couple sat down with Oprah Winfrey in a 2021 bombshell interview where they discussed their reasons for quitting royal life, while also hurling damning revelations and accusations at the Royal Family.
Since then, relationships between the Sussexes and the Royal Family have been fractured, especially after the release of their Netflix docuseries in 2022, followed by Harry’s memoir Spare in 2023, and a string of candid jabs at the Firm during public appearances over the years.
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Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio progress to the NBA Cup championship game after beating the defending NBA champions.
Published On 14 Dec 2025
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Victor Wembanyama delivered 15 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter in his return from a calf injury, and the San Antonio Spurs earned a spot in the NBA Cup final with a 111-109 upset of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Devin Vassell scored 23 points, and De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle added 22 apiece as San Antonio handed the Thunder just their second loss in 26 games this season.
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The Spurs will play the New York Knicks in Tuesday night’s NBA Cup final. The Knicks beat the Orlando Magic 132-120 earlier on Saturday in the other semifinal.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points for the Thunder, who had their franchise-record 16-game winning streak halted. Oklahoma City had not lost since November 5 at Portland.
Wembanyama returned after a 12-game absence and was limited to 20 minutes. He collected nine rebounds, and San Antonio outscored the Thunder by 21 when Wembanyama was on the floor.
Jalen Williams had 17 points, seven rebounds and four steals, and Chet Holmgren added 17 points for Oklahoma City. Alex Caruso had 11 points, eight rebounds and three steals off the bench, and Isaiah Hartenstein contributed 10 points and nine rebounds.
The Thunder pulled within 106-105 on a dunk by Gilgeous-Alexander with 14.9 seconds left.
Castle made two free throws with 9.8 seconds remaining to give San Antonio a three-point lead. After the Thunder again pulled within one, Vassell made two free throws with 3.3 seconds left to give the Spurs a 111-108 lead.
Williams was fouled and made the first free throw with 1.5 seconds left. He missed the second on purpose, but Caruso’s follow sailed behind the basket.
The Spurs made 41.1 percent of their field-goal attempts, including 13 of 42 from behind the arc, while winning for the 18th time in 25 games this season.
Oklahoma City shot 41.3 percent from the field and was just 9 of 37 from 3-point range.
Wembanyama, right, returned from a 12-game absence to lead the Spurs to victory against the defending NBA champion Thunder [Kirby Lee/Imagn Images via Reuters]
Spurs rally
The Spurs took their first lead at 57-56 on a basket by Fox with 8:45 left in the third quarter.
That was part of a 10-0 run that ended with Vassell’s three-pointer to put San Antonio up six with 7:58 remaining.
Fox made two free throws with 0.1 seconds to go as San Antonio took a 78-77 lead into the final quarter.
The Spurs were up five in the fourth quarter before the Thunder used an 11-3 push to take a 93-90 edge on Caruso’s basket with 6:47 remaining.
At the outset, Oklahoma City jumped out to a 14-4 lead and ended up with a 31-20 advantage after the opening period.
Wembanyama entered for the first time at the start of the second quarter, and the Spurs immediately went on a 9-2 run.
Later in the quarter, the Thunder went on a 14-2 burst and took a 47-31 lead on Caruso’s basket with 3:53 left in the first half.
San Antonio finished the half with 11 straight points to trail 49-46 at the break.
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The U.S. troops who were killed and injured in Saturday’s ambush attack in Syria were members of the Iowa National Guard, a senior U.S. official told Fox News.
An ISIS gunman opened fire with an automatic weapon in the central Syrian town of Palmyra, killing two Iowa National Guard soldiers and an American civilian translator, the official said.
Three additional U.S. soldiers were wounded in the attack.
TRUMP VOWS ‘VERY SERIOUS RETALIATION’ AGAINST ISIS AFTER DEADLY SYRIA AMBUSH KILLS US SOLDIERS
U.S. forces patrol in Syria’s northeastern city of Qamishli in the Hasakeh province, Jan. 9. (Delil Souleiman/AFP via Getty Images)
Preliminary information suggests the attacker was once affiliated with the Syrian government forces and had been a low-level member of the Syrian Security Forces, before later becoming connected to ISIS, the official said.
“He was not a part of the official delegation that was being escorted by the US and Syrian troops,” the official said. “… This would not be considered a ‘green on blue’ incident because the Syrian gunman was not part of the US/Syrian partnered delegation.”
2 US ARMY SOLDIERS, INTERPRETER KILLED IN SYRIA AMBUSH ATTACK, TRUMP WARNS OF ‘VERY SERIOUS RETALIATION’
President Donald Trump attends the 126th Army-Navy Game between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen, Saturday, in Baltimore, Md. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Earlier Saturday, U.S. Central Command confirmed the deaths and injuries were a “result of an ambush by a lone ISIS gunman in Syria.”
President Donald Trump warned that there will be “very serious retaliation” following the ambush.
“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
6 TIMES ISIS HAS INSPIRED TERROR ATTACKS ON US SOIL
U.S. Army soldiers in northeastern Syria. (John Moore/Getty Images)
Trump added, “This was an ISIS attack against the U.S. and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by them.”
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Last month, two West Virginia National Guard members were ambushed and shot near the White House in Washington, D.C., in a targeted attack that left one soldier dead.
Fox News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report.
Sophia Compton is a Writer at Fox News Digital. Sophia was previously a business reporter covering finance, energy and tourism and has experience as a TV news producer. She graduated with a journalism degree in 2021 from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
WORLD NEWS
Brown University shooting: Two people dead and multiple people shot as police search for suspect
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Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Two students are dead and at least nine others are injured after a gunman fired into a classroom at a prestigious Ivy League university in Rhode Island and appeared to walk off campus without a trace.
Saturday’s mass shooting at Brown University in Providence forced campus buildings and parts of the city into lockdown, with students barricading themselves in buildings for hours while hundreds of law enforcement officers swarmed the city.
The suspect appeared to have escaped before police arrived and — except for one brief surveillance video showing a person dressed in black rounding a corner outside the campus — all but disappeared.
More than 400 law enforcement officers — many from surrounding communities and some from the federal government — descended on the city to join the manhunt while others cleared university buildings and evacuated students.
Officials ordered residents to shelter in place as sirens flashed throughout the neighborhood. Students hid under desks, while bride and groom were forced to shelter at their wedding venue, according to WPRI.
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More than 400 law enforcement officers descended on Brown University’s campus after a mass shooter killed two people and injured at least nine others December 13 (AP)
A gunman fired into a final exam review session for a Principles of Economics class, according to economics professor Rachel Friedberg. The classroom was on the ground floor of an engineering building on campus and appears no other classrooms or buildings were targeted, according to officials.
Chang-heng Chien, 32, a PhD student at the university, told the Providence Journal that he and three others were working in a lab when they received a text from the school that an active shooting was underway approximately one block away.
Chien and other students locked the lab doors, turned off the lights, and hid under their desks for approximately two hours until police arrived and evacuated them from the building, he said.
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Eight hours after the shooting, authorities released video they said shows a suspect walking away from the scene, though the person’s face is not visible (via REUTERS)
Max McCord, a Brown University junior, told The Washington Post that his girlfriend — another student at the school — told him her brother had been shot through his thigh.
She called him at 4:15 p.m. ET to tell him about her brother’s injury, he said. The student said her brother had been studying in the engineering building when the suspect began shooting.
McCord, who is from Pittsburgh, said his girlfriend’s brother was in the hospital but was recovering well.
He said that while he was talking to his girlfriend, his roommate burst into their room, winded, after running when he heard gun shots.
The young men were in lockdown for hours after the shooting.
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Law enforcement officers escorted students near the Barus & Holley engineering building at the Brown University campus December 13 (AFP via Getty Images)
Across Providence, the Providence Place Mall shut its doors early, as did some nearby nightclubs and bars. Police gathered outside the AMP music venue to protect a Goose rock concert, and the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, who are set to play the New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon, were forced to shelter in a downtown hotel.
Back at Brown, two students had to re-live some of the most horrific events they had ever experienced.
Mia Tretta, a junior at Brown University, was wounded in a school shooting at her high school in Santa Clarita, California, in 2019, she told NBC News.
She was on campus when she received a flood of text messages and alerts about an active shooter on campus.
“No one in this country even assumes it’s going to happen to them,” she told the outlet. “Once it happens to you, you assume or are told it will never happen again. And obviously that is not the case.”
She said her community at Brown is “in shambles” after the attack.
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Providence Mayor Brett Smiley and other officials faced a barrage of questions asking how there could be so little information about the suspect hours after the attack (Getty Images)
Zoe Weissman, 20, is a sophomore at Brown University. She survived the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were killed and another 18 were injured.
She told MS NOW that she is “really angry that this is happening to me all over again.”
“And I’m just in shock,” she said.
After she survived the 2019 attack, “I have not been the same person I was that day ever again, and I assume it won’t be any different for the students at Brown,” she said.
There have been at least 154 incidents of gunfire at schools in the United States so far this year, according to gun safety advocacy group Everytown. At least 49 people have been killed and 135 injured in the attacks.
“Students on college campuses should be preparing for final exams and winter break — not enduring yet another all too familiar tragedy caused by gun violence,” Everytown president John Feinblatt said in a statement. “While we await details, one thing is clear: today’s shooting at Brown University is another unacceptable reminder of our nation’s gun violence crisis. We either take action, or we bury more of our kids.”
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Students held hands as they sought shelter during extensive lockdowns on Brown’s campus and nearby buildings (REUTERS)
While students hid or scrambled to a Providence reunification site, the shooter remained somewhere in the dark.
Across three evening press briefings, reporters peppered officials, asking how there could be so little information about the suspect nearly four, seven and eight hours after the attack.
Asked whether officials believed the shooter was still in the area, Mayor Brett Smiley told reporters “we don’t know.”
In a video released late Saturday night, a suspect can be seen dressed in all black walking away from the engineering building and turning a corner before disappearing off-frame. There is no gun in the photo, and the shooter’s face is not visible.
“We know there is no clear shot of the face,” Mayor Smiley said.
Law enforcement and local officials asked residents in the area to check their doorbell and exterior cameras for any sign of the shooter, or to call in any tips, no matter how small.
After the shooting, President Donald Trump offered his condolence to the victims.
“I’ve been fully briefed on the Brown University situation, what a terrible thing it is, and all we can do right now is pray for the victims and for those that were very badly hurt it looks like,” Trump told reporters as he returned to the White House. “We’ll inform you later as to what’s happening, but it’s a shame,”
New long-range forecasts predict temperatures could plummet with wintry showers to follow, as models suggest the potential for a White Christmas with snow from Scotland down to the Home Counties
After Christmas the weather is take a chilly turn(Image: Getty)
Fresh predictions suggest the New Year could arrive with a carpet of snow, as the latest long-range Met Office forecast indicates temperatures may begin to drop dramatically, followed swiftly by wintry downpours.
Although the opening fortnight of December has been drenched, mild and remarkably turbulent, the Christmas season appears poised to transform everything with a fresh weather pattern dragging frigid air southward from the Arctic, ensuring Christmas feels exceptionally chilly.
Its forecast stated: “There are signs that conditions may become less disturbed heading towards the Christmas period, with the potential for high pressure to build bringing drier conditions, with the risk of overnight frost and fog patches increasing.”
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Brutal maps show 75mph gales and heavy rain hitting the UK in hours(Image: WX Charts)
The most recent projections from WXCharts have even suggested the possibility of a White Christmas, with bands of wintry precipitation rolling across Britain, showing snow flurries stretching from Scotland right down to the Home Counties.
Yet examining the timeframe from December 27 through to January 10, the Met Office indicates high pressure is expected to settle over Britain – putting an end to the chaotic weather patterns, reports the Express.
Whilst this could signal characteristically drier spells, the likelihood of icy winds and scattered showers persists, establishing ideal circumstances for snowfall – particularly across elevated terrain in northern England and Scotland.
Temperatures will drop close to freezing across northern parts of the UK on December 25(Image: WXCharts)
The organisation forecasted: “High pressure will probably become more influential across the UK during this period.
“This means an increasing incidence of dry weather compared to the winter so far. Spells of rain and strong winds remain possible, these most likely in the north with a risk of some snow at times. Temperatures are expected to be close to normal overall.”
However, the weather experts issued a stark warning about the unpredictable nature of meteorological systems in their extended outlook.
It cautioned: “When looking at forecasts beyond five days into the future, the chaotic nature of the atmosphere starts to come into play.
“Small events currently over the Atlantic can have potentially significant impacts on our weather in the UK in several days’ time.
“Therefore, whilst we can still forecast the general feel of the weather to a relatively high level of accuracy using our ensemble models, it becomes harder to offer local detail to as high a level of accuracy as our shorter range forecasts.”
WORLD NEWS
Philippines says fishermen hurt, boat damaged in China coastguard skirmish | South China Sea News
The Philippines has accused Chinese coastguard ships of firing water cannon at Filipino fishermen near a disputed South China Sea shoal, injuring three people and causing “significant damage” to two fishing vessels.
On Saturday, the Philippine coastguard (PCG) said that nearly two dozen Filipino fishing boats were attacked a day earlier, near an atoll called the Sabina Shoal that falls within the country’s 200km (124-mile) Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
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The fishermen faced high-pressure spray from Chinese water cannon, and Chinese vessels attempted aggressive blocking manoeuvres, according to Manila.
It was the latest in a series of confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships in the contested waters of the South China Sea, which Beijing claims nearly in its entirety despite an international ruling against the claim.
Friday’s incident took place in a fish-rich area about 150km (93 miles) from the Philippine island of Palawan.
“As a result of these aggressive actions, three Filipino fishermen sustained physical injuries, including bruises and open wounds,” Commodore Jay Tarriela, a spokesman for the Philippine coastguard, said in a statement posted on Facebook.
“Two [Filipino fishing boats] also suffered significant damage from high-pressure water cannon blasts.”
During the incident, a Chinese boat also cut the anchor lines of several Filipino vessels, endangering their crews, according to the Philippine coastguard.
“The PCG calls on the Chinese coastguard to adhere to internationally recognised standards of conduct, prioritising the preservation of life at sea over pretensions of law enforcement that jeopardise the lives of innocent fishermen,” it said in a separate statement.
PCG Successfully Renders Assistance to Harassed Filipino Fishermen at Escoda Shoal Amid Aggressive Actions by Chinese Vessels
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) today announced the successful deployment of its multi-role response vessels, MRRV-4403 and MRRV-4411, to the vicinity… https://t.co/DW4eXgtjG3 pic.twitter.com/P2QOwRDjbB
— Jay Tarriela (@jaytaryela) December 13, 2025
China, however, defended its actions on Friday as necessary to maintain its “territorial sovereignty” over the Sabina Shoal, which it referred to by the Chinese name Xianbin Jiao.
In a statement, Chinese coastguard spokesperson Liu Dejun said the military’s vessels had taken “necessary control measures, including issuing verbal warnings and expelling by external means, in accordance with laws and regulations”.
Dejun accused the Philippine vessels of having “deliberately intruded” on the shoal “under the pretext of fishing”.
Tarriela told the Reuters news agency that the Chinese coastguard’s statement amounted to an admission of wrongdoing.
In Saturday’s statement, the Philippine coastguard added that the vessels it deployed to aid the injured fishermen were repeatedly blocked from reaching the Sabina Shoal.
“Despite these unprofessional and unlawful interferences, the PCG successfully reached the fishermen this morning and provided immediate medical attention to the injured, along with essential supplies,” the statement said.
There has been a history of clashes between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, as each side seeks to assert its territorial claims.
A separate incident on Friday took place at the Beijing-controlled Scarborough Shoal, known in China as Huangyan Dao.
There, the Chinese military said that it had also “warned and expelled” several small aircraft from the Philippines that flew through what it considers its airspace.
In October, the Philippines also accused a Chinese ship of deliberately ramming one of its government vessels in the Spratly Islands, where Beijing has sought to assert its sovereignty claims for years. Beijing blamed Manila for the incident.
A month earlier, one person was injured when a water cannon from a Chinese coastguard vessel shattered a window on the bridge of a fisheries bureau vessel near the Scarborough Shoal.
China claims an area in the South China Sea that cuts into the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, which all have competing claims.
In 2016, an international tribunal sided with the Philippines, finding that China’s claims exceeded lawful limits under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
But China denounced the ruling and has refused to abide by it.
Six United Nations peacekeepers from Bangladesh were killed and eight more were wounded in a drone attack on a UN base in Sudan on Saturday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said.
The drone strike hit a logistics camp of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) in Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan state.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the “unjustifiable” attack and said that such attacks “may constitute war crimes under international law.”
Sudan’s government and military blamed the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the attack.
Army chief General Abdel Fattah Burhan called the attack a “dangerous escalation”.
The RSF in a statement on Telegram, however, refuted the allegations as “false accusations.”
Bangladesh Army says ‘situation still unstable’
Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus said in a statement that he was “deeply saddened” by the attack and urged the UN to provide emergency support to the Bangladeshi personnel.
“The government of Bangladesh will stand by the families in this difficult moment,” Yunus added.
The Bangladesh Army released a statement saying that the “situation in the area is still unstable and clashes with terrorists are ongoing.”
The statement said authorities were making every effort to provide medical care and carry out rescue operations for the injured.
The humanitarian crisis in Sudan
Sudan has been wrecked by civil war since April 2023 between the military and the RSF militias.
The war has created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, killing tens of thousands of people, displacing millions, and pushing parts of the country into famine.
Efforts to end the war have so far failed.
Last month, US President Donald Trump said he would work to end the conflict after talks in Washington with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, but no concrete steps have followed.
Why has the UAE escaped scrutiny over its role in Sudan?
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Edited by: Rana Taha
NEED TO KNOW
- Chewy has launched its first-ever exclusive Lamb Chop dog toy collection
- The items are based on the sock puppet sheep created by puppeteer and ventriloquist Shari Lewis
- New products feature playful designs, including holiday-themed Lamb Chops
Lamb Chop lovers, rejoice!
Chewy has launched its first-ever exclusive Lamb Chop dog toy collection, based on the sock puppet sheep created by puppeteer and ventriloquist Shari Lewis.
The new products — which Chewy says are a “reimagining of the iconic plush toy that’s captured millions of dogs’ hearts (and their humans’)” — feature playful designs.
Among the 15 new toys that join Chewy’s assortment of Lamb Chop classics are Lamb Chops with a Chewy box and Chewy bandana, plus seasonal options, including a Lamb Chop gingerbread baker, a Lamb Chop with a snowflake and a Lamb Chop in festive plaid.
There are also various Lamb Chops with pop culture themes, including football, basketball, gaming, coffee, music and more.
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A dog with the new Lamb Chop toys.
chewy
According to Chewy, Lamb Chop — which even has its own theme song — is the company’s best-selling dog toy.
The organization, which also sells a wide variety of pet food, supplies and prescriptions, adds that thousands of Chewy customers buy Lamb Chop more than eight times a year on Autoship.
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“Lamb Chop is a timeless favorite, and we love that this toy has earned a special place in dogs’ hearts (and homes) over the years,” Allen Hughes, the President of Retail at Chewy, tells PEOPLE in a statement.
“Just like kids cling to their favorite security blanket, many dogs form that same attachment to Lamb Chop — carrying it everywhere, cuddling it for comfort or giving it a good squeak when it’s time for fun,” he adds.
Chewy’s exclusive Lamb Chop dog toy collection is available to shop here.
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