China launched rockets and deployed warships, bombers and amphibious assault vessels around Taiwan on Tuesday in the second day of large-scale military drills aimed at rehearsing a blockade of the self-ruled island.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry confirmed live-firing drills, adding that it detected more than 130 Chinese military aircraft and 22 navy and coast guard vessels around the island in the 24 hours until 6 a.m. local time (2200 GMT).

The exercises, named “Justice Mission 2025”, include live-fire drills in multiple zones surrounding Taiwan and simulate strikes on maritime and key ports, according to China’s Eastern Theater Command.

According to Chinese authorities, the war games are due to finish at 6 p.m. on Tuesday and will cover five large zones around Taiwan.

Why is China conducting drills around Taiwan?

Chinese military spokesperson Shi Yi called the drills “a stern warning against ‘Taiwan Independence’ separatist forces, and…a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China’s sovereignty and national unity,” state broadcaster CCTV reported.

On Monday, China said the drills were aimed at “deterrence” of outside military intervention.

The exercices come less than two weeks after the US announced a record $11.1 billion (€9.43 billion) arms package to Taiwan, including missiles, drones, artillery systems and military software.

Tensions have also been high in the region after a statement from Japan that its military could get involved if China acted against Taiwan.

China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, on Tuesday blasted “pro-independence forces in Taiwan” and Japan’s leaders.

“In response to the continuous provocations by pro-independence forces in Taiwan and the large-scale US arms sales to Taiwan, we must resolutely oppose and strongly counter them,” Wang said during an end-of-the-year diplomatic event in Beijing.

According to Chinese authorities the war games are due to finish at 6:00 pm (1000 GMT) on Tuesday and will cover five large zones around TaiwanImage: Maxim Shemetov/REUTERS

Meanwhile, Chinese state media on Tuesday published a poster showing the Taiwan’s President Lai being crushed by one hammer striking the island’s south while another hits its north.

Additionally, on Monday, the Chinese ​military released an AI-generated video depicting automated humanoid robots, microdrones and weaponized robotic dogs attacking Taiwan.

Taiwan is a self-governing island that Beijing claims as its territory.

What did Taiwan say about China’s drills?

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te condemned the drills as irresponsible but also said Taipei would not escalate tensions.

Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Authority said the drills have affected 11 of the island’s 14 flight routes, though disruption to international flights has been limited.

On the island, Taiwanese people struck a defiant tone.

“If you stand your ground, there’s nothing to be afraid of,” 80-year-old Tseng Chang-chih told AFP news agency. “War? Impossible. It’s just posturing. If they really attacked Taiwan, they would have to pay a price.”

China drills around Taiwan to ‘send deterring signal’

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The two men accused of the Bondi beach terror attack earlier this month were not part of a “broader terrorist cell”, Australian Police said.

Fifteen people died and dozens more were injured when gunmen opened fire on a crowd of more than 1,000 celebrating the Jewish holiday Hanukkah in Bondi’s Archer Park on December 14.

Naveed Akram faces 59 charges, while his father, Sajid, was shot dead by police at the scene.

Australia Federal Police (AFP) commissioner Krissy Barrett stated an initial investigation into why the two men had spent most of November in the Philippines had found “no evidence to suggest they received training or underwent logistical preparation”.

She added that police in the Philippines found the pair had rarely left their hotel in Davao City.

“These individuals are alleged to have acted alone,” said the commissioner, who did got give details on a reason for the visit, but repeated her belief they were inspired by the so-called Islamic State group.

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Naveed Akram and Sajid Akram are not believed to be part of a ‘broader terrorist cell’ (NSW Courts and Tribunals)

“There is no evidence to suggest these alleged offenders were part of a broader terrorist cell, or were directed by others to carry out an attack. I want to be clear, I am not suggesting that they were there for tourism.”

New South Wales (NSW) Police said “all available resources” would be used on New Year’s Eve with more than 2,500 officers – many of them armed – on duty in Sydney.

State premier Chris Minns defended the move, saying “security needs to change” and called on people to attend the traditional fireworks at Sydney Harbour.

“It’s an opportunity to thumb our nose at the terrorists and their ideology that really would have us living in a ball and not celebrating this beautiful city,” he said.

“This is an opportunity to live your life and show defiance to that kind of ideology.”

Sydney’s Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the victims of the attack would be commemorated at 11pm on New Year’s Eve with a minute’s silence and images of a Jewish menorah projected onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge’s pylons.

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George Clooney has become a French citizen, despite him still being ‘bad’ at speaking the language after 400 days of courses. 

The longtime Democrat, 64, and his British-Lebanese wife, Amal, 47, join their eight-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella, in receiving French passports, according to an official decree published in Paris. 

In 2021, the couple, who wed in 2014, purchased a home in the South of France, before splashing out £6.7million ($9million) on an even bigger property near Cannes last year.

George, a leading financial donor to the Democrats, is largely credited with being the nail in the coffin for Joe Biden’s decision to drop his re-election bid. 

The Oscar-winner penned an op-ed in the New York Times last July calling on the party to find someone new to put on the presidential ticket. 

He and Amal have a long attachment to Europe, owning a manor in Berkshire, UK, as well as an estate on Lake Como, Italy.

George Clooney, 64, has become a French citizen, despite him still being ‘bad’ at speaking the language after 400 days of courses (pictured with wife Amal, 47)

The longtime Democrat and his British-Lebanese wife, Amal, join their eight-year-old twins Alexander and Ella in receiving French passports, official documents show

The birth of their children in June 2017 was announced by George on French TV, and he has frequently stated that he admires the country’s privacy laws. 

He told French radio in December: ‘I love the French culture, your language, even if I’m still bad at it after 400 days of courses. 

‘Here, they don’t take photos of kids. There aren’t any paparazzi hidden at the school gates. That’s number one for us.’ 

The couple downgraded their 25-bedroom Italian house with a tennis court on Lake Como to a ‘holiday home’ after purchasing the wine estate, Domaine du Canadel, near the village of Brignoles, in the South of France.

It comes with 425 acres, including an olive grove, vineyard, tennis court and boules pitch. And it seems the peace and privacy that comes with all that space has made it their favourite place in the world. 

George is friendly with the local mayor, Didier Bremond, and last year recorded a New Year message for the people of Brignoles which began: ‘Bonjour, Didier!’ 

It continued: ‘First of all, I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year. I hope each of you had a wonderful holiday season. We want to thank all of you, because we love spending time in the Var and in Brignoles. And we are very grateful for your hospitality and for the friendship that Didier shows us.’

The couple’s vast property empire also includes homes in Kentucky and New York City. 

George looks set to be crowned the King of Endorsements, as The Mail on Sunday revealed he has signed yet another lucrative deal, this time with US–based food delivery service Grubhub.

The actor has been spotted filming an advert for the company in North Mymms Park, an Elizabethan mansion and estate near Hatfield, Hertfordshire, in recent weeks.

George has a Thameside home with his lawyer wife in Sonning, Berkshire.

Back in 2021, the couple, who wed in 2014, purchased a home in the South of France, before splashing out £6.7 million on an even bigger property near Cannes last year

The birth of his children in June 2017 was announced by George on French TV, and he has frequency stated that he admires the country’s privacy laws (Brignoles village pictured)  

He revealed his comedic gifts in the ads for Nespresso, part of Nestle Group, once dressing in full armour to be a medieval knight who somehow travels to New York in his quest for the perfect cup of coffee. 

He has also been an ambassador for luxury watchmaker Omega since 2007, reportedly ticking up £2.2million ($2.97million) for himself every year.

A 2010 campaign for Fiat cars has earned Clooney up to £1million ($1.35million) and he has worked with the Italian vermouth brand Martini & Rossi. 

Other work has been for DNB Bank, Omaze, Warburtons, Mercedes-Benz, and Toyota.

The Gravity and Ocean’s Eleven star, who has eight–year–old twins Ella and Alexander with Amal, is estimated to be worth £500million ($675million) after his TV roles and brand partnerships are combined.

But his wealth may yet pale in comparison to actor Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, who boasts a whopping 14 endorsement deals.

In his July 2024 op-ed, George wrote: ‘I love Joe Biden. As a senator. As a vice president and as president. I consider him a friend, and I believe in him. Believe in his character. Believe in his morals. In the last four years, he’s won many of the battles he’s faced.

‘But the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time. None of us can. It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fundraiser was not the Joe ‘big f***ng deal’ Biden of 2010. 

The actor added: ‘He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate,’ in reference to the disastrous CNN event from the month before.

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Boxing Day will move in 2026, as will some other bank holidays

Kate Lally SEO writer and Sophie Buchan Money and Lifestyle Writer

06:16, 30 Dec 2025

Many people get the day off work on a bank holiday(Image: Thomas Faull via Getty Images)

We’ve just had the final bank holidays of 2025 (December 25 and 26), and with the New Year very nearly here, it won’t be long before we’re welcoming in more in 2026. There will be eight bank holidays for England and Wales next year, with many dates to change in the coming 12 months.

This year, Boxing Day falls on a Friday. However, next year, Boxing Day lands on a Saturday, which means the bank holiday will be ‘on the move’. Because of this, the substitute bank holiday is scheduled to take place on Monday, December 28.

It’s worth noting that it’s not just weekends that determine when bank holidays take place, as the constantly changing date of Easter also plays a part. As things stand, there are eight bank holidays planned across England and Wales in 2026, beginning with New Year’s Day on January 1.

Christmas is here(Image: Getty)

Good Friday will occur on for Friday, April 3, with Easter Monday following on April 6 – slightly earlier than the 2025 dates of Friday, April 18, and Monday, April 21. Due to calendar variations, May’s two bank holidays will each shift a day earlier, consistently guaranteeing a long weekend.

In 2026, the Early May bank holiday occurs on May 4, whilst the Spring bank holiday arrives on May 25. The summer bank holiday, typically signalling the close of the school summer holidays, is set for Monday, August 31, marginally later than this year’s date of August 25.

To conclude the year, the Christmas Day bank holiday remains unwavering, falling on Friday, 25 December. As mentioned earlier, Boxing Day this year falls on Saturday, 26 December, leading to a substitute bank holiday on Monday, 28 December.

Bank holidays for England and Wales in 2026 – full list

Dates may change due to upcoming bank holidays(Image: Pakin Songmor via Getty Images)

• Thursday, January 1 – New Year’s Day
• Friday, April 3 – Good Friday
• Monday, April 6 – Easter Monday
• Monday, May 4 – Early May bank holiday
• Monday, May 25 – Spring bank holiday
• Monday, August 31- Summer bank holiday
• Friday, December 25 – Christmas Day
• Monday, December 28 – Boxing Day (substitute day)

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The Saudi-led coalition carried out a targeted strike at Yemen’s Mukalla port, accusing foreign-backed vessels of delivering weapons to southern separatists.

Published On 30 Dec 202530 Dec 2025

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The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has carried out a “limited military operation” targeting what it described as foreign military support at Mukalla port, days after warning the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) group against taking military action in Hadramout province.

Coalition air forces carried out the military operation early on Tuesday, targeting unloaded weapons and vehicles, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

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Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki said two ships entered Mukalla port on Saturday and Sunday without coalition authorisation, disabled their tracking systems, and unloaded large quantities of weapons and combat vehicles “to support” the STC.

The ‍Saudi-backed head of Yemen’s presidential council, Rashad ⁠al Alimi, ​said on ‍Tuesday after the air strike that all forces of the United ‍Arab ⁠Emirates must leave Yemen within 24 hours.

People attend a rally organised by the Southern Transitional Council in Aden, Yemen [File: Fawaz Salman/Reuters]

“Given the danger and escalation posed by these weapons … the coalition air forces carried out a limited military operation this morning targeting weapons and combat vehicles that had been unloaded from the two ships at the port of al-Mukalla,” SPA reported.

Two sources told Reuters news agency that the strike specifically targeted the dock where the cargo had been unloaded. The coalition said there were no casualties or collateral damage and emphasised that the operation was conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law.

The strike comes amid heightened tensions following an offensive earlier this month by the STC against Yemeni government troops backed by the coalition.

Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud posted on X that the STC troops should “peacefully hand over” two regional governorates to the government. Meanwhile, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for “restraint and continued diplomacy, with a view to reaching a lasting solution”.

A divided Yemen

The STC was initially part of the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 against the Houthis, but the group later pursued self-rule in southern Yemen. Since 2022, the STC, which has previously received assistance from the United Arab Emirates, has controlled southern territories outside Houthi areas under a Saudi-backed power-sharing arrangement.

In recent weeks, however, the STC has swept through swaths of the country, expelling other government forces and their allies.

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Saudi Arabia bombed Yemen’s port city of Mukalla on Tuesday over what it described as a shipment of weapons for a separatist force there that arrived from the United Arab Emirates.

The UAE did not immediately acknowledge the strike.

The attack signals a new escalation in tensions between the kingdom and the separatist forces of the Southern Transitional Council, which is backed by the Emirates. It also further strains ties between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, which had been backing competing sides in Yemen’s decade-long war against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels amid a moment of unease across the wider Red Sea region.

A military statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency announced the strikes, which it said came after ships arrived there from Fujairah, a port city on the UAE’s eastern coast.

“The ships’ crew had the disabled tracking devices aboard the vessels, and unloaded a large amount of weapons and combat vehicles in support of the Southern Transitional Council’s forces,” it said.

“Considering that the aforementioned weapons constitute an imminent threat, and an escalation that threatens peace and stability, the Coalition Air Force has conducted this morning a limited airstrike that targeted weapons and military vehicles offloaded from the two vessels in Mukalla.”

It wasn’t immediately clear if there were any casualties from the strike or if any other military besides Saudi Arabia’s took part. The Saudi military said it conducted the attack overnight to make sure “no collateral damage occurred”.

The UAE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Council’s AIC satellite news channel acknowledged the strikes, without providing details.

The attack likely targeted a ship identified by analysts as the Greenland, a roll-on, roll-off vessel flagged out of St Kitts. Tracking data showed the vessel had been in Fujairah on 22 December and arrived in Mukalla on Sunday. The second vessel could not be immediately identified.

Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemen expert and the founder of the Basha Report, a risk advisory firm, cited social media videos that purported to show new armoured vehicles rolling through Mukalla after the ship’s arrival. The ship’s owners, based in Dubai, could not be immediately reached.

“I expect a calibrated escalation from both sides. The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council is likely to respond by consolidating control,” al-Basha said. “At the same time, the flow of weapons from the UAE to the STC is set to be curtailed following the port attack, particularly as Saudi Arabia controls the airspace.”

Footage later aired by Saudi state television, which appeared to be filmed by a surveillance aircraft, purportedly showed the armoured vehicles moving through Mukalla to a staging area. The types of vehicles corresponded to the social media footage.

Mukalla is in Yemen’s Hadramout governorate, which the council had seized in recent days. The port city is 480km north-east of Aden, which has been the seat of power for anti-Houthi forces in Yemen after the rebels seized the capital, Sana’a, in 2014.

The strike in Mukalla comes after Saudi Arabia targeted the council in airstrikes on Friday that analysts described as a warning for the separatists to halt their advance and leave the governorates of Hadramout and Mahra.

The council had pushed out forces there affiliated with the Saudi-backed National Shield Forces, another group in the coalition fighting the Houthis.

Those aligned with the council have increasingly flown the flag of South Yemen, which was a separate country from 1967 to 1990. Demonstrators have been rallying for days to support political forces calling for South Yemen to secede again from Yemen.

The actions by the separatists have put pressure on the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which maintain close relations and are members of the Opec oil cartel but also have competed for influence and international business in recent years.

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Khaleda Zia was the first female prime minister of Bangladesh, serving from 1991-1996 and 2001-2006

Khaleda Zia, who has died at the age of 80, was Bangladesh’s first female prime minister.

She was once described as a “shy housewife” to her husband Ziaur Rahman, a leading figure in the country’s struggle for independence who became the president in 1977.

But following her husband’s assassination in 1981, Zia rose to lead his Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and served two terms as prime minister – first in the 1990s and then in the early 2000s.

Her tumultuous public life did not end after her premiership – she was later accused of corruption aand spent years in prison – but the charges were dropped after a 2024 uprising that saw her long-time rival, Sheikh Hasina, swept from power.

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President Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1980

Begum Khaleda Zia was born in West Bengal in 1945.

The daughter of a tea trader, she moved to what is now Bangladesh with her family after the partition of India.

At the age of 15, she married Ziaur Rahman, then a young army officer.

In 1971, he joined a mutiny against West Pakistani forces and declared independence for Bangladesh.

After the military ceased power in 1977, Rahman – who then became the army chief of staff – declared himself president. He reintroduced political parties and a free media, and was later endorsed by popular vote.

He faced as many as 20 further military coups, and dealt with them brutally. There were reports of mass executions of soldiers.

In 1981, he was assassinated by a group of army officers in Chittagong.

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Khaleda Zia is arrested by police during anti-government protests in 1987

At the age of 36, Khaleda Zia became a widow.

Until then, she had kept a low profile and seemed to take little interest in public life.

But in 1982 she became a member of the BNP, the party founded by her husband, and later rose to become its vice chairman.

1982 was also the year Bangladesh began nine years of military dictatorship, after its army chief seized power in a coup.

During this period, Zia embarked on a fervent campaign against military rule, staging a boycott of the army’s heavily-managed elections.

Zia was put under house arrest multiple times for her activism, but gained a reputation among the people as an “uncompromising leader”.

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Ms Zia is seen here campaigning in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka in February 1991

After the fall of the military government in 1990, Khaleda Zia and the BNP became the largest party in post-military elections, and she was sworn in as prime minister in 1991.

Having absorbed most of the powers of the old presidency, she was now the first female leader of Bangladesh, and only the second elected woman to lead a Muslim country.

With her ascension to the premiership, Bangladesh’s government returned to a parliamentary system.

Among the most notable reforms she implemented during her first term was making primary school education free and mandatory for all.

But in 1996 she would lose her bid for re-election to Hasina’s Awami League.

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Khaled Zia during her first term as prime minister in 1995

In 2001, Zia had her revenge, having formed a alliance with a group of Islamist parties. Together, they won nearly two thirds of the seats in parliament, but the BNP’s closeness to the Islamist parties would draw criticism over the years.

In her second term, Zia championed women’s issues, such as introducing a quota for female MPs and providing education for young women – in a country where 70% of them were illiterate.

Soon after Zia ended her term in office in 2006, Bangladesh was gripped by riots in the political vacuum. Amid the unrest, the country’s interim government, backed by the military, banned most political activity and began a crackdown on high-level corruption, which cut across political lines.

Zia was arrested on charges of extortion and corruption. So was her great rival Hasina.

Both women, who had alternated from government to opposition for the best part of two decades, were suddenly mired in court cases.

Restrictions were lifted on Zia in the years after, and after losing a military-sponsored election in 2008 she became the opposition leader.

The BNP lost its representation in parliament after boycotting the 2014 election.

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Khaled Zia addresses her supporters in 2015

In 2018, Zia was convicted and jailed for five years after being found guilty of embezzling about $252,000 (£188,000) intended for an orphanage trust set up when she was prime minister.

She became the only prisoner locked up in Dhaka’s old – and now disused – central jail. The length of her sentence disqualified her from seeking public office.

She denied wrongdoing, and said the charges were politically motivated.

A year later, the then 73-year-old Zia was transferred to hospital for treatment for conditions including severe arthritis and uncontrolled diabetes.

She was eventually released from prison on health grounds and told to remain at home.

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Thousands of BNP supporters protested in Dhaka in 2018, demanding the immediate release of Ms Zia

Tides turned yet again in 2024, when Hasina’s government was swept from power on a wave of popular discontent.

Hasina fled to India, and the interim government that replaced her ordered Khaleda Zia’s release and the unfreezing of her bank accounts.

By this time, she was suffering from a series of life-threatening conditions including cirrhosis of the liver and kidney damage.

In January 2025, her travel restrictions were lifted and she was allowed to travel to London for treatment.

But in the early morning of 30 December, she died in Dhaka after suffering from months of poor health.

She is survived by her elder son Tarique Rahman, who returned to Bangladesh in late December after spending years in exile in London, and who is widely seen as the frontrunner to become Bangladesh’s next leader. “Koko”, her younger son, died in 2015.

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Prisoners of war are being systematically executed by Russian forces, according to one of Ukraine’s most decorated soldiers.

Major Oleh Shyriaiev, who was awarded the top national decoration of Hero of Ukraine for his leadership on the battlefield, told The Times that he often intercepts transmissions in which orders to kill surrendering troops are given by Russian military leaders.

Combat observers say evidence of alleged war crimes by Russian troops has grown in recent months. Moscow has intensified its attacks on Ukraine even as peace talks continue between the US and European and Russian leaders.

Footage taken by Russian soldiers or Ukrainian reconnaissance drones appears to show servicemen being lined up and shot dead after they surrender. One clip, filmed by a drone on 19 November near Pokrovsk, allegedly shows a soldier firing at four unarmed men with a machine gun as they lie face down, then he shoots at another man attempting to flee.

Claimed cases of beheadings are also being investigated by Ukrainian prosecutors, as well as an alleged incident of a Ukrainian soldier with his hands tied behind his back being killed with a sword.

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Major Oleh Shyriaiev revealed that he often intercepts transmissions in which orders to kill surrendering troops are given by Russian military leaders (225th Separate Assault Regiment Press Office)

Shyriaiev, who commands the Ukrainian 225th Separate Assault Battalion, said: “The number of executions is growing and this is happening in all directions of the front line. For Russians, there are no red lines … In the wiretaps and radio communication that we intercept, we routinely hear their military leadership giving orders to execute our servicemen who are trying to surrender. This practice has become a systematic one, I would say, in the last year and a half.

“They are demonstrating to the whole civilised world that they can do things with impunity. But also, they are showing that they do not respect the rules of warfare and any international conventions that have been signed by countries.”

Russian forces have executed at least 147 Ukrainian prisoners of war since the start of the war in 2022, with 147 taking place this year, according to the Ukrainian prosecution service, reflecting the commander’s observations.

Yuri Belousov, who leads the war crimes department at the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office, said: “The upward trend is very clear, very obvious. Sadly, their number has been particularly on the rise this summer and autumn. This tells us that they are not isolated cases. They are happening across vast areas and they have clear signs of being part of a policy.”

The United Nations has also recorded a rise in alleged Russian war crimes since mid-November, according to Danielle Bell, the head of the UN human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine.

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The revelations come as Donald Trump hailed crucial peace talks between the US and Ukraine as ‘terrific’ but acknowledged ‘thorny issues’ remained (AFP/Getty)

Prisoners of war are offered protection by international humanitarian law, especially the Third Geneva Convention, with execution being classified as a war crime.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously said that Ukrainian prisoners of war have “always” been treated “strictly in line with international legal documents and international conventions” by Russian forces.

The revelations come as US President Donald Trump hailed crucial peace talks between the US and Ukraine as “terrific” but acknowledged “thorny issues” remained before a deal could be achieved over the war with Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky travelled to Mar-a-Lago in Florida on Sunday, hoping to make progress on the proposed 20-point peace plan, with particular concerns over security and economic agreements.

The two leaders gave little away during a press conference following the discussions, but Mr Trump said he believed “a lot of progress” had been made.

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Ahmed Al Ahmed, the hero who disarmed a gunman during the Bondi Beach terror attack has met with the NSW Premier and the Israeli Ambassador at his luxury hotel. 

Mr Al Ahmed rushed in to wrestle a shotgun from Sajid Akram, 50, when he opened fire on the crowd at a Jewish Hanukkah festival at the iconic beach just before 7pm on December 14.

Akram’s son, Naveed, who is accused of killing 15 and injuring dozens more, allegedly shot Mr Al Ahmed several times in the moment of breathtaking heroism.

Mr Al Ahmed was released from hospital over the weekend after he had a final round of surgery to remove a bullet from his shoulder and to repair nerve damage he sustained while wrestling the shot-gun from Akram’s grip.  

Doctors removed a bullet from his shoulder and repaired nerve damage during his most recent surgery.

It is believed the 44-year-old father-of-two may still suffer permanent damage and could require further surgery.

Mr al-Ahmed’s lawyer Sam Issa said his client has since returned to St George Hospital to have his bandages refreshed. 

He explained Mr Al Ahmed’s health was not under threat, with the 44-year-old returning to Barangaroo for lunch by Monday afternoon. 

Ahmed Al-Ahmed, the hero who disarmed a gunman during the Bondi Beach terror attacks, has returned to hospital just days after being discharged

In the footage Mr Al Ahmed is seen disarming one of the gunmen

‘He’s doing okay at the moment but he had to go back to hospital for some further treatment,’ Mr Issa told The Australian.

‘He needed to have a check up on his condition and to have his bandages changed.

‘He actually came out of hospital a bit earlier than doctors would have liked but he really wanted to be with his family after two weeks in hospital.’

Footage of the incident saw Mr Al Ahmed hailed a hero across the globe, and sparked an online appeal which raised $2.5million, presented to him in hospital last week.

Now Mr Al Ahmed has finally spoken about his heroics in an interview with a US TV network, set to air overnight.

‘I did not worry about anything,’ he told Australian CBS News journalist Anna Coren.

‘My target was just to take the gun from him, and to stop him from killing a human being – and not killing innocent people.’

On Monday, the father of two was spotted by the Daily Mail living the high life on the 33rd-floor balcony of a lavish suite at the Barangaroo casino’s hotel in Sydney CBD.

He was spotted on the balcony of the Crown Towers hotel after he was discharged from the hospital over the weekend

Mr Al Ahmed, still wearing a sling on his left arm, has been joined by his family at the suite as he comes to terms with his new wealth and fame after saving the lives of countless others.

Despite being hailed as a hero, Mr Al Ahmed said his thoughts remain with those who did not survive.

‘I know I saved lots of people’s lives, innocent kids and women and men,’ he said. ‘I know I saved lots – but I still feel sorry for the lost.’

Dramatic footage showed him leap from behind a parked car to wrestle Sajid Akram to the ground, successfully disarming him before he was wounded in the crossfire of the firefight between police and the second gunman.

‘I jumped on his back, hit him,’ he said.

‘I hold him with my right hand and start saying a word, you know, like to warn him, drop your gun, stop doing what you’re doing, and it’s come all in fast.

‘And emotionally, I’m doing something, which is I feel something, a power in my body, my brain.

‘I don’t want to see people killed in front of me, I don’t want to hear his gun, I don’t want to see people screaming and begging, asking for help, and that’s my soul asking me to do that.’

Naveed Akram, 24, was charged with 59 offences including 15 counts of murder and 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder following the attack at Bondi Beach

The deadly attack at Bondi Beach unfolded as hundreds of people gathered for the Chanukah by the Sea event just before 7pm on December 14. 

Naveed Akram, 24, and his 50-year-old father Sajid allegedly opened fire with military-grade weapons on hundreds attending the first day of the Jewish festival.

During the nine-minute attack, 16 people, including gunman Sajid, were killed, and 42 others were injured.

The 15 victims included 10-year-old Matilda; Edith Brutman, 68; Dan Elkayam, 27; Boris Gurman, 69, and his wife Sofia, 61; Alex Kleytman, 87; Yaakov Levitan, 39; Peter Meagher, 61; Reuven Morrison, 62; Marika Pogany, 82; Rabbi Eli Schlanger, 41; Adam Smyth, 50; Boris Tetleroyd, 68; Tania Tretiak, 68; and Tibor Weitzen, 78.

Naveed, who allegedly shot at a crowd of hundreds alongside his father, spent two days in a coma after being shot by police.

His 50-year-old father, Sajid, was fatally shot by police.

The 24-year-old faced the Bail Division of Local Court Seven in Sydney from his hospital bed last week.

He was charged with 59 offences including 15 counts of murder and 40 counts of wounding with intent to murder.

He did not appear or apply for bail during a brief bedside court hearing and the case was adjourned until April.

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Three boats were last week engulfed by the giant sinkhole on the Llangollen Canal near Whitchurch, and at least 10 people needed to be helped off their narrowboats

Workers are pictured at the scene one week after a stretch of the Llangollen Canal in Whitchurch(Image: Emma Trimble / SWNS)

New aerial pictures show narrowboats still stranded in a collapsed canal one week after its 200-year-old embankment caved in.

Emergency workers could be seen positioning boat turners yesterday morning in a bid to winch the stranded boats to safety. Workers began securing the ruined banks today just a week after they breached on December 22 along the Llangollen Canal.

Emergency services were called to the Chemistry area of Whitchurch, Shropshire, following the “significant breach” of the canal last week. Three boats were engulfed by the giant sinkhole which measured 50m (164ft) by 50m (164ft).

At least 10 people had to be rescued after the banks breached shortly after 4.40am. New pictures released yesterday show pumps in place to keep water levels normal and to prevent further catastrophic flooding.

READ MORE: Whitchurch major incident declared as huge sinkhole collapses canal and 15 rescuedREAD MORE: Best waterside pubs along Britain’s rivers perfect for sunny weekendsThe breach in rural Shropshire occurred in the early hours of Monday December 22(Image: Emma Trimble / SWNS)

Workers were also seen positioning a boat turner while preparing to rescue the three stranded boats. Canal and River Trust chief executive Campbell Robb said: “Now the initial emergency response, including the concern for boaters’ immediate safety, has passed, our teams have been working hard to refill the Llangollen Canal around the site of the breach.

“This will mean the boats in the immediate area are refloating, and navigation along other affected areas will be restored. We are also delighted to have been able to recover narrowboat Pacemaker from the edge of the breach overnight.

“Alongside this, our engineers are continuing their investigations into why the canal embankment was undermined and will be drawing up plans for its repair.

“We’ll be providing regular updates and assurance to the local and boating community in the weeks ahead. Thankfully, breaches of this scale are relatively rare, but, when they do occur, they’re expensive and complicated to fix.

“I’m thankful that, working with Shropshire Council, initial support has been there for all the people and pets who got caught up in this disaster. With most of the boats now refloating, we’ll continue to support those affected.”

Gallons of water escaped into a nearby field when the incident happened(Image: Emma Trimble / SWNS)

Phil Johnson, 56, said he woke up to the sounds of “cracking and banging” and quickly got dressed before leaving his boat to see what was happening. He said: “I saw the water flying past the boat at horrendous speed, I could hear like a waterfall around the corner from my boat. I went and had a look and was greeted by the most horrendous sight of seeing this boat stuck in the breach at the bottom, being basically flooded.”

Mr Johnson added that he saw a second boat “teetering on the edge” before it slowly fell in. He continued: “It’s awful to say but it reminded me of that horrible scene from the Titanic film, because that’s what it was like, when the back goes down and the bow comes up, and it finally just slid into the hole. It was horrible.”

He decided to go back to his boat to grab some clothes, but admitted he was “frightened to death” as it felt like it was going to tip onto its side. Mr Johnson added: “It was probably one of the scariest things of my life, I thought I was going to lose the lot.”

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Two December days in Palm Beach and I have sunburn and whiplash.

The sunburn is my fault. But Donald Trump is to blame for the whiplash, such is his style of diplomacy. He’d have it no other way. He’s busy making things happen. That’s how he frames it.

But let’s take stock because there has been a lot to process. What’s actually been achieved over these past two days, how much was just theatrical hot air, and what surprises were there?

Let’s begin with the Middle East and the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Image:
Mr Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu speak outside Mar-a-Lago

“An outstanding meeting.” That’s how Netanyahu’s spokesman described the day to me as it all wrapped up.

You can see why he might think this. Netanyahu got what he came for.

• Trump’s commitment to bomb Iran again (if US intelligence concludes, as Israeli spooks do, that it is indeed rearming)? Tick.
• Trump to blame Hamas as being wholly responsible for the faltering Gaza ceasefire and for preventing phase two from progressing? Tick.
• Trump to heap praise on Netanyahu as the saviour of Israel and wartime president like no other? Tick (and one for the election campaign video).
• Trump to publicly state that Netanyahu should be pardoned in his corruption case and press Israel’s president to enact the pardon forthwith? Tick.

There’s a lot to process just there.

Trump saying he remains locked and loaded on Iran. Trump threatening “all hell” on Hamas. How will all this play out in 2026? If he follows through (big if), how will his base react domestically? There’s so much to consider.

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Moment Trump sends new threat to Iran

There were some intriguing divergences between Netanyahu and Trump, one on Syria and the other on the West Bank.

On Syria, Trump said he wanted to thaw relations between the new Syrian president and Israel. Good luck to him if he can. It would be an achievement and welcome.

On the West Bank, Trump suggested he was worried about settler violence and expansion. It’s a huge issue, it threatens Trump’s vision for the region. Again – if he can stop the violence and expansion, that would be an achievement.

I’m not holding my breath.

But, as ever, there was more too; the stuff we didn’t expect from the two free-flowing impromptu news conferences at which the American president did almost all the talking.

He was asked about an attack on Venezuela which, casually and vaguely, he’d dropped into an earlier interview.

He confirmed that, yes, he’d ordered an attack on a “big facility” in Venezuela. That’s big news – the first American land attack. Yet it was just another moment in this second day of Mar-a-Lago diplomacy.

Then there was his response to what appears to be a massive Chinese military dress rehearsal for a blockade of Taiwan.

Was Trump worried? No, he said. “Nothing worries me.”

Just chill? Or doesn’t really care? It’s hard to know sometimes.

A day earlier, it had been Ukraine’s president at Mar-a-Lago.

Image:
Mr Zelenskyy meets Mr Trump. Pic: Presidential Office of Ukraine/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images

Is it ironic or just mad that Volodymyr Zelenskyy was coming from his city of actual palaces, including his own presidential palace, to a Disneyland town called Palm Beach and the faux-palace of a former real estate tycoon to beg for support for his country’s future.

It seemed to go well though.

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Is a Ukraine ceasefire any closer?

Ukrainian officials told me they were very pleased with the commitment Trump gave on security guarantees. They glossed over the wholly important issue of how long those guarantees last or whether they can trust Trump’s word. What choice do they have?

Of course, there was more. President Trump spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin twice – before and after the Zelenskyy meeting. And it was what he said after the second call that piqued interest.

He announced that Putin had told him Ukraine had attacked one of his homes with a swarm of drones.

Zelenskyy had already called the claim out as lies. The suggestion from Kyiv is that if it happened it was a false flag to try to derail the peace process because Putin doesn’t want peace.

But Trump’s tone suggested he was taking Putin’s word for it. Remember, in his first term, Trump took Putin’s word over that of his own intelligence agencies.

And so, a head-spinning two days of news; a fitting way to end the year.

2026 is an election year for Donald Trump. The midterms are in November. He needs to focus on the “home front”, as his vice-president subtly reminded him a couple of months ago. The economy and the cost of living, not foreign conflicts.

Trump knows that. But so to do America’s adversaries and its troublesome allies. What will they gamble on in 2026 knowing that he may not care, or may just go along with it.

Buckle up.

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These are the key developments from day 1,405 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Published On 30 Dec 202530 Dec 2025

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Here is where things stand on Tuesday, December 30:

Alleged attack on Putin’s residence

• Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov said that an attack took place on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s residence in northwestern Russia’s Novgorod on Sunday, “practically immediately after” talks in Florida between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
• The strike “will not go unanswered”, Ushakov said in remarks reported by Russian media, following a call between Trump and Putin.
• Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russian air defence systems shot down 91 long-range strike drones used in the attack and that no one was injured.
• Zelenskyy denied the claim, accusing Russia of trying to derail peace talks.
• However, Trump expressed anger over the alleged attack, telling reporters: “I was very angry about it.” When asked if the United States had evidence of the attack, Trump said, “We’ll find out.”
• Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that “the response to Kyiv’s attacks will not be diplomatic” and that Russia would be revising its negotiating position in the attack’s wake.
• The United Arab Emirates’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it “strongly condemned” the “deplorable attack” and “the threat it poses to security and stability”.

Diplomacy

• White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that a phone call between Putin and Trump on the issue of Ukraine on Monday was “positive”, without elaborating.
• Zelenskyy said he spoke by phone with the leaders of Germany, Latvia and Finland to update them on the outcomes of his meeting with Trump and where peace negotiations stood.
• Lavrov said in an interview with Russian news agency RIA Novosti that “Kyiv and its Western backers must recognise the new territorial realities that have emerged following the incorporation of Crimea, Sevastopol, the Donetsk People’s Republic, the  Luhansk People’s Republic, and the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions into the Russian Federation.” He was referring to the Russian-occupied Ukrainian regions that Moscow claims to have annexed, which include Donetsk and Luhansk, renamed by Russian-backed separatists as the DPR and LPR.
• A survey published by the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation (DIF), a Ukrainian think tank, on Monday showed that recognising occupied Ukrainian territories “as part of the Russian Federation” remained deeply unpopular in Ukraine, with 76 percent of Ukrainians saying they considered it “unacceptable”.

Fighting

• Russian forces attacked the front-line town of Orikhiv in Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region, killing a 46-year-old man and wounding a 49-year-old woman, Governor Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram.
• Russian forces killed one person and injured five in attacks on Ukraine’s Donetsk region on Sunday, Governor Vadym Filashkin said on Facebook.
• Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s human rights commissioner, said on Telegram that Russian forces killed seven civilians who had been hiding in a basement in the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk.
• Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office said it had launched an investigation into reports that Russian soldiers shot dead two captured Ukrainian soldiers in the village of Shakhove, Pokrovsky, on Saturday.
• “The deliberate killing of prisoners of war is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and qualifies as a grave international crime,” the prosecutor general’s office said.
• Ukrainian attacks injured five civilians in Russia’s Belgorod region, according to Russia’s TASS state news agency, citing local officials.
• Ukrainian attacks also injured four civilians in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian region of Zaporizhia, and three civilians in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian region of Donetsk, TASS reported, citing local officials.
• In a televised address from the Kremlin, Putin made a wide range of claims about Moscow’s ongoing war on Ukraine, including that Russian troops were advancing towards the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia.
• General Valery Gerasimov, Russia’s army chief, said during the same address that Russian forces had captured 6,460 square kilometres (2,494sq miles) of territory in Ukraine in 2025, including 334 villages.
• The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) quoted its director general, Rafael Grossi, as saying that power line repairs near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant had been successfully completed.

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Donald Trump has said he is not worried by China’s live-fire military drills surrounding Taiwan and that he has a great relationship with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who “hasn’t told me anything about it”.

The US president made the comments one day into the surprise attack simulation launched by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Monday, and which continued into Tuesday with live missile launches into the Taiwan Strait.

The PLA, which is the armed wing of China’s ruling Communist party, said it had deployed destroyers, frigates, fighters, bombers, drones and long-range missiles “in close proximity” to Taiwan on Monday to test “sea-air coordination and precise target hunting and neutralisation”, including attacks on submarines and other maritime targets.

Beijing claims Taiwan is a Chinese province and is preparing to militarily annex it, with the aim of being capable of invasion by 2027, according to US intelligence from several years ago. In the meantime it deploys an array of military and non-military forms of harassment and intimidation to convince or coerce Taiwan to accept “peaceful reunification”.

In the 24 hours to Tuesday morning Taiwan’s defence ministry said it had detected at least 14 navy vessels, 14 coast guard ships, one surveillance balloon, and 130 war planes and drones around Taiwan as part of the exercise China has dubbed “Justice Mission 2025”.

Asked about the drills on Monday, Trump said he had a “great relationship with President Xi, and he hasn’t told me anything about it”.

“I certainly have seen it … I don’t believe he is going to be doing it,” Trump said, appearing to refer to an actual invasion. “Nothing worries me.”

The US is Taiwan’s most significant backer in its resistance to Beijing’s annexation plans, but Trump’s stance – especially during his second term – has been inconsistent. Trump met with Xi in October but said Taiwan “didn’t come up”. He is expected to visit Beijing for a more formal meeting next year.

On Tuesday morning a volley of live rockets was seen being fired from Pingtan, a Chinese coastal region closest to Taiwan’s main island. A short time later the PLA said in a statement: “At 9:00 am, December 30, the ground forces of the PLA Eastern Theater Command conducted long-range live fire drills in the waters to the north of the Taiwan Island and achieved desired effects.”

Taiwan’s defence ministry said the impact sites were “scattered around Taiwan’s 24 nautical mile zone”.

The defence minister, Wellington Koo, said the drills disregarded international norms and “clearly aim to achieve cognitive warfare and deplete Taiwan’s combat capabilities … and to create division and conflict within Taiwanese society”.

The PLA and Chinese state media said these exercises focused on simulating a blockade of major ports in Taiwan, and repelling “external foreign interference”. An attack on Taiwan by Beijing is largely expected to draw in the US to defend Taiwan, and potentially Japan, according to recent statements by the country’s prime minister which infuriated Beijing.

This week’s drills are the sixth and largest to target Taiwan since 2022, when major exercises surrounded Taiwan in retaliation for a visit by the then speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.

Such exercises take extensive planning and are usually part of general training, but the PLA often links them to perceived acts of provocation. This week Chinese officials and state media specifically cited a recent approval by the US government for a record $11bn weapons sales to Taiwan.

“In response to the continuous provocations by pro-independence forces in Taiwan and the large-scale US arms sales to Taiwan, we must of course resolutely oppose and forcefully counter them,” China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, said in a speech in Beijing.

An editorial in the official state outlet, Xinhua, said the drills were “a clear reminder for the DPP that the trend of national reunification is unstoppable, and that the will of the people cannot be defied”.

“The DPP’s fanciful attempts to pursue ‘Taiwan independence’ by relying on US support will only heighten tensions in the Taiwan Strait and push the island’s residents toward the brink of conflicts,” it said.

However, Taiwan – where the vast majority of people reject the prospect of Chinese rule and support the status quo – said it was clear that China was the aggressor.

Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, said on Tuesday that China was not acting as a responsible world power. Taiwan would defend its sovereignty, he said.

“We will act responsibly and not escalate conflict or stir up disputes.”

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Skip next section Ukraine cannot win war without US support, Zelenskyy says

12/30/2025December 30, 2025

Ukraine cannot win war without US support, Zelenskyy says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Fox News that Ukraine cannot win the war without US support.

“Can we win without American ‌support? No,” Zelenskyy said.

“I don’t trust Putin and he doesn’t want success ‍for Ukraine,” he added.

Earlier on Monday, the Ukrainian president said that two main issues in a 20-point peace ⁠proposal remained to be resolved: control of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, which is ​in Russian hands, and the fate of the Donbas area.

https://p.dw.com/p/566ja

Skip next section Welcome to our coverage12/30/2025December 30, 2025

Welcome to our coverage

Shakeel Sobhan

Welcome to our coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

On Monday, Russia said it would review its stance in peace talks following what Moscow described as a Ukrainian drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the allegation as “a complete
fabrication” and the Kremlin’s own ‌refusal to take necessary steps to end the war.

Zelenskyy accused Russia of preparing the ground to strike government buildings in Kyiv.

Trump said he was “very angry” about the news, telling reporters: “I don’t like it. It’s not good.”

Plus, underlining Russia’s intention of standing firm on its territorial ambitions, Putin said his generals should push on with efforts to secure all of Zaporizhzhia region, of
which Moscow already controls around 75%.

Keep reading for the latest updates.

https://p.dw.com/p/566jM

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Irish officials thought they had five times as many free tickets for a U2 tour of the United States, with newly released Government files revealing that diplomats were left in an “embarrassing situation”.

Management for the Dublin rock band had engaged with the Department of Foreign Affairs ahead of their 1987 Joshua Tree tour and offered to include “key people” on the guest list for a range of shows.

In one letter from Dublin to the Irish Ambassador in Washington, it was explained that the band wanted representatives from “semi-state bodies and the like”, with diplomats also hoping it was possible to invite “colleague ambassadors, administration and other notables or their children”.

A list of names was drawn up on the belief up to 60 guests for each concert would be acceptable.

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U2 members (left to right) Dave ‘The Edge’ Evans, Bono, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen in Dublin (PA)

That belief is recorded in a note of a February 1987 meeting with U2 manager Paul McGuinness, where a “possible mutual cooperation towards the benefit of Ireland’s image abroad” was discussed.

A Department official wrote that “U2 would gladly make available a certain number (perhaps 50-60) of backstage seats” for the Ambassador or consul in a particular city on the tour.

This message was relayed to Ireland’s representatives in cities including Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington DC in March.

However, they were told weeks the band wanted to limit the allocation to 10 tickets per night.

The consul general in Boston said this “puts us in an embarrassing situation” as potential guests had already been approached for their preferred dates.

The response from the headquarters of the Department of Foreign Affairs read: “You will appreciate that there is little can be done about U-turn by band in this matter. Why not ask your contact if you could put a few more than the ten per night on your list if situation is embarrassing?”

The documents also state that U2 were in consideration for playing a free concert to 400,000 people at the Eiffel Tower to mark its centenary – after an expression of interest by then Paris mayor Jacques Chirac.

The band did not perform at the tower, with Johnny Hallyday and Stevie Wonder among the main acts on the day.

This article is based on files in a document labelled 2025/124/461 at the National Archives of Ireland

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