Two missiles fired from territory held by Yemen’s Houthi rebels missed a commercial tanker loaded with Indian-manufactured jet fuel near the key Bab el-Mandeb Strait, two US officials said. It is the first time they target an energy shipment heading to the Suez Canal. A US warship, the USS Mason, also shot down a suspected Houthi drone flying in its direction during the incident, said the officials. No one was hurt, the officials said. The assault on the tanker Ardmore Encounter further escalates a campaign by the Iranian-backed rebels targeting ships, and also widens the global impact of the Gaza war.
Jemima denies financing vloggers backing Imran
Imran Khan’s ex wife Jemima Khan has rejected the allegation of financing vloggers to build support for the former jailed PM and his PTI party, a media report said. Jemima, a UK-based filmmaker and producer, rejected the claims made by former Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari, Geo News reported. “Please fear God! This is what vloggers settled abroad are saying. Jemima is giving money to these bloggers,” he was quoted as saying in the report. Replying to a post on X, Jemima rejected Zardari’s remarks and said, “This is obviously not true.” The 49-year-old British socialite added that she will only ever wish for “peace & prosperity in Pakistan.”
Pakistan uses artificial rain against smog
Artificial rain was used for the first time in Pakistan in a bid to combat smog in Lahore. Planes equipped with cloud seeding equipment flew over 10 areas of the city, often ranked one of the worst places globally for air pollution. The “gift” was provided by the United Arab Emirates, said caretaker chief minister of Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi. “Teams from the UAE, along with two planes, arrived about 10 to 12 days ago. They used 48 flares to create the rain,” he said. He said the team would know what effect the “artificial rain” had. The UAE has been increasingly using cloud seeding to create rain in the arid expanse of the country. Modest rain is effective in bringing down pollution, experts say. Air pollution has worsened in Pakistan in recent years.
Kuwait’s ruling emir passes away
Kuwait’s ruling emir Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, 86, died after a three-year, low-key reign focused on trying to resolve the tiny, oil-rich nation’s internal political disputes. Kuwait state television broke into programming with Quranic verses just before a sombre official made the announcement. Authorities gave no cause of death. Kuwait’s deputy ruler and his half-brother, Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber, now 83, is believed to be the world’s oldest crown prince. He is in line to take over as Kuwait’s ruler and represents one of the Gulf Arab countries’ last octogenarian leaders.
Ugandan serial killer given 105 years in prison
The High Court in Kampala, Uganda, has sentenced 25-year-old Musa Musasizi to 105 years in prison for the heinous murders of three women and a three-month-old infant. The victims were identified as his girlfriends, and the infant was the child of one of the victims. Musasizi, who pleaded guilty, pursued romantic relationships with the women before subjecting them to sexual assault and ultimately ending their lives. Shockingly, he went further by burning and disposing of their bodies, leaving a trail of horror. The sentencing underscores the gravity of Musasizi's crimes, said the judge. She emphasized the necessity of the lengthy sentence to safeguard young women, according to reports from the privately-owned NTV channel.
Argentina’s new president halts convoy to greet a dog
Argentina’s newly sworn in President Javier Milei, who famously has cloned dogs he calls his “kids with four paws”, ordered his motorcade to stop unexpectedly after taking office to greet another canine fan: a lost golden retriever. The outsider libertarian, a wild-haired former TV pundit who has shaken up Argentine politics with radical economic ideas and theatrical rallies, got out of the car taking him to the Casa Rosada government palace from Congress and spent a minute petting the dog which appeared to have strayed from its owner. Milei has at least four cloned mastiffs. The 53-year-old ultra-liberal economist paid $50,000 to clone his original dog, Conan, whom he adopted in 2004 and who died in 2017.
Swiss village to vote to keep cowbells ringing
Cows grazing on lush pastures with ornate metal bells gently tinkling around their necks may be one of the ultimate symbols of Switzerland, but not everyone is enchanted by such traditional scenes. In the village of Aarwangen, a complaint was filed earlier this year over the noise levels from a herd of around 15 cows grazing overnight on a field next to a residential area. The reaction was swift and fierce, with overwhelming demands for a local vote to protect the traditional use of bells. Petitioners needed to gather backing from just 10% of those eligible to vote in the village of 4,800 people - about 380 signatures - to push the issue to a vote under Switzerland’s direct democracy system.
Hunter defies Congress subpoena
President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden defied an order by House Republicans to testify behind closed doors about his business dealings, ratcheting up tensions with lawmakers who plan to vote to formalise their impeachment probe of his father. At a news conference outside the Capitol, Biden blasted the probe as baseless and indicated he would not cooperate with a subpoena by the House Oversight Committee to testify in private. Republican Representative Darrell Issa said he expects the panel will hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress if he does not show. “He’s thumbing his nose at the American people,” he said.
British boy, missing for 6 years, found in France
A British boy who disappeared at age 11 while on vacation six years ago in Spain has turned up in France, prosecutors said. A delivery driver found the boy, who is now a teenager, walking in the rain carrying a skateboard and a flashlight. The boy, Alex Batty, from Oldham, England, disappeared in 2017 while visiting Malaga with his mother and grandfather. None of them returned to Britain. Alex’s mother and grandfather, whose whereabouts remain unknown, are wanted by British authorities for playing a role in his disappearance. Alex’s legal guardian, his grandmother, has said she believed his mother and his grandfather sought out an alternative lifestyle with Alex.
Russian oppn leader Navalny being moved to new jail
Jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is being moved to a new prison in another part of the country and his arrival there will be disclosed in line with the law, Russia’s prison service said. Navalny’s allies, who had been preparing for his transfer to a “special regime” colony, the harshest grade in Russia’s prison system, say he has not been seen by his lawyers since December 6.The process of moving prisoners by rail across the world’s largest country can take weeks, with lawyers and family unable to obtain information about their location and well-being until they reach their destination.