Delhi Dehradun Expressway: Toll charges set to increase, car travellers are likely to pay Rs 670; check here toll charges for bus and truck
The six-lane expressway has been completed at a cost of Rs 12,000 crore and is being built in four sections. The expressway has five toll plazas and twelve interchanges, with a section that is elevated before Dehradun. Read here to know how much you need to pay while travelling on this expressway.
Delhi-NCR pollution level turns ‘severe+’, AQI nears 500 in Anand Vihar, Rohini, Bawana, Ashok Vihar; GRAP 4 in place
The AQI in Delhi has reached 462, with areas like Wazirpur, Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, and Jahangirpuri recording hazardous levels close to 500, according to data by the Central Pollution Control Board(CPCB).
FBI ousts reinstated whistleblower over unauthorized media talks, ‘poor judgment’
A former FBI agent and COVID-era whistleblower who was recently reinstated under President Donald Trump was fired Friday, according to a report. The FBI dismissed Steve Friend for “unprofessional conduct and poor judgment,” according to a copy of a termination letter posted on X by New York Post columnist Miranda Devine. An FBI source confirmed the firing but would not elaborate, saying it was a personnel matter. The FBI stated in the letter that Friend “participated in unauthorized interactions with the media, publicly disseminated media sources, and commented publicly on FBI matters and ongoing FBI investigations.” HOUSE REPUBLICANS ACCUSE BIDEN’S FBI OF RETALIATING AGAINST WHISTLEBLOWER WHO EXPOSED MISCONDUCT Friend was first suspended by the FBI in August 2022 and resigned in February 2023. He was reinstated in September. In the letter, the FBI stated that, in November, Friend “disseminated media sources and photographs identifying an alleged subject and discussed the alleged subject on your podcast, despite the lack of credible, verifiable evidence necessary to publicly identify the subject.” When reached for comment by Fox News Digital, Friend said his ouster was retaliation by FBI Director Kash Patel. EX-FBI AGENTS SAY BUREAU USED INTERNAL PROBES TO PUNISH WHISTLEBLOWERS Friend’s dismissal from the bureau came after his attorneys at Empower Oversight Whistleblowers & Research dropped him as a client Dec. 5. The nonprofit organization said in a letter to Friend that he had ignored its advice by commenting publicly on FBI matters, “risking further adverse administrative action” by the bureau. “In light of your apparent unwillingness to follow the free professional advice we have given you, we are even more convinced that our previously expressed inability to represent you regarding any legal matters other than your reinstatement was warranted,” the nonprofit wrote. “We are no longer willing or able to expend further time and resources representing your interests or providing counsel moving forward.”
Trump vows ‘very serious retaliation’ against ISIS after deadly Syrian ambush kills US soldiers
President Donald Trump sent a strong message to those accused of killing two U.S. Army soldiers and an American interpreter in Syria Saturday, noting the U.S. will retaliate against ISIS if forces are attacked again. As Trump departed the White House for the Army-Navy football game Saturday afternoon, he said the country is mourning the loss of the soldiers and a civilian U.S. interpreter, who were ambushed by a lone ISIS gunman. Three other soldiers were wounded but are “doing well,” according to the president. They were taken by helicopters to the al-Tanf garrison, which is near the border with Iraq and Jordan, The Associated Press reported, citing Syrian state media. SYRIANS MARK FIRST YEAR SINCE ASSAD’S FALL AS US SIGNALS NEW ERA IN RELATIONS Trump later posted to Truth Social, adding, “there will be very serious retaliation.” “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,” he wrote in the post. “The President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack. There will be very serious retaliation. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the attack occurred as the soldiers were conducting a key leader engagement, part of their mission in support of ongoing counter-ISIS/counter-terrorism operations in the region. TRUMP TO HOST SYRIAN PRESIDENT IN HISTORIC WHITE HOUSE MEETING AMID PUSH FOR REGIONAL PEACE The gunman was killed by partner forces, according to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The soldiers’ names, as well as identifying information about their units, are being withheld until 24 hours after the next of kin notification. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for further comment. As of June, roughly 1,500 U.S. troops remained in Syria after Pentagon-directed withdrawals, with the force expected to decline to a few hundred personnel by year’s end, according to Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin. The U.S. initially operated eight bases in Syria to monitor ISIS after intervening in 2014 to prevent the group from establishing a caliphate. Three of those bases have since been closed or transferred to the Syrian Democratic Forces. Fox News’ Greg Norman, Ashley Oliver, Jennifer Griffin, Benjamin Weinthal and Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.
Maduro trapped with few retaliation options after Trump administration seizes Venezuelan oil tanker
The Trump administration’s latest offensive move against Venezuela, the seizure of a tanker carrying U.S.-sanctioned oil, has triggered predictable outrage from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government. But behind the rhetorical fire, analysts say the regime has few practical ways to hit back without doing even more damage to itself. Experts say that Maduro could target U.S. oil interests in Venezuela, but doing so would almost certainly inflict more pain on his own cash-starved regime than on the United States. Maduro could also halt U.S.-chartered deportation flights but again would be harming his own interests, experts say. MADURO’S FORCES FACE RENEWED SCRUTINY AS US TENSIONS RISE: ‘A FORTRESS BUILT ON SAND’ “Venezuelans are just leaving the country because of the terrible conditions the regime has created,” said Connor Pfeiffer, a Western Hemisphere analyst at FDD Action. “By having people come back, even if they’re on U.S. charter deportation flights, it kind of counters that narrative.” Western oil firms have significantly decreased their presence in Venezuela, home to world’s largest proven oil reserves, in recent years due to sanctions. But U.S.-owned Chevron does still maintain a license to operate there, on the condition that the Maduro regime does not financially benefit from its operations. Instead, Chevron hands over to Maduro half of its oil production as payment, according to multiple reports. “Chevron’s operations in Venezuela continue in full compliance with laws and regulations applicable to its business, as well as the sanctions frameworks provided for by the U.S. government,” a Chevron spokesperson told Fox News Digital. Imports of Venezuelan crude have declined to roughly 130,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 150,000 bpd in recent months, below the nearly 300,000 bpd imported under the prior petroleum licensing regime under the Biden administration. Most of Venezuela’s exports are now routed to Asia, with the bulk landing in China through intermediaries, according to data from Kpler. Despite that flow of crude, analysts say the idea of Caracas striking back at Chevron is more potent as a talking point than as a viable policy option. VENEZUELA ACCUSES US OF ‘PIRACY’ AFTER SEIZING MASSIVE OIL TANKER Shutting down or seizing the company’s operations would instantly cut off one of the few lifelines still feeding Venezuela’s collapsing oil sector. It also would risk triggering a swift and politically difficult American response, including a full reinstatement of the sanctions relief the regime has quietly relied on. Pfeiffer noted that the Maduro government has been “very supportive of Chevron continuing to operate” because the arrangement provides tens of thousands of barrels a day of oil with minimal investment from Venezuelan-owned Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. Other analysts say that reality sharply limits Maduro’s room to maneuver, and that any attack on Chevron would strike at his own revenue stream first. Another theoretical lever — military or maritime escalation — is widely viewed as even less credible. Venezuela has taken delivery of small Iranian-built fast attack craft equipped with anti-ship missiles, a fact that has fueled speculation Maduro could threaten U.S. or allied vessels. But Venezuela’s navy suffers from years of maintenance failures and lacks the ability to sustain operations against American forces deployed in the Caribbean. Any aggressive move at sea would almost certainly invite a U.S. military response the regime is in no position to absorb. Diplomatically, Caracas could suspend remaining channels with Washington or file legal challenges in U.S. courts or international forums. Yet previous efforts to contest sanctions-related seizures have gone nowhere, and Venezuela’s relationships in the hemisphere offer limited leverage. Regional bodies have little sway over U.S. sanctions law, and even supportive governments in Russia, China or Iran are unlikely to intervene beyond issuing critical statements. Beijing, now the primary destination for Venezuelan crude, has economic interests at stake but few practical avenues to challenge U.S. enforcement actions. Absent direct military strikes, cracking down on sanctioned oil exports is one of the most potent ways the U.S. can weaken the regime, according to Pfeiffer. “This is one of his main sources of revenue keeping the regime afloat,” he said.
Elon Musk blasts Newsom’s office, says his son is battling mental illness due to ‘evil woke mind virus’
Elon Musk is in a battle with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office over the Tesla CEO’s transgender daughter, who goes by Vivian Jenna Wilson. The spat started when Musk’s America PAC reposted a clip of Newsom on “The Ezra Klein Show” in which he says, “There’s no governor that’s done more pro-trans legislation than I have.” The governor made the comment while discussing his stance on transgender athletes competing in women’s sports, an issue where Newsom has broken away from other prominent Democrats. While interviewing Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk in the inaugural episode of his podcast, “This is Gavin Newsom,” the California governor made waves by saying it was “deeply unfair” to have transgender athletes in women’s sports. Newsom’s press office responded to America PAC’s commentary on the clip from “The Ezra Klein Show” by taking a jab at Musk. GAVIN NEWSOM TELLS DEMOCRATS THEY ‘WALKED AWAY’ FROM MASCULINITY CRISIS IMPACTING MEN AND BOYS “Correct. We’re sorry your daughter hates you, Elon,” the governor’s press office wrote on X, a platform that Musk owns. The SpaceX CEO came back with a blistering response, doubling down on his refusal to call Wilson his daughter. “I assume you’re referring to my son, Xavier, who has a tragic mental illness caused by the evil woke mind virus you push on vulnerable children. I love Xavier very much and hope he recovers,” Musk wrote. “My daughters are Azure, Exa (she goes by Y) and Arcadia, and they do indeed love me very much.” MUSK SAYS TRANS CHILD WAS FIGURATIVELY ‘KILLED BY THE WOKE MIND VIRUS,’ VOWS TO DESTROY IT: ‘MY SON IS DEAD’ The X owner then pinned a post on his profile in which he wrote, “If you have a womb, you are a woman. Otherwise, you are not.” Musk opened up about his thoughts on minors receiving gender surgery during a 2024 interview with Dr. Jordan Peterson. The Tesla CEO said he was “essentially tricked” into giving consent for Wilson to go on puberty blockers. “It happened to one of my older boys, where I was essentially tricked into signing documents for one of my older boys, Xavier. This is before I had any understanding of what was going on. COVID was going on, so there was a lot of confusion, and I was told Xavier might commit suicide if he doesn’t,” Musk told Peterson. He went on to talk about the concept of “deadnaming,” or calling a transgender person by their birth name. “I lost my son, essentially. They call it deadnaming for a reason,” Musk said. “The reason it’s called ‘deadnaming’ is because your son is dead. So, my son Xavier is dead, killed by the woke mind virus.” Musk added that, after what happened, he “vowed to destroy the woke mind virus.” Fox News’ Yael Halon contributed to this report.
RSF drone strike kills at least three in central Sudan, injures several
Paramilitary force intensifies offensive in Kordofan region after seizing control of Darfur in October. Published On 13 Dec 202513 Dec 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share At least three people have been killed and nine others wounded, when the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a drone attack on a central Sudanese city, as fighting intensifies across the vast strategic region of Kordofan that could determine the war’s outcome. The strike hit a square near a police station in the Tayba neighbourhood of el-Obeid on Saturday afternoon, military sources told Al Jazeera. Several of the wounded are in critical condition, they said. Recommended Stories list of 2 itemsend of list The attack underscores the RSF’s expanding use of air power as it shifts its offensive from Darfur to the sprawling Kordofan region, home to critical oil infrastructure that has generated revenue for both Sudan and neighbouring South Sudan. Military sources reported that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) had earlier struck RSF positions in the town of Um Adara in South Kordofan, while RSF forces shelled the city of Um Rawaba in the north, causing civilian casualties. An RSF drone also targeted army positions in Kosti city in White Nile state, in southeastern Sudan, destroying a military vehicle and injuring its crew, the sources added. The three Kordofan states have witnessed fierce clashes in recent weeks, forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes and compounding what aid agencies describe as one of the world’s worst humanitarian emergencies. The United Nations’ World Food Programme warned it will be forced to slash food rations by up to 70 percent for communities facing starvation starting in January due to critical funding shortages. Advertisement Ross Smith, the agency’s emergency preparedness director, said the cuts would affect those already “on the brink of famine” as well as vulnerable communities at risk of sliding into hunger. The WFP said 20 million Sudanese are suffering from malnutrition, with six million facing famine-like conditions. Smith warned that funding could “collapse” by April, threatening the programme’s ability to continue operations. Sudan’s war between the army and RSF has killed tens of thousands and displaced nearly 13 million people since fighting erupted in April 2023, according to international organisations. Adblock test (Why?)
Belarus frees 123 prisoners including Ales Bialiatski as US lifts sanctions
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, Nobel Peace Prize winner among dozens released as United States removes potash sanctions. Belarus has freed 123 prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski and leading opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova, in exchange for sanctions relief from the United States. John Coale, the US special envoy for Belarus, announced the lifting of sanctions on potash on Saturday after two days of talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk. Belarus is a leading global producer of potash, a key component in fertilisers, the former Soviet state is a leading global producer. The prisoner release was by far the biggest by Lukashenko since the Trump administration opened talks this year with the close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Western governments had previously shunned him because of his crushing of dissent and backing for Russia’s war in Ukraine. Separately, Ukraine’s prisoner of war coordination centre said it had received 114 prisoners released by Belarus, including Ukrainian citizens accused of working for Ukrainian intelligence and Belarusian political prisoners. The centre’s statement said the released captives would receive medical attention, adding that the Belarusian citizens who so wished would subsequently be transported to Poland or Lithuania. The US, European Union and the United Kingdom did not recognise Lukashenko as a legitimate president after the country’s 2020 elections, which were rigged according to the opposition and rights groups. They also imposed sanctions that hobbled the economy and isolated longtime ruler Lukashenko whose main international supporter remains Putin. Advertisement Speaking from Warsaw, Pavel Slunkin, a former Belarus diplomat, told Al Jazeera that today’s release of prisoners signifies a major improvement in relations between the US and Belarus that was was “turning the table on sanctions”. “For Lukashenko it means he starts to renew his international legitimacy … His relations with the west are going to improve,” he said. “I expect the US to lift more sanctions … I think Washington will also pressure the European Union to do the same,” he added. Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya expressed gratitude to Trump and said the fact that Lukashenko had agreed to release prisoners in return for the concessions on potash was proof of the effectiveness of sanctions. The opposition has consistently said it sees Trump’s outreach to Lukashenko as a humanitarian effort, but that EU sanctions should stay in place. “US sanctions are about people. EU sanctions are about systemic change — stopping the war, enabling democratic transition, and ensuring accountability. These approaches do not contradict each other; they complement each other,” Tsikhanouskaya said in a statement. US officials told the Reuters news agency that engaging with Lukashenko is part of an effort to peel him away from Putin’s influence, at least to a degree – an effort that the Belarus opposition, until now, has viewed with extreme scepticism. “The United States stands ready for additional engagement with Belarus that advances US interests and will continue to pursue diplomatic efforts to free remaining political prisoners in Belarus,” the US embassy in Lithuania added. Meanwhile, it was not immediately clear where many of the group of 123 freed prisoners were heading after their release. On previous occasions, those released have left Belarus via Lithuania. But relatives, friends and supporters of the prisoners have expressed relief. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has expressed its “profound relief and heartfelt joy” after Bialiatski’s release and called on Belarus to release all political prisoners. Bialiatski, co-winner of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, is a human rights campaigner who fought for years on behalf of political prisoners before becoming one himself. He had been in jail since July 2021. Also freed were Kolesnikova, a leader of mass protests against Lukashenko in 2020, and Viktar Babaryka, who was arrested that year while preparing to run against the president in an election. Tatsiana Khomich, Kolesnikova’s sister, told the Reuters news agency she had spoken to her by phone. Advertisement “She told me she is very happy to be freed, that she is thankful to the USA and Trump for their efforts in leading the process, and to all countries involved.” Adblock test (Why?)
Israeli claims to have killed senior Hamas commander, Raed Saad, in Gaza
There was no immediate confirmation from Hamas or from medics that Saad was among the dead. Published On 13 Dec 202513 Dec 2025 | Updated: 17 minutes agoUpdated: 17 minutes ago Click here to share on social media share2 Share The Israeli military sats it has killed senior Hamas commander Raed Saad in a strike in Gaza City. The attack on Saturday killed four people and wounded at least 25, according to Gaza health authorities. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list There was no immediate confirmation from Hamas or from medics that Saad was among the dead. In a post on Telegram, the army alleged that the commander had been operating to re-establish Hamas’s capabilities, which have been severely depleted by more than two years of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. It described him as one of the architects of the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. If Saad was killed, it would be the highest-profile assassination of a senior Hamas figure since a fragile ceasefire deal came into effect in October. An Israeli defence official told the Reuters news agency that Saad had been targeted in the attack, describing him as the head of Hamas’s weapons manufacturing force. Hamas sources have also described him as the second-in-command of the group’s armed wing, after Izz al-Din al-Haddad. Saad used to head Hamas’s Gaza City battalion, one of the group’s largest and best-equipped, those sources said. The Wafa news agency reported that an Israeli drone hit a vehicle at the Nabulsi junction in the west of Gaza City, resulting in casualties. The agency did not report on specific numbers, and it was not clear if the attack was the one that allegedly killed the Hamas member. Since the ceasefire started in October, Israel has continued to attack Gaza daily – reaching nearly 800 times and killing at least 386 people – in a clear breach of the agreement, according to authorities in Gaza. Advertisement Israel also continues to block the majority of aid trucks from entering the enclave. The United Nations General Assembly on Friday overwhelmingly backed a resolution demanding that Israel open unrestricted humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip, stop attacking UN facilities, and comply with international law, in line with its obligations as an occupying power. Adblock test (Why?)
Goa Nightclub Fire: How did Luthra Brothers run Birch by Romeo lane illegally for 18 months? Goa police make SHOCKING revelation
According to the Goa police, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, along with Ajay Gupta, had entered into an instrument of licence with Surinder Kumar Khosla on Nov 28, 2023, in respect of the premises, comprising the basement and upper ground floor.