North Korea has test-fired two strategic long-range cruise missiles (AP image)

North Korea has test-fired two strategic long-range cruise missiles to demonstrate its nuclear combat readiness. This comes as tensions continue to rise on the Korean Peninsula amid increased military activity by the United States and South Korea.According to state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the missile launches took place on Sunday over the Yellow Sea, west of the Korean Peninsula. Leader Kim Jong Un personally oversaw the drill, which was aimed at reviewing the combat capability and counter-offensive readiness of long-range missile units.KCNA reported that the missiles flew for more than two hours before successfully hitting their targets. The state media released videos showing the missiles being launched and striking targets at sea. Kim expressed “great satisfaction” with the exercise and said North Korea would continue the “unlimited and sustained development” of its nuclear combat forces.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that it had detected several cruise missile launches at around 8.00 am on Sunday from the Sunan area near Pyongyang. The South Korean military said it is maintaining full readiness in close coordination with the United States to respond to any potential provocations.North Korea described the launches as a defensive measure. KCNA said Kim stressed that testing the reliability of the country’s nuclear deterrence was a “responsible exercise of the right to self-defence and war deterrence” in response to what Pyongyang sees as growing external security threats, news agency AFP reported. The missile test comes days after North Korea revealed its progress in building the country’s first nuclear-powered submarine. Last week, KCNA reported that Kim inspected a large submarine under construction at an indoor facility. He was accompanied by the senior officials and his daughter, Kim Ju Ae. Pyongyang has suggested that the submarine could be armed with nuclear-capable missiles.The timing of the missile drill is also significant as North Korea prepares for a ruling Workers’ Party congress early next year, the first in five years. International attention will focus on whether Kim outlines new policy directions, including toward the United States and stalled nuclear negotiations.Tensions have increased following South Korea’s plans to build a nuclear-powered submarine, a move Kim described as an “offensive act” that violates North Korea’s security and maritime sovereignty. Pyongyang has also strongly criticised the recent docking of the US Navy’s nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Greenville at the South Korean port city of Busan.Yang Moo-jin, former president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said the cruise missile drill was intended to counter these developments. He said the arrow-type cruise missiles, with a range of about 2,000 kilometres, could strike targets across the Korean Peninsula as well as US military bases in Japan.While United Nations Security Council resolutions ban North Korea from testing ballistic missiles, cruise missile tests are not prohibited. However, analysts warn that such missiles still pose a serious threat because they are highly precise and fly at low altitudes, making them harder to detect by radar.The latest test comes years after North Korea’s nuclear talks with the United States collapsed in 2019 during US President Donald Trump’s first term.Although Kim has recently signalled a willingness to return to talks, experts say he may seek to use his expanding nuclear arsenal as leverage in any future negotiations with Washington.

CP Radhakrishnan (ANI image)

NEW DELHI: Vice-President CP Radhakrishnan will be on a two-day visit to Puducherry, Kerala and Tamil Nadu on December 29 and 30.On December 29, the Vice-President will attend a civic reception, unveil the statue of Mahakavi Bharathiar, and launch a housing project under the Smart City Mission in Puducherry, according to the Vice President’s Secretariat. He will also participate as the Chief Guest at the 30th Convocation of Pondicherry University, Puducherry.Later on the same day, the Vice-President will travel to Kerala and attend the Trivandrum Fest 2025.On December 30, the Vice-President will participate in the 93rd Sivagiri Pilgrimage at Varkala, Kerala. He will also inaugurate the public meeting of the conclusion of the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations of Mar Ivanios College, Thiruvananthapuram.Later the same day, the Vice-President will participate as the Chief Guest at the valedictory ceremony of Kashi-Tamil Sangamam 4.0 in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. Earlier, Radhakrishnan participated in the birth centenary celebrations of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The event was organised by the Atal Foundation, the vice president’s secretariat said in a press release.Recalling a couplet from the Tamil classic Thirukkural, the Vice-President said that while all human beings are equal by birth, greatness is achieved through one’s actions. The Vice-President said that Atal Bihari Vajpayee was no ordinary individual but a mission in himself, who always remained “Atal” in his commitment to principles and values. He observed that Atal Bihari Vajpayee is remembered and honoured for his exemplary actions as a statesman, administrator, parliamentarian, poet, and above all, as a great human being.

US President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, even as Russia intensified its attacks on Kyiv. Both leaders struck an optimistic tone, repeatedly suggesting that a peace deal was closer than at any previous point, yet they also acknowledged that several issues particularly territory, security guarantees and the future of occupied infrastructure remain unresolved.“I think we’re getting a lot closer, maybe very close,” Trump said after the meeting. Zelenskyy, thanking Trump for a “great meeting”, said Ukraine was “ready for peace” and that talks had yielded “significant results”, even if final decisions were still pending.

The talks came just hours after the 47th POTUS held a lengthy phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and against the backdrop of fresh Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities.

Putin’s shadow looms large

Zelenskyy’s visit followed what Trump described as an “excellent” phone call with Putin earlier the same day. The Kremlin later said the call was “friendly, benevolent and businesslike”, adding that Trump and Putin agreed to speak again promptly after Trump’s talks with the Ukrainian leader.

Trump insisted Putin still wants peace, despite Russia launching new attacks on Ukraine as Zelenskyy travelled to the US. “Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed,” Trump said, adding that Putin had been “very generous in his feelings toward Ukraine succeeding”.Also read: Trump speaks to Putin ahead of Florida meet with ZelenskyyThat framing has alarmed some of Ukraine’s supporters, who note a pattern in which Trump speaks to Putin before meeting Zelenskyy. However, unlike previous encounters, this sequence did not lead to an openly tense exchange between the US and Ukrainian presidents.

Peace deal ‘90% agreed’

At the centre of the talks was a revised 20-point peace framework that US and Ukrainian teams have been refining for weeks. Zelenskyy said the plan was “90% agreed”, while Trump said he did not like using percentages but suggested the deal was nearly complete.“We discussed all aspects of the peace framework,” Zelenskyy later wrote. “We agreed that security guarantees are a key milestone in achieving lasting peace.”The two sides also agreed that their teams would meet again as early as next week to finalise remaining details, and that Trump would host Ukrainian and European leaders in Washington in January.

Territory remains the toughest obstacle

Both leaders acknowledged that the fate of the eastern Donbas region remains unresolved. Trump described it as “a very tough issue”, though he said it was getting closer to resolution. Zelenskyy was blunt about the divide. “Our attitude is very clear,” he said, adding that Ukraine and Russia hold fundamentally different positions.Trump suggested that making territorial concessions sooner rather than later could be pragmatic. “Some of that land has been taken,” he said. “And are you better off making a deal now?”Zelenskyy has shown new flexibility, saying any territorial settlement would require either a referendum or parliamentary approval, but only after a ceasefire, something Moscow has so far rejected.

Agreement in principle but details pending

Security guarantees emerged as the clearest area of convergence. Zelenskyy said US-Ukraine security guarantees were “100% agreed”, calling them essential to preventing future Russian aggression. Trump was more cautious, saying the talks were about “95% done” and stressing that European countries would need to shoulder much of the responsibility with US backing.During recent negotiations, Washington has floated Nato-like guarantees for Ukraine, even as Zelenskyy signalled he could drop Kyiv’s bid to formally join the alliance if equivalent protections were provided. Russia, however, has repeatedly rejected any Nato role and warned it would view allied troops as legitimate targets.

The nuclear question

Another unresolved issue is the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, which has been under Russian control since early in the war. Trump said the plant was discussed “at length” and suggested Putin was open to cooperation. “President Putin is actually working with Ukraine on getting it open,” he said.Under US proposals, the plant could be jointly run by the US, Russia and Ukraine, with shared profits. Zelenskyy is known to oppose any Russian commercial role, making this a potential flashpoint as talks continue.

Europe brought into the room

After their meeting, Trump and Zelenskyy spoke jointly by phone with a broad group of European leaders, including European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Poland and Finland.Von der Leyen later said progress was “good” but stressed that “ironclad security guarantees from day one” would be essential. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said leaders underlined the urgency of ending the war and commended Trump for driving talks forward.

Trump’s deadline: Weeks, not days

Trump repeatedly warned that negotiations could still collapse. “In a few weeks, we will know one way or the other,” he said. “It’s possible it doesn’t happen.”Also read: Donald Trump’s favourite timeline – two weeksThe US president, who once claimed he could end the war in a day, now openly acknowledges its complexity. “This is not a one-day process deal,” he said. “This is very complicated stuff.”

Optimism tempered by war on the ground

Even as diplomacy intensifies, fighting continues. Russia launched major attacks on Kyiv and other regions ahead of the talks, knocking out power and heating for hundreds of thousands. Ukrainian officials described the strikes as evidence of Moscow’s true intentions.Still, both Trump and Zelenskyy emerged keen to project momentum. “I do think we’re getting a lot closer,” Trump said. Zelenskyy echoed that sentiment, thanking Trump and his team and reiterating: “Ukraine is ready for peace.”

Australia’s Steve Smith, watches a delivery from England’s Brydon Carse. (AP/PTI)

Geoffrey Boycott did not treat England’s Boxing Day Test win as a fairytale moment. Instead, he presented it as a clear judgement on how the game is now played and, in his view, misplayed. Writing in The Telegraph, Boycott dismissed any suggestion of luck and argued the result was built on fundamentals. “England won the Boxing Day Test because they played better cricket than Australia. It was no fluke,” he wrote, before widening the argument to what he sees as a structural problem in modern batting.

According to Boycott, the way batsmen are developed is now at odds with the demands of Test cricket. He pointed to the dominance of white-ball formats and the pitches that come with them. “One-day matches are played on the flattest batting pitches the groundsmen can provide so the batsmen can dominate by hitting hard at the ball,” he said. “It is absolutely the opposite of learning to bat against the moving ball on seaming pitches.” For Boycott, the issue is not limited to one series or one opposition. He believes England’s own players are being short-changed by the current calendar. “Our top batsmen play very little County cricket and almost nothing on tours outside Test matches,” he wrote. “Nets alone will not help batsmen master the technique of playing the moving ball.” That frustration then turned towards the administrators. Boycott accused the ECB of prioritising revenue over long-term excellence. “Sadly, the ECB suits have them playing more and more 50-over, T20 and Hundred cricket because it brings in lots of money,” he wrote, adding: “And we know how money is their idea of success, not winning the Ashes or being the best team in the world.” He even used Joe Root’s struggles as a warning sign rather than a personal failing. “Joe Root is England’s best technical batsman, but had two failures trying play in a normal style,” Boycott wrote. “It just goes to show how modern batsmen do not really have a clue how to defend on a seaming pitch.” Australia, however, came in for the harshest assessment. Boycott said he and other former players had been flagging concerns for some time. “Some of us ex-player ‘has-beens’ have been saying before and during this tour that the Aussie batting is ordinary, dependent on Smith and Head,” he wrote. “That batting line-up in the second innings showed how poor some of them are.” He also questioned whether Australia’s approach shifted after gaining a first-innings lead. “I don’t know, but what I did see was some awful batting,” Boycott said, before detailing a sequence of dismissals he felt were avoidable, marked by hesitation and poor shot selection. While acknowledging the impact of England’s seamers, Boycott ended where he began, with blunt clarity. “I take nothing away from the quality of the England seamers, but some of those dismissals were shockers.” And in case there was any doubt about his verdict, he summed it up in four words: “It was awful stuff.”

Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell reacted angrily to an on-field decision during a Big Bash League 2025-26 match between Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder in Canberra. Maxwell criticized the third umpire after a call went against his team, adding that the fielder had clearly saved the ball from the boundary.

After winning the toss, the Stars chose to bowl first at Manuka Oval on Sunday, December 28. Thunder opening batters Matthew Gilkes and Sam Konstas added 33 runs in just under four overs. However, once the first wicket fell, Thunder struggled to build partnerships and lost wickets at regular intervals.

Controversial Boundary Call Sparks Animated Reaction from Glenn Maxwell

A controversial boundary decision came late in Sydney Thunder’s innings and quickly became a talking point. On the final ball of the 16th over, Shadab Khan pulled a short-of-length delivery toward deep mid-wicket.

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Hilton Cartwright sprinted to his left and put in a sliding effort near the rope, trying to push the ball back into play. While the attempt was impressive, his momentum carried him into the boundary cushions, with the ball appearing to brush close to his leg.

The decision was referred to the TV umpire, who ruled that Cartwright was in contact with both the ball and the boundary rope at the same time. Four runs were awarded despite the strong fielding effort. The call drew an animated reaction from Glenn Maxwell, who labelled it a “shocker.”

He Did Really Well, I Was Right Next To Him – Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell expressed his frustration after a boundary decision went against his team. Maxwell said that he had a clear view of the incident and felt the replay made it look worse than it actually was. He added that the ball never touched the player’s leg, calling the decision a “shocker.”

“To get your body out of the way and not touch it, because all you want to do is push it back in when you can see it trickling on. Now he got out of the way,” Maxwell said.

“But I had a great view of it. Oh, of course they’re going to give it out. Oh my God. It’s an awful decision. That’s a shocker. Unfortunately for them, he did really well. I was right next to him.”

“There was nowhere near his leg. The camera makes it look bad, but he did well to stay away from it. Oh well. Get two extras.”

“Awful decision. That’s a shocker.”

Glenn Maxwell wasn’t happy this was called a boundary 🫣 #BBL15 pic.twitter.com/ztbkY2fydg

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 28, 2025

Haris Rauf Leads Stars’ Bowling Effort Against Thunder

Haris Rauf continued his impressive run in the tournament with a strong bowling performance. The right-arm pacer finished with figures of 3 for 29 from his four overs, keeping the pressure on Sydney Thunder throughout his spell.

In the 14th over, Rauf dismissed Sam Billings and followed it up with a unique celebration. His three-wicket haul played a major role in restricting Sydney Thunder to a modest 128 runs at the end of their 20 overs.

Tom Curran, skipper Marcus Stoinis, and Mitchell Swepson picked up two wickets each, while Peter Siddle bagged one scalp.

Also read: Ben Duckett demands beer from fans during Live Ashes Test at MCG, video breaks the internet

India’s Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal (PTI Photo/Kamal Kishore)

For Yashasvi Jaiswal, the memories of his India debut in the West Indies extend far beyond the runs he scored. What has stayed with him most clearly is the calm assurance he received from Rohit Sharma long before he stepped onto the field. Speaking in an interview with journalist Vimal Kumar, Jaiswal explained how Rohit’s conversations helped him feel settled and confident ahead of his first Test. “He spoke to me really well. He said a lot of things that gave me a lot of confidence,” Jaiswal said. “He kept telling me, ‘You’re free—go out there, play freely, play your shots with confidence. But try that if you get set, then make it a big innings.’ So there were many such conversations.”

What stood out was how early Rohit made his intentions clear. As the Indian squad travelled to Dominica, the captain ensured Jaiswal knew his role well in advance. “Almost fifteen days before, he had already told me,” Jaiswal recalled during the interview. “He said, ‘I won’t tell you just one day before that you’re playing. I’m telling you fifteen days in advance—you’re going to play. Prepare yourself. We’ll prepare together, and we’ll do it properly.’ That was his thought process.” That clarity helped Jaiswal absorb the moment without panic. “So the moment I found out that I was going to make my debut, it was a very special moment for me,” he said. “I had never played for India before, and this was my first time.” The preparation showed on the field. At just 21, Jaiswal marked his Test debut at Roseau with a remarkable 171 against the West Indies, displaying patience, control and maturity. Two years on, he has made an impressive start to his Test career, featuring in 28 matches and scoring 2,511 runs at an average of 49.23. Jaiswal also spoke with deep admiration for Rohit’s role beyond tactics and selection. “What can I even say about Rohit bhai? I honestly don’t have words for him,” he said. “What a person he is. What a guy. He’s like an elder brother—he teaches you, he inspires you.” Being part of a dressing room that included senior figures only added to the experience. “It’s a dream for so many people to play alongside Rohit bhai, Virat paaji, Hardik bhai,” Jaiswal said, referring to Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya. Above all, he highlighted the values passed down by the senior players. “They teach us that this is Indian cricket and that we must take care of it, carry it forward, and give our best in our own way,” he said. Looking back, Jaiswal’s debut was not just about a memorable hundred. It was shaped by early trust, careful preparation and leadership that allowed a young batter to walk out with clarity rather than fear.

Ajit Pawar’s NCP & Sharad Pawar’s fraction to contest together in Pimpri Chinchwad

PUNE: Deputy chief minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar on Sunday announced that NCP and NCP (SP) will contest the upcoming Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections in an alliance.Addressing a campaign rally in Talawade for party candidates, Pawar said, “In Pimpri Chinchwad, NCP, the party with the clock symbol and NCP, the party with the trumpet symbol, will contest the civic election in an alliance. A parivar [family] is coming together as many people wanted this to happen.”Pawar said the seat-sharing arrangement between NCP and NCP (SP) has been finalised and will be announced within the next two days. “We come from a farming family; farming is our caste. Some decisions must be taken in the larger interest of Maharashtra,” he said.This marks the first official announcement of an alliance between the two parties, even as discussions continue for alliances in other municipal corporations, including Pune.During the rally, Pawar announced the party’s candidates for Ward 12, where the undivided NCP had won all four seats in the 2017 elections. The candidates are Pankaj Bhalekar, Sharad Bhalekar, Seema Bhalekar, and Charulata Sonawane. Later, at a public meeting in Chikhali for Ward 1, he announced Yash Sane, Vikas Sane, Sadhna Netaji Kashid, and Sangita Tamhane as party candidates.In his address, Pawar also credited NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar for bringing the IT park to Hinjewadi, saying the decision played a key role in the development of the twin city. It may be noted that under Ajit Pawar’s leadership, first Congress between 1992 and 1999 and then the undivided NCP ruled Pimpri Chinchwad between 1999 and 2017. The BJP wrested control of the civic body in 2017, winning 77 of the 128 seats, while the NCP finished second.He said that despite his party being in power for 25 years, PCMC never took loans for development works.“PCMC was considered one of the richest municipal corporations in Asia. Today, it is burdened with debt and allegations of corruption, which were never part of its earlier history,” he said.Pawar said the NCP would ensure representation for candidates from all communities, drawing inspiration from the ideologies of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Shahu Maharaj, Jyotiba Phule, and BR Ambedkar. The candidate list, he said, would include a balance of youth and experienced leaders.Without naming individuals, Pawar also alleged that political opponents in Pimpri Chinchwad were threatening aspirants by warning that their construction projects would be stalled. “Women are being threatened, and such poaching politics has been never seen before.People have told me they were warned that their construction works would be stopped. Residents should not tolerate this, and justice must be ensured,” he said.