The US department of war on Thursday released a footage of strikes against ISIS terrorists in northeast Nigeria.The video shows a missile being launched from an aircraft carrier.This comes after US President Donald Trump announced “powerful and deadly strike” against ISIS terrorists whom he described as “terrorist scum”.The precision strikes mark the first attack by US forces in Nigeria under Trump, and come after the Republican unexpectedly berated the West African nation in October and November, saying Christians there faced an “existential threat” that amounted to “genocide” amid Nigeria’s myriad armed conflicts.In a post on Truth Social, US President Trump said the strike was carried out “at my direction as Commander in Chief” and targeted ISIS militants.He alleged that the group had been “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even centuries”.He added that the “Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing”.Trump further said that under his leadership, the US would not allow “radical Islamic terrorism to prosper”.He concluded the post by saying, “May God bless our military, and Merry Christmas to all, including the dead terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.”Trump, in recent months, has repeatedly spoken about the situation of Christians in Nigeria. In November, he had called on his secretary of defence to “prepare for possible action” and warned that the US could enter Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” to protect the Christian population in Africa’s most populous country, reported CNN.The diplomatic offensive was welcomed by some but interpreted by others as inflaming religious tensions in Africa’s most populous country, which has seen bouts of sectarian violence in the past.Nigeria’s government and independent analysts reject framing the country’s violence in terms of religious persecution — a narrative long used by the Christian right in the United States and Europe.Meanwhile, the Nigerian foreign ministry also confirmed the attack launched by the US and said, “Nigerian authorities remain engaged in structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States of America, in addressing the persistent threat of terrorism and violent extremism,” the foreign ministry said in a statement released early on Friday.“This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes,” in the country’s northwest, it added.

Since its release in theaters, Ranveer Singh‘s ‘Dhurandhar’ has been dominating the box office. Even in its third week, the movie showed signs of stopping. And the Christmas holiday just gave a boost to the ticket sales of the film, raking in another big number on its day 21 since release. The new releases didn’t affect its run at the box office at all. Let’s learn more about it in detail.Dhurandhar Movie Review

‘Dhurandhar’ box office collection Day 21

The Aditya Dhar directorial has received appreciation for its performances, storytelling, cinematography, and music from all quarters. And now on Christmas holiday (day 21), the film showcased a big rise in its collections as compared to previous numbers. According to the Sacnilk report, the espionage thriller raked in Rs 26 crore at the box office on Christmas, December 25 (Day 21).This showed that the audience is still choosing the Ranveer Singh-led film over other releases on holiday as well. Now, the total collection of the movie in India stands at Rs 633.50 crore.Meanwhile, the movie has already crossed the Rs 900 crore mark at the global box office.

Week-wise collection

Week 1 Collection: Rs 207.25 croreWeek 2 Collection: Rs 253.25 croreDay 15 [3rd Friday]: Rs 22.5 croreDay 16 [3rd Saturday]: Rs 34.25 croreDay 17 [3rd Sunday]: Rs 38.5 croreDay 18 [3rd Monday]: Rs16.5 croreDay 19 [3rd Tuesday]: Rs 17.25 croreDay 20 [3rd Wednesday]: Rs 18 croreDay 21 [3rd Thursday]: Rs 26.00 croreTotal: Rs 633.50 crore

Occupancy

The multistarrer spy action film, directed by Aditya Dhar, had an overall 46.50% Hindi occupancy on its third Thursday (Day 21), December 25, 2025 (Christmas).

More about ‘Dhurandhar’

The makers didn’t promote the film heavily but decided to wait for the audience response to take over. And through word of mouth, the movie has been enjoying its dream run at the box office.Aditya Dhar’s film stars Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Rakesh Bedi, and Sara Arjun. The film also featured a talented cast of Danish Pandor, Naveen Kaushik, Gaurav Gera, Naseem Mughal, Saumya Tandon, and more.It was released in theaters on December 5, 2025. The second part, ‘Dhurandhar 2’, is scheduled to hit cinemas on March 19, 2026.

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh government has made newspaper reading compulsory for students of all state-run secondary and basic schools to cultivate reading habits, reduce screen time and develop critical, and logical thinking skills among them.An order issued by additional chief secretary (basic and secondary education) Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma, on December 23 says newspapers, both English and Hindi, should be made an integral part of the daily reading culture of schools.This is in continuation of an earlier order in November, which had discussed ways to inculcate reading culture among students. Discouraging excess screen time, the December 23 order advises students to read “physical” newspapers as it would help them enhance their focus and concentration.“A 10-minute slot should be allocated for ‘news reading’ from newspapers during the daily morning assembly. Students, on a rotational basis, will read out the main points of editorial articles and major positive news from national, international, and sports events,” says the December 23 order.

Asked about the directive, Sen Sharma told TOI: “These are directions as well as advice, to be followed by state-run schools, but others can also follow if they find sense.”The order lists manifold benefits of regular newspaper reading. “To begin with, it will strengthen students’ GK and understanding of current affairs, which is extremely important for future competitive examinations. Second, regular reading improves vocabulary and language style. Reading various types of articles and editorials develops their writing skills.”Sen Sharma stressed that reading diverse perspectives “develops critical thinking and the ability to distinguish between right and wrong in students, making them aware in the era of fake news”.Another benefit of reading newspapers is that students become aware of their local community, events, and public projects. “This connects them to their surroundings and helps them understand how local events are connected to national and global issues,” the order states.In addition, human interest stories and news related to social issues published in newspapers help students understand the experiences and challenges of others. This develops empathy in them and guides them towards becoming responsible citizens. Sudoku, crosswords, and word puzzles available in newspapers are not just for entertainment; they train students’ brains for logical challenges and problem-solving, the order says.The order says students focus on favourite subjects, while newspapers exposes them to science, culture and sports.

BHOPAL: On a forested stretch of Bhopal-Jabalpur national highway, the National Highways Authority of India has introduced what it describes as India’s first integrated “wildlife-safe” road corridor, combining speed-calming design, fencing, animal underpasses and electronic monitoring on a section of NH-45 that cuts through a critical tiger habitat in MP. The features, on a 12km stretch through Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve, aim to reduce animal road deaths by addressing not just where wildlife crosses, but how vehicles move.On this section, traffic volumes and speeds have risen sharply as a two-lane road has been widened to four, carrying faster vehicles, heavier loads and far less tolerance for interruptions.It’s country’s first wildlife-sensitive ‘red road’: NHAIHighways cutting through forests often place animals at risk as they cross roads to reach different parts of their habitat. Speeding vehicles on such stretches have historically led to frequent & often fatal collisions. At the centre of the new design is a 2km zone that looks, at first glance, almost decorative. The asphalt is overlaid with raised red thermoplastic markings, 5mm thick, laid out in a continuous band across the carriageway.

“To mitigate this risk, NHAI applied a 5mm thick red surface layer – the ‘table-top’ – over the road in the designated danger zone within the tiger reserve. The bright red texture signals to drivers that they are entering a wildlife-sensitive stretch and its slightly raised surface automatically reduces vehicle speed,” said S K Singh, regional officer, NHAI. “As per my knowledge, it is the first such concept implemented in the country,” he added.Officials involved in the project say the markings serve two purposes. Visually, they announce that the driver is entering a forest stretch where the rules of the road subtly change. Physically, they produce a mild vibration under the tyres, enough to encourage drivers to ease off the accelerator without the abrupt jolt of a speed breaker, which is considered unsafe on high-speed highways. The technique is widely used in other countries but has rarely been seen on Indian national highways, particularly in wildlife zones.Speed, conservation scientists have long argued, is the variable that determines whether an animal crossing a road is seen in time, and whether a driver has the distance needed to stop or swerve. Underpasses and fencing decide where animals cross; speed decides what happens when something goes wrong. On NH-45, the red-marked stretch is meant to slow vehicles gradually, well before they reach the points where animals are most likely to emerge.Below the road, the more conventional work has been done. Along the forest section, 25 wildlife underpasses have been built, their locations chosen on the basis of observed animal movement rather than engineering convenience. Continuous iron fencing runs on both sides of the highway, guiding animals towards these openings and preventing them from wandering onto the carriageway at random. Similar structures elsewhere in the country, including near Pench, have shown that when crossings align with natural routes, animals do use them, from ungulates to large carnivores.Former IFS officer and wildlife expert Jagdish Chandra said the red-road concept could make a significant difference. “There will be positive results. This is the first such project implemented in the country,” he said.

JAKHWALI (FATEHGARH SAHIB): In the season of giving, a 75-year-old Sikh woman has donated land for the construction of a mosque in a village in Punjab’s Fatehgarh Sahib district, with Sikh and Hindu families also pitching in with money. The heart-warming gesture comes from Jakhwali, a predominantly Sikh village (400-500 families) with sizable Hindu (150 families) and Muslim (100 families) populations. Located 55km from Chandigarh, the village has a gurdwara and a Shiva temple, but until now, no mosque.“Our Muslim friends here didn’t have a mosque and had to go for namaz to the next village. I thought of giving them five marlas of land (around 1,360 sqft) so that they have a place to pray,” Bibi Rajinder Kaur told TOI, adding with a smile, “We feel very happy that they will be happy.”Her grandson Satnam Singh said Sikh, Muslim and Hindu families in the village live “like brothers” and have done so for generations. “Whenever there is a religious event, everyone contributes and participates,” Singh added.The absence of a mosque had long been felt, but with no solution emerging at the panchayat level, Bibi Rajinder Kaur volunteered her land. “After discussions within the family, we felt we had a field in an area where there is already a temple, gurdwara and another shrine. We asked the Muslim community if the place suited them, and they said it was perfect,” Satnam said. As the land was in his grandmother’s name, it was registered in the name of the mosque committee.“They participate in our events like sabha langar and do sewa. We believe every religion should be respected,” he said. Satnam’s brother Monu Singh, a village panch, said since government land cannot be allotted for religious construction, the family decided to donate its own land. “The entire village, irrespective of religion, is contributing to the mosque’s construction,” he said.Former sarpanch and local BJP leader Ajaib Singh recalled that Muslims and Sikhs had contributed when the temple was built, just as all communities had supported the construction of the gurdwara. “This is how we live. We will contribute till the last brick is laid,” he said.Gursewak Kumar from the Brahmin community said the village’s unity was a matter of pride. Masjid committee president Kala Khan thanked the villagers for their support. “People of all communities live here in harmony. We expect to complete construction by February,” he said, adding that around Rs 3.5 lakh has already been collected.Punjab Shahi Imam Maulana Usman Ludhianvi, who laid the foundation stone, said Punjab has long been known for such examples of communal harmony.

NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi on Thursday joined a large congregation of Christians at a Christmas service at the Cathedral Church of the Redemption here, as he continued with his outreach to the minority community. “The service reflected the timeless message of love, peace and compassion. May the spirit of Christmas inspire harmony and goodwill in our society,” he said.As part of the governing BJP’s concerted efforts to strengthen its connect with Christians, party president JP Nadda participated in celebrations at the Christian Higher Secondary School, organised by the Mao Naga Christian Fellowship Delhi (MNCFD), and dwelt at the govt’s focus on development in the northeast, a region with significant population of the community.PM’s outreach part of continuous efforts to engage with minoritiesAs part of his engagement with Christians, Modi had addressed a Christmas celebration organised by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India in 2024, attended an Easter event at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in 2023, and hosted a programme at his residence to mark Christmas the same year.Opposition was, however, quick to target him for incidents of vandalism and harassment aimed at Christians in some parts of the country. Congress posted on X a video purportedly showing members of right-wing outfits vandalising Christmas decorations in Raipur in BJP-governed Chhattisgarh, alleging it exposed the true face of BJP.BJP’s efforts to reach out to Christians over the last few years have met with limited success as a section of the community continues to harbour distrust due to the Sangh Parivar’s antipathy to conversion, which has led to the enactment of stringent laws in several states as the party’s influence surged since 2014.In terms of absolute numbers, Kerala has the highest Christian population in the country, and the state will be heading to assembly polls in a few months along with Tamil Nadu, which has the second highest population of the community.​​Their numbers in Kerala and Tamil Nadu are over 18% and 6% respectively, according to the 2011 census.​​With over 25%, Christians are a significant presence in Goa, but they wield maximum political influence in the northeast due to their dominant majority status in Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya.

JAMMU: After Rajouri and Poonch, now authorities in Jammu’s Kathua district have suspended Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) for two months, citing security concerns.The preventive action has been taken under section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita as VPN services are being misused by certain individuals and groups to bypass cyber restrictions and access prohibited applications, websites and digital content, the order issued by district magistrate Rajesh Sharma on Wednesday stated.The suspension came into force with immediate effect (Dec 24), and will apply to all individuals, institutions, cyber cafes and internet service providers operating within the district, “except those explicitly permitted by govt through a specific official order”. Any violation will invite legal action under the relevant provisions of law, the order said.Kathua SSP has been directed to ensure strict enforcement of the order.On Nov 30, Poonch DM Ashok Kumar Sharma had ordered suspension of all VPN services in the border district for two months, citing their potential misuse for unlawful activities. “The SSP informed that there has been an unprecedented high usage of VPNs in the past few days at different locations of the district by suspicious internet users,” Sharma said in the order.It was informed that VPN transmit gets encrypted and creates a point-to-point tunnel, masks IP addresses, and sidesteps website blocks and firewalls on the internet, thus making sensitive data vulnerable to cyber attacks.A day before, on Nov 29, Rajouri DM Abhishek Sharma had issued a similar order following a communication from police.Prior to this, the Doda administration had, through an order on May 6, ordered suspension of VPNs citing public safety, cybersecurity and integrity of digital governance in the district.