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8 hours apart two IS terror attacks rock Spain, at least 13 dead in Barcelona

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Barcelona Terror Attack

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Spanish police launch massive manhunt to nab Barcelona attacker, 5 terrorists gunned down in coastal town of Cambrils. One civilian injured in the Cambrils attack has also succumbed to her injuries

Two terror attacks – spread eight hours apart – kept Spain on the tenterhooks through Thursday and Friday. While the Islamic State has taken responsibility of the strike in Barcelona, the Spanish police believe that the second attack – in the coastal town of Cambrils – is also linked to the first incident.

In the first attack that rocked Las Ramblas, the busiest street in Barcelona, a white van drove into pedestrians and cyclists killing at least 13 civilians – mostly tourists from various European countries –and injuring 100 others while the vehicle’s driver managed to escape on foot.

The Spanish police have launched a manhunt to nab the driver – who has been identified as an 18-year-old Moroccan national, Moussa Oukabir. Three others have been arrested on suspicion of their role in the attack, including Moussa’s elder brother Driss Oukabir.

Some eight hours after the terrifying Barcelona attack, the scenes of chaos, horror and turmoil were repeated in the wee hours of Friday on the streets of the Spanish coastal town of Cambrils as an Audi A3 car rammed into pedestrians, injuring six civilians and a police officer. In the gunfire that ensued, the Spanish police managed to kill five attackers, some of whom were reportedly wearing explosive belts. The police are “working on the hypothesis that the terrorists shot dead in Cambrils are linked to what happened in Barcelona”. Cambrils is situated 120 kms south of Barcelona.

By Friday evening, one of the civilians – a woman – injured critically in the Cambrils attack had been declared dead, taking the death toll in the twin-strikes up to 14.

The Spanish police are also probing the possibility of an explosion – possibly accidental – that reduced a house in Alcanar to rubble killing one person few hours before the strike in Barcelona as also being part of the same sequence of attacks. Alcanar is around 200 km from Barcelona and 90 km from Cambrils. Police say they believe explosives were being prepared at the property where the explosion happened in Alcanar.

Barcelona attack

Those injured in the Barcelona attack belong to at least 18 nationalities – tourists who came from countries as varied as France, Venezuela, Australia, Ireland, Peru, Algeria and China – according to Spain’s civil protection agency. Belgium said one of its citizens had died in the Las Ramblas assault, while The Hague said three Dutch were injured and a Greek diplomat reported three nationals had been wounded — a woman and her two children.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has announced three days of official mourning across the country that unlike France, Britain, Belgium and Germany had been able to keep itself isolated from the IS terror strikes that have struck Europe with disturbing frequency over the past couple of years.

“We’re united in grief,” Rajoy said in a televised address after rushing to Barcelona, the biggest city in Catalonia, a region in Spain’s northeast whose separatist government is defying Madrid with a drive for independence. “Above all we’re united in the firm intention to defeat those who want to take our values and way of life from us”, Rajoy said.

US President Donald Trump too reacted to the attack saying that “The United States condemns the terror attack in Barcelona and will do whatever is necessary to help.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Putin deliberately chose Christmas to attack, says Zelensky as Russia targets Ukrainian energy infrastructure

The Ukrainian Air Force stated that multiple missiles had been launched at the Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Poltava regions in the east.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin chose Christmas Day deliberately to launch a brutal assault on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, resulting in widespread explosions throughout the country, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday.

The attack involved a significant barrage of missiles and drones aimed at critical energy facilities, including a thermal power plant, prompting citizens to seek refuge in metro stations on Christmas morning.

“Today, Putin intentionally chose Christmas for this attack. What could be more inhumane?” Zelensky remarked, asserting that Russia is resolutely pursuing a strategy to cause blackouts across Ukraine.

He emphasised that each large-scale Russian strike necessitates careful preparation, stating, “It is never a spontaneous decision. It is a deliberate choice—not only of targets but also of timing.”

In his statement on X, Zelensky reported that more than 70 missiles, including ballistic types, and over 100 attack drones were launched at Ukraine’s power infrastructure.

Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba said that at least one person was killed in the Dnipro region due to the attacks. He noted that heating services were disrupted for 155 residential buildings in Ivano-Frankivsk and that around 500,000 residents, or 2,677 buildings, in the Kharkiv region, were left without heat.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha mentioned that one Russian missile had passed through Moldovan and Romanian airspace. He added that Ukraine managed to intercept at least 50 missiles and a considerable number of drones during the attack.

Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko stated that Russia had significantly targeted the country’s energy infrastructure again in a Facebook post. The Ukrainian Air Force stated that multiple missiles had been launched at the Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Poltava regions in the east.

“The electricity distribution system operator is implementing necessary measures to limit consumption in order to reduce the negative impact on the power system,” he explained. “Once the security situation permits, energy workers will assess the damage.”

DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy company, reported that a Russian strike hit one of their thermal power plants on the morning of December 25, 2024, marking the 13th attack on Ukraine’s power grid this year. CEO Maxim Timchenko condemned the assault on X, stating, “Denying light and warmth to millions of peace-loving people celebrating Christmas is a depraved and evil act that must be answered.”

In response to the massive missile attack, the Ukrainian state energy operator, Ukrenergo, implemented preemptive power outages nationwide, resulting in electricity shortages in several districts of Kyiv.

In Kharkiv, at least seven strikes ignited fires throughout the city, as reported by regional head Oleh Syniehubov on Telegram. Authorities confirmed at least three injuries. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov warned residents, “Kharkiv is under heavy missile fire. A series of explosions have occurred in the city, and ballistic missiles are still incoming. Please stay in safe locations.”

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Russia-bound Azerbaijan Airlines plane with 60 passengers crashes near Kazakhstan’s Aktau

Azerbaijan Airlines in a statement said the flight had made an emergency landing approximately three kilometres near Aktau.

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Russia-bound Azerbaijan Airlines plane with 60 passengers crashes near Kazakhstan’s Aktau

Many people are feared dead after a plane carrying 60 people crashed while making an emergency landing near Kazakhstan’s Aktau city on Wednesday. The authorities said that twelve people survived the crash.

Russian news agencies reported that Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 was en route from Baku to Grozny in Russia, but was rerouted due to fog in Grozny.

Furthermore, Kazakh media had initially reported that 110 people – 105 passengers and five crew members were on board. Later, the authorities revised the number to 72 – 67 passengers and five crew members.

A visual showed the moment the plane loses altitude and makes a rapid descent before it crashes and bursts into flames. As the plane crashes, plumes of smoke are seen rising on the spot. The plane crashed into an open field and burst into flames.

Kazakhstan’s emergency ministry stated that emergency services extinguished the fire at the crash site, adding that survivors were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical assistance.

Azerbaijan Airlines in a statement said the flight had made an emergency landing approximately three kilometres near Aktau. It added that the Embraer 190 aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, flight numbered J2-8243 on the Baku-Grozny route, made an emergency landing approximately three kilometres near the city of Aktau. Additional information regarding the incident will be provided to the public, it mentioned. Reports stated that the authorities said they had begun looking into different possible versions of what had happened, including a technical problem.

Meanwhile, in another recent deadly plane crash, 10 people died on Sunday after a small aircraft crashed in a Brazilian town that’s popular with tourists. The 10 deceased were passengers and crew on board. Over a dozen people on the ground were injured in the incident, Brazil’s Civil Defence Agency said.

The Civil Defence Agency said that the plane hit the chimney of a home and then the second floor of a building before crashing into a mobile phone shop in a largely residential neighbourhood of Gramado.  It was not immediately clear what caused the crash.

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YouTuber Zara Dar clarifies misconceptions, denies being Pakistani, and explains decision to quit PhD for OnlyFans

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Zara Dar clarifies her background and career change in a social media post

YouTuber Zara Dar, who sparked significant attention after revealing she was leaving her PhD studies to pursue a full-time career on OnlyFans, has addressed a series of misconceptions circulating about her. In a series of posts on social media platform X, Dar clarified the misinformation and took the opportunity to set the record straight on several points, particularly regarding her background and career shift.

The controversy began when Zara posted a video explaining her decision to quit her PhD in engineering and focus on adult content creation. The video quickly went viral, with some viewers misinterpreting or distorting the details of her story. One of the most prevalent rumors was that Zara Dar was of Pakistani origin.

In her clarification, Zara stated, “With all due respect, I am not Pakistani. I am American, born and raised, with a mixed background: American, Persian, Southern European, Middle Eastern, and Indian.” She explained that her name, “Darcy,” which she shortens to “Dar,” led to confusion, as it resembled that of a different Pakistani influencer, Zara Dar.

Zara also addressed the emergence of fake content under her name, including deepfake videos, and vehemently denied any associations with such material. She emphasized that, despite the false claims, she had not given any exclusive interviews and had only used social media to share her story.

Regarding her decision to leave academia, Zara shared that her shift to OnlyFans, while financially rewarding, also provided her with the freedom she felt was missing in her academic career. “It has given me the freedom to learn and share new content,” she stated, adding that while she had stepped away from her PhD, she would still continue to create educational content on her YouTube channel.

The announcement sent shockwaves across her fanbase, as many were surprised by her drastic career change. However, Zara explained that the decision was motivated not only by financial viability but also by her desire for personal autonomy outside the rigid structures of academia.

As Zara Dar continues to navigate the shift from academia to content creation, she remains committed to building her brand while tackling the misinformation surrounding her. Through her candid social media posts, she aims to keep her followers informed and provide clarity on her personal and professional choices.

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