FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms Vol. 15 No. 183 | BHOPAL | MONDAY | DECEMBER 15, 2025 | Pages 14 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. mpeng/2010/35815 FREE www.freepressjournal.in Nation Cong steps up attack on ‘vote theft’ at Delhi rally P.8 fp Briefs KHARTOUM 6 peacekeepers killed in Sudan At least six UN peacekeepers were killed and seven others wounded when a United Nations facility in Kadugli, the capital of Sudan's South Kordofan State, was struck in a drone attack, Sudanese authorities said. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of carrying out the strike, a claim the RSF denied, Xinhua news agency reported.According to an SAF statement, the drone fired three missiles at the UN headquarters and the Bangladesh Battalion, setting a UN storage facility on fire. NEW YORK Shooting at Brown Univ At least two people were killed and several others injured in a shooting at Brown University in Providence, US state of Rhode Island, according to US media reports. "Multiple shot in the area of Brown University. This is an active investigation. Please shelter in place or avoid the area until further notice," Providence Police said on X.Around 4:20 p.m., on Saturday, students at the university received a text message alerting them to a shooter on campus. The alert from the university directed them to lock doors, silence phones and stay hidden until further notice. It reminded them to run, hide or fight as a last resort to protect themselves, Xinhua news agency reported. CHAIBASA CRPF jawan hurt in IED blast A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan of the elite CoBRA Battalion 209 was seriously injured after an improvised explosive device (IED), allegedly planted by Maoists, exploded during a search operation in the dense Saranda forest of Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district on Sunday, officials said. The incident occurred near Baliba village under the Chotanagra police station area when a joint team of security forces was carrying out a search and area domination exercise as part of an ongoing anti-Maoist operation. ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: BHOPAL UJJAIN WORLD PRESS PUNE INDORE NASHIK E-paper Edit Left loses Kerala ground P.6 Women fleeing Mali say they were sexually abused Brand Sutra The Lakmé That Simone Built P.12 Nitin Nabin appointed 11 killed in Sydney attack BJP nat’l working prez A five-time MLA, BONDI BEACH SHOOTING | At least 29 people confirmed wounded, including two police officers at Jewish holiday event AP Modi condemns terror attack SYDNEY Two gunmen shot dead at least 11 people on Sunday during a Jewish holiday celebration at Sydney's Bondi Beach, Australian authorities said, declaring it a terrorist attack. One gunman was fatally shot by police, and the second was arrested. The suspect was in critical condition, authorities said. At least 29 people were confirmed wounded, including two police officers, said Mal Lanyon, the police commissioner for New South Wales state, where Sydney is located. The massacre at one of Australia's most popular and iconic beaches followed a wave of antisemitic attacks that have roiled the country over the past year, although the authorities didn't suggest those episodes and Sunday's shooting were connected. They said one of the gunmen was known to the security ser- ‘Never allowed territory for activities against B’desh’ PTI NEW DELHI Emergency workers transport a person on a stretcher after a reported shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney vices, but that there had been no specific threat. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared it "an act of evil, antisemitism, terrorism that has struck the heart of our nation." "This attack was designed to target Sydney's Jewish community," the state's Premier Chris Minns said. The massacre was declared a terrorist attack due to the event tar- geted and the weapons used, Lanyon said. Hundreds had gathered for the gathering at Bondi Beach called Chanukah by the Sea, which was celebrating the start of the eight-day Hanukkah festival. Chabad identified one of the dead as Rabbi Eli Schlanger, assistant rabbi at Chabad of Bondi and a key organiser of the event. PM Narendra Modi condemned the terrorist attack in Australia and expressed solidarity with the people of that country in their hour of grief. "Strongly condemn the ghastly terrorist attack carried out today at Bondi Beach, Australia, targeting people celebrating the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah," the PM said Chabad is an Orthodox Jewish movement that is known for its outreach to non-religious Jews. It runs scores of centres around the world that are popular with Jewish travellers and often sponsors large public events during major Jewish holidays. Video footage filmed by onlookers appeared to show two gunmen with long guns firing from a bridge. 4Continued on | P8 he represents Bankipur assembly PTI NEW DELHI Bihar Minister Nitin Nabin was on Sunday appointed as the BJP national working president and is likely to eventually succeed JP Nadda as its national president, signalling a generational shift in the ruling party. Nabin, 45, son of late Nabin Kishore Prasad Sinha -- a veteran BJP leader and former MLA -- is considered dynamic and ideologically rooted, and deeply committed to the organisation, party leaders said. A five-time MLA, he represents Bankipur assembly constituency in Bihar and has served twice as a minister in the Bihar Government. His tenures as a minister in Bihar and his role as the party incharge of Chhattisgarh have been truly outstanding and marked by his effective organisational leadership, they said. The BJP parliamentary Our Staff Reporter Our Staff Reporter INDORE BHOPAL India on Sunday asserted that it has never allowed its territory to be used for activities inimical to the interests of Bangladesh and pressed for holding the upcoming parliamentary polls in that country in a peaceful atmosphere. India's reaction came hours after the Bangladesh foreign ministry summoned Indian envoy to Dhaka, Pranay Verma, and conveyed its concern over former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's "incendiary" statements from Indian soil. According to a readout released by Dhaka, the foreign ministry also brought to Verma's notice the activities of some members of Hasina-led Awami League while staying in India. "India categorically rejects the assertions made by the interim government of Bangladesh in its press note," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. 4Continued on | P8 A bus carrying 49 students and four teachers fell into a dry river in Vidisha district on Sunday, leaving 18 students injured, four of them with fractures, police said. The incident took place on Sunday morning when a school bus fell from a 12-foothigh bridge over the Sagarriver near Johad village. The bus was carrying students and staff of Higher Secondary School,Bahadurpur, on a picnic to Sanchi as part of an educational tour. SP VidishaRohitKashwani said the river bridge is narrow. While giving way to an oncoming vehicle, the driver steered the bus to the side. At that moment, it went out of control and plunged into the river. Administrative officials and police from Nateran police station rushed to the spot and immediately began rescuing children. Injured students were taken to a nearby hospital. Around 14–15 students Bus was carrying students and staff of Higher Secondary School, Bahadurpur, on a picnic to Sanchi were discharged after primary treatment, while four students with fractures remain admitted. After the incident, the bus driver fled the scene. Police have registered a case against him. The bus papers are also being checked, and if found incomplete, both driver and bus owner will face legal action. Zelenskyy offers to drop NATO bid AP Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday voiced readiness to drop his country's bid to join NATO in exchange for Western security guarantees, but rejected the US push for ceding territory to Russia as he arrived in Berlin for talks with US envoys on ending the war. Zelenskyy arrived at the Chancellery ahead of the ex- These security guarantees are an opportunity to prevent another wave of Russian aggression Volodymyr Zelenskyy Ukrainian President pected talks with US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, part of a series of meetings in Berlin between Ukrainian, US and European officials. See world In a major push to Indore’s long-term urban development, Chief minister Dr Mohan Yadav on Sunday chaired a high-level review meeting in Indore and took several crucial decisions related to metro connectivity, traffic management, infrastructure expansion and regional growth. The most significant decision was to construct the In- Messi event chaos: Chief organiser sent to 14-day police custody PTI KOLKATA A court here on Sunday sent Satadru Datta, the chief organiser of the Lionel Messi football event at Salt Lake stadium where chaos erupted a day ago, to 14-day police custody. Datta was arrested by the Bidhannagar Police on Saturday for alleged mismanagement of the event from Kolkata airport, where he had gone to see off Messi and his entourage on their way to Hyderabad. During the hearing, Datta's counsel questioned the basis of the arrest, stating that his client had been "victimised". The state counsel said the organiser of the event was responsible for crowd movement, and his team members moved around on the pitch in such a way that spectators could not see the World Cup-winning captain of Argentina from the galleries. 4Continued on | P8 offgrid India world’s 3rd most competitive AI power IANS Report shows US leading with vibrancy score of 78.6. China placed second with 36.95, India ranks third with 21.59 NEW DELHI role in the global AI race. The Visual Capitalist chart, based on Stanford’s data, shows the United States clearly leading the world in ‘Young and industrious’ PM Narendra Modi congratulated Nitin Nabin on his appointment as the BJP working president and said his energy and dedication will strengthen the party in the times to come. "Shri Nitin Nabin Ji has distinguished himself as a hardworking Karyakarta. He is a young and industrious leader with rich organisational experience and has an impressive record as MLA as well as Minister in Bihar for multiple terms," the PM said in a post on X board picked Nabin for the post. "Bharatiya Janata Party's parliamentary board has appointed Nitin Nabin, a minister in the Bihar government, the Bharatiya Janata Party's national working president with immediate effect," BJP national general secretary Arun Singh said in a notification. Nabin, who belongs to the Kayastha community, is likely to succeed incumbent BJP chief Nadda and is one of the youngest leaders to occupy the post, the leaders said. Nadda, 65, was appointed the BJP President in January 2020 and has already completed his full term. He was granted extensions to lead the party through the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Congratulating Nabin on his appointment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he has distinguished himself as a "hardworking Karyakarta" and expressed confidence that his energy and dedication will strengthen the party. "He is a young and industrious leader with rich organisational experience and has an impressive record as MLA as well as Minister in Bihar for multiple terms. He has diligently worked to fulfil people's aspirations. 4Continued on | P8 Indore Metropolitan Region to cover entire Malwa 18 injured as bus OTHER IMPORTANT DECISIONS carrying 49 students CM chairs a high-level review meeting falls in dry river BERLIN India has emerged as the world’s third most competitive country in artificial intelligence, according to Stanford University’s Global AI Vibrancy Tool on Sunday. The latest ranking highlights how India’s fast-growing tech ecosystem and strong talent base are helping the country play a key MUMBAI AI competitiveness with a vibrancy score of 78.6.China is placed second with a score of 36.95, while India ranks third with a score of 21.59. This puts India ahead of several advanced economies, including South Korea, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan, Canada, Germany and France.Stanford’s AI Vibrancy Tool combines several indicators into a single score to measure how developed and competitive a country’s AI ecosystem is. These indicators include research and development, talent availability, investment and economic impact, infrastructure, public opinion, and policy and governance. The tool aims to show where innovation and AI talent are growing and how seriously governments are backing artificial intelligence. The data also shows that income levels play an important role in AI competitiveness. 4Continued on | P8 dore Metro underground along the core city stretch, including between Khajrana and Bengali Square. The CM announced that the state government will bear the additional financial burden of around Rs 800–900 crore to execute the underground alignment. 4Continued on | P8 » An international-level Startup Park and Convention Centre near MR-10, to be developed on the lines of Bharat Mandapam at a cost of Rs 550–600 crore under the PPP model. The centre will have an indoor capacity of 5,000 and outdoor capacity of 10,000 and is targeted for completion in three years. » The long-pending Hukumchand Mill redevelopment will commence soon and project will be completed in next three years. » 12 hectares of PWD land at Palasia will be redeveloped with emphasis on greenery and open spaces. » Installation of nearly 60,000 CCTV cameras at 13,690 locations and expansion of e-bus services with 270 electric buses from March » 1.5 lakh houses under PMAY » AstroTurf grounds, new playgrounds and modern sports facilities to be developed. » Construction of the Western and Eastern Bypasses will begin soon. The Western Bypass will be 68 km long, while the Eastern Bypass will span 83.63 km. Besides, four-lane service roads will be constructed on both sides of the bypasses at a cost of Rs 543 crore to ease city traffic.