Telangana CM Revanth Reddy criticized actor Allu Arjun for attending a Pushpa-2 screening despite police denial, alleging his presence led to a fatal stampede. Reddy highlighted Allu Arjun’s roadshow amidst the chaos and contrasted the support he received from film personalities with the lack of empathy for the stampede victim’s injured son.

In the first indication that Washington had prior knowledge of the offensive, the group known as Revolutionary Commando Army (RCA) revealed it had been told to scale-up its forces and “be ready” for an attack that could lead to the end of the Assad government, the Telegraph reported. The RCA fighters, trained by Britain and the US, were told “this is your moment” during a briefing by US Special Forces stationed in the Arab country before Assad was toppled on December 8, the report noted. The RCA fighters said Washington had prior knowledge of the offensive, which was mainly led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The RCA was told to increase its forces and prepare for a major attack that could “end” the Syrian government. Capt Bashar al-Mashadani, an RCA commander said in the weeks preceding the offensive, the RCA’s ranks were expanded by smaller “freelance” units, all of which were briefed at the US al-Tanf air base. n18oc_world n18oc_crux

On December 19, Israeli pilots successfully executed an airstrike on Houthi targets in Yemen, marking Israel’s first direct attack on Sanaa. The operation, involving 14 fighter jets and 60 munitions, aimed at Houthi ports in response to their ongoing attacks. Pilots faced significant challenges, including mid-flight fuel tank malfunctions and anti-aircraft fire. Despite these hurdles, the mission was completed successfully, with precise strikes. Pentagon officials emphasized Israel’s right to self-defense, following continued Houthi missile and drone attacks on Israel. n18oc_crux