00:00Good evening, you are watching World News. Tonight, power, projection, internal security
00:09failures, weapons reliability and nuclear signaling. These are the details that shook
00:15and shaped the world in the last 24 hours. Let's begin with the United States and a Christmas
00:22Day strike that sent a clear message far beyond Nigeria. On December 25th, while much of the world
00:30marked Christmas, the United States delivered a message of hard power, cruise missiles, not
00:36warnings aimed at ISIS targets in Africa. The Pentagon has released visuals confirming the use
00:43of Tomahawk missiles fired from a US Navy warship hitting ISIS camps in northwest Nigeria's Sokoto
00:51State. These were long-range precision weapons, launched hundreds of miles away, underlining
00:58Washington's willingness to strike terror networks, whether they are anywhere in the world. The
01:04signal is unmistakable. Distance is no shield and timing is deliberate. Let's go across to this package.
01:14In a dramatic move just days after Christmas, US forces carried out airstrikes against
01:20Islamic State ISIS militants in northwest Nigeria, marking a major escalation in America's involvement
01:28in the country's long-running security crisis.
01:32US President Donald Trump announced the operation on his Truth Social platform, saying the strikes
01:39targeted ISIS fighters, who had been attacking civilians, particularly Christian communities.
01:45He described the mission as a direct response to what he called weeks of worsening violence,
01:51and warnings that went unheeded.
01:57According to the US military's Africa Command, the airstrikes took place in Nigeria's Sokoto
02:03State, and were coordinated with Nigerian authorities. Nigeria's foreign ministry later confirmed
02:10that the strikes were part of ongoing security cooperation with the United States, including
02:15intelligence-sharing and joint efforts to weaken militant groups operating in the region.
02:22The timing of the operation during the Christmas season gave it added symbolic weight.
02:27Attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria often increase around major religious holidays,
02:33drawing international concern and renewed debate over the nature of the violence.
02:41Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, is nearly evenly divided between Muslims and Christians,
02:48while violence is sometimes framed abroad as religious persecution.
02:53Nigerian officials insist the reality is more complex.
02:58They argue that militant attacks affect both Muslims and Christians, and are driven by a mix of extremism,
03:05criminal activity, and long-standing conflicts over land and resources.
03:11Security analysts agree the roots of the crisis run deep.
03:15In many areas, clashes between armed groups, herders, and farming communities have intensified,
03:21as climate pressure, poverty, and weak local governance fuel instability.
03:26Kidnappings for ransom, including those targeting religious leaders, have also surged,
03:33often blurring the line between ideology and organized crime.
03:39The Christmas strike adds to a growing list of overseas military actions during Trump's return
03:45to the White House, despite earlier promises to end what he called endless wars.
03:50Whether the operation will significantly weaken ISIS in Nigeria or deepen debate over America's
03:58expanding global military role remains to be seen. For now, the airstrikes send a clear message.
04:05Even during the holidays, the fight against extremist groups continues far beyond U.S. borders.
04:11So, the strikes reinforce a familiar doctrine. American force projection doesn't pause for geography or calendars.
04:20But, while Washington hits terror camps abroad, elsewhere, internal security cracks are becoming dangerously visible.
04:28Japan, a country known for safety, witnessed a rare and disturbing act of violence.
04:34It is a shocking breach of internal security in Japan, to say the least.
04:40At least 15 people have been injured in a stabbing attack at a factory in Mishima, west of Tokyo.
04:47Eight were stabbed, seven more injured after a bleach was sprayed inside the premises.
04:52For a nation where violent crime is rare, this incident raises troubling questions about workplace security,
04:59mental health red flags, and rapid emergency response.
05:03Take a look.
05:04At least 14 people have been injured in a stabbing and liquid spray attack in central Japan,
05:10according to emergency officials.
05:13The incident occurred on Friday afternoon at a factory in Mishima City, located in Shizuoka Prefecture,
05:20west of Tokyo, during the busy holiday season.
05:24Authorities said a man armed with a knife carried out the attack
05:27inside a rubber manufacturing factory.
05:30Reports indicate that the suspect used both a blade and a spray-like liquid
05:35before being detained at the scene by police.
05:39Emergency services were alerted around 4.30 p.m. local time.
05:43Officials from the Mishima Firefighting Department said they received reports that
05:48multiple people had been stabbed and that an unidentified liquid had also been sprayed during the incident.
05:54According to emergency responders, 14 people were transported to hospitals for treatment.
06:00Local media later reported that at least eight of the injured were hospitalized,
06:05though the severity of their injuries remains unclear.
06:08Police confirmed that the suspected attacker has been taken into custody.
06:13Investigators are now questioning the individual and examining what motivated the attack,
06:18including how the suspect gained access to the weapon and chemical substance.
06:23Public broadcaster NHK reported that both police and fire authorities are working together
06:29to assess the situation. Officials have not released details about the attacker's identity
06:35or whether the victims were specifically targeted.
06:38Random knife attacks remain rare in Japan, a country known for low violent crime rates
06:43and strict weapon laws. However, such incidents often trigger public debate around mental health
06:49concerns and the risk of copycat crimes. The timing of the attack has also raised concern amid
06:56Christmas and New Year preparations. Public spaces and workplaces are typically more crowded during this
07:02period, heightening anxiety among residents. Japan has witnessed isolated violent incidents in recent years,
07:10including the 2022 assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other knife attacks in major cities.
07:17Japan's incident highlights how even stable societies face unpredictable internal threats.
07:24But when danger shifts from individuals to weapons system, the consequences can be fatal and geopolitical.
07:32Next, Cambodia, where a battlefield failure is now raising serious questions about Chinese military
07:38hardware, a deadly explosion, eight soldiers killed, and growing doubts over Chinese-made weapons.
07:45Because in modern warfare, reliability isn't optional, it's survival. Here's a closer look.
07:53Today, we're looking at escalating tensions along the Cambodia-Thailand border and a dramatic incident
08:00that has raised serious questions about Chinese-made weapons being used in the conflict.
08:05According to reports, a Chinese-manufactured rocket system being operated by Cambodian forces exploded during launch,
08:15killing eight Cambodian soldiers. Yes, the rocket reportedly detonated before it even left the launcher.
08:23Video of the blast is now circulating online, showing the launch vehicle suddenly engulfed in flames,
08:30while crews are standing nearby. The system involved is said to be the Type 90B multiple launch rocket
08:37system, supplied by China to Cambodia. This incident took place right along the Cambodia-Thailand border,
08:45an area that has seen heavy exchanges of artillery and rocket fire in recent weeks,
08:50as both sides continue to dispute sections of the frontier. And this isn't being seen as an isolated
08:57technical glitch. Reports suggest there have been multiple failures involving the same Chinese system
09:03during late 2025, adding to long-standing concerns about the reliability of Chinese-made military hardware.
09:11For Cambodia, that's a major problem because these systems are a critical part of their firepower in
09:18this conflict. Now, let's step back for a moment. The Cambodia-Thailand border dispute has flared up
09:25repeatedly over the years. But analysts say the current clashes are among the most intense
09:31the region has seen in decades. Both sides have traded rocket and artillery fire,
09:36and there have been civilian evacuations on both sides of the border. Tens of thousands,
09:43and in some estimates, hundreds of thousands of people have already left the frontline areas.
09:49There are diplomatic implications, too.
09:51China is a key military supplier to Cambodia, and incidents like this raise serious credibility
10:01questions for Beijing's weapons industry. Critics point out that Chinese systems have faced failure
10:07reports in other conflicts as well, including during operations involving Pakistan earlier in the year.
10:14Supporters of Chinese defense exports, however, argue that battlefield failures can occur with any
10:20nations' weapons and stress that investigations are still ongoing. But for Cambodia's military,
10:27this latest blast has had deadly and immediate consequences. Eight soldiers lost their lives
10:34while operating the rocket system, and the footage of the explosion has only intensified scrutiny.
10:40Meanwhile, efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand have repeatedly broken down.
10:47There were mediation attempts, including involvement from U.S. officials, but the agreements did not hold,
10:54and shelling resumed along the frontier. So where does this leave things? Right now, the border remains
11:01high tension and heavily militarized. Questions continue over weapons reliability, command decisions,
11:08and the broader risk of escalation between the two Southeast Asian neighbors. And as always,
11:15it's civilians near the conflict zone who face the greatest uncertainty.
11:19We'll continue to monitor developments, but for now, the explosion of this Chinese-made rocket system
11:26and the deaths of eight Cambodian soldiers has become a symbol of both the human cost of the conflict
11:32and the growing doubts about the equipment being used on the front lines.
11:41As questions mount over weapons reliability in Asia, Europe faces something else – nuclear signaling.
11:49On Christmas Day, Russia chose the skies, not diplomacy, to send its message westward.
11:55A calculated provocation in the skies above Europe, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered long-range,
12:02nuclear-capable bombers to fly close to Northern Britain during Christmas, forcing NATO to scramble fighter jets.
12:09The Russian Tu-95 Bear bombers, escorted by Su-33 fighters, flew over the Norwegian sea – a route deliberately
12:19closed to NATO airspace and symbolically aligned with the North Pole. The timing was no coincidence,
12:26neither was the message. This was nuclear signaling designed to remind the West that deterrence still
12:32flies on wings. The report has more.
12:35NATO scrambles fighter jets as Putin threatens Britain with Christmas nuclear bombers over the
12:42Norwegian sea. Vladimir Putin shocked the West this Christmas, sending hulking Tu-95M strategic
12:51nuclear bombers on a long-range flight over the Norwegian sea, just off the northern approaches to
12:57the United Kingdom. NATO was quick to respond, scrambling warplanes to track the massive Russian bears
13:04as they proceeded on their menacing route. Moscow described the mission as a scheduled flight,
13:10saying the bombers took to the sky over the neutral waters of the Barents and Norwegian seas,
13:15with the flight lasting more than seven hours. The Tu-95M bombers were escorted by Su-33 fighter jets
13:23from the Russian Navy, underlining the muscle behind this Christmas message. Russia also acknowledged that
13:30NATO shadowed the bombers doing parts of the route, without naming the Allied air forces involved.
13:36The Norwegian sea lies just northeast of Scotland, making this display uncomfortably close to British
13:42airspace. The Tu-95Ms, first flown in the 1950s, remain a key pillar of Putin's nuclear triad.
13:51Deafeningly loud and propeller-powered, these bombers have been used to launch devastating missile strikes in
13:56Ukraine, leaving widespread destruction in their wake. This show of force comes just hours after
14:03Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a dark Christmas Eve message, hinting at the potential
14:09demise of Vladimir Putin while urging his people to hold on to hope and pray for peace. Zelenskyy spoke to
14:16Ukrainians, saying,
14:17may he perish, clearly referring to Putin, but immediately followed by a call for peace,
14:23justice and victory for Ukraine. His message came as Russian forces continued a wave of strikes
14:29on Ukrainian cities, targeting critical energy infrastructure on Christmas Eve, injuring at
14:35least one person in Kharkiv and Sumy. The timing of Putin's bomber flights and Zelenskyy's Christmas
14:41address reveals the high-stakes intentions still raging over the war in Ukraine, even during the
14:48holidays. So, missiles over Africa, knives in Japan, exploding weapons in Southeast Asia,
14:56and nuclear bombers over Europe. Different theaters, same reality. A world where power is asserted,
15:03tested and challenged, often without warning. That's World News for tonight. Stay with us for more global updates.
