As Indian-origin entrepreneur and Republican leader Vivek Ramaswamy pulled out of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), just 69 days after he was announced the co-head of the team along with tech billionaire Elon Musk, a report has revealed that it was the Tesla CEO who wanted Ramaswamy 'out' of the team. Politico reported citing three people with Elon Musk's preference said the billionaire made it known that he wanted Ramaswamy out of DOGE in recent days. Hours after Trump's inauguration as the 47th US President, Ramaswamy announced that he would not co-head DOGE. Musk's ability to ice out Ramaswamy, who for a variety of reasons had irked some Republicans in Trump's circle, is the latest sign of his influence in the incoming administration. It presages an encore of all of the infighting that marked Trump's first term. Ramaswamy "just burned through the bridges and he finally burned Elon," said a Republican strategist close to Trump advisers. "Everyone wants him out of Mar-a-Lago, out of DC." According to the report, Ramaswamy's comments on X during a discussion of H-1B visas were the 'main reason' for some Republicans' getting frustrated with him. In December last year, the Indian-origin leader criticised American culture, saying that tech companies hire foreign workers because the country that has "venerated mediocrity over excellence." "They wanted him out before the tweet -- but kicked him to the curb when that came out," one of the three people familiar with his departure, told Politico. Ramaswamy is planning to announce a run for Ohio Governor next week, as reported by Politico. A person close to DOGE said Musk did not think it was feasible for him to campaign for office while working on DOGE. Meanwhile, Trump transition spokesperson Anna Kelly lauded Ramaswamy and said that he "played a critical role in helping us create DOGE" and that his plan to run for governor "requires him to remain outside of DOGE based on the structure that we announced today." Politico reported citing sources, that Ramaswamy maintained to confidants as late as Saturday evening that he was actively involved in DOGE, saying he was at work writing executive orders. However, a person familiar with the arrangement informed that he had done almost no DOGE-related work since early December. Last week, he was hoping to achieve some significant milestones before leaving to run for governor. Now, Ramaswamy and his team are trying to present his exit in a positive light, especially since it's happening as Trump begins his term. Ramaswamy has chosen not to comment on the rumoured tensions between him and Musk. A person familiar with Ramaswamy's thinking said they are now on good terms and that "the reality is that it wasn't possible" to run for governor and co-lead DOGE "both at once." Ramaswamy attended US President Donald Trump's inauguration, where he spoke to Susie Wiles, Trump's chief of staff. On Monday morning, Ramaswamy posted a photo of himself with Musk shaking hands. "A new dawn," he wrote. But he was already on his way out. That same day, a person close to Ramaswamy who was granted anonymity to speak freely confirmed Ramaswamy was leaving, the Politico report stated. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
23 January,2025 08:25 AM IST | Washington | ANIForty-one Indian fishermen detained by the Sri Lanka Navy have been repatriated by authorities here, the Indian mission here said on Wednesday. Fishermen from both countries are arrested frequently for trespassing into each other’s waters. “41 Indian fishermen successfully repatriated from Sri Lanka! They are currently on their way home,” the Indian High Commission here said on X. Of the 41 fishermen, 35 were from Ramanathapuram district and had been detained near Katchatheevu on September 8, 2024. The Sri Lankan Navy alleged that they were engaged in cross-border fishing activities, a recurring issue in the region. The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with Lankan navy even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait—a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka—and seizing their boats. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
23 January,2025 08:24 AM IST | Colombo | AgenciesChina’s navy has commissioned a new-generation frigate as competition rises with the US and other regional powers, saying the ship will “play a vital role in enhancing the overall combat effectiveness” of its forces. The first Type 054B frigate, christened the Luohe, was commissioned Wednesday in Qingdao, a port city in northern China where the PLAN’s northern fleet is based. The ship has a displacement of approximately 5,000 tonnes and includes stealth technology, combat command systems and firepower integration, “significantly enhancing overall performance”, the navy said. The Luohe’s armaments include a variety of machine guns for close combat and anti-air and anti-ship missiles, according to defense publications, some of which say the ship could become the backbone of the Chinese navy. China already has the world’s largest navy in terms of number of hulls, although its technology is sometimes seen as lagging. Its largest competitor, the US, has warned its navy could be outnumbered and has called for a building programme as well as reforms to put damaged ships into action sooner. China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy operates mainly in waters off the Chinese east coast and in the huge and strategically crucial South China Sea, which China claims almost in its entirety. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
23 January,2025 08:23 AM IST | Taipei | AgenciesA Maine coon cat named Mittens became an accidental jetsetter this month when her cage was overlooked in a plane cargo hold and she made three trips in 24 hours between New Zealand and Australia. Mittens, 8, was booked for one-way travel with her family from Christchurch, New Zealand, to their new home in Melbourne, Australia, on January 13. But owner Margo Neas said on Wednesday that three hours after she waited for Mittens to be unloaded, ground staff told her the plane had returned to New Zealand “with Mittens still on board”. The return trip involves about 7.5 hours in the air, and the pilot turned on the heating in the cargo hold to keep Mittens comfortable. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
23 January,2025 08:22 AM IST | Wellington | AgenciesRupert Murdoch’s UK tabloids made a rare apology to Prince Harry in settling his privacy invasion lawsuit and will pay him a substantial sum, his lawyer announced on Wednesday. News Group Newspapers (NGN) offered a “full and unequivocal apology to the Duke of Sussex for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun,” attorney David Sherborne read from settlement statement in court. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex It was the first time NGN has acknowledged wrongdoing at The Sun, a paper once known for featuring topless women on Page 3. The statement itself was remarkable in breadth, acknowledging “phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators” aimed at Harry, allegations NGN had strongly denied before trial. The statement even went beyond the scope of the lawsuit to acknowledge intruding on the life of his mother, the late Princess Diana. “We acknowledge and apologise for the distress caused to the duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages,” it said. Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles III, and one other man were the only remaining claimants out of more than 1,300 who settled lawsuits against NGN. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
23 January,2025 08:21 AM IST | London | AgenciesWithin hours of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the new administration took down the Spanish-language version of the official White House website. The site now gives users an ‘Error 404’ message. It also included a ‘Go Home’ button that directed viewers to a page featuring a video montage of Trump in his first term and on the campaign trail. The button was later updated to read ‘Go To Home Page’. Hispanic leaders and communication strategy experts expressed surprise with the page’s removal, given Trump’s popularity with certain Latino voters. Trump had also removed the Spanish version of the page in 2017. At that time, White House officials said they would reinstate it. President Joe Biden reinstated the page in 2021. ‘Diversity staff’ put on leave The Trump administration has also directed that all federal diversity, equity and inclusion staff be put on paid leave, and that agencies develop plans to lay them off, according to a memo on Tuesday from the Office of Personnel Management. The memo follows an executive order Trump signed on his first day ordering a sweeping dismantling of the federal government’s diversity and inclusion programs that could touch on everything from anti-bias training to funding for minority farmers and homeowners. DEI office staffers are to be placed on paid leave by 5 pm on Wednesday. Tariffs on China The President has said he is considering to impose a 10 per cent tariff on Chinese imports starting February 1 to curb the flow of deadly drug fentanyl that Beijing sends to Mexico and Canada, eventually landing up in the US. Fentanyl is a highly addictive synthetic opioid, which, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), presents the deadliest drug threat in the country. US$ 500 billion AI initiative Trump announced a US$ 500 billion for AI infrastructure through a new company, which is being created in partnership with Oracle, SoftBank and Open AI. The venture, called Stargate, adds to tech companies’ significant investments in US data centres—huge buildings full of servers for computing power. The three companies plan to contribute funds to the venture, which will be open to investors and start with 10 data centres already under construction in Texas. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
23 January,2025 08:20 AM IST | Washington | AgenciesA fire raged through a 12-storey hotel at a popular ski resort in northwestern Turkiye early Tuesday during a school holiday, killing at least 76 people, at least two of them when they jumped from the building to escape the flames, officials said. At least 51 people also were injured in the fire at the Grand Kartal hotel in Kartalkaya, in Bolu province's Koroglu mountains, some 300 kilometres east of Istanbul, said Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. The fire occurred near the start of a two-week winter break for schools, when hotels in the region are packed. 'We are in deep pain. We have unfortunately lost 66 lives in the fire that broke out at this hotel,' Yerlikaya told reporters after inspecting the site. Atakan Yelkovan, a hotel guest staying on the third floor, told the IHA news agency there was chaos on the upper floors as other guests tried to escape the fire, including by trying to climb down from their rooms using sheets and blankets. 'People on the upper floors were screaming. They hung down sheets ... Some tried to jump,' Yelkovan said. Yerlikaya said 45 of the 76 people killed have been identified while efforts to identify the other victims were continuing. Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said at least one of the injured was in serious condition, while 17 other people were treated and released. The hotel had 238 registered guests, Yerlikaya said. The fire was reported at 3:27 a.m. and the fire department began to respond at 4:15 a.m., he told reporters. The government appointed six prosecutors to lead an investigation into the blaze, which is believed to have started in the hotel's restaurant section. Nine people have been detained as part of the investigation into the fire, Yerlikaya said. Earlier, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said the hotel's owner was among the people detained for questioning in the probe. At least two of the victims died when they jumped from the building in panic, Gov. Abdulaziz Aydin told the state-run Anadolu Agency earlier. Those killed included Nedim Turkmen, a columnist for Sozcu newspaper, his wife and two children, the newspaper announced. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a day of national mourning to be observed on Wednesday. All flags at government buildings and Turkish diplomatic mission abroad would be lowered to half-staff, he said. Necmi Kepcetutan, a ski instructor at the hotel, said he was asleep when the fire erupted and he rushed out of the building. He told NTV television that he then helped some 20 guests out of the hotel. The hotel was engulfed in smoke, making it difficult for guests to locate the fire escape, he said. 'I cannot reach some of my students. I hope they are OK,' the ski instructor told the station. Television images showed the roof and top floors of the hotel on fire. Witnesses and reports suggested that the hotel's fire detection system failed to operate. 'My wife smelled the burning. The alarm did not go off,' said Yelkovan, the guest interviewed by IHA. 'We tried to go upstairs but couldn't, there were flames. We went downstairs and came here (outside),' he said. Yelkovan said it took about an hour for the firefighting teams to arrive. NTV television suggested that the wooden cladding on the exterior of the hotel, in a chalet-style design, may have accelerated the spread of the fire. Part of the 161-room hotel is on the side of a cliff, hampering efforts to combat the flames. 'Because the rear side is on a slope, intervention could only be made from the front and sides,' Yerlikaya confirmed. Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy told reporters that the hotel underwent inspections in 2021 and 2024 and that 'no negative situation regarding fire competence' was reported by the fire department. Earlier, in an address in Ankara, Erdogan said: 'Unfortunately, we received very sad news this morning from Bolu, Kartalkaya. Our brothers and sisters were killed and injured in a fire that broke out in a hotel.''All necessary steps will be taken to shed light on all aspects of the incident and to hold those responsible accountable,' he added. NTV showed a smoke-blackened lobby, its glass entrance and windows smashed, its wooden reception desk charred and a chandelier crashed to the ground. Aydin's office said 30 fire trucks and 28 ambulances were sent to the site. Other hotels at the resort were evacuated as a precaution and guests were placed in hotels around Bolu. Meanwhile, a gas explosion at a hotel at another ski resort in central Turkey injured four people. The explosion took place at the Yildiz Mountain Winter Sports Center in Sivas province. Two skiers and their instructor were slightly injured while another instructor received second-degree burns to the hands and face, the Sivas governor's office said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
22 January,2025 08:27 AM IST | Ankara | APUS President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he is ready to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin anytime, but at the same time warned that he would likely impose sanctions on Russia if the latter does not come to the negotiations table on the issue of Ukraine. "It sounds likely," Trump told reporters when asked if the US will impose additional sanctions on Russia if Putin doesn't come to the negotiation table. "The war should have never started. If you had a competent President, which you didn't, the war wouldn't have happened. The war in Ukraine would have never happened if I were the president," Trump said. "Russia never would have gone into Ukraine. I had a very strong understanding with Putin. That would have never, ever happened. He disrespected Biden. Very simple. He disrespects people. He's smart. He understands. He disrespected Biden," Trump said. "Also, the Middle East would have never happened because Iran was broke," he added. Responding to a query, Trump said he is ready to meet Putin anytime. "Anytime they want, I'll meet. Millions of people are being killed... It's a vicious situation and they're now largely soldiers. A lot of people have been killed and the cities look like demolition sites," he said. "The thing with Ukraine is that many more people died than what you're reporting. You're not reporting the real numbers, and I'm not blaming you for that. I'm blaming maybe our government for not wanting to release those numbers," Trump told reporters. Asked if the US will continue sending weapons to Ukraine, or will he turn off the tap soon, Trump said he is looking into the matter. "We'll look into that. We're talking to (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy. We're going to be talk with President Putin very soon, and we'll see how it all happens. We're going to look at it very soon," he said. "One thing I do feel is that the European Union should pay a lot more than they're paying, because under Biden, I mean, we're in there for USD 200 billion more. Now it affects them... We have an ocean in between, right? The European Union should equal us. We're in there for USD 200 billion more than the European Union. I mean, what are we, stupid? I guess the answer is yes," the president said. Trump also said that Ukraine President Zelensky told him that he would like to have peace. "He's told me that wants to have peace very strongly, but it takes two to tangle. We'll see what happens. Anytime they want, I'll meet. I'd like to see that end. Millions of people are being killed. It's a vicious situation," he said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 January,2025 08:23 AM IST | Washington | PTIUS President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he likes both sides of the argument on H-1B foreign guest workers' visa, noting that he likes "very competent people" coming into the country and that he has used the programme. "I like both sides of the argument, but I also like very competent people coming into our country, even if that involves them training and helping other people that may not have the qualifications they do. But I don't want to stop -- and I'm not just talking about engineers, I'm talking about people at all levels," Trump told reporters at the White House during a joint news conference with Oracle CTO Larry Ellison, Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, and Open AI CEO Sam Altman. The president was responding to a question on the ongoing debate on H-1B visa within his support base. While his close confidants like Elon Musk, the Tesla owner, supports H-1B visa as it brings in qualified tech professionals, many of his supporters oppose it arguing that it takes away jobs from Americans. "We want competent people coming into our country. And H-1B, I know the programme very well. I use the programme. Maître d', wine experts, even waiters, high-quality waiters -- you've got to get the best people. People like Larry, he needs engineers, Masa also needs... they need engineers like nobody's ever needed them," Trump said. "So, we have to have quality people coming in. Now by doing that, we're expanding businesses and that takes care of everybody. So I'm sort of on both sides of the argument, but what I really do feel is that we have to let really competent people, great people, come into our country. And we do that through the H-1B programme," Trump said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 January,2025 08:22 AM IST | Washington | PTICanada's outgoing prime minister and the leader of the country's oil rich province of Alberta are both confident that Canada can avoid the 25 per cent tariff US President Donald Trump says he will impose on February 1. Justin Trudeau and Danielle Smith will argue that Canada is the energy super power that has the oil and critical minerals that America needs to feed what Trump vows will be a "booming" US economy. But Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, the manufacturing and automobile hub of Canada, said a trade war is 100 per cent coming. Trump "declared an economic war on Canada", Ford said in an interview with The Associated Press. "And we are going to use every tool in our tool box to defend our economy." Trudeau said Canada will retaliate if needed, but noted that Canada has been here before during the first Trump presidency when they successfully renegotiated the free trade deal. Ford said as soon as Trump applies tariffs, he will instruct Ontario's liquor control board to pull all American-made alcohol from the shelves. "We are the largest purchaser of alcohol in the world. And I'm going to encourage all the premiers to do the exact same," Ford said, adding that there will be a dollar-for-dollar tariff retaliation on American goods entering Canada. "We are going to target the Republican held areas as well. They are going to feel the pain. Canadians are going to feel the pain, but Americans will feel the pain as well," he said. "A message to the countries around the world: if he wants to use Canada as an example, you are up next. He's coming after you as well." Trump pledged in his inaugural address that tariffs would be coming in a speech in which he promised a golden era for America. He later said Canada and Mexico could be hit with the tariffs as soon as February 1, though he signed an executive order requesting a report coordinated by the secretary of commerce by April 1. Trump said Tuesday that the 25 per cent tariff that he intends to place on Canada and Mexico as soon as February 1 would have "nothing to do" with renegotiating the existing trade pact among the three countries. For him, the tariffs are all about stopping unauthorised migration and the flow of any illicit drugs. The US president told reporters at the White House that, in his opinion, the amount of fentanyl coming through Canada and Mexico is "massive". US Customs agents seized just 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border last fiscal year, compared to 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. About 60 per cent of US crude oil imports are from Canada. Despite Trump's claim that the US doesn't need Canada, nearly a quarter of the oil America consumes per day comes from Canada. America's northern neighbour also has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the US. Nearly USD 3.6 billion Canadian dollars (USD 2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. Canada is also the top export destination for 36 US states. "Trump wants to usher in a golden age for the US," Trudeau said at a Cabinet retreat in Quebec called to deal with Trump's threats. "If the American economy is going to see the boom that Donald Trump is predicting, they are going to need more energy, more steel and aluminum, more critical minerals, more of the things that Canada sells to the United States every single day.' On Tuesday, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum stressed the need to keep "cool heads" and look at the wording of what Trump signed, rather than listen to the discourse surrounding it. On the threat of tariffs, Sheinbaum took solace in that the "America First Trade Policy" order that Trump signed on Monday talks about the free trade agreement signed with Mexico and Canada during Trump's first term, which lays out clear processes for disputes. She noted that a formal revision of the agreement is scheduled for July 2026. Smith, the premier of Canada's oil rich province of Alberta, said the April 1 deadline gives Canadians time to make case to the Trump administration that Canada should be exempted from tariffs. "With the energy emergency that they declared and with their desire for critical minerals Canada is the answer," Smith told the AP. Canada can get a "total carve out" from the tariffs, she said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 January,2025 08:20 AM IST | Toronto | APUS President Donald Trump on Tuesday said his team is discussing imposing a 10 per cent tariff on China starting February 1 based on the fact that the latter is sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada. "We're talking about a tariff of 10 per cent on China based on the fact that they're sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada," Trump told reporters at a joint news conference at the White House along with Oracle CTO Larry Ellison, Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, and Open AI CEO Sam Altman. In response to a question, Trump said he is looking at February 1 as the date for the tariffs. "For Mexico and China, we're talking about approximately 25 per cent (tariff)," the president said. Responding to another query, Trump said he did not "talk too much about tariffs" when he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week. When asked if he has asked Xi Jinping to intervene to stop the war in Ukraine, Trump said China has not done very much on that. "He's got a lot of power. I said you ought to get it settled. I had that talk with President Xi the other day too. I said we don't want that crap in our country. We've got to stop it. I would have stopped it. I had to deal with him where he was going to give the maximum penalty, which in China is death penalty, for drug dealing and he was all set," Trump said. "He was going to give the maximum penalty to fentanyl dealers if they send (the staff) to the United States. And of course, Biden didn't pick that up. I had that deal all done. It was all wrapped up," he added. "We were going to get it done and then the election went -- let's put it nicely. It didn't go the proper way. I'm trying to be nice about it. It (election) was rigged and we had an incompetent president elected who never followed up on that deal," Trump said. He added that if there was death penalty, "they wouldn't be sending fentanyl to Mexico, Canada and other places". This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 January,2025 08:19 AM IST | Washington | PTIADVERTISEMENT
