US President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced the successful negotiation of a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, ending over 15 months of conflict. The deal, structured in three phases, includes a complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the release of hostages, including Americans, in the first phase. Biden also highlighted the diplomatic effort involved, noting the pressure from Israel and US support, as well as a coalition of 20 countries that stood against attacks from the Houthis. While delivering remarks on reaching a ceasefire and hostage deal, Biden said, "It's a very good afternoon because at long last, I can announce a ceasefire and a hostage deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas. More than 15 months of terror for the hostages, their families, and the Israeli people and more than 15 months of suffering by the innocent people of Gaza. Fighting in Gaza will stop and soon the hostages will return home to their families." Describing details of the ceasefire deal, Biden said, "The deal is structured in three phases -- Phase one will last six weeks. It includes a full and complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all the populated areas of Gaza, and the release of a number of hostages held by Hamas, including women and elderly and the wounded. And I'm proud to say Americans will be part of that hostage release in Phase One as well. The Vice President and I cannot wait to welcome them home. In exchange, Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and during Phase One, the Palestinians can also return to their neighbours in all areas of Gazal." He added, "During the next six weeks, Israel will negotiate the necessary arrangements to get to Phase 2, which is a permanent end of the war. There are a number of details to negotiate to move from Phase 1 to Phase 2 but the plan says that if negotiations take longer than six weeks, the ceasefire will continue as long as the negotiations continue." Biden further said, "When Phase two begins, there will be an exchange for the release of the remaining living hostages, including male soldiers and all remaining Israeli forces will be withdrawn from Gaza and the temporary ceasefire will become permanent." "And finally Phase 3 -- any final remains of hostages who have been killed will be returned to their families and a major reconstruction plan for Gaza will begin," Biden said. He added, "Those who have followed the negotiations can attest that the road to this deal has not been easy. I have worked in foreign policy for decades. This is one of the toughest negotiations that I have ever experienced. I have reached this point because of the pressure that Israel built on Hamas, backed by the US. The US also organised a coalition of 20 countries to stand up to attacks by the Houthis, including their missile attacks in Israel. At the G20 in Delhi in September 2023, I rallied key countries behind a vision of an economic carter from India across the Middle East to Europe that vision can now become a reality." Earlier, Biden in a statement said, "Today, after many months of intensive diplomacy by the United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire and hostage deal. This deal will halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much-needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their families after more than 15 months in captivity." He further said, "I laid out the precise contours of this plan on May 31, 2024, after which it was endorsed unanimously by the UN Security Council. It is the result not only of the extreme pressure that Hamas has been under and the changed regional equation after a ceasefire in Lebanon and the weakening of Iran but also of dogged and painstaking American diplomacy. My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done." Notably, Hamas is expected to release 33 Israeli hostages seized during the October 7, 2023, attacks, while Israel will free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in return. Israel began its military operations against Hamas in Gaza after the October 7, 2023, attacks. According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, Israel's genocide in Gaza has killed at least 46,707 Palestinians and wounded 110,265 since October 7, 2023. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day and more than 200 were taken captive. 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
16 January,2025 08:25 AM IST | Washington | ANISpaceX launched a pair of lunar landers on Wednesday for US and Japanese companies looking to jumpstart business on Earth’s dusty sidekick. The two landers rocketed away in the middle of the night from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre, the latest in a stream of private spacecraft aiming for the moon. They shared the ride to save money but parted company an hour into the flight exactly as planned, taking separate roundabout routes for the monthslong journey. Tokyo-based ispace has its rover named ‘Resilience’ on board with a scoop to gather up lunar dirt for study and plans to test potential food and water sources. Lunar newcomer Texas-based Firefly Aerospace is flying 10 experiments for NASA on its ‘Blue Ghost’ lander, including a vacuum to gather dirt, a drill to measure temperature below the surface and a device that could be used by future moonwalkers to keep the sharp, abrasive particles off their spacesuits and equipment. 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
16 January,2025 08:21 AM IST | Cape Canaveral | AgenciesFormer US first lady Michelle Obama will not attend US President-elect Donald Trump’s swearing-in ceremony on January 20, her office announced on Tuesday, without sharing explanation for her decision. The statement, however, confirmed that US former president Barack Obama would attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. The decision to not attend Trump’s swearing-in is a break with tradition for the ceremony, which former presidents and first ladies usually attend. Former US president George Bush and his wife, Laura Bush, will attend the inauguration, his office announced. 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
16 January,2025 08:20 AM IST | Washington | AgenciesTesla CEO Elon Musk shared an image of Donald Trump with Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey as the latter gifted him a custom commemorative bottle of Diet Coke. The bottle features a unique label showcasing an image of the White House along with the slogan: “The Inauguration of the President of the United States Donald J Trump.” 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
16 January,2025 08:19 AM IST | Washington | AgenciesNegotiations between Israel and Hamas hit a last-minute snag on Wednesday, delaying the expected announcement of a ceasefire agreement to pause the devastating 15-month war in the Gaza Strip. Israel accused Hamas of trying to make changes to already agreed upon arrangements along Gaza’s border with Egypt and said it strongly rejected the move. Hamas called the claims “total nonsense”. Finger-pointing forced Qatar, which has been mediating weeks of negotiations, to delay an expected announcement of a deal. The sides have been working on a phased agreement that would include the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas, the return of displaced Palestinians in Gaza to what remains of their homes and an influx of desperately needed humanitarian aid into the besieged territory. It was not clear how serious the dispute was, or whether the agreement was in danger of collapse, but some later reports suggested the dispute may soon be resolved. 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
16 January,2025 08:19 AM IST | Doha | AgenciesBangladesh Supreme Court on Wednesday acquitted former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in a corruption case, overturning the High Court’s earlier 10-year prison sentence. The verdict was delivered by a bench after reviewing 79-year-old Zia’s appeal against the High Court’s ruling, the Dhaka Tribune reported. The SC acquitted Zia, the party’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, and all other suspects in their appeal over the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case, the report added. The Appellate Division noted that the case was motivated by revenge. Zia was sentenced on February 8, 2018, by Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-5 to five years of imprisonment for alleged embezzlement of government funds in the name of the Zia Orphanage Trust. The same verdict handed down 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for five other accused, including Zia’s son Tarique and former chief secretary Kamal Uddin Siddiqui. Each of the accused was also fined Tk2.1 crore. Among the accused, Tarique, Siddiqui, and Ziaur Rahman’s nephew Mominur Rahman have remained absconding. Zia appealed the trial court’s verdict to the High Court, but the sentence was increased to 10 years by a High Court bench on October 30, 2018. Zia is ailing and travelled to London earlier this month for medical treatment. She served as the prime minister of Bangladesh from March 1991 to March 1996, and again from June 2001 to October 2006. 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
16 January,2025 08:18 AM IST | Dhaka | AgenciesThe Biden administration announced on Tuesday that it will remove Cuba from the US state sponsor of terrorism list, reversing a designation made by Donald Trump's administration in 2021. The White House in a press release 'Certification of Rescission of Cuba's Designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism' quoted US President Joe Biden as saying, "Pursuant to the Constitution and the laws of the United States, and consistent with sections 1754(c) and 1768(c) of the National Defence Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (50 U.S.C. 4813(c) and 4826(c)), I hereby certify with respect to the rescission of the determination of January 12, 2021, regarding Cuba that the Government of Cuba has not provided any support for international terrorism during the preceding 6-month period; and the Government of Cuba has provided assurances that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future." On January 11, 2021, the US State Department designated Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism for repeatedly providing support for acts of international terrorism in granting safe harbor to terrorists. The US Embassy in Cuba in a press release had said, "The Trump administration has been focused from the start on denying the Castro regime the resources it uses to oppress its people at home and countering its malign interference in Venezuela and the rest of the Western Hemisphere. With this action, we will once again hold Cuba's government accountable and send a clear message: the Castro regime must end its support for international terrorism and subversion of US justice." It added, "For decades, the Cuban government fed, housed, and provided medical care for murderers, bombmakers, and hijackers, while many Cubans go hungry, homeless, and without basic medicine. Members of the National Liberation Army (ELN), a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, travelled to Havana to conduct peace talks with the Colombian government in 2017. Citing peace negotiation protocols, Cuba refused Colombia's requests to extradite ten ELN leaders living in Havana after the group claimed responsibility for the January 2019 bombing of a Bogota police academy that killed 22 people and injured more than 87 others." Following the decision, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez had condemned the country's inclusion in a US list of countries that sponsor terrorism. Cuba condemned the US-announced "hypocritical and cynical designation" of the country as "a state sponsoring terrorism," the minister had said on X. "The US political opportunism is recognized by those who are honestly concerned about the scourge of terrorism and its victims," he added. 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
15 January,2025 09:00 AM IST | Washington DC | ANIMeta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is cohosting a reception with billionaire Republican donors next week for Donald Trump's inauguration, the latest sign of the Facebook founder's embrace of the president-elect. The reception cohosted by Zuckerberg is set for Monday evening, shortly before the inaugural balls, according to two people familiar with the private plans who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity to discuss them. The other cohosts are Miriam Adelson, the Dallas Mavericks owner and widow of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson; Tilman Fertitta, casino magnate, Houston Rockets owner and Trump's pick to serve as US ambassador to Italy; Todd Ricketts, the co-owner of the Chicago Cubs; and Ricketts' wife, Sylvie Legere. Zuckerberg once seemed a foe of the former president, banning him from Facebook and Instagram after a mob of Trump's supporters attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. But lately, he's been endearing himself to Trump as one of a number of tech executives who have been seeking to improve their relationships with the new president. Meta declined to comment on Tuesday. In November, weeks after Trump won the presidential election, Zuckerberg flew to Florida and dined with the Republican at his Mar-a-Lago club. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, also donated USD 1 million to Trump's inauguration fund. Zuckerberg announced last week that he was changing Facebook and Instagram content moderation policies, including replacing third-party fact-checking with user-written "community notes". Trump said the new approach was "probably" due to threats he made against the technology mogul. 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
15 January,2025 08:58 AM IST | Washington | APThe US Securities and Exchange Commission has sued billionaire Elon Musk, saying he failed to disclose his ownership of Twitter stock in a timely manner in early 2022, before buying the social media site. As a result, the SEC alleges, Musk was able to underpay "by at least USD 150 million" for shares he bought after he should have disclosed his ownership of more than 5 per cent of Twitter's shares. Musk bought Twitter in October 2022 and later renamed it X. Musk started amassing Twitter shares in early 2022, and by March of that year, he owned more than 5 per cent. At this point, the complaint says, he was required by law to disclose his ownership but he failed to do so until April 4, 11 days after the report was due. Representatives for X and Musk did not immediately return a message for comment. After Musk signed a deal to acquire Twitter in April 2022, he tried to back out of it, leading the company to sue him to force him to go through with the acquisition. The has SEC said that starting in April 2022, it authorised an investigation into whether any securities laws were broken in connection with Musk's purchases of Twitter stock and his statements and SEC filings related to the company. Before it filed the lawsuit, the SEC went to court in an attempt to compel Musk to testify as part of an investigation into his purchase of Twitter. The SEC's current chair, Gary Gensler, plans to step down from his post on January 20 and it is not clear if the new administration will continue the lawsuit. 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
15 January,2025 08:57 AM IST | New York | APSouth Korea's anti-corruption agency says impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol has been detained hours after the hundreds of the agency's investigators and police officers arrived at his presidential compound to apprehend him. A series of black SUVs, some equipped with sirens, were seen leaving the presidential compound with police escorts. Hundreds of law enforcement officers early on Wednesday entered the residential compound of the impeached president in their second attempt to detain him over his imposition of martial law last month. The officers seemingly encountered no meaningful resistance from presidential security forces as they approached Yoon's residence and there were no immediate reports of clashes. More than a thousand anti-corruption investigators and police officers could be deployed in the operation to apprehend Yoon, who had been holed up in the Hannam-dong residence in the capital, Seoul, for weeks while vowing to "fight to the end" against the efforts to oust him. Yoon has justified his declaration of martial law December 3 as a legitimate act of governance against an "anti-state" opposition employing its legislative majority to thwart his agenda. Yoon's lawyers were trying to persuade investigators not to execute the detention warrant, saying the president would voluntarily appear for questioning but the agency told reporters they weren't immediately considering that option. The anti-corruption agency is leading a joint investigation with police and the military over whether Yoon's martial law declaration amounted to an attempted rebellion and sought to bring him into custody after he ignored several summons for questioning. They have pledged more forceful measures to detain him after the presidential security service blocked their initial efforts on January 3. Following an hourslong standoff at the compound's gate, anti-corruption investigators and police officers were seen moving up the hilly compound. Police officers were earlier seen using ladders to climb over rows of buses placed by the presidential security service near the compound's entrance. Anti-corruption investigators and police later arrived in front of a metal gate with a gold presidential mark that's near Yoon's residential building. Some officers were seen entering a security door on the side of the metal gate, joined by one of Yoon's lawyers and his chief of staff. The presidential security service later removed a bus and other vehicles that had been parked tightly inside the gate as a barricade. Despite a court warrant for Yoon's detention, the presidential security service has insisted it's obligated to protect the impeached president and has fortified the compound with barbed wire and rows of buses blocking paths. As tensions escalated, South Korea's acting leader, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, issued a statement early on Wednesday urging law enforcement and the presidential security service to ensure there are no "physical clashes". The liberal opposition Democratic Party, which drove a legislative campaign that led to Yoon's impeachment on December 14, issued a statement calling for the presidential security service to stand down and cooperate with Yoon's detention. Lawmakers from Yoon's People Power Party held a rally near the presidential residence, decrying the efforts to detain him as unlawful. The National Police Agency has convened multiple meetings of field commanders in Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi province in recent days to plan their detainment efforts, and the size of those forces fuelled speculation that more than a thousand officers could be deployed in a possible multiday operation. The agency and police have openly warned that presidential bodyguards obstructing the execution of the warrant could be arrested. Yoon's lawyers said the presidential security service will continue to provide security for Yoon and claimed that the detainment warrant issued by the Seoul Western District Court was invalid. They cited a law that protects locations potentially linked to military secrets from search without the consent of the person in charge -- which would be Yoon. The court warrant for Yoon's detainment is valid through January 21. Yoon's supporters and critics have held competing protests near the residence -- one side vowing to protect him, the other calling for his imprisonment -- while thousands of police officers in yellow jackets closely monitored the tense situation. Yoon declared martial law and deployed troops around the National Assembly on December 3. It lasted only hours before lawmakers managed to get through the blockade and vote to lift the measure. Yoon's presidential powers were suspended when the opposition-dominated assembly voted to impeach him on December 14, accusing him of rebellion. His fate now rests with the Constitutional Court, which has begun deliberating on whether to formally remove Yoon from office or reject the charges and reinstate him. The Constitutional Court held its first formal hearing in the case on Tuesday, but the session lasted less than five minutes because Yoon refused to attend. The next hearing is set for Thursday, and the court will then proceed with the trial whether or not Yoon is there. 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
15 January,2025 08:56 AM IST | Seoul | APMonths after initial accusations, Acclaimed British author Neil Gaiman is facing a new wave of serious allegations of sexual misconduct and assault. In a New York Magazine article titled “There Is No Safe Word,” eight women have come forward with accounts of assault, coercion, and abuse by the author. Among the accusers is a former nanny for Gaiman and his wife, Amanda Palmer. The nanny alleges multiple instances of sexual assault. She also describes a harrowing incident in a hotel room where Gaiman assaulted her while his son was playing nearby, instructing her to use submissive language. Scarlett Pavlovich has claimed that she was close to Amanda Palmer, Neil Gaiman’s ex-wife, and used to babysit their child when she was away. During her encounter with Neil Gaiman, he encouraged her to take a bath in their old garden tub and joined her later. The author wanted Pavlovich to call him “master”. She replied to him, saying, “No, I’m not confident with my body”. The report highlights a disturbing pattern: most of the alleged victims were young women in their 20s, while Gaiman was significantly older, often in his 40s or older. These new allegations follow a July 2024 podcast series titled “Master” by Tortoise Media, where five women previously accused Gaiman of sexual assault. In July 2024, another woman identified as K accused Gaiman of sexual abuse, according to a report by British news outlet Tortoise Media. She first met Neil Gaiman at a book signing in Sarasota, Florida, in 2003 when she was 18 years old. Gaiman denies allegations Gaiman denied all such allegations when the reports emerged in 2024. In the case of Pavlovich, he said that she had a health concern due to which she had false memories. 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
15 January,2025 08:32 AM IST | London | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
