President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would move to try to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the 'Gulf of America,' a name he said has a 'beautiful ring to it.' It's his latest suggestion to redraw the map of the Western Hemisphere. Trump has repeatedly referred to Canada as the '51st State,' demanded that Denmark consider ceding Greenland, and called for Panama to return the Panama Canal. Here's a look at his comment and what goes into a name. Why is Trump talking about renaming the Gulf of Mexico? Since his first run for the White House in 2016, Trump has repeatedly clashed with Mexico over a number of issues, including border security and the imposition of tariffs on imported goods. He vowed then to build a wall along the US-Mexico border and make Mexico pay for it. The US ultimately constructed or refurbished about 450 miles of wall during his first term. The Gulf of Mexico is often referred to as the United States' 'Third Coast' due to its coastline across five southeastern states. Mexicans use a Spanish version of the same name for the gulf: 'El Golfo de México.' Americans and Mexicans diverge on what to call another key body of water, the river that forms the border between Texas and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas. Americans call it the Rio Grande; Mexicans call it the Rio Bravo. Can Trump change the name of the Gulf of Mexico?Maybe, but it's not a unilateral decision, and other countries don't have to go along. The International Hydrographic Organisation ' of which both the United States and Mexico are members ' works to ensure all the world's seas, oceans and navigable waters are surveyed and charted uniformly, and also names some of them. There are instances where countries refer to the same body of water or landmark by different names in their own documentation. It can be easier when a landmark or body of water is within a country's boundaries. In 2015, then-President Barack Obama approved an order from the Department of Interior to rename Mount McKinley ' the highest peak in North America ' to Denali, a move that Trump has also said he wants to reverse. Just after Trump's comments on Tuesday, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said during an interview with podcaster Benny Johnson that she would direct her staff to draft legislation to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico, a move she said would take care of funding for new maps and administrative policy materials throughout the federal government. How did the Gulf of Mexico get its name?The body of water has been depicted with that name for more than four centuries, an original determination believed to have been taken from a Native American city of 'Mexico.' Has renaming the Gulf of Mexico come up before?Yes. In 2012, a member of the Mississippi Legislature proposed a bill to rename portions of the gulf that touch that state's beaches 'Gulf of America,' a move the bill author later referred to as a 'joke.' That bill, which was referred to a committee, did not pass. Two years earlier, comedian Stephen Colbert had joked on his show that, following the massive Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it should be renamed 'Gulf of America' because, "We broke it, we bought it.' Are there other international disputes over the names of places?There's a long-running dispute over the name of the Sea of Japan among Japan, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, with South Korea arguing that the current name wasn't commonly used until Korea was under Japanese rule. At an International Hydrographic Organisation meeting in 2020, member states agreed on a plan to replace names with numerical identifiers and develop a new digital standard for modern geographic information systems. The Persian Gulf has been widely known by that name since the 16th century, although usage of 'Gulf' and 'Arabian Gulf' is dominant in many countries in the Middle East. The government of Iran threatened to sue Google in 2012 over the company's decision not to label the body of water at all on its maps. There have been other conversations about bodies of water, including from Trump's 2016 opponent. According to materials revealed by WikiLeaks in a hack of her campaign chairman's personal account, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2013 told an audience that, by China's logic that it claimed nearly the entirety of the South China Sea, then the US after World War II could have labelled the Pacific Ocean the 'American Sea.'
08 January,2025 08:46 AM IST | Washington | APUS President-elect Donald Trump warned that "all hell will break out in the Middle East" if hostages held by Hamas in Gaza are not released before his inauguration on January 20, CNN reported. While addressing a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Tuesday (local time), Trump said, "It will not be good for Hamas and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone. All hell will break out. I don't have to say anymore, but that's what it is," adding that "there should have never been" the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel. Steve Witkoff, who has been chosen by Trump to serve as the special envoy to the Middle East, expressed an optimistic view about the state of negotiations to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that would secure the release of the hostages, saying negotiators are "making a lot of progress," CNN reported. He further said, "It's the president, his reputation, the things that he has said that are driving this negotiation, and so hopefully it'll all work out and we'll save some lives." Earlier, it was reported that Biden administration officials were taking the lead in the talks, while their incoming Trump counterparts were being updated regarding the developments. A senior Biden administration office offered a much more cautious tone after Trump and Witkoff's statement. Speaking to CNN, the official stated that the negotiations remain difficult. The official, who refused to speak about the status of the negotiations, insisted that despite Witkoff appearing to suggest that the deal was possible before January 20, the talks are challenging. According to the official, the Biden administration has been working in "close coordination" with the incoming Trump national security team. The Biden administration has been trying to help broker a ceasefire in Gaza for over a year. However, they have not been successful in their efforts. Notably, dozens of hostages were released in the first ceasefire, which was agreed weeks after the October 7 attack. However, efforts to halt the fighting and secure the release of more hostages have failed. During the press conference, Trump also refused to rule out the use of military force to take control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, and "economic force" to acquire Canada, CNN reported. When asked whether he would rule out using "military or economic coercion" to achieve his goal of gaining those territories. he responded, "No, I can't assure you on either of those two, but I can say this, we need them for economic security." Trump said Denmark should give up its control of Greenland or it would face high tariffs. He suggested people of Greenland could vote for independence or to become part of the United States. He said, "I'm talking about protecting the free world." Since his election, Trump has repeatedly expressed his interest in gaining control of the Panama Canal and Greenland. Trump said later that he would only use "economic force" and not military force against Canada. When asked whether he would also use the military to acquire Canada, Trump responded, "No, economic force." He continued, "You get rid of that artificially drawn line and you take a look at what that looks like -- and it would also be much better for national security." In recent weeks, Trump in his social media posts has said that Canada should become the 51st state of the US. He even used Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's announcement of his plan to step down as PM and Liberal Party leader to reiterate his stance that Canada becomes the 51st state of the US. Trump criticised former US President Jimmy Carter's decision to hand control of the Panama Canal back to Panama during his presidency, CNN reported. Carter, who passed away at the age of 100 on December 29, negotiated treaties that provided for the handover of the Panama Canal to Panama. He said, "The Panama Canal is a disgrace." Trump said, "What took place at the Panama Canal, Jimmy Carter gave it to them for USD 1 and they were supposed to treat us well." The US President-elect said that he would be renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. He said, "We're going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring. That covers a lot of territory, the Gulf of America -- what a beautiful name. And it's appropriate." He slammed the Biden administration's handling of the transition ahead of his inauguration ceremony on January 20. Trump said the Biden administration is "trying everything they can to make it more difficult" and wants to "block the reforms of the American people and that they voted for." Trump's remarks come a day after US Congress certified his election victory with no objections from any lawmakers as the tally of states was announced on the House floor. Donald Trump won 312 electoral votes while Harris got 226 votes, a total that was confirmed during the certification on Monday, marking the final step in the election process before Trump returns back to the White House on January 20. 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
08 January,2025 08:38 AM IST | Florida | ANIThe Israeli military launched a wave of raids across the occupied West Bank overnight and into Tuesday, killing at least three Palestinians. The army said it killed two Palestinian militants in an airstrike after they fired at troops in the area of Tamun, a village in the northern West Bank. It said another militant was killed in “close-quarters combat” in the nearby village of Taluza and that an Israeli soldier was severely wounded. The military said it arrested more than 20 suspected militants in different parts of the territory. It said the overnight operations were not related to the shooting the day before, in which gunmen opened fire on a bus carrying Israelis. 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
08 January,2025 08:34 AM IST | Jerusalem | AgenciesIn a surprising development, a National Assembly (NA) panel was informed that over 22,000 bureaucrats in Pakistan possess dual nationality, raising concerns about national security. As the NA’s standing committee on Interior met on Monday with Raja Khurram Nawaz in the chair, members sounded alarm over the practice and called for stringent measures to restrict the practice, especially for bureaucrats, judges and members of the parliamentarians, according to The Express Tribune newspaper. The meeting was deliberating on the proposed legislation that would grant Pakistani passports to citizens of countries with which Islamabad has dual nationality agreements. Committee member Abdul Qadir Patel proposed that the bill should include a provision to ensure that individuals with dual nationality should not be appointed as bureaucrats. 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
08 January,2025 08:34 AM IST | Islamabad | AgenciesCanadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation after facing an increasing loss of support both within his party and in the country. Trudeau has said he plans to stay on as prime minister until a new party leader is chosen. The Liberals need to elect a new leader before Parliament resumes on March 24 because all three opposition parties say they will bring down the Liberal government in a no-confidence vote at the first opportunity, which would trigger an election. Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of Canada and Bank of England is a potential candidate. He has the reputation of a tough regulator and beings significant economic expertise to the table. The former deputy prime minister and finance minister, Chrystia Freeland was critical of Trudeau’s economic policies and resigned last month. She is a globalist who sits on the board of the World Economic Forum. Freeland, who is of Ukrainian heritage, also has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia. Another possible candidate is the new finance minister, Dominic LeBlanc. The former public safety minister, and a close friend of Trudeau, LeBlanc recently joined the prime minister at a dinner with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. LeBlanc was Trudeau’s babysitter when Trudeau was a child. Meanwhile, many analysts say Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre will form the next government. Poilievre, for years the party’s go-to attack dog, is a firebrand populist who blamed Canada’s cost of living crisis on Trudeau. He has vowed to scrap a carbon tax and defund the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 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
08 January,2025 08:33 AM IST | Toronto | AgenciesTwo bodies were found in the landing gear compartment of a JetBlue aircraft at a South Florida airport, authorities said. In a statement to news agency AP, the airline said that the bodies were discovered in the wheel well area on Monday night at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. They were found during a routine post-flight maintenance inspection after the aircraft had arrived shortly after 11 pm from John F Kennedy International Airport in New York, AP reported. Paramedics declared both the individuals dead at the scene, the Broward County sheriff's office said on Tuesday. The agency's homicide and crime scene units are investigating, it further informed. The names of the two individuals have not been revealed. "At this time, the identities of the individuals and the circumstances surrounding how they accessed the aircraft remain under investigation," JetBlue's statement said, adding, "This is a heartbreaking situation, and we are committed to working closely with authorities to support their efforts to understand how this occurred." It appears there was "no involvement of the flight crew or operation of the airplane", the National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement on Tuesday morning. The agency was not investigating the case, it said. This is the second such case over the past month. In late December, a body was found in the wheel well of a United Airlines plane after it landed in Maui from Chicago, AP reported. In the recent months, the airline industry in the United States has also been dealing with unticketed passengers. In November, a Russian national who did not have a ticket boarded a Paris-bound Delta Air Lines flight in New York and was arrested when the plane touched down in France. According to authorities, she had bypassed security to board the flight. On Christmas Eve, a passenger without a ticket boarded a Delta Air Lines flight from Seattle to Honolulu. The passenger was discovered while the plane was taxiing for departure, Delta had stated. 2,300 flights cancelled as US faces harsh winter More than 2,300 flights were cancelled and at least 9,100 more were delayed across the United States on Monday night, AP reported. The Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport reported that about 58 per cent of arrivals and 70 per cent of departures had been cancelled. The airport announced early on Tuesday that it had reopened all runways after closing them the previous evening so that airport crews could focus on snow removal and prevent refreezing on the airfield. A record 8 inches of snow fell Sunday at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, leading to dozens of flight cancellations that lingered into Monday. (With AP inputs)
07 January,2025 10:25 PM IST | Fort Lauderdale | mid-day online correspondentA 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted the city of Xigaze in Tibet on Tuesday, killing at least 32 people and injuring 38, Chinese state media reported. According to regional disaster relief headquarters, the quake jolted Dingri County in Xigaze in Tibet Autonomous Region in China at 9:05 am Tuesday (Beijing Time), reported PTI. Thirty-two people were killed and 38 injured during the 6.8-magnitude earthquake, state-run Xinhua reported. The US Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Earthquake Centre of India put the magnitude to 7.1 saying the epicentre is located at China's Xizang of Tingri county, located 90 km North-East of Lobutse in the Khumbu Himalayan range of North-East Nepal, reported PTI. However, China recorded a magnitude of 6.8. The quake struck at a depth of 10 km, according to a report issued by the China Earthquake Networks Centre, state-run Xinhua reported. Meanwhile, in Nepal's Kathmandu, the strong earthquake forced people to run out of their houses. It was felt in Kavrepalanchwok, Sindhupalanchok Dhading and Solukhumbu districts as well. Many people came out of their houses due to panic in Kathmandu. People witnessed the trees and electric wires on the streets shaking for some time. At least half a dozen tremors with magnitude ranging from 4 to 5 were also recorded within a time span of an hour around 7 am, according to the USGS report. The tremor was strong enough to terrorise people in Nepal, who recalled the 2015 great earthquake that killed 9,000 people. However, a Nepal Police spokesperson says that so far they have not received any information regarding any major physical damage or human causality. As the epicentre lies in Tibet stronger tremors were felt by people living in Northern Nepal, Nepal Police spokesperson Bishwo Adhikari said. Speaking with ANI, Kathmandu resident Meera Adhikari said, "I was sleeping at the time when the earthquake struck. The bed was shaking and I thought my child was moving the bed. I didn't pay that much attention but the shaking of the window prompted me to think that it's an earthquake. I then hurriedly called my child and evacuated the house and came to the open ground. I am still shaking out of fear and am in shock." Tremors were also felt in Bihar's Sheohar district, authorities said. (With inputs from PTI and ANI)
07 January,2025 03:18 PM IST | Beijing | mid-day online correspondentTwo Indian companies -- Raxuter Chemicals and Athos Chemicals -- have been charged with criminal conspiracies to distribute and import fentanyl precursor chemicals to the United States. Bhavesh Lathiya, a founder and senior executive of Raxuter Chemicals, was arrested in New York on January 4 on the same charges. US Magistrate Judge Joseph A Marutollo for the Eastern District of New York has ordered detained pending trial. If convicted, Lathiya faces a maximum penalty of 53 years in prison. This is probably for the first time that Indian companies and its executives have been charged for distribution and import of fentanyl precursor chemicals to the United States. Most Chinese companies have been charged for such criminal conspiracies for distribution and import of Fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, which is considered to be the deadliest drug threat currently facing the US. It is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is approximately 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. 'We allege these companies, and a company founder and senior executive who is now in custody, conspired to distribute and import fentanyl precursor chemicals from India to the United States and Mexico,' said Attorney General Merrick Garland on Saturday. '(We) will continue to take the fight against fentanyl directly to alleged foreign precursor chemical exporters like the companies and the individual indicted today ' because the best way to stop illicit fentanyl from killing Americans and devastating communities is by preventing it from being manufactured in the first place,' said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. In the indictment unsealed Monday, Raxuter Chemicals and Lathiya are charged with conspiracy to distribute and import a listed chemical, distribution and importation of a listed chemical knowing it would be used to manufacture fentanyl, smuggling, and other related offenses. Athos Chemicals is charged with similar offenses, including conspiracy to distribute and import a listed chemical and distribution and importation of a listed chemical. 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
07 January,2025 08:19 AM IST | Washington | PTIHours after the resignation of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, US President-elect Donald Trump on Monday renewed his offer of making Canada the 51st state of the United States. Trudeau, 53, announced to resign Monday as he was forced by his ruling Liberal Party amidst his growing unpopularity. General elections are scheduled this year. The Canadian prime minister said that he would stay on as prime minister till the party elected a new leader. Trump, 78, who never had a good relationship with Trudeau even during his first term from 2017-2021, has been floating the idea of making Canada the 51st state of the United States ever since he met Trudeau after his November 5 electoral victory in Mar-a-Lago. Thereafter, he has been mentioning this on his social media posts several times. 'Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State. The United States can no longer suffer the massive Trade Deficits and Subsidies that Canada needs to stay afloat. Justin Trudeau knew this, and resigned,' Trump said on Truth Social. 'If Canada merged with the US, there would be no Tariffs, taxes would go way down, and they would be TOTALLY SECURE from the threat of the Russian and Chinese Ships that are constantly surrounding them. Together, what a great Nation it would be!!!' said the president-elect after the resignation of Trudeau on Monday. There has not been much reaction to Trump's proposal from the Canadian side. Trump has threatened to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports if Toronto is not able top stop the flow of illicit drugs and illegal migrants from its southern border with the US. In some of the posts, Trump even mocked Trudeau as 'Governor of the Great State of Canada'. 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
07 January,2025 08:14 AM IST | Washington | PTICanadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation on Monday in the face of rising discontent over his leadership, and after the abrupt departure of his finance minister signalled growing turmoil within his government. Trudeau said it had become clear to him that he cannot “be the leader during the next elections due to internal battles”. He planned to stay on as prime minister until a new leader of the Liberal Party is chosen. “I don’t easily back down faced with a fight, especially a very important one for our party and the country. But I do this job because the interests of Canadians and the well being of democracy is something that I hold dear,” he said. An official familiar with the matter said Parliament, which had been due to resume Jan 27, will be suspended until March 24. The timing will allow for a Liberal Party leadership race. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak about the matter publicly. 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
07 January,2025 08:12 AM IST | Toronto | AgenciesRussian troops in eastern Ukraine have captured the stronghold of Kurakhove after a monthslong battle, Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed on Monday, adding the wrecked town to the Kremlin’s list of conquests in the partially occupied Donetsk region during the almost three-year war. A man rides past the destroyed postal office in Kurakhove. File Pic/AP The claim, which drew no response from Ukrainian authorities, came a day after the Russian Defense Ministry said Ukrainian forces had launched a new thrust in Russia’s Kursk border region. Kurakhove is a key stronghold for the Ukrainian army on the eastern front line. It has an industrial zone, a thermal power plant and a reservoir. It also sits on a highway running between eastern and southern Ukraine. In November, The Associated Press reported from the town that some 7,000-10,000 people likely remained in Kurakhove. Its pre-war population was about twice that. The town has been under relentless attacks from artillery, multiple rocket launchers, powerful guided bombs and drones that have shattered buildings. Ukrainian officials usually comment on major battlefield defeats only days after Russia announces them. 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
07 January,2025 08:11 AM IST | Kyiv | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
