Indonesian rescuers have found one victim from the crashed ATR 42-500 aircraft on Mount Bulusaraung in Pangkep regency, South Sulawesi, authorities said on Sunday. The victim was discovered on the mountain slope and was currently being evacuated to the search and rescue (SAR) command post in Tompobulu village. "Today our team, besides evacuating several pieces of aircraft wreckage, has found one victim," Commander of the XIV/Hasanuddin Military Regional Command, Major General Bangun Nawoko, told reporters at the SAR post as quoted by local media. Nawoko said the victim's condition and identity had yet to be confirmed, as the rescue team was still focusing on evacuation under challenging terrain, reports Xinhua news agency. "We cannot elaborate on the condition of the victim yet. What is clear is that this requires a tough effort because the conditions are extraordinary," he said, adding that the victim was found not far from the debris site. The ATR 42-500 aircraft reportedly lost contact over Maros regency in South Sulawesi province. The plane was operating a flight from Yogyakarta to Makassar when communication with air traffic control was cut off on Saturday. According to official data, 10 people were on board the aircraft at the time it lost contact, comprising seven crew members and three passengers. Earlier in September last year, an aircraft crashed in Central Papua province in Indonesia, killing all four aboard. The wreckage was located in a canyon in Mimika regency, said I Wayan Suyatna, head of the local search and rescue office. The bodies were evacuated to a hospital in Timika, the regency's capital. The helicopter went down while flying from Ilaga Airport in Puncak regency to Mozes Kilangin Airport in Mimika, Suyatna 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
18 January,2026 10:23 PM IST | Jakarta | IANSUS President Donald Trump on Saturday escalated his quest to acquire Greenland, threatening multiple European nations with tariffs of up to 25 per cent until he achieves his goal of controlling the Danish territory. Trump's threats came as thousands of people protested in the capital of Greenland against his wish to acquire the mineral-rich island at the gateway to the Arctic. Thousands more protested in Copenhagen and other Danish cities. The US president aimed his ire at Denmark, a fellow NATO member, as well as several other European countries that have deployed troops in recent days to the vast autonomous territory with a population of 57,000. If realized, Trump's threats against Washington's NATO partners would create unprecedented tension within the alliance. From February 1, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland would be subject to a 10-percent tariff on all goods sent to the United States, Trump said on his Truth Social platform. "On June 1st, 2026, the Tariff will be increased to 25 per cent. This Tariff will be due and payable until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland," he wrote. "These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable," Trump said. "Therefore, it is imperative that, in order to protect Global Peace and Security, strong measures be taken so that this potentially perilous situation end quickly, and without question." Trump added that he was "immediately open to negotiation with Denmark and/or any of these Countries." Denmark called Trump's announcement a "surprise," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it was "completely wrong," and French President Emmanuel Macron added: "Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context." "We won't let ourselves be intimidated," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told AFP, adding that the governments involved were working on a joint response. In a statement, European Union leaders said the bloc "stands in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland." An extraordinary meeting of EU ambassadors has been called in Brussels for Sunday afternoon. Greenlandic minister Naaja Nathanielsen on Saturday praised the reaction of European countries, saying she was "thankful and hopeful for diplomacy and allieship (sic) to prevail." 'Make America Go Away' In Nuuk, thousands of people, including the territory's prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, waved Greenlandic flags, chanted slogans and sang traditional Inuit songs under light rain. Many wore caps with the words "Make America Go Away" -- a riff on Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan. "We don't want Trump invading Greenland, that is the message," 44-year-old nurse Paarniq Larsen Strum said at the Nuuk rally, calling the situation "nerve-wracking." "We demand respect for our country's right to self-determination and for us as a people," added protest organizer Avijaja Rosing-Olsen. In Copenhagen, charity worker Kirsten Hjoernholm, 52, said it was important to show unity with Greenlanders. "You cannot be bullied by an ally. It's about international law," she said. Around her, demonstrators waved the flags of Denmark and Greenland while chanting "Kalaallit Nunaat!" -- the vast Arctic island's name in Greenlandic. Some also held placards saying "USA already has too much ICE," referring to Trump's deployment of federal immigration officers in US cities, while others chanted "Greenland is not for sale." US 'security' claims Trump has repeatedly claimed that the United States needs Greenland for US "national security," while alleging without evidence that China and Russia are trying to control it. Those two countries have increased their security presence in the Arctic, but have not made any claims over its sovereignty. France said the European military exercise in Greenland was designed to show the world that it will defend the territory. Denmark said the US had been invited to join the drill. It was not immediately clear what authority the US president would invoke to impose the threatened tariffs of up to 25 percent. Since returning to the presidency, Trump has unleashed sweeping tariffs on goods from virtually all trading partners, to address what Washington says are unfair trade practices and as a tool to press governments. Washington and the European Union struck a deal last summer to lower US tariffs on key European goods, with the deal currently being implemented. Also on Saturday, US lawmakers were wrapping up a visit to Copenhagen for talks with Greenlandic and Danish politicians. The group, led by Democratic Senator Chris Coons, told reporters that Trump's stance was not backed by the majority of Americans. It is also roundly rejected by Greenlanders, 85 percent of whom -- according to the latest poll published in January 2025 -- oppose the territory joining the United States. Only six percent were in favor.
18 January,2026 10:12 PM IST | Washington | AFPFederal officers in the Minneapolis participating in its largest recent US immigration enforcement operation cannot detain or tear gas peaceful protestors, US District Judge Kate Menendez in Minnesota ruled on Friday. Menendez ruled in a case filed in December on behalf of six Minnesota activists. Minneapolis-Saint Paul area has been observing the activities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol officers enforcing the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown since early December. The ruling prohibits the officers from detaining drivers and passengers in vehicles when there is no reasonable suspicion they are obstructing or interfering with the officers. Safely following agents “at an appropriate distance does not, by itself, create reasonable suspicion to justify a vehicle stop,” the ruling 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
18 January,2026 08:13 AM IST | Minneapolis | AgenciesA Cuban immigrant, Geraldo Lunas Campos, died in a Texas immigration detention facility on January 3 during an altercation with guards. The local medical examiner indicated that his death will likely be classified as a homicide. Last week, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Campos had died but made no mention of him being involved in an altercation with staff immediately before his death. On Thursday the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said, “Campos violently resisted the security staff and continued to attempt to take his life. During the ensuing struggle, Campos stopped breathing and lost consciousness.” Before DHS updated its account, detainee Santos Flores said he witnessed the incident through the window of his cell. “The last thing he said was that he couldn’t breathe.” 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
18 January,2026 08:08 AM IST | Washington | AgenciesAbigail Spanberger is set to be Virginia’s first female governor on Saturday after defeating Republican Winsome Earle-Sears in November and regaining Democrat control of the seat. Only men have held the governor post since Virginia first became a commonwealth in 1776. Virginia is making a number of historical firsts as Democrat Ghazala F Hashmi is entering office as the state’s lieutenant governor, becoming the first Muslim woman to serve in statewide office in the country. Governor-elect Spanberger vows to protect Virginia’s economy from the Trump administration’s aggressive tactics. “For the next generation of kids, it’ll be normal to see a woman in this role, whether it’s doing the joyful things of ribbon cuttings or the hard things of contending with whatever challenges we might be facing into the future,” Spanberger said. While campaigning, she spoke about the President gutting the civil service and changes impacting fragile health care system. 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
18 January,2026 08:01 AM IST | Richmond, USA | AgenciesIndian-American President of the World Bank Group, Ajay Banga, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio are among the leaders named to the ‘Board of Peace’ for Gaza redevelopment under President Donald Trump’s comprehensive plan to end the conflict on Friday. The list of appointed members to the founding Executive Board of the Board of Peace, which it said comprises leaders with “experience across diplomacy, development, infrastructure, and economic strategy”. “Each Executive Board member will oversee a defined portfolio critical to Gaza’s stabilisation and long-term success, including, but not limited to, governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding, and capital mobilisation,” the White House said. It added that additional Executive Board and Gaza Executive Board members will be announced in the coming weeks. Trump has called on all parties to cooperate fully with the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), the Board of Peace, and the ISF to ensure swift implementation of the plan. 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
18 January,2026 07:55 AM IST | New York | AgenciesThe mother of one of Elon Musk’s children is suing his AI company, saying its Grok chatbot allowed users to generate sexually exploitative deepfake images of her that have caused her humiliation and emotional distress. Ashley St Clair, 27, alleges in a lawsuit filed on Thursday in New York City against xAI that the images have included a photo of her fully dressed at age 14 that was altered to show her in a bikini, others pictures of her as an adult show her in compromising positions while wearing a bikini with swastikas. “I have suffered and continue to suffer serious pain and mental distress as a result of xAI’s role in creating and distributing these digitally altered images of me,” she said in a document attached to the lawsuit. “I am humiliated and feel like this nightmare will never stop so long as Grok continues to generate these images of me.” St Clair is the mother of Musk’s 16-month-old son, Romulus. In its announcement on Wednesday, X said it was implementing other safeguards on Grok including limiting image creation and editing to paid accounts, which it said would improve accountability. 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
18 January,2026 07:51 AM IST | New York | AgenciesA 27-year-old woman from the USA, Whittney Dawn, has had nine kids till date from four different men, starting with a teen pregnancy 11 years ago. Now, she is looking forward to her tenth child with her partner William, who she claims is nothing but supportive of her large family. Talking about her partners, she explained that her first partner left during her pregnancy, however she met her next partner and had three more kids with him. After they parted, Whittney had twins with a third man. Her current partner William and she have had three children already with one more on the way. Whittney Dawn had her first kid at the age of sixteen, around 11 years ago. PIC/YOUTUBE@LOVEDONTJUDGE Whittney’s army of kids include Brandon, 10, Kinley, 9, Namaya 8, Dawson 7, the twins Cambriella and Camden who are 5, Octavia 4, Liam and Kyus, 3, who is a couple of months old. The children protested against their mother having another baby, to no avail. The comments under her YouTube video are generally unsupportive. One person writes, “Have all you want, have 100. So long as you ain’t relying on tax dollars.” Others criticised her for the amount of partners she has had. Whittney, however, is unswayed. “I do think I will stop having children one day,” she said “but I don’t know when that day will be.” Grubs for grub! GenZ eats live insects, enjoys the sensation, taste, and feeling of power At one point, he ate 100 bugs a day, that translates to five kilograms a year Carlos, a 26-year-old man from Chicago, snacks on reptile store insects. Apparently, the insides of a cockroach are like custard, and mealworms taste like buttered popcorn. He cut back on his reptilian diet after doctors have warned him of the risks. Jhooth bole, kauwa kaate PICS/ISTOCK In a viral Reddit post a father has come clean after lying to his son for 24 years about his favourite animal. The fib started when his son, then six years old, gifted him a manatee-themed mug and was upset when his father wasn’t sufficiently happy, prompting the dad to lie that they were his favourite animals. This prompted a series of manatee-themed gifts ever since. The dad now admits that his favourite animal is a dog. Chopped vocab A portmanteau of ‘chopped’, Gen Z slang used to describe someone who is not good looking, and ‘doppelganger’ has given rise to the newest slang in town – choppelganger, referring to someone who looks like someone else, but uglier. While origins are unclear, some trace it back to a user on X who accidentally misread ‘doppelganger’, prompting other users to chime in and coining it as a new phrase. Der aaye, durust aaye A Libyan smart phone vendor’s order from 2010 has finally arrived after 16 years due to the civil war. The vendor sarcastically asked whether they are historical artefacts at this point. Ironically, the supplier and the vendor were located in the same city. Ice cream khaungi, zoo jaungi Animals in a Brazil zoo have been given popsicles to keep themselves cool. Each species got treats suited to their diet, from frozen watermelons for the monkeys, to blood ice cream for jaguars. Pahado ke upar, jungle ke paar Three tourists relying on their car’s GPS accidentally landed up on a ski slope in Andorra and got stuck. The rescue took three hours and three cranes to complete. None of the passengers were hurt.
18 January,2026 07:46 AM IST | Chicago | A CorrespondentIran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday branded US President Donald Trump a "criminal" for supporting protesters in Iran, and blamed demonstrators for causing thousands of deaths. In a speech broadcast by state television, Khamenei said the protests had left "several thousand' people dead, the first indication from an Iranian leader of the extent of the casualties from the wave of protests that began December 28 and led to a bloody crackdown. "In this revolt, the US president made remarks in person, encouraged seditious people to go ahead and said: 'We do support you, we do support you militarily'," said Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters. He reiterated an accusation that the US seeks domination over Iran's economic and political resources. "We do consider the US president a criminal, because of casualties and damages, because of accusations against the Iranian nation," he said. He described the protesters as "foot soldiers" of the United States and said they had destroyed mosques and educational centres. "Through hurting people, they killed several thousand of them," he said. Khamenei stresses pursuit of ‘international offenders’ amid Trump’s conciliatory remarks His comments come a day after Trump sounded a conciliatory tone, saying "Iran cancelled the hanging of over 800 people,' and adding "I greatly respect the fact that they cancelled." He did not clarify who he spoke to in Iran to confirm the state of any planned executions. His comments were a sign he may be backing away from a military strike. In recent days, Trump had told protesting Iranians that "help is on the way" and that his administration would "act accordingly" if the killing of demonstrators continued or if Iranian authorities executed detained protesters. In his speech, Khamenei said rioters were armed with live ammunition that was imported from abroad, without naming any countries. "We do not plan, we do not take the country toward war. But we do not release domestic offenders, worse than domestic offenders, there are international offenders. We do not let them alone either," he said, and urged officials to pursue the cases. Iran protests: An uneasy calm Iran has returned to an uneasy calm after harsh repression of protests that began December 28 over Iran's ailing economy. The crackdown has left at least 3,090 people dead, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, exceeding that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalling the chaos surrounding the 1979 revolution. The agency has been accurate throughout the years of demonstrations, relying on a network of activists inside Iran that confirms all reported fatalities. The AP has been unable to independently confirm the toll. Iranian officials have repeatedly accused the United States and Israel of fomenting unrest in the country. On Friday, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, accused the US and Israel of meddling in the unrest. Iran protests: Reports of limited internet access briefly restored There have been no signs of protests for days in Tehran, where shopping and street life have returned to outward normality, and Iranian state media has not reported on any new unrest. During the unrest, authorities blocked all internet access on January 8. On Saturday, text messaging and very limited internet services began functioning again briefly in parts of Iran, witnesses said. Cellphone text messaging began operating overnight, while users were able to access local websites through a domestic internet service. Some also reported limited access to international internet services via use of a virtual private network, or VPN. The extent of access and what was behind it wasn't immediately. It was possible that officials were turning on some systems for the start of the Iranian working week, as the outage has affected businesses, particularly banks in the country trying to handle transactions. Internet traffic monitoring service Cloudflare and internet access advocacy group NetBlocks reported very slight increases in connectivity Saturday morning, while Iran's semiofficial Mehr news agency also reported limited internet access. It did not offer an explanation. Exiled Iranian royal calls for further protests There have been no signs of protests for days in Tehran, where shopping and street life have returned to outward normality. A call by Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi for protesters to take to the streets again from Saturday to Monday did not appear to have been heeded by Saturday afternoon. Pahlavi, whose father was overthrown by Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, enjoys support from die-hard monarchists in the diaspora but has struggled to gain wider appeal within Iran. However, that has not stopped him from presenting himself as the transitional leader of Iran if the government were to fall. 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.
17 January,2026 11:25 PM IST | Dubai | APScientists have uncovered a rare discovery in northern Saudi Arabia — the naturally mummified remains of cheetahs preserved inside desert caves for up to 2,000 years. Researchers excavating caves near the city of Arar found seven mummified cheetahs along with skeletal remains of at least 54 others. Radiocarbon dating revealed that while some remains are about 130 years old, others date back more than 1,800 years, with some bones estimated to be nearly 4,000 years old. Unlike the artificial mummification practices of ancient Egypt, the cheetahs were preserved naturally. Scientists believe the caves’ dry conditions, low humidity and stable temperatures slowed bacterial decay, allowing soft tissues to survive for centuries. The mummified cats were found with cloudy eyes and shriveled limbs, resembling dried husks. “It’s something that I’ve never seen before,” said Joan Madurell-Malapeira of the University of Florence, who was not involved in the study. The findings, published in the journal Communications Earth and Environment, represent the first known case of naturally mummified big cats suitable for ancient DNA analysis. While thousands of artificially mummified domestic cats have been discovered in Egypt, naturally preserved felids in cave systems had not been documented until now. Researchers are still uncertain why so many cheetahs were present in the caves. One leading theory suggests the caves may have served as denning sites where mothers gave birth and raised their young. This is supported by the presence of cheetahs of different age groups and the relatively small number of prey remains found at the site. Modern cheetahs are not known to use caves, making the discovery particularly unusual. Genomic analysis revealed that the ancient cheetahs were closely related to the Asiatic cheetah and the North-west African cheetah — both now absent from the Arabian Peninsula. The findings confirm that cheetahs once had a long-term presence in the region. A new tool for conservation Saudi Arabia’s extensive cave networks, especially along its northern border with Iraq, have previously yielded remains of wolves and hyenas, but evidence of cheetahs had not been documented until now. Beyond its archaeological significance, the discovery carries modern conservation value. Scientists also note that some caves may have acted as natural traps, while others created ideal conditions for preservation. Beyond its archaeological significance, the discovery has important implications for conservation. The ancient DNA recovered from the remains provides rare insight into historical cheetah populations, genetic diversity and past ecosystems — data that could help guide future rewilding and restoration efforts in the Arabian Peninsula. “The material opens a window to the past,” the researchers concluded, offering critical data that could shape evidence-based conservation strategies and future cheetah reintroduction plans. (With inputs from AP)
17 January,2026 05:44 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentPresident Donald Trump issued a flurry of pardons in recent days, including for the father of a large donor to his super PAC, a former governor of Puerto Rico and a woman whose sentence he commuted during his first term but who ended up back in prison for a different scheme. Trump commuted the sentence of Adriana Camberos just before his first stint in the White House ended in 2021. That followed her being convicted as part of an effort to divert 5-Hour Energy drink bottles acquired for resale in Mexico and instead keep them in the US. Prosecutors said she and several co-conspirators attached counterfeit labels and filled the bottles with a phony liquid before selling them. In 2024, she and her brother, Andres, were convicted in a separate case, this one involving lying to manufacturers to sell wholesale groceries and additional items at big discounts after pledging that they were meant for sale in Mexico or to prisoners or rehabilitation facilities. The siblings sold the products at higher prices to US distributors, prosecutors said. The Camberoses were among 13 pardons Trump issued Thursday, along with eight commutations. An additional pardon was announced Friday for Terren Peizer, a resident of Puerto Rico and California who headed the Miami-based health care company Ontrak. Peizer had been convicted and sentenced to 42 months in prison, and fined USD 5.25 million, for engaging in an insider trading scheme to avoid losses exceeding USD 12.5 million, according to the Justice Department. The president has issued a number of clemencies during the first year of his second term, many targeted at criminal cases once touted by federal prosecutors. They've come amid a continuing Trump administration effort to erode public integrity guardrails, including the firing of the Justice Department's pardon attorney. Also pardoned this week was former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez, who had pleaded guilty last August to a campaign finance violation in a federal case that authorities say also involved a former FBI agent and a Venezuelan banker. Her sentencing had been set for later this month. Federal prosecutors had been seeking one year behind bars, something Vázquez's attorneys opposed as they accused prosecutors of violating a guilty plea deal reached last year that saw previous charges including bribery and fraud dropped. They had noted that Vázquez had agreed to plead guilty to accepting a promise of a campaign contribution that was never received. Also involved in the case was banker Julio Herrera Velutini, whose daughter, Isabela Herrera, donated USD 2.5 million to Trump's MAGA Inc. super PAC in 2024, and gave the group an additional USD 1 million last summer. The case's third defendant was former FBI agent Mark Rossini, who was also pardoned by the president. The recent wave of clemencies joins previous Trump pardons of Democratic former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and Republican ex-Connecticut Governor John Rowland, whose promising political career was upended by a corruption scandal and two federal prison stints. Trump also pardoned former US Republican Michael Grimm, a New York Republican who resigned from Congress after a tax fraud conviction and made headlines for threatening to throw a reporter off a Capitol balcony over a question he didn't like. Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who had been convicted of cheating banks and evading taxes, also got Trump pardons. The president also pardoned Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar in a bribery and conspiracy case. He later expressed regret and frustration for having done so, however, when Cuellar announced he was seeking reelection without switching parties to become a Republican. 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
17 January,2026 10:22 AM IST | Washington | AP | PTIADVERTISEMENT
-1768646885403_d.png "A researcher examining a mummified cheetah in the lab. PIC/PTI")
