US President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday in a strong-worded statement threatened Panama to give the canal back to them, and said that it was a vital asset of the US. Trump said that the Panama Canal was not China's and that it should not fall into the "wrong hands". 🚨 Statement from President Donald J. Trump: pic.twitter.com/pfuDqVjw6R — Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) December 21, 2024 "The Panama Canal is considered a VITAL National Asset for the United States, due to its critical role to America's Economy and National Security. A secure Panama Canal is crucial for US Commerce, and rapid deployment of the Navy, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and drastically cuts shipping times to US ports. The United States is the Number One user of the Canal, with over 70 per cent of all transits heading to, or from, US ports," Trump said in his statement. Trump further said that the canal came at a high cost for the Americans and that it was 'foolishly' given away by ex-US President Jimmy Carter. He warned of Chinese influence in the region. "Considered one of the Wonders of the Modern World, the Panama Canal opened for business 110 years ago, and was built at HUGE cost to the United States in lives and treasure - 38,000 American men died from infected mosquitos in the jungles during construction. Teddy Roosevelt was President of the United States at the time of its building, and understood the strength of Naval Power and Trade. When President Jimmy Carter foolishly gave it away, for One Dollar, during his term in Office, it was solely for Panama to manage, not China, or anyone else," he said. Trump added that the canal was to be managed by Panama. He criticised Panama for charging "exorbitant prices" from the US. "It was likewise not given for Panama to charge the United States, its Navy, and corporations, doing business within our Country, exorbitant prices and rates of passage. Our Navy and Commerce have been treated in a very unfair and injudicious way. The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the US. This complete "rip-off" of our Country will immediately stop," he said. The US President-elect said that the US will never let Panama Canal fall in "wrong hands". "The United States has a vested interest in the secure, efficient, and reliable operation of the Panama Canal, and that was always understood. We would and will NEVER let it fall into the wrong hands! It was not given for the benefit of others, but merely as a token of cooperation with us and Panama. If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question. To the Officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly!" he said. Completed in 1914, the Panama Canal symbolized US technological prowess and economic power. Although US control of the canal eventually became an irritant to US-Panamanian relations, at the time it was heralded as a major foreign policy achievement, as the US constructed the canal. 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 December,2024 08:57 AM IST | Washington DC | ANIIsraeli strikes across the Gaza Strip overnight and into Sunday killed at least 20 people, including five children, Palestinian medical officials said. A strike on a school housing displaced people in Gaza City killed at least eight people, including three children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. A strike on a home in the central city of Deir al-Balah late on Saturday killed at least eight people, including three women and two children, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. A man and his wife were killed in a strike in the southern city of Khan Younis on Sunday, just after midnight, according to the nearby Nasser Hospital. A strike on a car in Gaza City killed two people, according to the Health Ministry. There was no immediate comment from Israel on those strikes. Vatican envoy celebrates Mass with Christians Israeli authorities allowed Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the leader of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, to enter Gaza and celebrate a pre-Christmas Mass with members of the territory’s small Christian community. Worshippers gathered in the Holy Family Church in Gaza City as Pizzaballa and other clergy celebrated Mass. A Christmas tree decorated with lights and golden ornaments market the occassion. 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 December,2024 08:18 AM IST | Deir Al-Balah (Gaza Strip) | AgenciesSouth Korea successfully placed into orbit its third homegrown spy satellite launched from a US space centre. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the satellite normally lifted off at 8.34 pm (Korean time) from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California as planned and sent the reconnaissance satellite into orbit at 9.24 pm. The launched satellite succeeded in communicating with an overseas ground station at 11.30 pm in a step indicating the satellite’s normal operation. 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 December,2024 08:18 AM IST | Seoul | AgenciesThe death toll from stampedes during two Christmas charity events in Nigeria has increased to 32, police said, with many of the victims collapsing during a crowd surge as people grew desperate for food items. The dead included 22 people in southeastern Anambra state’s Okija town, where a philanthropist organised food distribution, local police said. Ten others were also confirmed dead in the capital, Abuja, where a church organised a charity event to distribute food and clothing items. 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 December,2024 08:18 AM IST | Abuja | AgenciesINS Tushil made its first port call to London as a part of its maiden operational deployment, the Indian High Commission in the UK shared. INS Tushil was commissioned on December 9 in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The latest multi-role stealth-guided missile frigate of the Indian Navy, INS Tushil is an upgraded Krivak III class frigate of the Project 1135.6, of which six are already in service—three Talwar class ships, built at Baltisky shipyard, St Petersburg, and three follow-on Teg class ships, built at Yantar shipyard, Kaliningrad. Earlier in a post on X, the Spokesperson for the Indian Navy shared that INS Tushil set sail for India from Kaliningrad in Russia on December 17. It was noted that during the ship’s passage, which will also be its maiden operational deployment, it would make carry out joint patrolling and maritime exercises with navies of friendly countries enroute, including at piracy hot spot areas in the region. 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 December,2024 08:17 AM IST | London | AgenciesPrime Minister Narendra Modi received a ceremonial welcome and Guard of Honour at the Bayan Palace here ahead of his talks with Kuwait’s top leadership on Sunday. The prime minister held extensive talks with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah with a focus on imparting new momentum to India-Kuwait relations, especially in areas of trade, investment and energy. He is also meeting Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah. The talks are set to focus on shoring up ties in a range of key areas including defence and trade, officials said earlier. Modi arrived in Kuwait on Saturday on a two-day trip, the first to this Gulf nation by an Indian prime minister in 43 years. The last Indian prime minister to visit Kuwait was Indira Gandhi in 1981. India is among the top trading partners of Kuwait. Kuwait’s highest honour Meanwhile, Kuwait on Sunday, conferred its highest honour—The Order of Mubarak Al-Kabeer—on Modi for his role in strengthening the good relations between the two countries. Modi received the honour from Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah at the Bayan Palace. ‘The Order of Mubarak Al-Kabeer’ is a knighthood order of Kuwait. This is the 20th international honour given to PM Modi by a country, officials said. Visit to Indian labour camp Modi also visited the Gulf Spic Labour Camp in Kuwait, where he interacted with Indian workers and highlighted their contribution. “Do you work hard for your family or not? I also work for my family, there are 140 crore people in my family, so I have to work a little more,” Modi said to the workers. 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 December,2024 08:17 AM IST | Kuwait City | AgenciesFour women and a nine-year-old boy were killed when a man drove a car at high speed through a Christmas market in Germany. Meanwhile, mourners continued to lay flowers and other tributes at the site of the incident, news agency AP reported. The police in Magdeburg, the central city where the attack took place on Friday evening, stated that the women victims were aged between 45 and 75. Authorities also said that 200 people were injured in the attack. This includes 41 people, whose condition is reported to be serious. The injured are undergoing treatment in several hospitals in Magdeburg, located about 130 kilometres from Berlin, and in surrounding areas, AP reported. The suspect in the Christmas market attack in Germany has been identified as a Saudi doctor who arrived in the country in 2006 and had been granted permanent residency. On Saturday evening, he was brought before a judge, who ordered him to be kept in custody pending a possible indictment. While police have not publicly named the suspect, several German news outlets identified him as Taleb A, withholding his last name in accordance with privacy laws. He was reported to be a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy. Describing himself as a former Muslim, the suspect appeared to have been an active user of the social media platform X, where he frequently shared tweets and retweets focusing on anti-Islam themes, criticising the religion and congratulating Muslims who had renounced their faith. He also accused German authorities of failing to address what he referred to as the “Islamification of Europe.” The Christmas market attack in Germany, which has sparked horror in the country, is likely to keep migration at the forefront of political debate ahead of an early election on February 23. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party had already been polling strongly, fuelled by a societal backlash against the large numbers of refugees and migrants who have arrived in Germany over the past decade. Right-wing leaders across Europe have criticised German authorities for permitting high levels of migration in recent years and for what they perceive as security failures. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a vocal critic of migration, used the attack in Germany to attack the European Union’s migration policies. (With AP inputs)
22 December,2024 04:51 PM IST | Magdeburg | mid-day online correspondentTwo US Navy pilots were shot down over the Red Sea in an apparent 'friendly fire' incident, the US military said Sunday. Both pilots were recovered alive, with one suffering minor injuries in the incident. The incident came as the US military conducted airstrikes targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels, though the US military's Central Command did not elaborate on what their mission was at the time. 'The guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, which is part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18, which was flying off the USS Harry S. Truman,' Central Command said in a statement. 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 December,2024 09:45 AM IST | Dubai | APSixteen soldiers were killed in an attack on a security forces check post in Makeen, South Waziristan, on Saturday, according to a statement by the military's media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Dawn reported. The attack was carried out by terrorists in the region, which has been a hotspot for violent incidents since the breakdown of a fragile ceasefire agreement between the Pakistani government and the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in 2022. The ISPR reported that the attack, which occurred late on Friday night, involved a group of terrorists attempting to assault the check post in the general area of Makeen. Security forces responded swiftly, repelling the attack and killing eight terrorists in the process. Despite their efforts, sixteen soldiers lost their lives during the encounter. The military's statement emphasised that a sanitisation operation was underway in the area, with authorities vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice. The ISPR further stated, "Security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave men further strengthen our resolve." This attack serves as a reminder of the persistent security challenges in the region, especially since the TTP's renewed attacks following the collapse of the ceasefire. These attacks have targeted security forces and law enforcement agencies across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, reported Dawn. Earlier this week, another violent incident occurred in Khyber District, where one soldier was killed, and four terrorists were killed during a firefight along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The ISPR reported that on the night of December 19-20, security forces detected a group of terrorists attempting to infiltrate Pakistan from Afghanistan. Following an intense exchange of fire, four terrorists were killed, and 22-year-old Sepoy Amir Sohail Afridi, a resident of Khyber District, "having fought gallantly, embraced shahadat (martyrdom)" while valiantly fighting the attackers, Dawn reported. The ISPR also reiterated the government's ongoing appeal to the Afghan Interim Government, urging it to manage its border effectively and prevent the use of Afghan soil by terrorist groups, particularly those targeting Pakistan. "Interim Afghan Government is expected to fulfil its obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil by khwarij for perpetuating acts of terrorism against Pakistan," the statement added. "The security forces of Pakistan remain committed to securing its borders and eliminating the menace of terrorism, and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve," the ISPR concluded. The escalation of violence in Pakistan's tribal areas follows a series of successful military operations earlier this month, which saw the killing of 43 terrorists, including 18 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 25 in Balochistan. 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 December,2024 09:43 AM IST | Pakistan | ANIA rocket fired from Yemen hit an area of Tel Aviv overnight, leaving 16 people injured by shattered glass, the Israeli military said on Saturday, days after Israeli airstrikes hit Houthi rebels who have been launching missiles in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Another 14 people had minor injuries as they rushed to shelters when air raid sirens sounded before dawn, the military said. The Houthis in a statement on Telegram said they had aimed a hypersonic ballistic missile at a military target that they did not identify. Israel's military said it was investigating, adding that "we emphasise that aerial defence is not hermetic". "A flash of light, a blow and we fell to the ground. Big mess, broken glasses all over the place," said Bar Katz, a resident of a damaged building. The Houthis' media office later reported airstrikes on Yemen's Houthi-held capital, Sanaa. US forces conducted airstrikes against a missile-storage facility and a command facility operated by the Houthis, the US Central Command said in a statement on X. The attack on Tel Aviv came after Israeli airstrikes on Sanaa and the port city of Hodeida killed at least nine people on Thursday. The strikes came hours after a missile from Yemen hit a school building in central Israel. The Houthis also claimed a drone strike targeting an unspecified military target in central Israel that day. Israel's military says the Iran-backed Houthis have launched more than 200 missiles and drones during the 14-month Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The Houthis have also attacked shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and say they will not stop until there is a ceasefire in Gaza. The Israeli strikes on Thursday caused "considerable damage" to the Houthi-controlled Red Sea ports, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. The Hodeida port has been key for food shipments into Yemen in its decade-long civil war. Israeli strikes in Gaza kill a dozen children Mourners in Gaza held funerals for 19 Palestinians -- 12 of them children -- killed in Israeli strikes on Friday and overnight. One strike hit a residential building in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing at least seven, including five children and one woman, and injuring 16 others, health officials said. In Gaza City, a strike on a house killed 12, including seven children and two women, according to Al-Ahli Hospital where the bodies were taken. One man cradled a tiny shroud-wrapped body as mourners gathered. Later on Saturday, al-Awda Hospital said an airstrike hit a house in Nuseirat and killed four people including two children, with 14 other people wounded. Israel's military said it was checking the report. And Saturday night, large explosions could be seen on the Gaza skyline. Five bodies arrived soon afterward at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. More than 45,200 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, when a Hamas attack in Israel killed about 1,200 people and triggered the war. Gaza's Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but has said more than half of the fatalities are women and children. Israel faces heavy international criticism over the unprecedented levels of civilian deaths in Gaza. It says it only targets militants and blames Hamas for civilian deaths because its fighters operate in residential areas. Northern Gaza hospital says it is told to evacuate The director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya in largely isolated northern Gaza said in an online message late on Saturday that Israel's military had told the facility to evacuate. Dr Husam Abu Safiyeh asserted that the intensive care unit, maternity ward and other departments were being targeted, and said evacuating would mean transferring 66 patients. Israel's military in response to questions said it was "not aware of any strikes in the area of the hospital at this time". There was no immediate response to questions about the reported evacuation order. Gaza's Health Ministry earlier reported continuous gunfire and Israeli shelling near the hospital, and it issued an urgent appeal for medical and food supplies to be delivered to the facility as Israel's military pressed its latest offensive. Safiyeh has said the facility faced "severe shortages" including of food and asserted that requests for essential medical supplies and ways to maintain oxygen, water and electricity systems "have largely gone unmet". Aid groups have said Israeli military operations and armed gangs have hindered their ability to distribute aid. The Israeli military organisation dealing with humanitarian affairs for Gaza said on Saturday it had led an operation delivering thousands of food packages, flour and water to the Beit Hanoun area in the north. A killing in Syria Iran on Saturday said unknown gunmen killed a local staffer of the Iranian Embassy in Syria in Damascus last Sunday, the official IRNA news agency said. Its report quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei as saying "terrorists" opened fire on Davood Bitaraf's car. It did not say what he did with the embassy. The shooting happened the day that opposition fighters took Damascus and ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad. Baghaei said Iran considers Syria's interim government responsible for finding and prosecuting those behind the killing. Iran had been a key Assad ally. 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 December,2024 09:41 AM IST | Tel Aviv | APPope Francis told Vatican bureaucrats on Saturday to stop speaking ill of one another, as he once again used his annual Christmas greetings to admonish the backstabbing and gossiping among his closest collaborators. A wheezing and congested sounding Francis, who just turned 88, urged the prelates instead to speak well of one another and undertake a humble examination of their own consciences in the Christmas holiday season. “A church community lives in joyful and fraternal harmony to the extent that its members walk in the life of humility, renouncing evil thinking and speaking ill of others,” Francis said. “Gossip is an evil that destroys social life, sickens people’s hearts and leads to nothing. The people say it very well: Gossip is zero.” 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 December,2024 07:55 AM IST | Rome | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
