The death toll from a crackdown on protests in Iran jumps to at least 2,571, activists said early Wednesday. The figure came from the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in multiple rounds of unrest in Iran in recent years. The activist group said 2,403 of the dead were protesters and 147 were government-affiliated. Twelve children were killed, along with nine civilians it said were not taking part in protests. More than 18,100 people have been detained, the group said. With the internet down in Iran, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran's government has not offered overall casualty figures. That death toll dwarfs the death toll from any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. 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
14 January,2026 08:22 AM IST | Dubai | APUS President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) said that the country is working "very well" with Venezuelan authorities as Caracas prepares to send millions of barrels of oil to American refineries. Trump asserted that his administration is working closely with Caracas and claimed that large volumes of Venezuelan oil are already entering the United States as part of the engagement. Speaking at the Detroit Economic Club, Trump said, "I'm Venezuela's biggest fan. We're working with them. They came down from a very high number to a disaster." The US President informed that Venezuela has begun supplying oil to the United States. Trump said the arrangement would have a direct impact on global energy markets, asserting that increased supply would help lower prices. "We are bringing Venezuela back, and we are going to be great for Venezuela, great for our country. We're taking in millions and millions of barrels of oil, and now they are coming in initially on a daily basis, 50 million, and values of over $5 billion. We will get oil prices down even further," he said. Sharing the success of his military action, Trump added, "It's an incredible feeling. Winning is a good thing." Trump's remarks came after the United States on January 3, launched military action in Venezuela and captured Venezuela's then-president, Nicolas Maduro. Earlier on Sunday, Trump also spoke with the interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, saying, "She's been very good. She asked us if we could take 50 million barrels of oil, and I said yes, we can, it is worth USD 4.2 billion, and it is on its way right now to the United States." 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
14 January,2026 08:06 AM IST | Washington | ANIPresident Donald Trump has once again drawn his go-to diplomatic weapon ' tariffs, this time to coerce the Iranian government to end its bloody crackdown on nationwide protests. Trump said in a social media post on Monday he would impose a 25% tax on imports to the United States from countries that do business with Iran. The sanctions could hurt the Islamic Republic by reducing its access to foreign goods and driving up prices, which would likely inflame tensions in a country where inflation is running above 40%. But the tariffs could create blowback for the United States, too, potentially raising the prices Americans pay for imports from Iranian trade partners such as Turkish textiles and Indian gemstones and threatening an uneasy trade truce Trump reached last year with China. The death toll from protests in Iran surpassed 2,000 people on Tuesday, activists said, as the hard-line Islamist government attempts to tamp down dissent against economic hardship and political repression. The Trump administration has offered scant details since announcing the new tariffs targeting Iran. For instance, the White House has not said whether the taxes would be stacked on top of double-digit levies Trump imposed last year on almost every country on earth. Or whether he would exempt some energy imports as he has in the past. It's also unclear what legal authority the president is relying on to impose the import taxes. He invoked the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to justify his most sweeping tariffs last year. But businesses and several states have gone to court arguing that Trump overstepped his authority in doing so. The Supreme Court is hearing the case and could throw out Trump's tariffs and force him to send refunds to the U.S. importers that paid them. Years of sanctions aimed at stopping Iran's nuclear program have left the country isolated. But it still did nearly $125 billion in international trade in 2024, including $32 billion with China, $28 billion with the United Arab Emirates and $17 billion with Turkey, according to the World Trade Organisation. Iran bought more than $6 billion worth of imports from the European Union that year. Russia and India also do considerable business with Iran. Energy dominates Iran's exports. Its top imports include gold, grain and smartphones. Trump's attempt to pressure Iran is likely to cause collateral damage. Most prominently, his tariffs could upend his attempts to maintain a trade peace with China. Last spring, the United States and China hammered each other with triple-digit tariffs, threatening to end trade between the world's two biggest economies and briefly panicking global financial markets. The two countries spent the rest of year trying to deescalate their trade conflict, reaching a truce in October that reined in tariffs, ended China's boycott of American soybeans and eased its restrictions on exports of rare-earth minerals and technologies critical for fighter jets, robots and other products. The new tariffs, aimed at punishing Iran, would hit China because of its trade ties with Tehran. 'President Trump's threat to increase tariffs by 25% against China and other trading partners due to developments in Iran underscores just how fragile the US-China trade truce is,' said former US trade negotiator Wendy Cutler, now senior vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute. "Even if he does not actually implement the tariff hike, damage has already been done. This threat erodes trust between the US and China which is already at a low level." Adnan Mazarei, a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, doubts that the tariffs would persuade the Iranian government to ease its crackdown on protesters. 'I do not think this is going to be very successful," said Mazarei, a former deputy director of the International Monetary Fund with crisis-fighting experience in the Middle East. "They will not for this alone change their views or their practices. It is a repressive regime, and it is willing to pay a high cost in terms of people's blood to stay in power." 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
14 January,2026 07:57 AM IST | Washington | APPresident Donald Trump was consulting with his national security team Tuesday about next steps with Iran as he looked to get a better understanding of the number of Iranian citizens who have been killed and arrested in more than two weeks of unrest throughout the country. Trump said he believes that the killing is 'significant' and that his administration would 'act accordingly.' He added that he believed the Iranian government was 'badly misbehaving.' But the president said he has yet to receive a confirmed number of Iranians killed in the protests that began late last month, saying he has heard 'five different sets of numbers' about the death toll. Since the protests began on Dec 28, 16,700 people have been arrested and more than 2,000 have been killed, the vast majority protesters, according to Human Rights Activists News Agency. The organization relies on a network of activists inside Iran that confirms all reported fatalities. 'The message is they've got to show humanity,' Trump said of the Iranian government. 'They've got a big problem. And I hope they're not going to be killing people.' The comments came after Trump earlier in the day announced he was cutting off the prospect of talks with Iranian officials amid a protest crackdown, telling Iranian citizens 'help is on its way.' Trump did not offer any details about what the help would entail, but it comes after the Republican president just two days ago said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic. But Trump appeared to make an abrupt shift about his willingness to engage with the Iranian government. 'Iranian Patriots, keep protesting and take over your institutions if you can,' Trump said in speech Tuesday at an auto factory in Michigan. 'Save the names of the killers and abusers that are abusing you. You are being very badly abused." Iranian state media has aired at least 97 confessions from protesters, many expressing remorse for their actions, since the protests began, according to a rights group that is tracking the videos. Iran alleges these confessions, which often include references to Israel or America, are proof of foreign plots behind Iran's nationwide protests. Activists say they are coerced confessions, long a staple of Iran's hard-line state television, the only broadcaster in the country. And these videos are coming at an unprecedented clip. Trump, in an exchange with reporters during the factory visit, demurred when asked what kind of help he would provide. 'You're going to have to figure that one out,' he said. The US president has repeatedly threatened Tehran with military action if his administration found the Islamic Republic was using deadly force against anti-government protesters. Trump on Sunday told reporters he believed Iran is 'starting to cross' that line and has left him and his national security team weighing 'very strong options' even as he said the Iranians had made outreach efforts to the US. And on Monday, the president's team offered guarded hope that a diplomatic solution could still be found. But on Monday, Trump said he would slap 25% tariffs on countries doing business with Tehran 'effective immediately,' but the White House has not provided details on that move. China, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Brazil and Russia are among economies that do business with Tehran. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and key White House National Security Council officials began meeting Friday to develop options for Trump, ranging from a diplomatic approach to military strikes. 'We don't want to see people killed and we want to see a little bit of freedom for these people," Trump said. "These people have been living in hell for a long time.' Iran, through the country's parliamentary speaker, has warned that the US military and Israel would be 'legitimate targets' if Washington uses force to protect demonstrators. Trump said he was undeterred by threats of Iranian retaliation. 'Iran said that the last time I blew them up,' said Trump, referring to threats from the government ahead of US military strikes in June on key Iranian nuclear facilities. 'They better behave.' More than 600 protests have taken place across all of Iran's 31 provinces, the Human Rights Activists News Agency reported Tuesday. The activist group said 1,850 of the dead were protesters and 135 were government-affiliated. It said more than 16,700 people had been detained. Understanding the scale of the protests has been difficult. Iranian state media has provided little information about the demonstrations. Online videos offer only brief, shaky glimpses of people in the streets or the sound of gunfire. Trump's push on the Iranian government to end the crackdown comes as he is dealing with a series of other foreign policy emergencies around the globe. It's been more than a week since the US military launched a successful raid to arrest Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro and remove him from power. The US continues to mass an unusually large number of troops in the Caribbean Sea. Trump is also focused on trying to get Israel and Hamas onto the second phase of a peace deal in Gaza and broker an agreement between Russia and Ukraine to end the nearly four-year war in Eastern Europe. But advocates urging Trump to take strong action against Iran say this moment offers an opportunity to further diminish the theocratic government that's ruled the country since the Islamic revolution in 1979. The demonstrations are the biggest Iran has seen in years ' protests spurred by the collapse of Iranian currency that have morphed into a larger test of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's repressive rule. 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
14 January,2026 07:52 AM IST | Washington | AP1X Technologies says an AI update — 1X World Model — for its humanoid robot NEO allows it to turn voice or text prompts into new physical skills, even in situations it has never encountered before. Instead of relying only on pre-programmed behaviors or volumes of human-operated data, NEO can now learn from internet-scale videos and apply that knowledge to the physical world. By learning from videos that captures how humans interact with objects, it can generalise its behavior across unfamiliar environments and tasks. This enables transfer of digital intelligence into reliable physical action. 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
14 January,2026 06:55 AM IST | Beijing | AgenciesA US research team is developing a functional 3D bioprinted liver. The project, titled Liver Immunocompetent Volumetric Engineering (LIVE), aims to address the shortage of donor organs by developing a temporary liver that buys time for the patient’s own organ to heal, ultimately bypassing the need for a full transplant. The liver is the only organ capable of complete regeneration over time. The LIVE team is using FRESH 3D bioprinting, a proprietary technique that enables researchers to print soft, delicate biological materials, such as collagen and human stem cells, into complex structures. The team believes this is the blueprint for the future of healthcare, ultimately leading to bioengineered hearts, pancreas, and other organs. 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
14 January,2026 06:52 AM IST | Philadelphia | AgenciesMinnesota was tense on Tuesday, a day after federal immigration agents used tear gas to break up crowds of activists, and state and local leaders sued the Trump administration to fight the enforcement surge that led to the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman. The suit filed says the Department of Homeland Security is violating the First Amendment and other constitutional protections. Confrontations between federal agents and protesters stretched throughout the day and across multiple cities on Monday. Agents fired tear gas in Minneapolis as a crowd gathered around immigration officers questioning a man, while hundreds protested in St Cloud. Clashes also erupted near the building being used as a base for the crackdown. 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
14 January,2026 06:49 AM IST | Minneapolis | AgenciesFrench farmers steered over 350 tractors on Tuesday over cobblestoned Paris avenues toward Parliament to protest low incomes and an EU trade deal with South America that they fear threatens their livelihoods. Escorted by police, the tractors tangled rush-hour traffic as they rumbled down the Champs-Elysees and other Paris avenues, and then over the Seine River to reach the National Assembly. Farmer anger in France and other European countries has escalated over a rash of challenges. The unions leading Tuesday's protests said they are demanding concrete and immediate action to defend France's food security. 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
14 January,2026 06:45 AM IST | Paris | AgenciesThe death toll from nationwide protests in Iran spiked Tuesday to at least 2,000 people killed, activists said. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years, gave the latest toll. It relies on supporters in Iran cross-checking information. The group said 1,847 of the dead over more than two weeks of protests were protesters and 135 were government-affiliated. Another nine children were killed, and nine civilians it said were not taking part in protests also were killed. With the internet down in Iran, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran's government hasn't offered overall casualty figures. 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.
13 January,2026 08:52 PM IST | Dubai | APCivil unrest in Iran has started impacting India's basmati rice exports to the country, leading to a sharp fall in domestic prices, as exporters face payment delays and mounting uncertainties, an industry body said on Tuesday. The Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF) urged exporters to re-assess risks on Iranian contracts and adopt secured payment mechanisms, warning against over-leveraging inventories meant for the Iranian market. India exported USD 468.10 million worth of basmati rice to Iran during April-November of 2025-26 fiscal, totalling 5.99 lakh tonnes, trade data showed. Iran is India's top basmati rice export destination, but the current financial year has seen growing stress on order flows, payment cycles, and shipment schedules due to the prevailing instability. The impact is now clearly visible in domestic mandis. Over the past week alone, prices of key basmati varieties have registered a steep decline, reflecting buyer hesitation, delayed contracts and heightened risk perception among exporters. The domestic price of basmati rice variety 1121 has come down to Rs 80 per kg from Rs 85 per kg last week, while varieties 1509 and 1718 declined to Rs 65 per kg from Rs 70 per kg. "Iran has historically been a pillar market for Indian basmati. However, the current internal turmoil has disrupted trade channels, slowed payments and dented buyer confidence," IREF National President Prem Garg said in a statement. He said exporters must exercise heightened caution, particularly with respect to credit exposure and shipment timelines. Importers have conveyed their inability to honour existing commitments and remit payments to India, creating uncertainty for exporters, the federation said. IREF has issued an advisory and appealed to stakeholders to diversify into alternative markets across West Asia, Africa and Europe to cushion any prolonged slowdown in Iran-bound shipments. "We are not sounding an alarm, but urging prudence. In periods of geopolitical and internal instability, trade is often the first casualty. A calibrated approach is essential to protect both exporters and farmers," Garg noted. US tariff concerns The federation also addressed concerns over the recent remarks by US President Donald Trump, indicating that countries continuing trade with Iran may face a 25 per cent tariff, IREF clarified that Indian rice exports to the US are already subject to a 50 per cent tariff, up from 10 per cent earlier. Despite this, Indian rice exports to the US have remained resilient. India exported 2,40,518 tonnes of Basmati and non-Basmati rice to the US during April-November 2025-26, compared to 2,35,554 tonnes in the entire 2024-25 fiscal. The US is the 10th largest market for Indian rice globally and the fourth largest for Basmat rice. "There is limited clarity on whether the proposed 25 per cent tariff would be levied over and above the existing 50 per cent duty," the federation noted, adding that it does not foresee a significant decline in exports even if tariffs rise further, given the unique position of Indian Basmati in global markets. However, IREF expressed greater concern over developments in Iran, where disruptions in local markets have affected trade settlements. Importers have conveyed their inability to honour commitments and remit payments to India, creating heightened uncertainty. While similar crises have occurred in the past, the trajectory of the current situation remains unclear and is expected to cause further disturbances in prices, liquidity, and trade sentiment in the weeks ahead, the federation 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.
13 January,2026 07:24 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIErfan Soltani, a 26-year-old resident of Fardis in Karaj, a suburb west of Tehran, has emerged as a grim symbol of Iran’s ongoing anti-Khamenei protests, as he is reportedly set to become the first protester to be executed by hanging since the latest wave of nationwide demonstrations began. Soltani was arrested on January 8 for allegedly participating in protests against Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. What initially began as demonstrations driven by economic hardship has since escalated into widespread unrest openly challenging the Iranian leadership. According to human rights groups and media reports cited by India Today, Soltani has been sentenced to death, with his execution scheduled for Wednesday, January 14. His family was reportedly informed of the sentence on January 11 and was permitted only a brief 10-minute meeting with him after the verdict was delivered. Alleged denial of legal rights Reports suggest that Soltani has been denied basic legal protections since his arrest. According to Israel- and US-based outlet Jfeed, he was not given access to a lawyer, nor the opportunity to mount a proper defence. His family was allegedly kept unaware of key details of the case, including which authority arrested him and how the proceedings were conducted. The Hengaw Organisation, a human rights group monitoring developments in Iran, reported that Soltani’s case may indicate a shift toward fast-track executions by Iranian authorities, aimed at deterring further protests. Protests and rising repression Iran has witnessed weeks of unrest since early January, sparked by severe economic distress, a sharp decline in the value of the Iranian rial, and soaring inflation. The protests began in Tehran’s bazaars before spreading rapidly to other cities, drawing in shopkeepers, students, and ordinary citizens demanding economic relief and political accountability. While an estimated 600 people have reportedly been killed during the protests, most deaths have occurred through shootings. If carried out, Soltani’s execution would mark the first reported hanging linked to the current wave of demonstrations, intensifying international concern over Iran’s crackdown on dissent. As protests continue and repression deepens, Erfan Soltani’s case has come to represent the escalating risks faced by ordinary Iranians who take to the streets in opposition to the regime.
13 January,2026 12:17 PM IST | Iran | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
-1768302311903_d.png "India exported USD 468.10 million worth of basmati rice to Iran in April-November 2025-26 fiscal. Representational Image")
