The US has finalised its withdrawal from the World Health Organisation, one year after President Donald Trump announced America was ending its 78-year-old commitment, federal officials said Thursday. But it's hardly a clean break. The US owes more than USD 130 million to the global health agency, according to WHO. And Trump administration officials acknowledge that they haven't finished working out some issues, such as lost access to data from other countries that could give America an early warning of a new pandemic. The withdrawal will hurt the global response to new outbreaks and will hobble the ability of US scientists and pharmaceutical companies to develop vaccines and medicines against new threats, said Lawrence Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University. "In my opinion, it's the most ruinous presidential decision in my lifetime," he said. The WHO is the United Nations' specialised health agency and is mandated to coordinate the response to global health threats, such as outbreaks of mpox, Ebola and polio. It also provides technical assistance to poorer countries; helps distribute scarce vaccines, supplies and treatments; and sets guidelines for hundreds of health conditions, including mental health and cancer. Nearly every country in the world is a member. Trump cited COVID-19 in pulling US from WHO US officials helped lead the WHO's creation, and America has long been among the organisation's biggest donors, providing hundreds of millions of dollars and hundreds of staffers with specialised public health expertise. On average, the US pays USD 111 million a year in member dues to the WHO and roughly USD 570 million more in annual voluntary contributions, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. In an executive order issued right after taking office, Trump said the US was withdrawing from WHO due to the organisation's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic and other global health crises. He also cited the agency's "failure to adopt urgently needed reforms" and its "inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states." WHO, like other public health organisations, made costly mistakes during the pandemic, including at one point advising people against wearing masks. It also asserted that COVID-19 wasn't airborne, a stance it didn't officially reverse until 2024. Another Trump administration complaint: None of WHO's chief executives - there have been nine since the organisation was created in 1948 - have been Americans. Administration officials view that as unfair given how much the WHO relies on US financial contributions and on US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention personnel. Public health experts say US exit will hobble responses to threats Experts say the US exit could cripple numerous global health initiatives, including the effort to eradicate polio, maternal and child health programmes, and research to identify new viral threats. Dr. Ronald Nahass, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, called the US withdrawal "shortsighted and misguided" and "scientifically reckless."The US has ceased official participation in WHO-sponsored committees, leadership bodies, governance structures and technical working groups. That would seem to include the WHO group that assesses what flu strains are circulating and makes critical decisions about updating flu shots. It also signals the US is no longer participating in global flu information-sharing that guides vaccine decisions. Such disease intelligence has helped Americans be "at the front of the line" when new outbreaks occur and new vaccines and medicines are quickly needed to counteract them and save lives, Gostin said. Trump administration officials say they already have public health relationships with many countries and are working to ensure direct sharing of that kind of information, rather than having WHO serve as a middleman. But US officials did not give specifics about how many such arrangements are in place. Gostin, an expert on international public health treaties and collaborations, said it's unlikely the US will reach agreements with more than a couple dozen countries.Many emerging viruses are first spotted in China, but "is China going to sign a contract with the United States?" Gostin said. "Are countries in Africa going to do it? Are the countries Trump has slapped with a huge tariff going to send us their data? The claim is almost laughable." Gostin also believes Trump overstepped his authority in pulling out of WHO. The US joined the organisation through an act of Congress and it is supposed to take an act of Congress to withdraw, he argued. US still owes money, WHO says The US is legally required to give notice one year in advance of withdrawal - which it did - but also to pay any outstanding financial obligations. The US has not paid any of its dues for 2024 and 2025, leaving a balance of more than USD 133 million, according to WHO. An administration official denied that requirement Thursday, saying the US had no obligation to pay prior to withdrawing as a member. 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 January,2026 02:36 PM IST | New York | APPresident Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit seeking USD 5 billion (about Rs 41,500 crore) in damages against banking major JPMorgan Chase & Co and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jamie Dimon, alleging that the bank closed his accounts for political reasons after he left office in 2021. The lawsuit was filed on Thursday in a Miami-Dade County court in Florida. What is the case about? Trump alleges that JPMorgan abruptly shut multiple personal and business accounts in February 2021, giving only 60 days’ notice and providing no clear explanation. According to the lawsuit, the move cut Trump and his businesses off from millions of dollars, disrupted operations, and forced them to urgently seek banking services elsewhere. The President of the United States (US) has also accused the bank of placing him and his companies on an internal “reputational blacklist”, which he claims prevented other banks from doing business with him. The suit accuses JPMorgan of trade libel, and alleges that CEO Jamie Dimon violated Florida’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Why is this significant? The case brings renewed attention to the politically charged issue of “debanking”—when banks deny or withdraw services from customers due to perceived legal, regulatory, or reputational risks. Conservative politicians in the US have long argued that banks unfairly target them and allied businesses. Trump and others claim that financial institutions began cutting ties after the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, often citing “reputational risk”. Since returning to office, Trump’s administration has moved to restrict banks from using reputational risk as a justification for denying services. The lawsuit also comes amid heightened tensions between the White House and Wall Street, with Trump recently pushing to cap credit card interest rates at 10 per cent—a proposal strongly opposed by large banks, including JPMorgan. What does Trump allege? According to the court filing, Trump says he personally raised the issue with Jamie Dimon, who allegedly assured him that he would look into the matter but failed to follow up. The lawsuit claims the bank’s actions were politically motivated. “JPMC debanked (Trump and his businesses) because it believed that the political tide at the moment favoured doing so,” the lawsuit states. Trump’s lawyers further argued: “JPMC’s conduct is a key indicator of a systemic, subversive industry practice that aims to coerce the public to shift and re-align their political views.” What is JPMorgan’s response? JPMorgan Chase has rejected the allegations, saying the lawsuit is without merit. In a statement issued on Thursday, the bank said: “While we regret President Trump has sued us, we believe the suit has no merit.” The bank denied closing accounts for political reasons, adding: “Our company does not close accounts for political or religious reasons. We do close accounts because they create legal or regulatory risk for the company.” JPMorgan said regulatory expectations often force such decisions and expressed support for efforts to prevent what it called the “weaponisation of the banking sector.” What happens next? The case is expected to add pressure to an already strained relationship between the Trump administration and major US banks, while potentially shaping future debates around banking regulations, political neutrality, and access to financial services. The matter will now proceed through the Florida court system.
23 January,2026 02:04 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA trilateral meeting between US, Ukrainian and Russian officials is scheduled to be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday, signalling that efforts aimed at ending the war in Ukraine are intensifying. Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Zelenskyy said the two-day meeting will be held on Friday and Saturday. The announcement came as US President Donald Trump met Zelenskyy on the sidelines of WEF in Davos on Thursday. Trump said he had a good meeting with the Ukrainian President, but noted that there's still "a ways to go" toward ending Russia's war in Ukraine. "The war has to end," Trump said after the meeting. "We hope it's going to end. There are a lot of people being killed." "It's an ongoing process," Trump added. "Everybody wants to have the war end." Zelenskyy also described the meeting as "positive," adding that was "enough" to say about it. He said the "last mile" of negotiations "is very difficult." "During any dialogue with any president, I have to defend the interests of my country. That's why the dialogue is maybe, it's not simple," he said. "But it was today. It was positive." According to CNN, US envoy Steve Witkoff said negotiations to end Russia's war were "down to one issue," with a European official confirming it was related to territory. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy's remarks came after his WEF speech in which he criticised European leaders for what he described as inaction over the war in Ukraine, drawing a comparison with Europe's reaction in recent days on Greenland. Trump also spoke about developments regarding Greenland, saying negotiations currently give the US "total access" for defence. The report noted that Trump had earlier announced that a framework of a deal on Greenland had been formed, while ruling out military force and new tariffs on European nations opposing his ambitions. Earlier, Trump unveiled his "Board of Peace," with fewer than 20 countries attending the signing ceremony. Trump said he wants the board, tasked with rebuilding Gaza and resolving global conflicts, to work with the United Nations, even as he criticised the UN. Trump also described Gaza as a "beautiful piece of property" while speaking about reconstruction of the war-hit strip. 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 January,2026 12:59 PM IST | Davos (Switzerland) | ANIUkrainian, US and Russian officials will hold security talks in the United Arab Emirates on Friday, the Kremlin said, following a meeting of top US negotiators with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on a US-drafted plan to end the Ukraine war. Diplomatic efforts to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II have gained pace in recent months, though Moscow and Kyiv remain at odds over the key issue of territory in a post-war settlement. US negotiators, led by envoy Steve Witkoff, talked with the Russian leader in Moscow into the early hours of Friday, according to a Kremlin statement. Kremlin diplomatic adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters their discussions had been "useful in every respect". Witkoff and the US team are next flying to Abu Dhabi, where talks are expected to continue. A Russian delegation, headed by General Igor Kostyukov, director of Russia's GRU military intelligence agency, will also head there "in the coming hours", according to Ushakov. "It was agreed that the first meeting of a trilateral working group on security issues will take place today in Abu Dhabi," Ushakov added. "We are genuinely interested in resolving (the conflict) through political and diplomatic means," he said, but added: "Until that happens, Russia will continue to achieve its objectives... on the battlefield." Witkoff previously said he believed the two sides were "down to one issue", without elaborating. Video published by the Kremlin showed a smiling Putin shaking hands with Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and White House advisor Josh Gruenbaum. The high-stakes meeting came just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a draft deal was "nearly, nearly ready" and that he and Trump had agreed on the issue of post-war security guarantees. He also said the UK and France had already committed to forces on the ground. Russia, which occupies around 20 percent of Ukraine, is pushing for full control of the country's eastern Donbas region as part of a deal. But Kyiv has warned that ceding ground will embolden Moscow and says it will not sign a peace deal that fails to deter Russia from launching a renewed assault. Europe 'fragmented' The full details of the upcoming talks in the United Arab Emirates have not been released, and it is not clear whether the Russian and Ukrainian officials will meet face-to-face. Zelensky said these talks would last two days. Trump repeated on Wednesday his oft-stated belief that Putin and Zelensky were close to a deal. "I believe they're at a point now where they can come together and get a deal done. And if they don't, they're stupid -- that goes for both of them," he said after delivering a speech at Davos. Zelensky, at his address in Davos, blasted the EU's lack of "political will" in countering Putin in a fiery address. "Instead of becoming a truly global power, Europe remains a beautiful but fragmented kaleidoscope of small and middle powers," he said. Trump's dramatic foreign policy pivots including a recent bid to take over Greenland. An autonomous Danish territory has stirred worries in Europe about whether Washington can be trusted as a reliable security partner. In his speech, Zelensky criticised Europe for pinning hopes on the United States defending them in case of aggression. "Europe looks lost trying to convince the US President to change," Zelensky said. Russian strikes this week have left most of Kyiv without electricity, with residents of 4,000 buildings without heat in sub-zero temperatures. Russia, which launched its Ukraine offensive in February 2022, says its strikes are aimed at energy infrastructure fuelling Ukraine's "military-industrial complex". Kyiv says the strikes are a war crime designed to wear down its civilian population into submission. 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 January,2026 12:26 PM IST | Moscow, Russia | AFPSpanish investigators on Thursday found two more bodies in the wreckage of a high-speed train involved in a devastating collision last weekend, later confirming the final death toll as 45. The CID, the official body handling data following Sunday's crash, confirmed the final toll in a statement on Thursday evening. An Andalusia emergency services spokesman had earlier told AFP two bodies had been recovered from the train operated by state company Renfe, which smashed into another service by private firm Iryo that had derailed and crossed onto its track. The collision, which also injured over 120 people, was followed by more rail accidents just days later. The incidents have raised doubts about the safety of train travel in Spain, the European Union's fourth-largest economy and a top tourist destination boasting the world's second-largest high-speed network. Spain observed three days of national mourning after Sunday's collision involving two high-speed trains in the southern region of Andalusia -- the country's deadliest rail accident in more than a decade. Rescuers found the last two bodies after conducting a "more thorough" search of two carriages "in a severely deteriorated condition", the head of the Civil Guard's investigative unit, Fernando Dominguez, told journalists. Of the 45 people killed, all are Spanish apart from three women from Morocco, Russia and Germany, according to the CID. Spain is searching for answers to what the transport minister has called an "extremely strange" disaster, which happened on a recently renovated stretch of straight, flat track and involved a modern Iryo train. Train driver strike called On Tuesday, a train driver died and 37 people were injured when a commuter service hit a retaining wall that fell onto the tracks near Barcelona in the northeastern region of Catalonia. The second accident was thought to have been a consequence of recent heavy rainfall. It prompted the suspension on Wednesday of all of the wealthy region's main Rodalies commuter network, used by hundreds of thousands of people, while safety checks were carried out. Rodalies services were expected to resume on Thursday but remained suspended as only six of 140 drivers reported for work, said Catalan regional government spokeswoman Silvia Paneque. Service will resume after inspections involving the drivers, she said, with no date set. The secretary general of the Semaf train driver union, Diego Martin Fernandez, told RAC 1 radio that a thorough review of infrastructure had been agreed but that "the procedure had not been respected". "To restore confidence that the infrastructure meets safety conditions, we need guarantees," he said, denouncing fresh landslips on the lines. Semaf has called a national strike for February 9 to 11, denouncing repeated safety failings. Transport Minister Oscar Puente vowed to negotiate to have the strike called off and said the two tragedies were unrelated, defending the public transport system. The list of incidents grew on Thursday after a commuter train in the southeastern region of Murcia hit a crane mounted on a truck, causing six light injuries. Murcia emergency services said the victims were taken to hospital after the accident in the municipality of Alumbres, where the train did not derail. The mayor of the nearby city of Cartagena, Noelia Arroyo, wrote on social media that the electricity company truck was working on cables belonging to a building next to the track. 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 January,2026 12:26 PM IST | Madrid, Spain | AFPFrench President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said that the French Navy had boarded a Russia-linked oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea, asserting that France would not tolerate "any violation" of international law. Macron said the tanker was subject to international sanctions and was suspected of operating as part of Moscow's so-called "shadow fleet," suspected of flying a false flag. In a post on X, Macron wrote, "We will not tolerate any violation. This morning, the French Navy boarded an oil tanker coming from Russia, subject to international sanctions and suspected of flying a false flag. The operation was conducted on the high seas in the Mediterranean, with the support of several of our allies. It was carried out in strict compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. A judicial investigation has been opened. The vessel has been diverted. We are determined to uphold international law and to ensure the effective enforcement of sanctions. The activities of the "shadow fleet" contribute to financing the war of aggression against Ukraine. According to France 24, Local maritime authorities stated that the navy seized an oil tanker called "Grinch" between Spain and Morocco after it set sail from the Russian Arctic port of Murmansk. A ship named "Grinch" is under United Kingdom (UK) sanctions, while another called "Carl" with the same registration number is sanctioned by the United States and the European Union. Ship-tracking websites, marinetraffic and vesselfinder, said the vessel had been flying a Comoros flag, France 24 said. We will not tolerate any violation.This morning, the French Navy boarded an oil tanker coming from Russia, subject to international sanctions and suspected of flying a false flag.The operation was conducted on the high seas in the Mediterranean,… pic.twitter.com/zhXVdzPx1r — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 22, 2026 Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the French action, thanking Macron for what he described as a strong and necessary step to curb Russia's war financing. Thank you, France! Thank you, @EmmanuelMacron! This is exactly the kind of resolve needed to ensure that Russian oil no longer finances Russia’s war. Russian tankers operating near European shores must be stopped. Sanctions against the entire infrastructure of the shadow fleet… https://t.co/6t0DbJ9xS1 — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 22, 2026 In a post on X, Zelensky respond, "Thank you, France! Thank you, @EmmanuelMacron! This is exactly the kind of resolve needed to ensure that Russian oil no longer finances Russia's war. Russian tankers operating near European shores must be stopped. Sanctions against the entire infrastructure of the shadow fleet must be tough. Vessels must be apprehended. And wouldn't it be fair to confiscate and sell the oil carried by these tankers?" According to France 24, in late September, French authorities detained a Russian-linked ship called the Boracay, a vessel claiming to be flagged in Benin, in a move Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned as "piracy".
23 January,2026 09:43 AM IST | Paris | ANIUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blasted his European allies Thursday for what he portrayed as the continent's slow, fragmented and inadequate response to Russia's invasion nearly four years ago and its continued international aggression. Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Zelenskyy listed a litany of grievances and criticisms of Europe that he said have left Ukraine at the mercy of Russian President Vladimir Putin amid an ongoing US push for a peace settlement. "Europe looks lost," Zelenskyy said in his speech, urging the continent to become a global force. He contrasted Europe's response with Washington's bold steps in Venezuela and Iran. The former comic actor referred to the movie "Groundhog Day," in which the main character must relive the same day over and over again. "Just last year, here in Davos, I ended my speech with the words: Europe needs to know how to defend itself. A year has passed. And nothing has changed. We are still in a situation where I must say the same words again," Zelenskyy said. He said that Ukrainians, too, seem caught in that reality in the war, "repeating the same thing for weeks, months and, of course, for years. And yet that is exactly how we live now. It's our life." A meeting with Trump His speech came after he met behind closed doors for about an hour in Davos with US President Donald Trump, who described the talks as "very good." Zelenskyy called them "productive and meaningful." European countries, which see their own future defence at stake in the war on its eastern flank, have provided financial, military and humanitarian support for Kyiv, but not all members of the 27-nation European Union are helping. Ukraine also has been frustrated by political disagreements within Europe over how to deal with Russia, as well as the bloc's at times slow-moving responses. Russia's bigger army has managed to capture about 20 per cent of Ukraine since hostilities began in 2014 and its full-scale invasion of 2022. But the battlefield gains along the roughly 1,000-kilometre (600-mile) front line have been costly for Moscow, and the Russian economy is feeling the consequences of the war and international sanctions. Ukraine is short of money and, despite significantly boosting its own arms manufacturing, still needs Western weaponry. It is also short-handed on the front line. Its defence minister last week reported some 200,000 troop desertions and draft-dodging by about 2 million Ukrainians. Zelenskyy is also striving to keep the world's attention focused on Ukraine despite other conflicts. Zelenskyy cites inaction on key decisions He chided Europe for being slow to act on key decisions, spending too little on defence, failing to stop Russia's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers that are breaking international sanctions, and balking at using its frozen assets in Europe to finance Ukraine, among other things. Europe, he said, "still feels more like a geography, history, a tradition, not a real political force, not a great power." "Some Europeans are really strong, it's true, but many say we must stand strong, and they always want someone else to tell them how long they need to stand strong, preferably until the next election," he said. The Trump administration is pushing for a peace settlement, with its envoys shuttling between Kyiv and Moscow in a flurry of negotiations that some worry could force Ukraine into an unfavourable deal. A meeting in Moscow Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow late Thursday and sat down for more talks with Putin, the Kremlin said. One major issue remains to be resolved in negotiations, Witkoff said at Davos, without saying what it was. Zelenskyy said the future status of land in eastern Ukraine currently occupied by Russia is unresolved but that peace proposals are "nearly ready." Postwar security guarantees, should a deal be reached, are agreed between the US and Ukraine, although they would require each country's ratification, he said. Zelenskyy said two days of trilateral meetings involving the US, Ukraine and Russia are due to begin Friday in the United Arab Emirates. "Russians have to be ready for compromises because, you know, everybody has to be ready, not only Ukraine, and this is important for us," he said. Trump and Zelenskyy have had a fraught relationship, and the American president has at times also rebuked Putin. Zelenskyy said he thanked Trump for providing US-made Patriot air defence systems that can help stop Russian missiles that are repeatedly hitting Ukraine's power grid, causing hardship for civilians denied light, heating and running water. He said he asked Trump for more of them. After Trump cut support for Ukraine, other NATO countries began buying weapons from the US to donate to Kyiv under a special financial arrangement. 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 January,2026 08:55 AM IST | Davos | APTikTok has finalized a deal to create a new American version of the app, avoiding the looming threat of a ban in the US that has been in discussion for years. The social video platform company signed agreements with major investors including Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX to form the new TikTok US joint venture. The new app will operate under "defined safeguards that protect national security through comprehensive data protections, algorithm security, content moderation and software assurances for US users," the company said in a statement Thursday. Adam Presser, who previously worked as TikTok's head of operations and trust and safety, will lead the new venture as its CEO. He will work alongside a seven-member, majority-American board of directors that includes TikTok's CEO Shou Chew. The deal marks the end of years of uncertainty about the fate of the popular video-sharing platform in the United States. After wide bipartisan majorities in Congress passed - and President Joe Biden signed - a law that would ban TikTok in the US if it did not find a new owner in the place of China's ByteDance, the platform was set to go dark on the law's January 2025 deadline. For a several hours, it did. But on his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to keep it running while his administration sought an agreement for the sale of the company. 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 January,2026 08:43 AM IST | Washington | APScientists have discovered that a microscopic parasitic worm can propel itself astonishing distances through the air by using static electricity. The worm is capable of jumping as high as 25 times its own body length to latch onto flying insects. “We’ve identified the electrostatic mechanism this worm uses to hit its target, and we’ve shown the importance of this mechanism for the worm’s survival. Higher voltage, combined with a tiny breath of wind, greatly boosts the odds of a jumping worm connecting to a flying insect,” said a researcher. 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 January,2026 08:36 AM IST | Berkeley | AgenciesAhead of talks with US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed readiness to part with the frozen Russian assets for rebuilding war-torn Ukraine after a peace deal struck between the two former Soviet republics. In his televised remarks at the meeting of the Russian Security Council late on Wednesday night, Putin also announced to donate $1 billion to the Trump-promoted Board of Peace to oversee the Gaza ceasefire plan from the frozen assets. “Incidentally, the remaining funds from our frozen assets in the US could be used to rebuild territories damaged by the fighting after a peace treaty is concluded between Russia and Ukraine. We are also discussing this possibility with representatives of the US administration,” he 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
23 January,2026 08:33 AM IST | Moscow | AgenciesHandprints on cave walls in a largely unexplored area of Indonesia may be the oldest rock art studied so far, dating back to at least 67,800 years ago. The tan-coloured prints analysed by Indonesian and Australian researchers on the island of Sulawesi were made by blowing pigment over hands placed against the cave walls, leaving an outline. Some of the fingertips were also tweaked to look more pointed. This prehistoric art form suggests the Indonesian island was home to a flourishing artistic culture. Indonesia is known to host some of the world’s earliest cave drawings. The new art from southeastern Sulawesi is the oldest to be found on cave walls. The stencils also represent a more complex tradition of rock art that could have been a shared cultural practice. 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 January,2026 08:29 AM IST | Jakarta | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
-1769158479832_d.png?tr=w-436,h-271 "The Trump administration justified the withdrawal by citing WHO’s handling of COVID-19, perceived political biases, and failure to implement reforms. File Pic")
-1769152423304_d.png "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. File Pic")
-1769149173875_d.png "Putin welcomes US envoy Witkoff and Kushner at the Kremlin, Moscow, Jan 22, 2026. PIC/AFP")
-1769150739194_d.png "A high-speed Iryo train derailed and hit another train on 20th Jan, in Adamuz, southern Spain. PIC/AFP")
