Indian Ambassador to the United States Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Thursday hosted 12 Members of the US House of Representatives at India House, holding discussions on strengthening the India-US partnership across trade, technology, defence and security cooperation. Calling it “a special evening at India House,” Kwatra said he welcomed the “consistent, bipartisan support in the US Congress for the deepening India-US partnership.” The interaction covered wide-ranging areas including trade and economic ties, cutting-edge technology and innovation, robust defence cooperation and counterterrorism efforts. Highlighting India’s economic outlook, Kwatra noted that the country’s “strong economic growth, projected over 7 percent growth in the coming years — further strengthens this shared vision for prosperity and security. Kwatra shared some glimpses of his interaction with the representatives Sharing glimpses of the engagement on X, the ambassador said he welcomed Deborah Ross and Rob Wittman, co-chairs of the Congressional Study Group on India. The initiative, he said, aims to augment India’s engagement with the US House and Senate and is supported by the Association of Former Members of Congress and the Roundglass Foundation. Kwatra also acknowledged the participation of Jim Costa, Bill Huizenga, Ami Bera and Donald Norcross, saying he appreciated their perspectives on various aspects of the bilateral relationship. He further welcomed the support of Ron Estes, Chrissy Houlahan and Jay Obernolte, noting their guidance in strengthening the partnership between the two democracies.Referring to the newly elected lawmakers, Kwatra said he “valued the constructive exchanges on key pillars of bilateral cooperation” with members of the 119th Congress — Nathaniel Moran, Julie Johnson and Jefferson Shreve. Earlier in the day, the Indian envoy also met US Senator Steve Daines at India House. Sharing details of the meeting, Kwatra said, “Honored to welcome and host Senator Steve Daines at India House. We discussed various facets of our bilateral partnership including developments in trade, technology and innovation and the evolving global landscape.” He added that he deeply appreciated the senator’s insights and “strong support to the bilateral relationship,” underscoring the growing momentum in India-US ties. With ANI Inputs
16 January,2026 12:22 PM IST | Washington DC (US) | mid-day online correspondentUS President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) announced the formation of a "Board of Peace" as part of phase two of his 20-point peace plan to end the Gaza conflict, shifting the focus from ceasefire to demilitarisation, technocratic governance, and reconstruction. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the United States has "officially entered the next phase" of the Gaza peace plan following what he described as record levels of humanitarian aid delivered during the ceasefire period. "Since the ceasefire, my team has helped deliver record levels of humanitarian aid to Gaza, reaching civilians at historic speed and scale. Even the United Nations has acknowledged this achievement as unprecedented," Trump said. Trump said he would serve as Chairman of the newly created Board of Peace, which will back a Palestinian technocratic government, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), to govern the territory during its transition period. "As Chairman of the Board of Peace, I am backing a newly appointed Palestinian Technocratic Government, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, supported by the Board's High Representative, to govern Gaza during its transition," he said, adding that the leadership is committed to a peaceful future. According to Trump's post, with the support of Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar, the next phase will aim to secure a comprehensive demilitarisation agreement with Hamas, including the surrender of all weapons and the dismantling of all tunnels. "Hamas must IMMEDIATELY honor its commitments, including the return of the final body to Israel, and proceed without delay to full Demilitarization," Trump said, warning that the group could do so "the easy way, or the hard way." "The people of Gaza have suffered long enough. The time is NOW. PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH," Trump added. This comes after US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, in a post on X on Wednesday, formally announced the launch of Phase Two on behalf of the US President. "Phase Two establishes a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), and begins the full demilitarisation and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily the disarmament of all unauthorised personnel," Witkoff said. He added that the United States expects Hamas to fully comply with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage, warning that failure to do so would result in "serious consequences". Witkoff said Phase One of the plan had maintained the ceasefire, facilitated the return of all living hostages, and enabled the recovery of the remains of 27 of the 28 deceased hostages, while delivering humanitarian aid at an unprecedented scale. He also expressed gratitude to Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar for their mediation efforts, calling them "indispensable" to the progress achieved so far. The US-backed Gaza peace plan was implemented on October 10, 2025, resulting in the return of all hostages held by Hamas and bringing an end to the conflict in the embattled 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.
16 January,2026 11:05 AM IST | Washington DC (US) | ANIWhite House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday (local time) said that the US President Donald Trump and his team were "closely monitoring the situation in Iran. Addressing a press briefing, White House Press Secretary said, "all options remain on the table for the President". "The President and his team have communicated to the Iranian regime that if the killing continues, there will be grave consequences. The President understands today that 800 executions that were scheduled and supposed to take place yesterday were halted. The President and his team are closely monitoring this situation, and all options remain on the table for the President," the White House Press Secretary said. Meanwhile, US Senator Lindsey Graham alleged that "ayatollah's regime has American blood on its hands" and are "slaughtering people in the streets". Referring to a media report, the US Senator said, "All the headlines suggesting that our so-called Arab allies have intervened on behalf of Iran to avoid decisive military action by President Trump are beyond disturbing. The ayatollah's regime has American blood on its hands. They are slaughtering people in the streets." Graham further said, "If it is accurate that the Arab response is "action is not necessary against Iran" given this current outrageous slaughter of innocent people, then there will be a dramatic rethinking on my part regarding the nature of the alliances now and in the future," he added in his post. This development comes amid ongoing protests in Iran over rising living costs, with authorities imposing internet restrictions. Trump had previously threatened to intervene but said on Wednesday that killings of protesters had stopped, and he'd "watch and see" about military action. Times of Israel reported that the clashes between protesters and security forces have resulted in an estimated death toll ranging from under 3,000 to over 12,000. 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
16 January,2026 09:01 AM IST | Washington | ANIThe United States and Taiwan reached a trade deal on Thursday that cuts tariffs on Taiwanese goods in exchange for USD 250 billion in new investments in the US tech industry. The deal is the latest President Donald Trump has struck ' such as those with the European Union and Japan ' since he unveiled a sweeping tariff plan last April to address trade imbalances. Trump also has a one-year trade truce with China to stabilise ties with the world's second largest economy. Trump initially set the tariff at 32 per cent on Taiwanese goods but later changed it to 20 per cent. The new agreement slashes the tariff rate to 15 per cent, the same as levied on other US trading partners in the Asia-Pacific region such as Japan and South Korea. In a statement, the US Department of Commerce said the deal with Taiwan would establish an 'economic partnership' to create several 'world-class' US-based industrial parks in order to help build up domestic production. The department described it as "a historic trade deal that will drive a massive reshoring of America's semiconductor sector.' The Taiwanese government affirmed key details in the deal in a statement, saying that the 'Taiwan model" will go to the US and help expand the global competitiveness of the island's technology industry while deepening strategic cooperation between the two nations. Taiwan's executive branch said the island's companies would specifically invest USD 250 billion in industries such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence applications and energy. In addition to cutting the tariffs on the island nation, the Commerce Department said it will exempt certain imports such as generic pharmaceuticals and aircraft components from Taiwan. Taiwanese semiconductor producers that invest in the US also will get favorable tariff treatments, including exemptions, the department said. One day before the deal was announced, Beijing, which claims Taiwan to be part of China, scoffed at it, calling the agreement 'an economic plunder' by the US on Taiwan. TSMC to lead investments The deal came just when Taiwan-based TSMC, the world's largest computer chipmaker, on Thursday announced plans to increase its capital spending by as much as nearly 40% this year after it reported a 35 per cent jump in its net profit for the latest quarter thanks to the boom in artificial intelligence. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, a major supplier to companies including Nvidia and Apple, reported a net profit of 506 billion new Taiwan dollars (USD 16 billion) for the October-December quarter, a 35 per cent surge from a year earlier, better than analysts' estimates. TSMC said Thursday that its revenue in the last quarter increased 21per cent from a year earlier to more than 1.046 trillion new Taiwan dollars (USD 33 billion). TSMC said it plans to boost its capital expenditure budget to USD 52 billion-USD 56 billion for 2026, up from about USD 40 billion last year. The company's Taiwan-listed shares have jumped 59 per cent over the past 12 months, reflecting its strong position in the AI-driven market. Other tech giants including Microsoft, Meta and Alphabet are spending big on investments in AI infrastructure. 'We expect our business to be supported by continuous strong demand for our leading edge process technologies,' Wendell Huang, TSMC's chief financial officer, said in a conference call. He said spending would be 'significantly higher' in the next three years. Asked about concerns over an AI bubble -- as critics point to ballooning investments which might not pay off -- TSMC chairman and CEO C C Wei said he is confident that the growing demand from customers is real. 'I'm also very nervous about it, you bet,' said Wei. 'AI is real. Not only real, it's starting to grow into our daily life." With a market capitalisation -- total outstanding shares times share price -- of approximately USD 1.4 trillion, TSMC is currently more valuable than Samsung Electronics and Alibaba. It is Asia's most valuable listed company. Alphabet, Google's parent, passed the USD 4 trillion market capitalization mark this month, the fourth Big Tech company to hit that mark after Nvidia, Apple and Microsoft, although worries about an AI bubble had led to occasional sell-offs. TSMC has pledged around USD 165 billion of investments in the US and said Thursday it's speeding up construction of new plants in Arizona, looking to create a fabrication plant cluster and meet strong demand from clients. A primary beneficiary of AI, given its dominant share in cutting-edge chip manufacturing, TSMC's outlook remains optimistic, analysts from Morningstar said in a recent report. 'It (TSMC) is immune from market share shifts as almost every AI company relies on TSMC to make chips ranging from application-specific integrated circuits to GPUs (graphics processing units),' the Morningstar analysts said. 'This reliance translates into strong pricing power.' TSMC also has strong buffers with a 'robust backlog from deep-pocketed customers," they said, even if there are any short-term drops in demand. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. 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16 January,2026 08:58 AM IST | Hong Kong | APAmid the nationwide unrest in Iran, the United States is sanctioning several Iranian security officials, including Ali Larijani, the Secretary of the Supreme Council for National Security (SCNS), the US Department of State said in a statement. The statement noted that, "As the brave people of Iran continue to fight for their basic rights, the Iranian regime has responded with violence and cruel repression against its own people" "In response, the United States is designating the notorious Fardis Prison, an institution where women have endured cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment," it added. "Simultaneously, the Department of the Treasury is sanctioning several Iranian security officials, including Ali Larijani, the Secretary of the Supreme Council for National Security (SCNS). Additionally, Treasury is designating 18 individuals and entities tied to Iran's "shadow banking" networks that have laundered proceeds from Iranian petroleum and petrochemical sales. This action also further implements National Security Presidential Memorandum-2 of 2025," it added. "The United States stands with the Iranian people, who are protesting for their natural rights. The regime continues to fund destabilizing and malign activities around the world, rather than investing in the welfare of its people at home. We will continue to deny the regime access to financial networks and the global banking system while it continues to oppress the Iranian people," it noted. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday (local time) said that the US President Donald Trump and his team were "closely monitoring the situation in Iran. Addressing a press briefing, White House Press Secretary said, "all options remain on the table for the President". "The President and his team have communicated to the Iranian regime that if the killing continues, there will be grave consequences. The President understands today that 800 executions that were scheduled and supposed to take place yesterday were halted. The President and his team are closely monitoring this situation, and all options remain on the table for the President," the White House Press Secretary said. This development comes amid ongoing protests in Iran over rising living costs, with authorities imposing internet restrictions. Trump had previously threatened to intervene but said on Wednesday that killings of protesters had stopped, and he'd "watch and see" about military action. Times of Israel reported that the clashes between protesters and security forces have resulted in an estimated death toll ranging from under 3,000 to over 12,000. 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
16 January,2026 08:54 AM IST | Washington | ANIVenezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado met US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday (local time), marking their first face-to-face encounter since Trump directed a US military operation to seize Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Al Jazeera reported. Leaving the White House after meeting with Trump, Machado said, "We are counting on President Trump for the freedom of Venezuela". She offered her Nobel Peace Prize medal to the United States president, Al Jazeera reported. Meanwhile, supporters gathered outside the White House on Thursday (local time), urging action against Venezuela's current regime. They were waving flags calling for freedom and political change in their homeland. A supporter, Adriana Molinero, told ANI, "I have been here in the US for three years, and I'm here right now because I just want to go back and be part of the reconstruction of my country. I have a lot of friends who fought, who died, who are in prison right now just because they want to think differently... We just want freedom and want to express ourselves. I want to thank Maria Corina Machado. She has been the greatest leader in Venezuela right now, and to Donald Trump and Marco Rubio for helping our cause." Another supporter, Isabel Hayek, told ANI, "I truly trust in Maria Corina Machado. She's a big representation of the belief of all Venezuelans. She's a real leader... She is going to make President Trump understand that the people respect her, and the people respect him, and unfortunately, the current usurper of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, is not the person that Venezuela needs, wants, and deserves. We deserve Donald Trump, we deserve Maria Corina Machado, we thank Marco Rubio." Addressing reporters earlier, the US President described her as a "very nice woman," but said she "doesn't have the support within or the respect within the country" required to lead the nation. Machado, for her part, had earlier said on the Fox News programme Hannity that she wanted to "personally" thank Trump for the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Meanwhile, the United States has made its first sale of Venezuelan oil valued at USD 500 million, according to the Donald Trump administration, as reported by the New York-based news outlet Semafor. The development comes following the capture of Nicolas Maduro, the former leader of the South American country 11 days ago. Following this, Trump said that US is taking control of Venezuela's oil reserves and recruit American companies to invest billions of dollars to refurbish the country's gutted oil industry, CNN had reported. 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
16 January,2026 08:50 AM IST | Washington | ANIA US citizen on her way to a medical appointment in Minneapolis was dragged out of her car and detained by immigration officers, according to a statement released by the woman on Thursday, after a video of her arrest drew millions of views on social media. Aliya Rahman said she was brought to a detention center where she was denied medical care and lost consciousness. The Department of Homeland Security said she was an agitator who was obstructing ICE agents conducting arrests in the area. That video is the latest in a deluge of online content that documents an intensifying immigration crackdown across the midwestern city, as thousands of federal agents execute arrests amid protests in what local officials have likened to a "federal invasion.' Dragged from her car Rahman said that she was on her way to a routine appointment at the Traumatic Brain Injury Center when she encountered federal immigration agents at an intersection. Video appears to show federal immigration agents shouting commands over a cacophony of whistles, car horns and screams from protesters. In the video, one masked agent smashes Rahman's passenger side window while others cut her seatbelt and drag her out of the car through the driver's side door. Numerous guards then carried her by her arms and legs towards an ICE vehicle. 'I'm disabled trying to go to the doctor up there, that's why I didn't move,' Rahman said, gesturing down the street as officers pulled her arms behind her back. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security disputed that account in an emailed statement on Thursday, saying that Rahman was an agitator who 'ignored multiple commands by an officer to move her vehicle away from the scene.' She was arrested along with six other people the department called agitators, one of whom was accused of jumping on an officer's back. The department did not specify if Rahman was charged or respond to questions about her assertion that she was denied medical treatment. Barrage of viral videos draw scrutiny The video of Rahman's arrest is one of many that have garnered millions of views in recent days ' and been scrutinized amid conflicting accounts from federal officials and civilian eyewitnesses. Often, what's in dispute pertains to what happened just before or just after a given recording. But many contain common themes: Protesters blowing whistles, yelling or honking horns. Immigration officers breaking vehicle windows, using pepper spray on protesters and warning observers not to follow them through public spaces. Immigrants and citizens alike forcibly pulled from cars, stores or homes and detained for hours, days or longer. In one video, heavily armed immigration agents used a battering ram to break through the front door of Garrison Gibson's Minneapolis home, where his wife and 9-year-old child also were inside. The video shot inside the home captures a woman's voice asking, 'Where is the warrant?' and, 'Can you put the guns down? There is kids in this house.' Another video shows ICE agents, including Border Patrol Cmdr Gregory Bovino, detain two employees at a Target store in Richfield, Minnesota. Both are US citizens who were later released, according to social media posts from family members. Monica Bicking, 40, was leaving the homeless shelter where she works as a nurse when she took a video that appears to show a federal agent kneeing a man at least five times in the face while several other agents pin him facedown on the pavement in south Minneapolis. Bicking works full time, so she says she doesn't intentionally attend organised protests or confrontations with ICE. But she has started to carry a whistle in case she encounters ICE agents on her way to work or while running errands, which she says has become commonplace in recent weeks. 'We're hypervigilant every time we leave our houses, looking for ICE, trying to protect our neighbors, trying to support our neighbors, who are now just on lockdown,' Bicking said. I thought I was going to die Rahman said in her statement that after her detainment, she felt lucky to be alive. 'Masked agents dragged me from my car and bound me like an animal, even after I told them that I was disabled," Rahman said. While in custody, Rahman said she repeatedly asked for a doctor, but was instead taken to the detention center. 'It was not until I lost consciousness in my cell that I was finally taken to a hospital,' Rahman said. Rahman was treated for injuries consistent with assault, according to her counsel, and has been released from the hospital. She thanked the emergency department staff for their care. 'They gave me hope when I thought I was going to die.' 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
16 January,2026 08:46 AM IST | Washington | APTaiwan's Ministry of National Defence said on Friday that it recorded the presence of 34 PLA aircraft, 11 PLAN ships and one official ship operating around its territory. The Ministry of National Defence also added that 18 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, central, southwestern and eastern Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). In a post on X, the MND wrote, "34 PLA aircraft, 11 PLAN ships and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 18 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, central, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded." Earlier on Thursday, the Ministry of National Defence said that it recorded the presence of nine sorties of PLA aircraft and 11 PLAN vessels operating around its territory. The Ministry of National Defence also added that all sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern, and eastern ADIZ. "9 sorties of PLA aircraft and 11 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 9 out of 9 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded," the MND wrote in a post on X. Earlier, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said he would continue safeguarding Taiwan and would not allow China to interfere, Focus Taiwan reported. It stated that President Lai, as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, pledged to protect the country and safeguard the lives and property of all citizens."I will certainly safeguard the nation and absolutely not allow Chinese pressure or China's hand to reach into Taiwan," President Lai said. He also said on Thursday that China's "cross-border pressure" against the people of Taiwan proves that Beijing's authority does not extend to Taiwan and confirms that Taiwan is not part of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Focus Taiwan reported Lai cited the recent visit to Taiwan by China-born Japanese lawmaker Hei Seki, who has been sanctioned by China and barred from entering PRC, saying that the visit demonstrated how the Republic of China (ROC) -- Taiwan's official name -- and the PRC are not subordinate to each other. 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
16 January,2026 08:38 AM IST | Taipei | ANIUS authorities have arrested and charged a 35-year old Indian-origin woman in New Jersey with murdering her two young children. Priyatharsini Natarajan of Hillsborough caused their deaths on Tuesday. Around 6.45 pm on January 13, the children’s father made a 911 call. He said that after arriving home from work, he found his boys, aged 5 and 7, unconscious and that “his wife did something to them”. Arriving at the scene, police officers located the children in a bedroom. They initiated life saving measures which failed, and the children were pronounced dead. Natarajan was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, and one count of third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. 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
16 January,2026 07:50 AM IST | New York | AgenciesTroops from several European countries, including France, Germany, Norway and Sweden, are arriving in Greenland to help boost the Arctic island’s security after talks between representatives of Denmark, Greenland and the US on Wednesday highlighted “fundamental disagreement” between the Trump administration and European allies. The first French military elements are en route and others will follow, with about 15 French soldiers already in Nuuk for a military exercise. Germany will deploy 13 personnel on Thursday. Denmark announced it is increasing its military presence in Greenland, with NATO allies joining in. Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers met with White House officials on Wednesday in Washington to discuss President Donald Trump’s intentions of “conquering Greenland”. 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
16 January,2026 07:46 AM IST | Nuuk | AgenciesA father-and-son engineering duo from South Africa has reclaimed the Guinness World Record for the fastest quadcopter drone after clocking an average speed of 656.6 kmph with their latest creation. YouTuber Luke Bell and his father, Mike, set the new world speed record in Cape Town, South Africa, on December 11, 2025. The milestone was achieved during a test flight of the Peregreen V4, a fully 3D-printed quadcopter. The feat came just a month after Australian aerospace engineer Benjamin Biggs briefly claimed the title with his DIY Blackbird drone, which achieved top speeds of 626.42 kmph. mid-day had on November 22, 2025, carried a story about the South African duo setting a 580 kmph record. 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
16 January,2026 07:42 AM IST | Pretoria | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
-1768544188816_d.png?tr=w-436,h-271 "Indian Envoy Kwatra with the 12 members of the US House of Representatives. PIC/X @AmbVMKwatra")
-1768541532463_d.png "US President Donald Trump (File Pic)")
