A 21-year-old Indian student who went missing three days ago in Canada's Ontario province has been found dead, according to authorities. Vanshika's death was confirmed by the Indian High Commission in Ottawa in an X post on Monday. "We are deeply saddened to be informed of the death of Ms. Vanshika, student from India in Ottawa," it said, adding that concerned authorities have taken up the case, which is now under investigation. Vanshika went missing last Friday after leaving her residence at 7 Majestic Drive in Ottawa at around 8-9 pm to view a rental room, according to a social media post by an Indo-Canadian association linked by the High Commission. According to the post, her phone was switched off at approximately 11.40 pm that night and she missed an important exam the next day, which it said was "completely out of character" for the student. The High Commission said it was in "close contact with the bereaved kin and local community associations to provide all possible assistance". In an earlier post on X, it had urged people with any information about the case to contact local community organisations. In a letter to the Ottawa Police Service Chief Eric Stubbs, Hindu Community in Ottawa President Parmod Chhabra said the community was deeply worried, "fearing the worst". The letter was also linked by the High Commission in its X post. Chhabra requested the police chief's personal attention and intervention, urging the Ottawa Police Service to "escalate this case, allocate appropriate resources, and prioritise the investigation into Vanshika's disappearance". 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
29 April,2025 12:49 PM IST | Ottawa | PTICanadians voted on Monday on whether to back their new prime minister, Mark Carney, and extend his Liberal Party's decade in power or hand control to the Conservatives and their populist leader, Pierre Poilievre. But the election was also a referendum on someone who isn't even Canadian: Donald Trump. The US president trolled Canadians on election day by suggesting on social media that he was in fact on the ballot and repeating that Canada should become the 51st state, incorrectly claiming the US subsidises Canada. "It makes no sense unless Canada is a State!" Trump wrote. Poilievre, who has been criticised for not taking a firmer stance against Trump, responded with a post of his own. "President Trump, stay out of our election. The only people who will decide the future of Canada are Canadians at the ballot box," he posted. "Canada will always be proud, sovereign and independent and we will NEVER be the 51st state." Until Trump won a second term and began threatening Canada's economy and sovereignty, the Liberals looked headed for defeat. But Trump's truculence has infuriated many Canadians, leading many to cancel US vacations, refuse to buy American goods and possibly even vote early. A record 7.3 million Canadians cast ballots before election day. Trump's attacks also put Poilievre and the opposition Conservative Party on the defensive and led to a surge in nationalism that helped the Liberals flip the election narrative. "The Americans want to break us so they can own us," Carney said recently, laying out what he saw as the election's stakes. "Those aren't just words. That's what's at risk." Election day came as the country grappled with the fallout from a deadly weekend attack at a Vancouver street fair that led to the suspension of campaigning for several hours. Police ruled out terrorism and said the suspect is a local man with a history of mental health issues. Trump became the main issue Poilievre and his wife walked hand-in-hand to vote in their district in the nation's capital, Ottawa. "Get out to vote for a change," he implored voters. Sisters Laiqa and Mahira Shoaib said they did just that, with Laiqa, a 27-year-old health care worker, voting for the progressive New Democratic Party, and Mahira, a 25-year-old bank worker, backing the Conservatives. The sisters, who immigrated from Pakistan a decade ago, said the economy has worsened and job opportunities have dried up under Liberal rule. After the sisters voted at a community centre in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, Mahira Shoaib said she thinks Poilievre is best equipped to improve Canada's finances. "He is business-minded, and that's what we need right now," she said. Poilievre had hoped to make the election a referendum on former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose popularity declined toward the end of his decade in power as food and housing prices rose and immigration surged. But then Trump became the dominant issue, and Poilievre's similarities to the bombastic president could cost him. "He appeals to the same sense of grievance," Canadian historian Robert Bothwell said of the Conservative leader. "It's like Trump standing there saying, 'I am your retribution.'" "The Liberals ought to pay him," Bothwell added, referring to the American president. "Trump talking is not good for the Conservatives." Foreign policy hasn't dominated a Canadian election this much since 1988 when, ironically, free trade with the US was the prevailing issue. Winner will face litany of challenges Canada has been dealing with a cost-of-living crisis for some time. And more than 75 per cent of its exports go to the US, so Trump's threat to impose sweeping tariffs and his desire to get North American automakers to move Canada's production south could severely damage the Canadian economy. Both Carney and Poilievre said that if elected, they would accelerate renegotiations of a free trade deal between Canada and the US in a bid to end the uncertainty hurting both of their economies. Carney has notable experience navigating economic crises after running Canada's central bank and later becoming the first non-UK citizen to run the Bank of England. Trump dialled back his talk of Canada becoming the 51st state during the campaign until last week, when he said Canada "would cease to exist as a country" if the US stopped buying its goods. He also said he's not just trolling Canada when he says it should become a state. In response to the threats to Canadian sovereignty, Carney pleaded with voters to deliver him a strong mandate to deal with Trump. "President Trump has some obsessive ideas, and that is one," Carney said of his annexation threat. "It's not a joke. It's his very strong desire to make this happen. It's one of the reasons why this crisis is so serious." Reid Warren, a Toronto resident, said he voted Liberal because Poilievre "sounds like mini-Trump to me." And he said Trump's tariffs are a worry. "Canadians coming together from, you know, all the shade being thrown from the States is great, but it's definitely created some turmoil, that's for sure," 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
29 April,2025 09:06 AM IST | Toronto | APFour children were killed and several others injured when a car smashed through a building during an afterschool programme on Monday afternoon in a town outside of Springfield, Illinois, police said. Officers responded at about 3:20 pm to calls about a vehicle fatally hitting three people outside, ramming through the building and then hitting another person before exiting the other side, Chatham Police Department Deputy Chief Scott Tarter said. Those killed were between the ages of four and 18, Illinois State Police said in an emailed statement. Several other people were hurt and taken to hospitals, police said. The driver, who was uninjured, was the sole occupant of the vehicle, and was taken to a hospital for evaluation, Tarter said. Illinois State Police haven't said if the driver was arrested or taken into custody. The building and facilities house YNOT Outdoors, which holds afterschool programmes and summer camps, according to its website. "I am horrified and deeply saddened by the deaths of children and numerous injuries in Chatham this afternoon," Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said in a statement. "My heart is heavy for these families and the unimaginable grief they're experiencing -- something that no parent should ever have to endure." He said his office was monitoring the situation and was ready to lend support. Chatham is a small town of about 15,000 people just outside Springfield, Illinois. It wasn't immediately known what led up to the crash or whether it was intentional. The deaths in Illinois happened two days after 11 people were killed in Vancouver, British Columbia, when a car ploughed through a crowded street during a Filipino heritage festival -- one of the most recent examples of people driving vehicles into groups of people across the globe. 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
29 April,2025 08:53 AM IST | Chatham | APPakistan has formed a high-level delegation to visit the United States, aiming to negotiate a reduction in the proposed 29 per cent US tariffs on Pakistani exports, ARY News reported. The delegation, led by Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, will include senior officials from the Ministries of Commerce, Finance, and Foreign Office. According to ARY News, the delegation is likely to depart within a day or two. The delegation aims to negotiate a reduction in the proposed US tariffs, eradicating non-tariff barriers, and enhancing trade between the two nations. Earlier, Pakistani exports had 9.9% of US tariff on average, but recently, 10% duties for 90 days have been increased by Washington, with a 29% tariff effect afterwards as planned, the ARY News said. The delegation will highlight the USD 3 billion trade deficit that the US faces in its trade with Pakistan and suggest measures to mitigate the impact of the trump tariffs. According to sources, Pakistan will push for a reduction in tariffs by 9 per cent for every USD 1 billion decline in the trade deficit. According to recent reports, PM Shehbaz Sharif has assigned the delegation a task to secure a fair-trade framework with the US. The Pakistani government is aggressively appealing to Washington officials to negotiate a long-term trade strategy. Earlier, in an interview with Bloomberg News, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb explained, "It's a bigger canvas that we are looking at in terms of engaging the US. We will constructively engage, and we will have a formal delegation coming in". Aurangzeb was in the US to participate in the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. 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
29 April,2025 08:52 AM IST | Islamabad | ANIAn unprecedented blackout brought much of Spain and Portugal to a standstill on Monday, stopping trains, cutting phone service and shutting down traffic lights and ATMs for millions of people across the Iberian Peninsula. Spanish power distributor Red Electrica declined to speculate on the cause of the power outage that began around 12:30 pm Madrid time and said restoring power fully could take six to 10 hours. Head of operations Eduardo Prieto told journalists it was unprecedented, calling the event "exceptional and extraordinary". By 8:35 pm, only 35 per cent of energy demand had been restored, Prieto said hours later. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said a "strong oscillation" in the European grid was behind the outage but the cause was still being determined. He asked the public to refrain from speculation, and urged people to call emergency services only if really necessary. It was the second serious European power outage in less than six weeks after a March 20 fire shut down Heathrow Airport in the UK, and it came as authorities across Europe gird against sabotage backed by Russia. The Portuguese National Cybersecurity Center in a statement said there was no sign the outage was due to a cyberattack. Teresa Ribera, European Commission executive vice president in charge of promoting clean energy, indicated the same to journalists in Brussels and called the power outage "one of the most serious episodes recorded in Europe in recent times". Spanish and Portuguese capitals affected The outage began after midday. Offices closed and traffic was snarled in major cities. In Barcelona civilians directed traffic. Train services in both countries stopped, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded. It wouldn't be possible to restart trains later on Monday even if the power returned, Spain's Transportation Minister Oscar Puente posted on social media. The subway systems shut down. "I don't know how I am going to get home," said Barcelona resident Ivette Corona. In Madrid, hundreds of people at a bus stop that takes travellers to the airport were trying to hitch-hike. "I've been here for almost three hours, trying to get someone to take me to the airport because my family arrived today and I can't talk to them. This is terrifying," said Jessica Fernandez, one of the many people at the bus stop. Hospitals and other emergency services switched to generators. Among those most affected were homebound patients dependent on oxygen machines. Gas stations stopped working. It was not possible to make calls or send text messages on most mobile phone networks, though some people managed to connect on certain messaging apps with intermittent data connections. It is rare to have such a widespread outage across the Iberian Peninsula, with a combined population of about 60 million people. Spain's Canary Islands, Balearic Islands and the territories of Ceuta and Melilla, located across the Mediterranean in Africa, were not affected. Spain's prime minister convened an extraordinary meeting of the National Security Council. Four regions of Spain declared an emergency and asked the central government in Madrid to take over management of the crisis. The Portuguese Cabinet convened an emergency meeting at the prime minister's residence. Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said he had spoken several times to Sanchez and expected power to be restored by the end of the day. Portugal's government said the outage appeared to stem from problems outside the country, an official told national news agency Lusa. Electricity was being pulled from Morocco and France to restore power to southern and northern Spain, Spain's prime minister said, thanking their governments. Spain was also increasing the production from hydroelectric and combined cycle thermal power plants. Airports working on backup systems A graph on Spain's electricity network website showing demand across the country indicated a steep drop around 12:30 pm from 27,500 megawatts to near 15,000 megawatts. Spanish airports were operating on backup electrical systems and some flights were delayed, according to Aena, which runs 56 airports in Spain, including Madrid and Barcelona. In Lisbon, terminals closed and tourists sat outside waiting for news about flights. The Spanish Parliament in Madrid closed. Play at the Madrid Open tennis tournament was suspended. Some took advantage of the lack of connectivity to enjoy the sunshine on restaurant terraces, parks and beaches. Barcelona's streets filled with throngs of people milling in front of darkened stores and exchanging information. The hunt for connectivity As hours passed, so did the concern of those unable to reach loved ones. Authorities in Barcelona have set up shelters for those unable to return home to spend the night. Ruben Elvira, his wife and two daughters joked with friends on parting that they would have to "write letters" to communicate. In Terrassa, an industrial town 50 kilometres from Barcelona, stores selling generators were out of stock. Portugal's National Authority for Emergencies and Civil Protection said backup power systems were operating. In Portugal, a country of some 10.6 million people, police placed more officers on duty to cope with increased requests for help, including from people trapped in elevators. Several Lisbon subway cars were evacuated, reports said. Courts stopped work and ATMs and electronic payment systems were affected. 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. 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29 April,2025 08:51 AM IST | Barcelona | APThe Trump administration on Monday announced federal officials are launching investigations into Harvard University and the Harvard Law Review, saying authorities have received reports of race-based discrimination "permeating the operations" of the journal. The investigations come as Harvard fights a freeze on USD 2.2 billion in federal grants the Trump administration imposed after the university refused to comply with demands to limit activism on campus. A letter sent to the university earlier this month called for the institution to clarify its campus speech policies that limit the time, place and manner of protests and other activities. It also demanded academic departments at Harvard that "fuel antisemitic harassment" be reviewed and changed to address bias and improve viewpoint diversity. Monday marked the first time that both sides met in court over the funding fight. The investigations by the US Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services were announced separately on Monday, with authorities saying they were investigating policies and practices involving the journal's membership and article selection that they argue may violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. According to the federal government, the editor of the Harvard Law Review reportedly wrote that it was "concerning" that the majority of the people who had wanted to reply to an article about police reform "are white men". A separate editor allegedly suggested "that a piece should be subject to expedited review because the author was a minority". "Harvard Law Review's article selection process appears to pick winners and losers on the basis of race, employing a spoils system in which the race of the legal scholar is as, if not more, important than the merit of the submission," said Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor in a statement. "Title VI's demands are clear: recipients of federal financial assistance may not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, or national origin. No institution -- no matter its pedigree, prestige, or wealth -- is above the law." An email seeking comment was sent on Monday to a spokesperson for Harvard. Harvard is among multiple universities across the country where pro-Palestinian protests erupted on campus amid the war in Gaza last year. Republican officials have since heavily scrutinised those universities, and several Ivy League presidents testified before Congress to discuss antisemitism allegations. The Cambridge, Massachusetts, institution was the fifth Ivy League school targeted in a pressure campaign by the administration, which also has paused federal funding for the University of Pennsylvania, Brown, and Princeton universities to force compliance with its agenda. 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
29 April,2025 08:50 AM IST | Washington | APRussian President Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude to North Korea for helping Russian forces defeat a group of Ukrainian fighters in the Kursk Region. He praised North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and commended Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) soldiers for their “heroism, excellent training and dedication” during the fighting. In a statement released by Kremlin on Monday, Putin said, “On April 26, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation finally defeated the group of Ukrainian militants that invaded the Kursk Region... Units of the Korean People’s Army played an active role in the fight... We are sincerely grateful, personally to Comrade Kim Jong-un, as well as the people of the DPRK. We commend the DPRK soldiers’ heroism, their excellent training and dedication displayed while fighting, shoulder to shoulder with Russian soldiers, defending our Motherland as their own.” Earlier in the day, North Korea confirmed it had sent troops to fight for Russia and that the “sacred mission” was aimed at strengthening friendship with Moscow. 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
29 April,2025 08:42 AM IST | Moscow | AgenciesThe Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping had called him, reiterating that no talks were held between the two nations to resolve the tariff war, CNN reported. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun’s statement comes after Trump, in an interview with Time magazine last week, said that Xi had called him. While addressing a regular news conference, Guo Jiakun said, “As far as I know, there has been no recent phone call between the two heads of state. I want to reiterate that China and the US are not engaged in consultations or negotiations on the tariff issue.” China has continued to take a tough public stance on the trade war even as Trump softened his tone last week. Referring to Xi in the Time magazine interview published on Friday, Trump said, “He’s called. And I don’t think that’s a sign of weakness on his behalf.” As per publicly available records, Xi and Trump last spoke on January 17. 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
29 April,2025 08:41 AM IST | Beijing | AgenciesCanadians are set to decide following the voting on Monday (Tuesday India time) whether to extend the Liberal Party’s decade in power or hand control to the Conservatives. They’ll pick either Prime Minister Mark Carney or opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, but the election is also a referendum of sorts on someone who isn’t even Canadian: Donald Trump. Until the American president won a second term and began threatening Canada’s economy and sovereignty, even suggesting the country should become the 51st state, the Liberals looked headed for defeat. Canadians go the polls as the country grapples with the aftermath of a fatal car ramming attack on Saturday in Vancouver. The tragedy on the eve of the election prompted the suspension of campaigning for several hours. Police ruled out terrorism and said the suspect is a local man with a history of mental health issues. Trump’s truculence has infuriated many Canadians, leading many to cancel US vacations, refuse to buy American goods and possibly even vote early (a record 7.3 million Canadians cast ballots before election day). Both Carney and Poilievre said that if elected, they would accelerate renegotiations a free trade deal between Canada and the US in an bid to end the uncertainty hurting both of their economies. Carney, in particular, has experience navigating economic crises, having done so when running Canada’s central bank and later after becoming the first non-UK citizen to run the Bank of England. 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
29 April,2025 08:39 AM IST | Toronto | AgenciesA man in his 20s was airlifted from Japan’s Mount Fuji and then rescued again from its steep slopes just days later because he returned to find his phone, according to media reports. Police said the Chinese university student, who lives in Japan, was found on Saturday by another off-season hiker on a trail more than 3000 metres (9800 feet) above sea level. “He was suspected of having altitude sickness and was taken to hospital,” a police spokesman said on Monday. Later, officers discovered that the man was the same one who had been rescued on Mount Fuji four days previously. Police could not immediately confirm the reports, which said the man—having been rescued by helicopter on Tuesday—returned on Friday to retrieve his mobile phone, which he forgot to bring with him during the first rescue. Mount Fuji, an active volcano and Japan’s highest peak, is covered in snow for most of the year. Its hiking trails are open from early July to early September. People are dissuaded from hiking outside of the summer season because conditions can be quite treacherous. 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
29 April,2025 08:39 AM IST | Tokyo | AgenciesAt least seven people were killed and 16 wounded on Monday after a powerful bomb went off outside the office of a pro-government peace committee in a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban in the restive northwest, police said. The attack happened in Wana, a main city in the district of South Waziristan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a local police chief, Usman Wazir, told The Associated Press. He said the bomb targeted the office of the peace committee, which publicly opposes the Pakistani Taliban. The committee also helps solve disputes among residents. The bombing happened a day after the military said troops in a major operation killed 54 militants in the nearby North Waziristan district following their attempt to cross into the country from Afghanistan. No one immediately claimed responsibility for Monday's attack, but blame is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, and often target security forces and civilians. TTP is a separate group but also a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in neighbouring Afghanistan in August 2021 as US and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war. Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuaries and have even been living openly in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, which also emboldened the Pakistani Taliban. 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.
29 April,2025 04:32 AM IST | Dera Ismail Khan | APADVERTISEMENT
