United States (US) Vice-President JD Vance has called Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi a “tough negotiator” and accused New Delhi of taking advantage of America, while also predicting that India could be among the first countries to strike a trade deal to avert reciprocal tariffs, reported news agency PTI. In an interview with a media house on Thursday, Vance said "good negotiations" were now on with India on tariffs. India is among the countries negotiating with the US to avoid the high import taxes, most of them on pause right now, announced by President Donald Trump. "Modi, the Prime Minister, is a tough negotiator, but we're going to rebalance that relationship, and that's why the president's doing what he's doing," Vance said during the interview. When asked if India is the first deal coming through, Vance replied, "I don't know if it'll be your first deal, I think it would be among the first deals for sure. Pretty soon the President look, we've got negotiations with Japan, with Korea, we've got negotiations going on with some folks in Europe, and obviously we've got a good negotiation going on in India.” President Trump had announced sweeping reciprocal tariffs on a number of countries, including India and China, on April 2. However, a week later, he announced a 90-day suspension of these tariffs until July 9, except for those on China and Hong Kong, as about 75 countries approached America for trade deals. Indians have taken advantage of us for a very long time: JD Vance However, the 10 per cent baseline tariff imposed on the countries on April 2 remains in effect, along with the 25 per cent duties on steel, aluminium, and auto components. "What the President has said is, we just want to rebalance trade. So some of the conversations I've had in India, for example, I think most Americans may not know, may not appreciate this, we have great agricultural products. Our farmers are making great things, but the Indian market is effectively closed off to American farmers. So what that means is that it makes American farmers and American consumers more reliant on foreign competitors to grow the food that we eat. What our India deal will do, fundamentally, I think, is open up India to American technology. It will open up India to American farmers,” the US Vice-President said. He also claimed that the deal will create more good American jobs, adding, “And it's the kind of trade deal that Donald Trump loves." He also refuted claims of Trump being “anti-trade”. “He's anti-unfair trade. He's not entirely the kind of trade where foreign competitors take advantage of us, the Indians, let's be honest, they've taken advantage of us for a very long time," said Vance. New Delhi and Washington are now holding negotiations to seal a bilateral trade agreement as agreed during PM Modi's talks with President Trump in Washington DC in February. The trade pact is expected to address several issues, including tariff and market access. (With PTI inputs)
02 May,2025 04:32 PM IST | New York | mid-day online correspondentThe Trump administration on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to strip temporary legal protections from 350,000 Venezuelans, potentially exposing them to being deported. The Justice Department asked the high court to put on hold a ruling from a federal judge in San Francisco that kept in place Temporary Protected Status for the Venezuelans that would have otherwise expired last month. The status allows people already in the United States to live and work legally because their native countries are deemed unsafe for return due to natural disaster or civil strife. A federal appeals court had earlier rejected the administration's request. President Donald Trump's administration has moved aggressively to withdraw various protections that have allowed immigrants to remain in the country, including ending TPS for a total of 600,000 Venezuelans and 500,000 Haitians. TPS is granted in 18-month increments. The emergency appeal to the high court came the same day a federal judge in Texas ruled illegal the administration's efforts to deport Venezuelans under an 18th-century wartime law. The cases are not related. The protections had been set to expire April 7, but US District Judge Edward Chen ordered a pause on those plans. He found that the expiration threatened to severely disrupt the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and could cost billions in lost economic activity. Chen, who was appointed to the bench by Democratic President Barack Obama, found the government hadn't shown any harm caused by keeping the program alive. But Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote on behalf of the administration that Chen's order impermissibly interferes with the administration's power over immigration and foreign affairs. In addition, Sauer told the justices, people affected by ending the protected status might have other legal options to try to remain in the country because the 'decision to terminate TPS is not equivalent to a final removal order.' Congress created TPS in 1990 to prevent deportations to countries suffering from natural disasters or civil strife. 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
02 May,2025 08:23 AM IST | Washington | APPresident Donald Trump was addressing graduating students at the University of Alabama on Thursday, a visit that drew hundreds of protesters to an off-campus rally. Trump's remarks in Tuscaloosa are the Republican president's first address to graduates in his second term and come as he has been celebrating the first 100 days of his administration. The previously scheduled visit came shortly after he announced a shake-up to his national security team, with Mike Waltz being tapped for United Nations ambassador and Secretary of State Marco Rubio taking over Waltz's national security adviser role on an interim basis. 'What a nice looking group this is,' Trump said to open his speech. 'There's nowhere I'd rather be than Tuscaloosa.' Alabama, where Trump won a commanding 64 per cent of the vote in 2024, is where he has staged a number of his trademark large rallies over the past decade. It is also where Trump showed early signs of strength in his first presidential campaign when he began filling stadiums for his rallies. While Trump has described the speech as a commencement address, it is actually a special event that was created before graduation ceremonies that begin Friday. Graduating students have the option of attending the event. Former Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban also spoke, regaling the audience with a story about visiting the Oval Office in 2018 during Trump's first term. Saban said Trump was a gracious host. Ahead of the president's arrival, cap-and-gown-wearing graduates and their families began filing into the arena where Trump was set to speak. Many seemed excited about the prospect of seeing him in person. Emily Appel, a 22-year-old advertising major from Norcross, Georgia, called Trump's appearance at their school 'a cherry on top' of her college years. 'I think it's such an honour, no matter who the president is. I think this is a huge honour to have the president of the United States speaking to our school," Appel said. She called Trump a 'very influential person' and said she hoped he had a message to share that was "positive about us being able to work in the real world and for our future.' Sophie Best, who is graduating with a communications degree, said, 'I don't think that we could have had a greater person come to speak." The 21-year-old from Cartersville, Georgia, said she attended Trump's first presidential inauguration in 2017 when she was a freshman in high school, along with her father, who she said loves Trump. 'I think that no matter what political party or whatever you believe in, I think that it's super cool that we get to experience and make history and be a part of this,' she said. At a park several miles away, hundreds of people gathered at a counter rally hosted by College Democrats. One-time presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke of Texas and former US Senator Doug Jones, the last Democrat to hold statewide office in Alabama, addressed the rally, called a 'Tide Against Trump' ' a play on the university's nickname. Aidan Meyers, a 21-year-old junior studying biology at the university, said he felt betrayed by the decision to let Trump speak at a graduation-related event. 'I felt betrayed that the university was willing to put up with someone who has made it clear that they hate academia, essentially holding funding above universities' heads as a bargaining chip, unless they bow down to what he wants, which is kind of a hallmark sign with fascist regime,' Meyers said. He said he also feels betrayed by the administration's stance on science and research. A fellowship he was seeking at the National Institutes of Health was canceled because of the federal hiring freeze, he said. O'Rourke told the rally that Trump was trying to make the students' graduation 'all about him, true to form.' He urged students and others gathered to go out and use their voices to 'win America back.' 'The power of people works in this country, even against Donald Trump,' O'Rourke said. Jones told the crowd they were there 'not just as a protest, but as a movement.' 'You are here today because you're concerned, you're afraid. You understand that this country's great democracy is teetering right now with what we're seeing going on,' the former senator said. Ahead of the rally, O'Rourke praised the students who invited him as 'inspiring' and said their efforts in a Republican-dominated state like Alabama are an example for the rest of the country. 'You cannot be too red or too rural or too Republican to be written off right now. You also can't be too blue or too liberal to be taken for granted,' O'Rourke told The Associated Press after arriving in Tuscaloosa. 'You've got to show up absolutely everywhere. We truly are in crisis.' Trump's presence has also drawn criticism from the Alabama NAACP, which said his policies are hurting universities and students, particularly students of color. Trump's visit to Alabama is his second trip this week. He held a rally in Michigan on Tuesday to mark 100 days in office. Outside of weekend trips for personal visits, the president has not made many official trips since taking office on January 20. He usually speaks to the public from the impromptu news conferences he holds in the Oval Office and at other events at the White House. After his stop in Alabama, Trump is scheduled to travel to Florida for a long weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Later this month, he is scheduled to give the commencement address at the US Military Academy in West Point, New York. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. 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02 May,2025 08:20 AM IST | Tuscaloosa | APSister Inah Canabarro, a Brazilian woman who was the world’s oldest person, died on Wednesday just weeks short of turning 117, her religious congregation said. The Company of Saint Teresa of Jesus, a Teresian nun congregation, said Canabarro died at home of natural causes. The wake will take place on Thursday in Porto Alegre, the capital of southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. Canabarro was confirmed in January as the world’s oldest person by LongeviQuest, an organisation that tracks supercentenarians around the globe. She was born in 1908 and would have turned 117 on May 27. 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
02 May,2025 08:11 AM IST | Sao Paulo | AgenciesNorth Korea and Russia have begun building their first road link, the two countries said, hailing the construction of a bridge over a border river as a major development that will boost ties. The bridge would be 1-km-long and its construction is expected to take 18 months, expanding cross-border travel and trade. Relations and exchange programmes between the two countries have been flourishing in recent years, with North Korea supplying ammunitions and troops to support Russia’s war against Ukraine. One railway bridge and air service already connect North Korea and Russia, and in June 2024, the two countries agreed to construct a bridge for automobiles over the Tumen River, which runs along North Korea’s borders with Russia and China. 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
02 May,2025 08:10 AM IST | Seoul | AgenciesElon Musk has for years made Texas a business home and playground, launching rockets, building cars, and dreaming about creating a utopian enclave for his workers on the rural outskirts of the state capital. Now, a new Musk project is on the brink of victory: an election to officially turn a small patch of coastal South Texas—home to his rocket company SpaceX—into a city known as Starbase. Musk is likely to prevail since the small number of residents eligible to vote include his employees. Nearly 200 of 283 eligible voters have cast an early ballot, according to county election records. The list of names so far does not include Musk. 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
02 May,2025 08:09 AM IST | Austin | AgenciesIndian Navy’s Guided Missile Destroyer, INS Kochi, arrived in Maldives capital, Male, along with Maldives National Defence Forces (MNDF) CGS Huravee on Monday, which underwent Normal Refit at Naval Dockyard in Mumbai from December last year to April 2025. CGS Huravee was handed over to Major General Ibrahim Hilmy, Chief of Defence Force, MNDF. During the Indian ship’s stay in harbour, bilateral meetings, cross-deck visits and sports fixtures have been planned between the Indian Navy and the MNDF. 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
02 May,2025 08:08 AM IST | Male | AgenciesAfter months of tense negotiations, the US and Ukraine signed a deal that will give Washington access to the country’s critical minerals and other natural resources, an agreement Kyiv hopes will secure long-term support for its defense against Russia. Ukrainian officials said, the deal signed on Wednesday is far more beneficial to Ukraine than previous versions, which they said reduced Kyiv to a junior partner and gave Washington unprecedented rights to the country’s resources. The deal now needs to be ratified by the Ukrainian parliament. It would establish a reconstruction fund for Ukraine that the country hopes will be a vehicle to ensure future American military assistance. A previous agreement was nearly signed before being derailed in a tense Oval Office meeting involving US President Donald Trump, US Vice President J D Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. What does the deal include? The deal covers minerals, including rare earth elements, but also other valuable resources including oil and natural gas. It does not include resources that are already a source of revenue for the Ukrainian state. In other words, any profits under the deal are dependent on the success of new investments. While Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in Ukraine’s rare earth elements, it unclear what other minerals might be part of the deal. Earlier this year, Andrii Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, said it could include lithium, titanium or uranium. The agreement ensures full ownership of the resources remains with Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials. The state will determine where and what can be extracted. Ukraine’s rare earth elements are largely untapped because of state policies regulating the industry, a lack of good information about deposits, and the war. Working of fund The agreement establishes a reconstruction investment fund, and both the US and Ukraine will have an equal say in its management, according to Svyrydenko. The fund will be supported by the US government through the US International Development Finance Corporation agency, which Ukraine hopes will attract investment and technology from American and European countries. Ukraine is expected to contribute 50 per cent of all future profits from government-owned natural resources into the fund. The US will also contribute in the form of direct funds and equipment, including badly needed air defense systems and other military aid. Contributions to the fund will be reinvested in projects related to mining, oil and gas as well as infrastructure. No profits will not be taken from the fund for the first 10 years. What are rare earth elements? They are a group of 17 elements that are essential to many kinds of consumer technology, including cell phones, hard drives and electric and hybrid vehicles. China is the world’s largest producer of rare earth elements, and both the US and Europe have sought to reduce their dependence on Beijing. Trump deserted American ideals: Kamala Harris Former Vice President Kamala Harris used a high-profile speech on Wednesday to sharply criticise US President Donald Trump amid speculation about whether she will mount another presidential campaign or opt to run for California governor. In her most extensive public remarks since leaving office in January following her defeat to Trump, Harris said she’s inspired by Americans fighting Trump’s agenda despite threats to their freedom or livelihood. “Instead of an administration working to advance America’s highest ideals, we are witnessing the wholesale abandonment of those ideals,” Harris said a day after Trump reached 100 days in office. 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
02 May,2025 08:06 AM IST | Kyiv | AgenciesPakistan has appointed serving ISI chief Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik as the new National Security Adviser (NSA) amidst raging tension with India. Lt Gen Malik, currently serving as Director General of Pakistan’s spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), will hold the additional charge of the NSA. He is the country’s tenth NSA, but it is for the first time that a serving ISI chief has been given the task to serve concurrently in the two key positions. Malik was appointed as the Director General of the ISI in October 2024. Lt Gen Malik previously commanded the Infantry Division in Balochistan and the Infantry Brigade in Waziristan. He has also received a Sword of Honour in his course and served as the chief instructor at the National Defence University (NDU), as well as an instructor at the Command and Staff College Quetta. 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
02 May,2025 08:06 AM IST | Islamabad | AgenciesSeveral countries have dispatched their firefighting planes to Israel, which is combating a major wildfire for the second consecutive day, news agency AP reported. The fire erupted around midday in the hills outside Jerusalem, and spread rapidly through pine forests owing to the hot, dry weather and strong winds. Thick smoke darkened the skies over the city, and authorities evacuated several communities as a precautionary measure. Numerous Independence Day celebrations were cancelled as security forces were redeployed to assist in firefighting efforts, reported AP. According to Tal Volvovitch, the spokesperson for Israel’s Fire and Rescue Authority, the wildfire has scorched approximately 20 square kilometres, making it the most severe the country has experienced in a decade. Remarkably, she noted, it has "miraculously" spared residential structures so far. 20 firefighters sustain injuries; 10 aircraft deployed The Fire and Rescue Authority has urged citizens to avoid parks and forests and exercise extreme caution when lighting barbecues, particularly as Thursday marks Israel’s Independence Day—typically celebrated with large family gatherings and cookouts in public spaces, reported AP. The Magen David Adom ambulance services reported that at least 12 individuals were hospitalised on Wednesday, mainly for smoke inhalation. Ten others were treated on-site, while Volvovitch said that 20 firefighters had sustained minor injuries. Italy, Croatia, Spain, France, Ukraine, and Romania have sent their aircraft to assist, while North Macedonia and Cyprus are deploying water-dropping planes. As on Thursday morning, 10 firefighting aircraft were operating in the area, with eight more expected to arrive throughout the day, Israeli authorities said. Meanwhile, several communities in the Jerusalem hills were evacuated on Thursday. Among those allowed to return were three Catholic religious communities who had been forced to flee the previous day. Farid Jubran, spokesperson for the Latin Patriarchate, confirmed that while there were no injuries and historic churches were unharmed, the communities’ agricultural lands—such as vineyards and olive groves—sustained heavy damage. Some buildings were also damaged. Expert says climate change key factor for severity of blaze The main highway linking Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, which had been shut down after the flames advanced, reopened on Thursday. A day earlier, motorists had abandoned their cars to escape the encroaching fire. By Thursday morning, large expanses of scorched terrain were visible from the reopened road. Burned trees and bushes were coated in pink fire retardant, and smoke hung thick in the air, accompanied by the lingering smell of burning wood. While wildfires are not uncommon in Israel in summer, fires of this scale so early in the year are rare. Much of the country’s forested areas are man-made rather than naturally occurring. An organisation which manages these forests said the conditions – low rainfall during winter, unseasonably hot and dry weather, and shifting winds of unusual intensity – were ideal for such a fire to spread. Anat Gold, director of the central region for the Jewish National Fund (KKL), which oversees forests, tree planting, and land development, said the blaze was largely under control. However, she added that efforts to establish buffer zones and firebreaks were being hampered by persistent flare-ups owing to the unpredictable wind patterns. She further cited climate change as a key factor in the severity of the blaze and noted that declining rainfall had created ideal conditions for wildfires. "Of course when there's a series of drought years, it's a fertile ground for fires," she said. The last major forest fire in Israel broke out in 2010 on Mount Carmel in the north. The fire that was doused off after four days, claimed 44 lives, and destroyed approximately 12,000 acres, mostly woodland. (With AP inputs)
01 May,2025 08:19 PM IST | Jerusalem | mid-day online correspondentThe United States (US) has cleared a proposal to supply critical military hardware and logistic support assets worth USD (US Dollars) 131 million to India, in line with the strategic ties between Washington DC and New Delhi, news agency PTI reported. The Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) that operates under the Pentagon has delivered the required certification for the military supplies and notified the US Congress of the possible sale, an American readout stated. The approval for the supplies came amid the Donald Trump administration pushing New Delhi to increase its military procurement from the US. The proposed supplies, to be delivered through the "foreign military sale" route, are connected to the India-US cooperation under the framework of the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness programme, PTI reported. The DSCA’s mission is to advance US national security and foreign policy interests by enhancing the capacity of foreign security forces to respond to shared challenges. “The State Department has made a determination approving a possible foreign military sale to India of Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness and related equipment for an estimated cost of USD 131 million,” the readout stated, adding “India had requested to buy ‘sea-vision software,’ ‘remote software,’ and ‘analytic support,’ in addition to access to ‘sea-vision’ documentation and other related elements of logistics.” Indian officials have not yet provided any immediate comment on the proposed supplies. The US readout further highlighted, “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to strengthen the US-Indian strategic relationship and to improve the security of a major defence partner, which continues to be an important force for political stability, peace, and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia regions.” It added that the proposed sale would enhance India’s ability to address both current and future threats by strengthening its maritime domain awareness, analytical capabilities, and strategic posture. “India will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces,” the readout stated, adding, “The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.” The principal contractor for the supplies will be Hawkeye 360, based in Herndon, Virginia, the readout stated. It also assured that there would be no adverse impact on US defence readiness as a result of this proposed sale. (With PTI inputs)
01 May,2025 04:38 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
