US President Donald Trump on Wednesday met with Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the first such encounter between the two nations' leaders in 25 years. The meeting, on the sidelines of Trump sitting with the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council, marks a major turn of events for a Syria still adjusting to life after the over 50-year, iron-gripped rule of the Assad family. It's also remarkable given al-Sharaa, under the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has ties to al-Qaida and joined insurgents battling US forces in Iraq before entering the Syrian war. Trump on Tuesday announced the meeting, saying the US also would move to lift economic sanctions on Syria as well. Syria even before its ruinous civil war that began in 2011 struggled under a tightly controlled socialist economy and under sanctions by the US as being a state-sponsor of terror since 1979. The meeting took place behind closed doors and reporters were not permitted to witness the engagement. The White House did not immediately say who else was in the meeting or provide any other details on the conversation. Trump said he was looking to give Syria, which is emerging from more than a decade of brutal civil war, a chance at peace under al-Sharaa. Al-Sharaa was named interim president of Syria in January, a month after a stunning offensive by insurgent groups led by al-Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, that stormed Damascus, ending the 54-year rule of the Assad family. The United States has been weighing how to handle al-Sharaa since he took power in December. Many Gulf Arab leaders have rallied behind the new government in Damascus and want Trump to follow, believing it is a bulwark against Iran's return to influence in Syria, where it had helped prop up Assad's government during a decades long civil war. But longtime US ally Israel has been deeply sceptical of al-Sharaa's extremist past and cautioned against swift recognition of the new government. However, Trump cited the intervention of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as key to his decision. The White House earlier signalled that the Trump and al-Sharaa engagement, on the sidelines of a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Riyadh convened as part of Trump's four-day visit to the region, would be brief, with the administration saying the US president had agreed to say hello to the Syrian president on Wednesday. Al-Sharaa is the first Syrian leader to meet an American president since Hafez Assad met Bill Clinton in Geneva in 2000. Syrians cheered the announcement by Trump that the US will move to lift sanctions on the beleaguered Middle Eastern nation. The state-run SANA news agency published video and photographs of Syrians cheering in Umayyad Square, the largest in the country's capital, Damascus. Others honked their car horns or waved the new Syrian flag in celebration. People whistled and cheered the news as fireworks lit the night sky. A statement from Syria's Foreign Ministry issued Tuesday night called the announcement a pivotal turning point for the Syrian people as we seek to emerge from a long and painful chapter of war. The statement also was careful to describe the sanctions as coming in response to the war crimes committed by the Assad regime against the Syrian people,rather than the war-torn nation's new interim government. The removal of these sanctions offers a vital opportunity for Syria to pursue stability, self-sufficiency and meaningful national reconstruction, led by and for the Syrian people, the statement added. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 May,2025 02:20 PM IST | Riyadh | APFollowing India's decision to declare a Pakistani citizen at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi "persona non grata," Pakistan also declared a staff member of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad "persona non grata," citing involvement in activities incompatible with their official status. The Indian Charge d'Affaires was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where Pakistan conveyed its decision, directing the concerned official to depart the country within 24 hours. Sharing a post on X, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote, "A Staff Member of the Indian High Commission, Islamabad, Declared as Persona Non Grata. The Government of Pakistan has declared a staff member of the Indian High Commission, Islamabad, as persona non grata for engaging in activities incompatible with his privileged status. The concerned official has been directed to leave Pakistan within 24 hours." "The Indian Charge d'Affaires was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today for a demarche, conveying this decision," the post added. 🔊PR NO.1️⃣3️⃣7️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣A Staff Member of the Indian High Commission, Islamabad, Declared as Persona Non GrataThe Government of Pakistan has declared a staff member of the Indian High Commission, Islamabad, as persona non grata for engaging in activities incompatible with his… — Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) May 13, 2025 Notably, India on Tuesday declared a Pakistani citizen, working at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, as 'persona non grata' for indulging in activities not in keeping with his official status in India. The said person was working as a staff member at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and has been asked to leave India within 24 hours. An official statement from the Ministry of External Affairs stated, "The Government of India has declared a Pakistani official, working at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, persona non grata for indulging in activities not in keeping with his official status in India. The official has been asked to leave India within 24 hours. Charge d' Affaires, Pakistan High Commission, was issued a demarche to this effect today." Earlier in April, India summoned Pakistan's top diplomat in Delhi, Saad Ahmad Warraich, and handed over the formal Persona Non Grata note for its military diplomats. India's action came after 26 people were killed and several others sustained injuries in the dastardly attack by terrorists on tourists in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had said that after these measures, the total number will bring the overall strength of the High Commissions down to 30 from the present 55. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 to strike multiple terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir in retaliation for a deadly attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22 in which 26 tourists were killed. In addition to eliminating over 100 terrorists, the strikes targeted 11 Air bases inside Pakistan and inflicted significant damage on their military capabilities. The air, land and sea operations were carried out with calibrated restraint, with an emphasis on minimising civilian casualties. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 May,2025 08:51 AM IST | Islamabad | ANIChina on Tuesday criticised the US tariffs linked to the fentanyl issue, arguing that the US is unfairly targeting Chinese imports. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson emphasised that the fentanyl crisis is a domestic issue for the United States to address, stating that despite China's goodwill, the US has imposed tariffs that harm China's interests. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson further urged the US to stop blaming China and engage in dialogue based on equality, respect, and mutual benefit. While addressing a regular press briefing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, "China's competent authorities have released information on the China-US high-level meeting on economic and trade affairs. As for the fentanyl issue, China has made it clear more than once that fentanyl is the US's problem, not China's. It's the US's responsibility to solve the issue." He added, "Despite the goodwill China has shown, the US wrongly slapped tariffs on Chinese imports by citing the issue of fentanyl. The move has dealt a heavy blow to China-US dialogue and cooperation on counternarcotics, and gravely hurt China's interests. If the US truly wants to cooperate with China, it should stop vilifying and shifting the blame on China, and seek dialogue with China based on equality, respect and mutual benefit." Following trade talks in Geneva, in which the United States and China agreed to withdraw reciprocal tariffs for an initial 90-day period, US President Donald Trump on Monday had described the outcome as a "total reset" in relations with China. Trump called the discussions as friendly, adding that the relationship with China is now "very, very good." The US President also hinted at a possible call with Chinese President Xi Jinping later in the week. While addressing a press briefing at the White House on Monday, Trump said, "The talks in Geneva were very friendly, the relationship is very good, we are not looking to hurt China. China has been hurt very badly. They were closing factories, they were having a lot of unrest. And they were very happy to be able to do something with us and the relationship is very, very good. Maybe I will speak with President Xi Jinping by the end of the week." The US and China arrived at an agreement that they will withdraw their previously announced reciprocal tariffs and counter tariffs for an initial period of 90 days. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 May,2025 08:46 AM IST | Beijing | ANIUS President Donald Trump while participating in the US-Saudi Investment Forum took credit for the cessation of tensions between India and Pakistan. Trump said that he used trade to a large extent to reach the agreement. "Just days ago my administration brokered an historic cease-fire to stop the escalating violence between India and Pakistan and I used trade to a large extent to do it. I said, fellas, come on, let's make a deal, let's do some trading, let's not trade nuclear missiles, let's trade the things that you make so beautifully, and they both have very powerful leaders, very strong leaders, smart leaders, and it all stopped," he said. Trump further hoped that the cessation of hostilities remain and credited US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Vice President JD Vance for it. "Hopefully it will remain that way but it all stopped. I was very proud of Marco Rubio and all of the people that worked so hard. Marco, what a great job you did on that. Thank you, JD Vance," he said. Trump further offered that both sides, India and Pakistan have a 'nice dinner' together as a mark of them getting back together. "The whole group worked with you but there's a great job. They are actually getting along. Maybe we can even get them together a little bit, where they go out and have a nice dinner together. Wouldn't that be nice? We've come a long way," he said. Trump added that millions could have died in the conflict that 'started off small'. "Millions of people could have died from that conflict that started off small and was getting bigger and bigger by the day," he said. Earlier, during his regular press briefing, the official Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs was asked about the role of the US in the ceasefire. To this, Jaiswal firmly reiterated that any issues relating to Jammu and Kashmir must be addressed bilaterally with Pakistan and noted that the outstanding issue is the vacation of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing a media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India's policy that issues pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir have to be addressed bilaterally with Pakistan has not changed. "We have a long-standing national position that any issues pertaining to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir have to be addressed by India and Pakistan bilaterally. That stated policy has not changed. The outstanding matter is the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan," Jaiswal said. President Trump Participates in a U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum https://t.co/iIKhZgw1eB — The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 13, 2025 Answering a query, he said there were conversations between Indian and US leaders on the evolving military situation from the time Operation Sindoor commenced but trade did not come up in any of these discussions. "From the time Operation Sindoor commenced on May 7 till the understanding on cessation of firing and military action on May 10, there were conversations between Indian and US leaders on the evolving military situation. The issue of trade did not come up in any of these discussions," 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
14 May,2025 08:41 AM IST | Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) | ANIBritain’s counter-terrorism police were on Tuesday leading an investigation after a 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson following fires at London homes linked with Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The Metropolitan Police said the man was arrested late on Monday night and remains in custody on suspicion of “arson with intent to endanger life”. While the police has only referred to the London properties targeted over the course of the past five days as having connections with a “high-profile public figure”, UK media reports have established that they are all associated with Starmer, who is currently resident at the official prime ministerial residence at 10 Downing Street in London. The police investigation team is also considering two other incidents, a vehicle fire on Thursday and a fire at the entrance of a property in north London to establish if they are linked to the suspected arson overnight. “All three fires are being treated as suspicious at this time, and enquiries remain ongoing,” the police said.Starmer is understood to still own the home damaged by fire on Monday night, with pictures showing scorching at the entrance to the property. No injuries were 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
14 May,2025 07:51 AM IST | London | AgenciesThe Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation on Tuesday found Russia responsible for shooting down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine with the loss of 298 lives more than a decade ago, in a ruling that raises the prospect of victims’ families being paid compensation. A Dutch-led international investigation concluded in 2016 that the Amsterdam-to-Kuala Lumpur airliner was shot down on July 17, 2014 from Ukrainian territory held by separatist rebels using a Buk missile system delivered from Russia. Moscow denies any involvement in the MH17 tragedy. The Netherlands and Australian governments brought the case against Moscow before the Montreal-based global aviation agency in 2022. The International Court of Justice wasn’t an option, because Russia doesn’t recognise The Hague, Netherlands-based court’s jurisdiction. 298Total No. of people killed in the incident This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 May,2025 07:47 AM IST | Melbourne | AgenciesAn attack by a jihadi group in northern Burkina Faso killed more than 100 people, mostly soldiers, an aid worker and local residents said on Monday. The attack on several locations, including a military base and the long besieged strategic town of Djibo, occurred early Sunday, said an aid worker actively involved in dialogues in Burkina Faso’s hard-hit communities. A jihadi group aligned with Al-Qaida known as Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, which is active in the Sahel region, claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack. “JNIM fighters attacked eight localities simultaneously to disperse the Burkina Faso air force. The main attack occurred in Djibo, where JNIM fighters first took control of all the town’s entry checkpoints before attacking the military camps, particularly the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit’s camp,” said the aid worker. About half of Burkina Faso is outside of government control due to violence that contributed to two coups in 2022. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 May,2025 07:42 AM IST | Bamako (Mali) | AgenciesCrown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomed President Donald Trump to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday as the US leader began a four-day Middle East tour. Trump, as he did in his first term, is paying an early visit to the kingdom after the crown prince promised to pump hundreds of billions of dollars in new investments in the United States. The US administration said it intended to use the trip to launch economic agreements with the Saudis as well as the governments of Qatar and United Arab Emirates later this week. But behind closed doors, the leaders of all three countries are aiming to get a bead on US efforts to dismantle Iran’s nuclear programme, end the war in Gaza, hold down oil prices and more. The three countries on the President’s itinerary are all places where the Trump Organisation, run by Trump’s two elder sons, is developing major real estate projects. They include a high-rise tower in Jeddah, a luxury hotel in Dubai and a golf course and villa complex in Qatar. Trump is expected to announce deals with the three wealthy countries that will touch on artificial intelligence, expanding energy cooperation and perhaps new arms sales to Saudi Arabia. The administration earlier announced initial approval to sell $3.5 billion worth of air-to-air missiles for Saudi Arabia’s fighter jets. But Riyadh has made clear that it wants US security guarantees, assistance with the kingdom’s nuclear programme and progress on a pathway to Palestinian statehood. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 May,2025 07:37 AM IST | Riyadh | AgenciesPakistan on Tuesday said its 11 military personnel, including a squadron leader, were killed and 78 others injured during the recent military confrontation with India. In a statement, the Pakistan military also claimed that 40 civilians died and 121 others were injured in the “unprovoked and reprehensible dastardly attacks” by India on the night of May 6-7. India carried out precision strikes under ‘Operation Sindoor’ on terror infrastructure early on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Following the Indian action, Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10. India and Pakistan reached an understanding on Saturday to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes. While defending the motherland, 11 personnel of Pakistan’s armed forces were killed and 78 others were wounded, the Pakistan military said. The disclosure comes two days after the Pakistan military admitted that at least one of its aircraft suffered “minor damage” in the military confrontation with India. The military did not give details about the jet. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 May,2025 07:18 AM IST | Islamabad | AgenciesThe German government has banned the largest 'Reich citizen' group, an extremist far-right organisation that calls itself the Kingdom of Germany and seeks to undermine the country's democratic order. Four of its leaders were arrested, reported news agency AP. According to the Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, the members of the 'Reich citizen' group have created a counter-state in the country and built up economic criminal structures. He further stated that the members of the 'Reich citizen' group underpinned their supposed claim to power with antisemitic conspiracy narratives, a behaviour that the country cannot tolerate. Dobrindt said, “We will take decisive action against those who attack our free democratic basic order." However, since early Tuesday morning, hundreds of security forces in several states have been searching the association's properties and the homes of the leading members of the group. Moreover, the Interior Minister stated that the 'Reich citizen', or 'Reichsbuerger' movement does not recognise Germany as a state. Many of them claim that the historical German Reich still exists and ignore the country's democratic and constitutional structures such as parliament, laws or courts. They also refuse to pay taxes, social security contributions or fines, reported AP. "The so-called 'Kingdom of Germany' was proclaimed by its leader Peter Fitzek, who was among those arrested on Tuesday, in the eastern town of Wittenberg in 2012 and says it has around 6,000 followers," the interior ministry said in a statement. The group claims to be a counter-state that seceded from the German federal government, reported AP. It is stated that the 'Reich citizen' group's online platforms will be blocked and its assets will be confiscated to ensure that no further financial resources can be used for extremist purposes. It's not the first time that Germany has acted against the Reichsburger movement. In 2023, German police officers searched the homes of about 20 people in connection with investigations into the far-right Reich Citizens group, whose adherents had similarities to the followers of the QAnon movement in the United States, reported AP. Last year, the alleged leaders of a suspected far-right organisation who plotted to topple Germany's government, went on trial on Tuesday, opening proceedings in a case that shocked the country in late 2022, reported AP. (With inputs from AP)
13 May,2025 07:03 PM IST | Berlin | mid-day online correspondentGold prices tanked sharply by Rs 3,400 to Rs 96,550 per 10 grams in the national capital on Monday as traders shifted from safe-haven buying after the US declared a 90-day pause on tariff against Chinese imports. According to the All India Sarafa Association, the precious metal of 99.5 per cent purity plunged Rs 3,400 to Rs 96,100 per 10 grams on Monday. This marks the steepest fall in 10 months since gold prices plunged Rs 3,350 on July 23, 2024. Gold of 99.9 and 99.5 per cent purity had settled at Rs 99,950 and Rs 99,500 per 10 grams on Saturday."Gold prices fell sharply amid signs of progress in trade talks between the US and China, along with some relief in geopolitical tensions, including India-Pakistan," Rahul Kalantri, VP Commodities at Mehta Equities Ltd, said. Also, silver prices fell Rs 200 to Rs 99,700 per kg from Saturday's close of Rs 99,900 per kg.Following the trade talks in Geneva over the weekend, the US agreed to drop its 145 per cent tariff rate on Chinese goods to 30 per cent, while China agreed to lower its rate on US goods to 10 per cent for a 90-day period. Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, is trading higher by 1.42 per cent at 101.76.In futures trades, the most traded contract for gold plummeted Rs 3,932 or 4.07 per cent to trade at Rs 92,586 per 10 grams on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX). According to Jateen Trivedi, VP Research Analyst - Commodity and Currency, LKP Securities, geopolitical tensions cooled with signs of a potential truce between Russia and Ukraine, and an understanding between India and Pakistan on military actions. These developments led to heavy profit booking in gold, which had previously rallied on global uncertainty, Trivedi said. A strong rally in stock markets also hit the gold's appeal as a safe-haven bet. Silver contracts for July delivery slumped Rs 2,295 or 2.37 per cent to Rs 94,434 per kg on the MCX. Spot gold tanked over 3 per cent to trade at USD 3,218.70 per ounce in the global markets. Spot silver in the international markets fell 1.19 per cent to trade at USD 32.33 per ounce. "Gold dips more than 2 per cent on long-liquidation/ profit-booking amid easing geo-political tensions and recovery in the greenback against major currencies," Pranav Mer, Vice President, EBG - Commodity & Currency Research at JM Financial Services Ltd, said.Later in the week, investors will focus on the US macroeconomic data, including inflation/ retail sales and consumer sentiments. They will also await US Fed Chair Jerome Powell's speech - for more clues on the central bank interest rate path, Mer added.
13 May,2025 10:51 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIADVERTISEMENT
