The United States government has dispatched a medical vessel to Greenland to assist with local healthcare needs, President Donald Trump announced on Saturday (local time). The mission is being coordinated in partnership with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry to address medical challenges in the region. Taking to Truth Social to share the update, the President confirmed that the maritime initiative is currently in progress. He noted that the administration is "Working with the fantastic Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, we are going to send a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there. It's on the way!!!" The digital announcement was accompanied by a visual representation of the USNS Mercy, a prominent naval hospital ship. This humanitarian move follows the President's December appointment of Landry to act as a special envoy to the Arctic territory. Responding via the social media platform X, the Louisiana Governor expressed his gratitude, stating he is "proud to work" alongside the President regarding "this important issue." Specifics regarding the nature of the health crisis or the exact objectives of the mission remain elusive. Major entities, including the Pentagon, the US Navy, NORTHCOM, and the Danish Embassy, have been contacted for clarification, though formal details have not yet been provided. The deployment comes on the heels of a shift in diplomatic tone. Last month, the President indicated he had "formed the framework of a future deal" concerning Greenland during discussions with the head of NATO. This followed a period of heightened tension where his persistent interest in the semiautonomous Danish island had sparked friction within European diplomatic circles.
22 February,2026 12:35 PM IST | Washington | ANIIran's Foreign Ministry declared European Union member states' naval forces and air forces as "terrorist organisation" as a reciprocal action against the EU's recognition of Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity. The Ministry announced its decision in a statement, while calling the EU's action against the IRGC "contrary to fundamental principles and rules" of the United Nations Charter and International Law. Statement Regarding the Reciprocal Action in Response to the Illegal Decision of the #EU Member States to Label a Part of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran February 21, 2026 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in response to the… https://t.co/oFEGDxSPxd — Foreign Ministry, Islamic Republic of Iran (@IRIMFA_EN) February 21, 2026 Invoking the Article 7 of the Law on "Reciprocal Action in Response to the Designation of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps as a Terrorist Organization by the US" passed in 2019, which stipulates that "all countries that in any way follow or support the decision of the United States to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization are subject to reciprocal action," Iran made this decision, as per the Foreign Ministry statement. This comes after the EU designated Iran's IRGC as a terrorist organisation, placing the powerful military force in the same category as the Islamic State and Al Qaeda. Formed after Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution to safeguard the Shi'ite clerical system, the IRGC wields significant influence across Iran's economy and armed forces and oversees the country's ballistic missile and nuclear programmes. Meanwhile, the US, Israel and their allied partners continue to push Iran to drop its uranium enrichment operations, expressing concern over Tehran's alleged attempt to make nuclear weapons. US President Donald Trump has warned Iran to come to terms with the US on the nuclear deal within 10 to 15 days or "it's going to be unfortunate." Interacting with the reporters on Thursday, the US President said, "We're either going to get a deal, or it's going to be unfortunate for them... 10-15 days would be enough time." At the Board of Peace inaugural meeting, Trump also repeated the threats, "Now is the time for Iran to join us on a path that will complete what we're doing. And if they join us, that'll be great. If they don't join us, that'll be great, too. But it'll be a very different path." He stressed that Tehran could not continue destabilising the region."They cannot continue to threaten the stability of the entire region. And they must make a deal. Or if that doesn't happen, bad things will happen if it doesn't," the US President said. US has also deployed air and naval forces to West Asia, marking the most substantive deployment to the region since the US invaded Iraq in the year 2003, CNN reported. The US military is prepared to strike Iran as early as this weekend, though President Donald Trump has yet to make a final decision on whether he'll authorise such actions, CNN said, citing sources familiar with the matter. 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
22 February,2026 12:17 PM IST | Tehran | ANIAt least 10 people were reported killed and around 50 others injured in Israeli airstrikes in eastern Lebanon, Times of Israel reported, citing Lebanese authorities, after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had targeted Hezbollah command centres. Two more people were reported killed in a separate strike on Hamas targets in southern Lebanon. The strikes were among the deadliest since the November 2024 US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. In a statement, the IDF said it struck three Hezbollah command centres belonging to the group's missile force in the Baalbek area of the Beqaa Valley. The military said the strikes eliminated "a large number of operatives" from Hezbollah's missile array who were allegedly working to accelerate force build-up and planning rocket fire and terror attacks against Israel. Hezbollah later announced the deaths of eight operatives in the strikes, including Hussein Mohammed Yaghi, whom it described as a "commander," indicating a senior position within the group. Hezbollah said the men were killed "while defending Lebanon and its people during a treacherous Israeli attack on the Beqaa region." Speaking at a protest in Beirut broadcast by Hezbollah's Al-Manar network, senior Hezbollah official Mahmud Qamati termed the strikes a "new massacre" and said the group's only option was "resistance." "What option do we have left to defend ourselves and our country? What option do we have other than resistance?" Qamati said. The IDF maintained that Hezbollah's missile forces were actively planning rocket and missile attacks against Israel and that their activities constituted a violation of the ceasefire understandings reached in November 2024, Times of Israel reported. Meanwhile, Lebanese authorities said an Israeli drone strike targeted the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp near the southern coastal city of Sidon, killing two people. The IDF said the strike targeted a Hamas command centre where operatives were allegedly gathered to advance attacks against Israeli forces. Lebanon's health ministry said the two killed were identified by Hamas as members of the group. According to the IDF, the site had been used in recent months by Hamas operatives to prepare terror activities and training aimed at carrying out attacks against Israeli troops and civilians. The military also accused Hamas of embedding its infrastructure within civilian areas and using residents as human shields, adding that the activity violated the November 2024 ceasefire, Times of Israel reported. Hamas condemned the strike on Ain al-Hilweh, rejecting Israeli claims and asserting that the targeted site belonged to the camp's Joint Security Force responsible for maintaining security. Israel has repeatedly said it is acting to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its capabilities following the ceasefire that ended more than a year of hostilities. The truce followed two months of open conflict, including Israeli ground operations in southern Lebanon, aimed at halting near-daily rocket attacks that began on October 8, 2023, a day after Hamas launched its attack on southern Israel, triggering the ongoing war in Gaza. 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
22 February,2026 12:12 PM IST | Tel Aviv | ANIIran’s atomic energy chief Mohammad Eslami said no country can deprive the Islamic republic of its right to nuclear enrichment, after US President Donald Trump again hinted at military action following talks in Geneva. “The basis of the nuclear industry is enrichment. Whatever you want to do in the nuclear process, you need nuclear fuel,” said Eslami. “Iran’s nuclear programme is proceeding according to the rules of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and no country can deprive Iran of the right to peacefully benefit from this technology.” The comments follow the second round of Oman-mediated talks between Tehran and Washington in Geneva on Tuesday. The United States briefly joined the war alongside Israel, striking Iranian nuclear facilities. Trump warned on Friday that he believes 10 to 15 days is “enough time” for Iran to reach a deal following recent rounds of indirect negotiations, including this week in Geneva, that made little visible progress. But the talks have been deadlocked for years after Trump’s decision in 2018 to unilaterally withdraw the US from Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. 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
22 February,2026 08:43 AM IST | Tehran | AgenciesSitting in a circle the day before opening night, Ukrainian war veterans and drama students took turns reading their lines from a script that travelled centuries to reach them. The actors — men and women in their 20s to 60s — included Ukrainian military veterans who had returned from the front with amputations, severe burns and sight loss. Others had endured war on the homefront. Many had never set foot on a stage before this play. The production was created by Theater of Veterans, an organization founded by members of Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Forces that provides theatrical training and stage opportunities for former service members as part of their reintegration and recovery. At the centre was Olha Semioshkina, directing the group through her adaptation of “Eneida” by Ivan Kotliarevskyi — an 18th-century Ukrainian reimagining of Virgil’s “Aeneid.” “We knew the guys had just come back from rehabilitation, and we had to start from the very beginning,” Semioshkina said. “We spent about four months simply learning to communicate, to fall, to group, to roll, to get together. Then we began developing the body, taking off prosthetics and learning to exist without them.” 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
22 February,2026 08:40 AM IST | Kyiv | AgenciesContraceptives have been restocked in the Olympic Villages in Milano Cortina, Italy, for the 2026 Winter Olympics after running out in just three days, according to International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokesperson, who said that “The IOC works closely with the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee to support the mental and physical health of athletes, including supporting sexual health services.” The restocking of condoms comes after Italian outlet La Stampa initially reported there was a shortage at the villages in less than a week after the Olympics officially began. The IOC later confirmed the supply was depleted “due to higher-than-anticipated demand” and that the supply would be consistently replenished. Interestingly, Olympics spokesperson Mark Adams said last week, “Shows that Valentine’s Day is in full swing in the village, and I don’t think I can add very much more to that.” He added, “I think about 10,000 (condoms) have been used.” Hard game. Love thy neighbour A Taiwanese court sentenced a woman named Chen to three months in prison, commutable to a R2,59,732 fine after she reportedly installed loudspeakers on the balcony of her home and used it to insult her neighbours. A sore loser A 19-year-old man was brought to a hospital with acute throat pain following a round of the popular drinking game beer pong. A bottle cap was lodged in the man’s throat leading to an immediate surgery.
22 February,2026 08:27 AM IST | Italy | A CorrespondentA six-month-old baby macaque named 'Punch' has become an unexpected star at Ichikawa City Zoo near Tokyo of Japan. Punch went viral on social media platform X after videos showed him clinging to zookeepers and dragging around a stuffed orangutan toy. The clips gained wide attention and inspired the hashtag HangInTherePunch. 🐒 A baby macaque has shot to social media stardom after being abandoned by his motherSix-month-old Punch became an internet sensation after footage of him clinging forlornly to zookeepers and dragging around a stuffed orangutan toy were widely shared on X. pic.twitter.com/89P5bFDsrj — AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 20, 2026 According to the reports, Punch was born in July but was abandoned by his mother. It may have been her first litter, or she may have lacked stamina during the summer heat. In the wild, baby macaques cling to their mothers for safety and to build muscle strength. Without his mother, Punch was raised in an artificial environment at the zoo. Zookeepers tried offering towels and other soft toys, but Punch chose a long-legged stuffed orangutan. “It was easy for him to grab,” a keeper said, adding that it may have reminded him of another monkey. Punch learns to socialise Last month, Punch began training to rejoin his troop at Ichikawa City Zoo, located near Tokyo. Earlier this month, the zoo shared encouraging updates, saying he was gradually integrating. He has been seen “playfully poking others and getting scolded,” normal behaviour for a young monkey learning social rules. On Friday, more than 100 visitors gathered around the enclosure to catch a glimpse of him. Some strained to take photos, while others shouted, “Hang in there!” as Punch tried to approach other monkeys. “We’re here since this morning. We rarely come to a zoo but we wanted to see cute Punch,” said 32-year-old Sayaka Takimoto, who drove two hours with her husband. The couple described the videos of Punch carrying his stuffed toy as “adorable,” as per AFP reports. Another visitor, Yoko, 50, said she had carefully studied his photos beforehand. “He’s so cute, so I had to come see him,” she said. “It makes me a little sad he’s growing so fast, but I’m relieved to see he’s making friends,” as per AFP reports. Addressing concerns Not all moments have been easy. A widely shared video showing Punch being dragged by an adult monkey worried some supporters. In response, the zoo issued a statement urging fans to “support Punch’s efforts” as he continues learning to socialise. Officials reassured the public that the troop has not shown any serious aggression. “While Punch is scolded (by other monkeys), he shows mental strength and resilience,” the statement said as per AFP reports. Punch’s journey from an abandoned newborn clinging to a stuffed toy to a young monkey slowly finding his place among his peers has touched thousands. As he grows stronger and more confident, visitors continue to cheer him on, hoping that the once-lonely baby macaque will soon feel fully at home with his troop. (With AFP Inputs)
21 February,2026 05:34 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA White House official confirmed that US President Donald Trump is set to visit China from March 31 to April 2, a move that China sees as a win, as the world is bracing to witness a churn in the global order. Trump's volatile foreign policy is pushing China to open its doors to a host of world leaders lately, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. These were traditional allies of the US, and did not make visits to the nation since Covid-19 pandemic. But the tables have turned since Trump's stubbornness to acquire Greenland and imposition of tariffs on the EU, and pushing the bloc to spike its defence spending. And in broader conversations taking place across gatherings like the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Western leaders are openly acknowledging that the US-backed post-1945 order is being eclipsed - a view not completely out of step with China's. Carney, in his visit - the first from a Canadian prime minister since 2017 - relaxed stringent tariffs on China-made electric vehicles that Canada had imposed in line with the US in exchange for an easing of barriers on Canadian agricultural goods, as per CNN. Separately, Beijing and the European Union last month softened their tones and came to an agreement to replace tariffs on Chinese EVs with commitments to sell at minimum prices, as per CNN. Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Politico that the US relationship with China has reached a "very good equilibrium" where disagreements are less likely to turn into full-scale economic conflict as they did last year. Bessent said that US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping could meet up to four times this year and have a productive rapport. "When the leaders are setting the tone for the overall relationship, if there are glitches, if there are hiccups, then they can jump on phone calls and de-escalate very quickly," he said, as per Politico. 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.
21 February,2026 04:03 PM IST | Washington DC (US) | ANIIn the wake of the US Supreme Court's decision on tariffs, President Donald Trump said there is no change in the trade deal with India and emphasised that the "India deal is on". "I think my relationship with India is fantastic and we're doing trade with India. India pulled out of Russia. India was getting its oil from Russia. And they pulled way back at my request, because we want to settle that horrible war where 25,000 people are dying every month," Trump said at a news conference Friday in the White House hours after the US Supreme Court verdict striking down his sweeping tariffs. He said his relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi "is, I would say, great." Trump then went on to repeat the claim that he stopped the war between India and Pakistan last summer using tariffs. "I also stopped the war between India and Pakistan. As you know, there were 10 planes were shot down. That war was going and probably going nuclear. And just yesterday, the Prime Minister of Pakistan said President Trump saved 35 million lives by getting them to stop," Trump said. "And I did it largely with tariffs. I said, 'Look, you're going to fight, that's fine, but you're not going to do business with the United States, and you're going to pay a 200 per cent tariff, each country'. And they called up and they said, 'we have made peace'," Trump said. Earlier this month, as the US and India announced they reached a framework for an Interim Agreement on trade, Trump issued an Executive Order removing the 25 per cent punitive tariffs imposed on India for its purchases of Russian oil, with the US President noting the "commitment" by New Delhi to stop directly or indirectly importing energy from Moscow and purchase American energy products. Under the trade deal, Washington will charge a reduced reciprocal tariff on New Delhi, lowering it from 25 per cent to 18 per cent. When asked about the deal with India, Trump said "nothing changes". "Nothing changes. They'll be paying tariffs, and we will not be paying tariffs. So deal with India is they pay tariffs. This is a reversal for what it used to be, as you know, India and I think Prime Minister Modi is a great gentleman, a great man, actually, but he was much smarter than the people that he was against in terms of the United States, he was ripping us off. So we made a deal with India. It's a fair deal now, and we are not paying tariffs to them, and they are paying tariffs. We did a little flip," Trump said. "The India deal is on all the deals are on, we're just going to do it" in a different way. Earlier, Trump said he used tariffs to end the war between India and Pakistan, as he lashed out at the Supreme Court for its decision to strike down his sweeping tariffs imposed on countries around the world. "Tariffs have likewise been used to end five of the eight wars that I settled. I settled eight wars, whether you like it or not, including India, Pakistan, big ones, nuclear, could have been nuclear," Trump said during a news conference Friday just hours after the Supreme Court verdict. "Prime Minister of Pakistan said yesterday at the great meeting that we had the peace board. He said yesterday that President Trump could have saved 35 million lives by getting us to stop fighting. They were getting ready to do some bad things. But they've given us great national security, these tariffs have," 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
21 February,2026 10:16 AM IST | New York/Washington | PTIA Sikh man, Avtar Singh, 57, has been kidnapped from the Tracy area in California. Police said Singh was picked up by three individuals dressed in dark clothing in a white SUV around 2.30 pm on Tuesday, and that he appeared to have entered the car against his will. 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
21 February,2026 10:14 AM IST | New York | AgenciesGene mutations that drive the development of breast cancer in cats are similar to those seen in people, and could pave the way for new treatments for the disease in both humans and animals, a study suggests. Researchers in the UK, Canada, and Switzerland analysed different tumour samples and found the genetic changes. 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
21 February,2026 10:12 AM IST | Bern | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
