Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense detected 17 Chinese sorties, seven naval vessels and an official ship operating around its territorial waters as of 6am (local time) on Thursday. Of the 17, 14 crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and southeastern ADIZ. In a post on X, the MND said, "17 PLA aircraft, 7 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 14 out of 17 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and southeastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded." 17 PLA aircraft, 7 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 14 out of 17 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern, southwestern and southeastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded. pic.twitter.com/LVnGVQUKPy — 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, ROC(Taiwan) 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) February 12, 2026 Earlier on Wednesday, Taiwan's MND detected the presence of nine Chinese military aircraft, eight naval vessels and an official ship. Of the nine, six sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern and southeastern ADIZ. In a post on X, the MND said, "9 PLA aircraft, 8 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 6 out of 9 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's southwestern and southeastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded." 9 PLA aircraft, 8 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 6 out of 9 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s southwestern and southeastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded. pic.twitter.com/OFqsRUc6KX — 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, ROC(Taiwan) 🇹🇼 (@MoNDefense) February 11, 2026 Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has rejected Beijing's renewed call for "reunification," describing it as a reiteration of China's long-standing position aimed ultimately at Taiwan's "annihilation," Taipei Times reported. The remarks came after Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Chairman Wang Huning, the fourth-ranked leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), addressed Beijing's annual Taiwan Work Conference on Tuesday. According to Xinhua news agency, Wang called on officials to advance the "great cause of national reunification" and pledged firm support for what he described as "patriotic pro-reunification forces" in Taiwan, while vowing to crack down on "separatists." Wang also stressed adherence to the "one China" principle and the so-called "1992 consensus" to combat "Taiwan independence separatist forces" and oppose what Beijing terms external interference. 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
12 February,2026 09:20 AM IST | Taipei | ANIUS President Donald Trump has hailed the trade deal with India as "historic" and said America will increase its coal exports dramatically to the country and to others with which it has trade agreements. "And under our leadership, we're becoming a massive energy exporter. In just the past few months, we've made historic trade deals with Japan, Korea, India and others to increase our coal exports dramatically," Trump said Wednesday during an event titled 'Champion of Coal'. "We're now exporting coal all over the world, and the quality of our coal is supposed to be...the finest anywhere in the world," he said. Last week, the US and India announced they have reached a framework for an interim agreement on trade, under which New Delhi will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all American industrial goods, a wide range of food and agricultural products, as well as purchase USD 500 billion of US products over the next five years. A joint statement issued by the two countries on Friday said they have reached a framework "regarding reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade." It said that India "intends to purchase USD 500 billion of US energy products, aircraft and aircraft parts, precious metals, technology products, and coking coal over the next five years." It added that the framework reaffirms the countries' commitment to the broader US-India Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) negotiations, launched by President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 13, 2025, which will include additional market access commitments and support more resilient supply chains. 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
12 February,2026 09:14 AM IST | New York | PTIVoters in Bangladesh turned out early on election day, forming long queues outside polling booths from as early as 6 am (local time), reflecting both anticipation and hope for a transparent electoral process. Many expressed optimism about the conduct of the polls and the future of the country. "I came early this time, wishing to vote early. We're hoping that the voting will be free and fair. Hopefully, we will see some good candidates and people who will work for the nation. We'll have a corruption-free nation," said one voter waiting in line. Another voter shared similar enthusiasm, saying, "We are very excited because we haven't been able to vote for the last 17 or 18 years. We would like to choose the appropriate candidate in this election. The atmosphere is quite pleasant. Security arrangements are good, and we can easily cast our vote." Highlighting the strong participation, a voter remarked, "People have come in large numbers to vote." For first-time voters, the day brought a mix of excitement and disappointment. One young voter said, "On one hand, I am happy as this is the first time that I am voting, but we did not get any new candidates for this constituency. We are voting for the same people, which is a bit disappointing." The steady turnout and orderly arrangements marked a significant day for voters eager to exercise their democratic rights. People are voting in Bangladesh's 13th Parliamentary elections, marking a critical moment in the country's political history as it enters a new phase. The election comes at a time of significant change, following the death of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and the ongoing ban on her long-time rival, Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party. This election is also seen as a turning point, as the country looks to move beyond the decades-long 'Battle of Begums' era. On the eve of the 13th national election, ballot papers and other materials were transported under tight security to polling centres across the country, The Daily Star reported. Polling will take place from 7.30 am to 4.30 pm (local time). The vote count will begin at 4 pm on February 12. The Election Commission will officially announce the results in the morning of February 13, as and when the counting is complete. With nearly 127 million eligible voters, the eighth most populous nation in the world heads to the polls. Nearly half the voters are between the ages of 18-37, as per Al Jazeera, of which 4.57 million are first-time voters. There are 59 registered political parties in Bangladesh, excluding Awami League, whose registration was suspended by the election commission last year, nullifying its ability to field candidates in the fray. Of these, 51 parties are participating in this year's elections. In total, 1,981 candidates are contesting, including 249 independent ones. 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
12 February,2026 09:09 AM IST | Dhaka | ANIChinese robotics firm Agibot showcased its humanoid robots practicing martial arts with monks at China’s historic Shaolin Temple. Earlier this year, the company showcased is Lingxi X2 robot cycling in an open space, and also the robot performing the notoriously difficult Webster flip — a gymnastics move that involves a forward somersault with a back-leg take-off and precise mid-air body control throughout. 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
12 February,2026 08:54 AM IST | Beijing | AgenciesThe White House has updated its factsheet on the India-US trade framework a day after its initial release, softening several key assertions. The revisions come after last week's announcement of a framework for an interim reciprocal trade agreement aimed at boosting bilateral commerce. In the original version of the factsheet, it was stated, “India committed to buy more American products and purchase over $500 billion of US energy, information and communication technology, agricultural, coal, and other products.” The revised factsheet now says India “intends” to buy more American products and omits the term “agricultural” from the list of product categories. 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
12 February,2026 08:52 AM IST | Washington | AgenciesIran marked the 47th anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution on Wednesday as the country’s theocracy remains under pressure, both from US President Donald Trump and public angr over Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests. During a ceremony, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised to “those affected” by the protests and bloody crackdown that followed it, even as he denounced unspecified “Western propaganda” surrounding the protests. “We are ashamed, and we are obligated to assist all those who were harmed in these incidents,” Pezeshkian said. “We are not seeking confrontation with the people,” 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
12 February,2026 08:13 AM IST | Dubai | AgenciesBangladesh is set to hold parliamentary elections on Thursday, 18 months after an interim government took charge following the collapse of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s regime. Nearly one million security personnel have been deployed. The contest is mainly between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its once ally Jamaat-e-Islami in the absence of Hasina’s Awami League which was barred from contesting last year. 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
12 February,2026 08:11 AM IST | Dhaka | AgenciesIran and the United States are weighing holding a second round of talks over Tehran's nuclear program after Israel launched a 12-day war on the country in June and the Islamic Republic carried out a bloody crackdown on nationwide protests. U.S. President Donald Trump has kept up pressure on Iran, moving an aircraft carrier and other military assets to the Persian Gulf and suggesting the U.S. could attack Iran over the killing of peaceful demonstrators or if Tehran launches mass executions over the protests. Trump has pushed Iran's nuclear program back into the frame as well after the June war disrupted five rounds of talks held in Rome and Muscat, Oman, last year. Trump also has suggested sending a second carrier to the region. A top Iranian security official, Ali Larijani, visited Oman this week and traveled onto Qatar, just after Trump called its ruling emir. It remains unclear how — or if more talks will happen, though Mideast nations fear a collapse in diplomacy could spark a new regional war. US concerns also have gone beyond Iran's nuclear program to its ballistic missiles, support for proxy networks across the region and other issues. Iran has said it wants talks to focus solely on the nuclear program. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has insisted that his nation was “not seeking nuclear weapons and are ready for any kind of verification.” However, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog — the International Atomic Energy Agency — has been unable for months to inspect and verify Iran's nuclear stockpile. Trump began the diplomacy initially by writing a letter last year to Iran's 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to jump start these talks. Khamenei has warned Iran would respond to any attack with an attack of its own, particularly as the theocracy he commands reels following the protests. Here's what to know about Iran's nuclear program and the tensions that have stalked relations between Tehran and Washington since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Trump writes letter to Khamenei Trump dispatched the letter to Khamenei on March 5, 2025, then gave a television interview the next day in which he acknowledged sending it. He said: “I've written them a letter saying, I hope you're going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it's going to be a terrible thing.'” Since returning to the White House, the president has been pushing for talks while ratcheting up sanctions and suggesting a military strike by Israel or the U.S. could target Iranian nuclear sites. A previous letter from Trump during his first term drew an angry retort from the supreme leader. But Trump's letters to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in his first term led to face-to-face meetings, though no deals to limit Pyongyang's atomic bombs and a missile program capable of reaching the continental US. Oman mediated previous talks Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, has mediated talks between Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff. The two men have met face to face after indirect talks, a rare occurrence due to the decades of tensions between the countries. It hasn't been all smooth, however. Witkoff at one point made a television appearance in which he suggested 3.67 percent enrichment for Iran could be something the countries could agree on. But that's exactly the terms set by the 2015 nuclear deal struck under former U.S. President Barack Obama, from which Trump unilaterally withdrew America. Witkoff, Trump and other American officials in the time since have maintained Iran can have no enrichment under any deal, something to which Tehran insists it won't agree. Those negotiations ended, however, with Israel launching the war in June on Iran. It hosted a new first round of talks on Feb. 6. The 12-day war and nationwide protests Israel launched what became a 12-day war on Iran in June that included the U.S. bombing Iranian nuclear sites. Iran later acknowledged in November that the attacks saw it halt all uranium enrichment in the country, though inspectors from the IAEA, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, have been unable to visit the bombed sites. Half a year later, Iran saw protests that began in late December over the collapse of the country's rial currency. Those demonstrations soon became nationwide, sparking Tehran to launch a bloody crackdown that killed thousands and saw tens of thousands detained by authorities. Iran's nuclear program worries the West Iran has insisted for decades that its nuclear program is peaceful. However, its officials increasingly threaten to pursue a nuclear weapon. Iran now enriches uranium to near weapons-grade levels of 60 percent, the only country in the world without a nuclear weapons program to do so. Under the original 2015 nuclear deal, Iran was allowed to enrich uranium up to 3.67 percent purity and to maintain a uranium stockpile of 300 kilograms (661 pounds). The last report by the IAEA on Iran's program put its stockpile at some 9,870 kilograms (21,760 pounds), with a fraction of it enriched to 60 percent. The agency for months has been unable to assess Iran's program, raising nonproliferation concerns. U.S. intelligence agencies assess that Iran has yet to begin a weapons program, but has “undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so.” Iranian officials have threatened to pursue the bomb. Israel, a close American ally, believes Iran is pursuing a weapon. It wants to see the nuclear program scrapped, as well as a halt in its ballistic missile program and support for anti-Israel militant groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas. Decades of tense relations between Iran and the US Iran was once one of the U.S.'s top allies in the Mideast under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who purchased American military weapons and allowed CIA technicians to run secret listening posts monitoring the neighboring Soviet Union. The CIA had fomented a 1953 coup that cemented the shah's rule. But in January 1979, the shah, fatally ill with cancer, fled Iran as mass demonstrations swelled against his rule. The Islamic Revolution followed, led by Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and created Iran's theocratic government. Later that year, university students overran the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, seeking the shah's extradition and sparking the 444-day hostage crisis that saw diplomatic relations between Iran and the U.S. severed. The Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s saw the U.S. back Saddam Hussein. The “Tanker War” during that conflict saw the U.S. launch a one-day assault that crippled Iran at sea, while the U.S. later shot down an Iranian commercial airliner that the U.S. military said it mistook for a warplane. Iran and the U.S. have seesawed between enmity and grudging diplomacy in the years since, with relations peaking when Tehran made the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. But Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the accord in 2018, sparking tensions in the Mideast that persist today. 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.
11 February,2026 11:05 PM IST | Dubai | APA Russian drone smashed into a home in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region overnight, killing a father and his three small children and seriously wounding their mother who is 35 weeks pregnant, officials said Wednesday. The strike completely destroyed the house and set it on fire, with the family trapped under the rubble, according to the Kharkiv regional prosecutor's office. The 34-year-old father and his three children - twin boys aged 2 and their 1-year-old sister - were killed, while rescue workers pulled the mother alive from the rubble, prosecutors said. She sustained blast injuries, a traumatic brain injury, burns and hearing loss, they said. During the almost four years since Russia invaded its neighbor, and despite a new push over the past year in U.S.-led peace efforts, Ukrainian civilians have endured constant aerial attacks. Last year was the deadliest for civilians in Ukraine since 2022 as Russia intensified its aerial barrages behind the front line, according to the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in the country. The war killed 2,514 civilians and injured 12,142 in Ukraine in 2025 - 31% higher than in 2024, it said. The drone that struck the Kharkiv town of Bohodukhiv was identified as a Geran-2, a Russian-made version of an Iranian Shahed drone."We lost what is most precious - our future," Bohodukhiv mayor Volodymyr Bielyi wrote on his Facebook page. "There are no words to console the family; there is no prayer that could heal the heart of a mother who has lost her children." Bielyi said the mother is fighting for her life in hospital and announced three days of mourning, when national flags will be lowered and all entertainment and organized public events will be cancelled. "We will endure. We will remember. We will never forgive this horror on our land," Bielyi wrote. Bohodukhiv has a pre-war population of 15,000. It is located some 22 kilometers (13 miles) from the Russian border. "Each such Russian strike undermines trust in everything being done through diplomacy to end this war, and again and again proves that only strong pressure on Russia and clear security guarantees for Ukraine are the real key to stopping the killings," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media. Ukraine's Air Force says Russia launched 129 long-range drones at Ukraine last night. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire at an industrial plant in the city of Volgograd, authorities said. Volgograd region's Gov. Andrei Bocharov said that drone fragments also damaged an apartment building. Eight Russian airports briefly suspended flights overnight because of drone attacks, officials 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.
11 February,2026 06:33 PM IST | Kyiv | APAir Canada suspended its services to Cuba, citing an aviation fuel shortage. The airline will operate empty flights to Cuba to pick up and return customers. Air Canada said that it is suspending its service to Cuba due to an ongoing shortage of aviation fuel on the island. Over the following days, the airline will operate empty flights southbound to pick up approximately 3000 customers already at their destination and return them home. Cuba has been facing an energy crisis amid a US blockade of oil to the Caribbean nation. Canadian tourism is vital to Cuba’s economy. 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
11 February,2026 05:31 PM IST | Ottawa | AgenciesAn active incident was reported at Thomas S Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland, on Monday afternoon, with a 16-year-old student being taken into custody. Officers responded to the school at 2.15 pm, where they found a 16-year-old male student suffering from a single gunshot wound in a hallway. He was moved to a hospital and is in stable condition. Investigators determined that there was no threat to public safety. 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
11 February,2026 05:29 PM IST | New york | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
-1770822074375_d.png "Iranian citizens wave national flags near a ballistic missile launch vehicle. Pic/AFP")
-1770813902606_d.png "Firefighters working to extinguish a fire at a private house following a Russian drone attack in Bogodukhiv Kharkiv region. Pics/AFP")
