The Biden administration is weighing measures to help Palestinians living in the United States who want to bring family from the war-torn region. "We are constantly evaluating policy proposals to further support Palestinians who are family members of American citizens and may want to come to the United States," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday. Jean-Pierre said discussions were underway but had no further details on how procedures might work. The new measures would help those who are legal permanent residents or US citizens and who have family in the region. It's difficult right now for anyone to get out of the Gaza Strip as the Israel-Hamas war continues, and more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to local health officials, around two-thirds of them children and women. The discussion comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that Israel will move forward with a major military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah even as the Biden administration has warned that such action would be catastrophic. An estimated 1.5 million people " more than half of Gaza " have taken shelter in Rafah as the war shows no signs of ending. If the US were to move forward with some sort of measure to help the families of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, it would likely require coordination with Egypt. Early in the war, hundreds of Americans " as well as other foreign nationals trapped in Gaza " were able to escape via the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, which opened the crossing with some trepidation. Egypt as well as other Arab nations worry that an Israeli offensive could lead to a displacement of Palestinians into Sinai, a scenario it views as unacceptable. For Palestinians already in the US, the Biden administration has already agreed to what's known as "deferred enforced departure," an authority used at a president's discretion. The directive signed by Biden last month effectively allows Palestinian immigrants who would otherwise have to leave the United States to stay without the threat of deportation for at least 18 months. 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,2024 08:24 AM IST | Washington | APAuthorities in Texas are investigating at least nine deaths this week in connection with an unusual spike of opioid overdoses in Austin that health officials are calling the city's worst overdose outbreak in nearly a decade. Emergency responders in the Texas capital typically field only two to three calls per day, said Steve White, assistant chief of the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Service. But at least 65 people required overdose treatment between Monday and Wednesday, said Darren Noak, a spokesman for the agency. "At this time, it is apparent that there is an deadly batch of illicit narcotics in our community,¿ Austin Police Department Assistant Chief Eric Fitzgerald said at a news conference Tuesday. Preliminary testing showed that all nine people who died had traces of fentanyl in their system and the majority had other drugs present too, according to Travis County spokesman Hector Nieto. The victims ranged in age from 30s to 50s and spanned diverse ethnic backgrounds, said Keith Pinckard, Travis County's chief medical examiner. Police say two people have been detained during the investigation but no charges related to overdoses had been filed as of Wednesday. Fitzgerald said officers administered an overdose-reversing drug, naloxone, at the scene of several cases as they awaited emergency services. He added that citizen bystanders in some cases stepped in to administer the life-saving drug themselves, and thanked them for intervening. According to Travis County Judge Andy Brown, the county's top elected official, kits for administering overdose antidote drug naloxone during emergency situations were distributed to locals in affected areas and training was provided by emergency personnel for those willing to carry the medication. Brown said that the drug, which combats overdoses, had previously been proactively distributed across the area through city and county programs that attempt to fight increasing opioid overdoses. He said the efforts are conducted in coordination with local groups that often respond to overdose crisis. It is the largest overdose outbreak in Austin since a synthetic drug referred to as K2 was distributed locally in 2015, Brown 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
02 May,2024 08:21 AM IST | Austin | APThe United States is “regularly working” with India in its investigation into the allegations related to the plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US State Department official has said. The remarks by US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel came after The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, named a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer in connection with the alleged plot to kill Pannun on American soil last year. India on Tuesday strongly rejected the claims, saying that the report made “unwarranted and unsubstantiated” imputations on a serious matter and that an investigation into the case was underway. Addressing his daily news conference on Tuesday, Patel said, “We continue to expect accountability from the Government of India based on the results of the Indian inquiry committee’s work, and we are regularly working with them and enquiring for additional updates.” “We’ll also continue to raise our concerns directly with the Indian Government at senior levels, but beyond that, I’m not going to parse into this further and will defer to the Department of Justice,” Patel said when asked about The Washington Post report, which identified the RAW officer as Vikram Yadav and alleged that he was involved in the plot to assassinate Pannun. TueDay India rejected the claims 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,2024 07:48 AM IST | Washington | AgenciesA Russian missile assault on the Black Sea port city of Odesa has left at least five individuals dead and more than 30 wounded, as confirmed by Ukrainian authorities, CNN reported. A video footage, released by Ukraine’s Prosecutor General, captures the harrowing moment when numerous bomblets erupted in quick succession near the seafront, unleashing chaos and devastation. Among the structures ravaged by the assault was an educational institution colloquially referred to as the “Harry Potter castle” due to its striking resemblance to the iconic Scottish architectural style. Images disseminated by officials depict the once-majestic cone-shaped towers and roof engulfed in flames, painting a sombre picture of the aftermath, as reported by CNN. According to Ukrainian authorities, the assault was orchestrated using an Iskander ballistic missile alongside cluster munitions, underscoring the brutality of the attack. Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin revealed the recovery of missile debris and metal fragments strewn across a wide radius, indicating the ferocity of the strike. Tragically, among the injured were two children and a pregnant woman, underscoring the indiscriminate nature of the assault. 30Approx. no. of people wounded in the attack 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,2024 07:43 AM IST | Odesa | AgenciesDonald Trump on Wednesday will use a one-day break from his hush money trial to rally voters in the battleground states of Wisconsin and Michigan, a day after he was held in contempt of court and threatened with jail time for violating a gag order. His remarks will be closely watched after he received a USD 9,000 fine for making public statements about people connected to the case. In imposing the fine for posts on Trump’s Truth Social account and campaign website, Judge Juan M. Merchan said that if Trump continued to violate his orders, he “will impose an incarceratory punishment”. The former president is trying to achieve a balancing act unprecedented in American history by running for a second term as the presumptive Republican nominee while also fighting felony charges in New York. Trump frequently goes after Merchan, prosecutors and potential witnesses at his rallies and on social media, attack lines that play well with his supporters but that have potentially put him in legal jeopardy. Trump insists he is merely exercising his free speech rights, but the offending posts from his Truth Social account and campaign website were taken down. 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,2024 07:43 AM IST | Waukesha | AgenciesIndonesia’s Mount Ruang volcano spewed more hot clouds on Wednesday after an eruption the previous day forced the closure of schools and airports, pelted villages with volcanic debris and prompted hundreds of people to flee. Seven airports, including Sam Ratulangi international airport in Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, remained closed after Tuesday’s eruption, the second in two weeks. Schools were shut to protect children from volcanic ash. The volcano is on tiny Ruang Island, part of the Sitaro islands chain. 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,2024 07:38 AM IST | Manado | AgenciesMore than 100 people were arrested at Columbia University and City College of New York on Tuesday night, according to a law enforcement official, as protests against Israel’s bombardment of Gaza intensified across college campuses in the US, CNN reported. Police in riot gear entered Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall and used flash bangs when breaching the building, in which pro-Palestinian protesters had barricaded themselves. Less than two hours after officers entered the school’s campus in Morningside Heights, Columbia University’s property was cleared. Columbia has asked the NYPD to remain on campus until May 17, two days after its graduation ceremony, but protesters remain defiant. Columbia has been the epicenter, but protests have been roiling universities nationwide. In Los Angeles, police in riot gear arrived on campus at UCLA, mayor Karen Bass said early on Wednesday. Before the deployment, pro-Palestinian protesters and Israel supporters were clashing at UCLA, according to multiple reports. The clashes took place early Wednesday just outside a tent encampment, where pro-Palestinian protesters erected barricades and plywood for protection, and counter-protesters tried to pull them down. The protesters shoved and kicked one another, sometimes beating people with sticks or throwing chairs. Blinken in Israel to push cease-fire deal US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was meeting with Israeli leaders on Wednesday, telling the country’s ceremonial president that “the time is now” for a cease-fire deal. Blinken has blamed Hamas for any delay is getting a deal off the ground. “We are determined to get a cease-fire that brings the hostages home and to get it now, and the only reason that that wouldn’t be achieved is because of Hamas,” he said. Blinken visited key regional leaders in Saudi Arabia and Jordan before arriving in Israel. He met President Isaac Herzog and is set to meet PM Benjamin Netanyahu later. Children stand behind barbed-wire along a slope near a camp housing displaced Palestinians in Rafah. Pic/AFP Hamas to mediators: Clarify cease-fire terms Hamas has asked Egyptian and Qatari mediators to provide clarity on the terms of the latest cease-fire proposal being discussed as part of negotiations with Israel, an Egyptian official said on Wednesday. The official, who has close ties to the talks and spoke on condition of anonymity in order to freely discuss the deal, said Hamas wants clear terms for the unconditional return of displaced people to the north of Gaza and to ensure that the second stage of the deal will include discussing the gradual and complete withdrawal of all Israeli troops from the entire Gaza Strip. The official said the current deal didn’t make things very clear. 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,2024 07:35 AM IST | New York | AgenciesThe United States on Monday implored all countries supplying weapons to Sudan’s warring parties to halt arms sales, warning that history in the vast western Darfur region where there was a genocide 20 years ago “is repeating itself”. US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters after an emergency closed meeting of the U.N. Security Council that El Fasher, the only capital in Darfur not held by paramilitary forces, is “on the precipice of a large-scale massacre.” She urged all countries to raise the threat that ¿a crisis of epic proportions is brewing.” Britain’s deputy ambassador James Kariuki echoed her appeal saying: “The last thing Sudan needs is a further escalation on top of this conflict that’s been going on for a whole 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
01 May,2024 07:24 AM IST | United Nations | AgenciesIn a discovery akin to stepping back into the ancient world, Israeli scientists uncovered a new species of flea preserved in amber. This remarkable find offers a rare glimpse into the distant past, approximately 99 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth alongside a diverse array of insects. The study, led by Dolav Fabrikant from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tanya (Tatiana) Novoselsky from the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University, has been published in the peer-reviewed Israel Journal of Entomology. Named Miropictopallium coloradmonens, this flea stands out from its ancient counterparts due to its vivid and distinct coloration. While most ancient insects preserved in amber exhibit muted, yellowish-brown hues, this flea boasts striking colors that likely served as a form of predator deterrent, akin to a natural superhero cape. “The new insect enriches our comprehension of the present world by providing insights into a significant transitional era in the history of life on land. Its era was marked by a surge in biological diversity and the inception of what would become modern ecosystems,” Fabrikant 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
01 May,2024 07:19 AM IST | Tel Aviv | AgenciesIsraeli fighter jets struck operational tunnel shafts, an anti-tank missile launch post and Hamas terror infrastructure in northern and central Gaza, the Israel Defence Forces said on Tuesday morning. One of the sites hit was the location where a missile aimed at Sderot had been fired on Monday, the IDF said. That missile was intercepted by aerial defences. Shortly afterwards, fighter jets struck operational tunnel shafts, an anti-tank missile launch post and terror infrastructure in the area of northern Gaza from which the launch was identified. Throughout the past day, fighter jets also struck several Hamas targets in central Gaza, including a terrorist squad and a weapons storage facility, in the area where Israeli ground troops are operating. Rockets were also fired at Israeli soldiers in central Gaza on Monday. No injuries were reported. Troops identified numerous terrorists at the location from which the launches were fired, and fighter jets eliminated the terrorists. Why are Israeli officials worried about ICC Israeli officials sound increasingly concerned that the International Criminal Court could issue arrest warrants for the country’s leaders more than six months into the Israel-Hamas war. What is the ICC? The ICC was set up more than a decade ago to tackle impunity for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and other grave crimes when states don’t prosecute them. Without a police force, the ICC relies on member states to arrest suspects.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on the social platform X Friday that Israel “will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of self-defence”. “While the ICC will not affect Israel’s actions, it would set a dangerous precedent,” he wrote. The court hasn’t commented. The Rome Statute The ICC’s 124 member states signed on to a 2002 treaty called the Rome Statute. Dozens of countries did not sign and do not accept the court’s jurisdiction over war crimes, genocide and other crimes. They include Israel, the US, Russia and China. The ICC gets involved when nations fail to prosecute crimes on their territory. Columbia University suspends protesters Colleges around the US implored pro-Palestinian student protesters to clear out tent encampments with rising levels of urgency Monday as police arrested more demonstrators at the University of Texas and Columbia University said it was beginning to suspend students who defied an ultimatum to disband the encampment there. Six protesters were arrested. Top UN court set to rule on aid to Israel The UN’s top court is ruling Tuesday on a request by Nicaragua for judges to order Germany to halt military aid to Israel, arguing that Berlin’s support enables acts of genocide and breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza. Nicaragua’s case is the latest legal bid by a country with historic ties to the Palestinian people to stop Israel’s war. 2002Year ICC’s 124 members signed treaty 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
01 May,2024 07:11 AM IST | Tel Aviv | AgenciesAmid reports that jailed former prime minister Imran Khan had green-lit negotiations with the establishment and political forces, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, founded by former Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan, the party's chairman Barrister Gohar Khan has said that Khan is not holding "backdoor talks" with anyone. Addressing a press conference following a meeting with the 71-year-old PTI founder at Adiala jail, Gohar on Monday suggested that the ex-premier only sought names for holding negotiations. No talks were being held right now, he added. "Today, the PTI founder was barred from addressing the media by the jail administration, while several of our legal representatives were denied entry into the jail," Gohar was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune newspaper. He said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif had been "exonerated of all charges, while the PTI founder was being punished in fabricated cases". "The police are being used against our party. Maryam Nawaz, dressed in police attire, sends a message that the police are subordinate to them, Gohar quoted the PTI founder as saying during their meeting. PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat, who was alongside Gohar during the conference, said Imran Khan criticised Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar's appointment as deputy prime minister and termed him Nawaz's "frontman". Consultations are ongoing for the selection of the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), and a final decision will be announced tomorrow," said Marwat, whose name is also doing the rounds for the position. Addressing reports of former PTI leaders rejoining the party, the leader maintained that only Imran would have a final say. On Sunday, reports said the cricketer-turned-politician had given his party the green light for negotiations with the establishment and political adversaries. However, the PTI founder made it clear that any talks must play by the rulebook, stressing the party's willingness to sit down with both the powers that be and political adversaries for the greater good. How the negotiations will take place and in what environment should be decided first, only then will the way for the negotiations be paved with those who are the stakeholders,¿ he 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
30 April,2024 12:15 PM IST | Lahore | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
