President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that his long-promised "gold card" was officially going on sale, offering legal status and an eventual pathway to US citizenship for individuals paying USD 1 million and corporations ponying up twice that per foreign-born employee. A website accepting applications went live as Trump revealed the start of the programme while surrounded by business leaders in the White House's Roosevelt Room. It is meant to replace EB-5 visas, which Congress created in 1990 to generate foreign investment and had been available to people who spent about USD 1 million on a company that employed at least 10 people. Trump sees the new version as a way for the US to attract and retain top talent, all while generating revenue for federal coffers. He has been promoting the gold card programme for months, and once suggested that each card would cost USD 5 million, though he more recently revised that to the USD 1 million and USD 2 million pricing scheme. The president said all funds taken in as part of the programme will "go to the US government" and predicted that billions would flow into an account run by the Treasury Department "where we can do things positive for the country." The new programme is actually a green card, effectively offering permanent legal residency with the chance for citizenship. "Basically, it's a green card but much better," Trump said. "Much more powerful, a much stronger path." The president made no mention of requirements for job creation for applying corporations or on overall caps on the programme, which exist under the current EB-5 programme. Instead, he said he had heard complaints from business leaders who had been unable to recruit outstanding graduates from US universities because they were from other countries and lacked permission to stay. "You can't hire people from the best colleges because you don't know whether or not you can keep the person," Trump said. Trump has built his political career around clamping down on the US-Mexico border and championing hard-line immigration policies. His second administration spent its first 10-plus months launching mass deportation pushes and sweeping immigration crackdowns that have targeted cities including Los Angeles and Charlotte. But he has also drawn criticism from leading voices of his "Make America Great Again" movement for repeatedly suggesting that skilled immigrants should be allowed into the US, something the gold card programme could facilitate. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the programme will include USD 15,000 for applicant vetting and that the thorough process used to scrutinise backgrounds would "make sure these people absolutely qualify to be in America." Companies will be able to receive multiple cards, but will be limited to one individual per card, he said. Lutnick also said the current green card holders earn less money than the average American, and that Trump wanted to change that. "So, same visas, but now just full of the best people," Lutnick said. Investors' visas are common around the world, with dozens of countries offering versions of "golden visas" to wealthy individuals, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Greece, Malta, Australia, Canada and Italy. Trump said the programme means the US is "getting somebody great coming into our country because we think these will be some tremendous people" and singled out top US college graduates from China, India and France as among those who will possibly be receiving gold cards. "The companies are going to be very happy," 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.
11 December,2025 11:12 AM IST | Washington | APSouth Korea will now require advertisers to label their ads made with artificial intelligence technologies from next year as it seeks to curb a surge of deceptive promotions featuring fabricated experts or deep-faked celebrities endorsing food or pharmaceutical products on social media. Officials said they will ramp up screening and removal of problematic AI-generated ads and impose punitive fines, citing growing risks to consumers, especially older people who struggle to tell whether content is AI-made. 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 December,2025 11:08 AM IST | Seoul | AgenciesVenezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado did not arrive in Norway early enough to receive her Nobel Peace Prize in person, but her trip elicited mixed feelings in her country, where many backed her precisely because she had not left her homeland. Machado's daughter accepted the award on her behalf in a ceremony Wednesday that became a rally for democracy, and equally, an indictment of Venezuela's government, with attendees hearing in detail documented human rights abuses carried out against real or perceived opponents of President Nicolas Maduro. "She wants to live in a free Venezuela, and she will never give up on that purpose," Ana Corina Sosa told the audience in Oslo before reading her mother's prepared remarks. "That is why we all know, and I know, that she will be back in Venezuela very soon." Machado greeted supporters from an Oslo hotel balcony early Thursday morning after arriving in the Norwegian capital. Neither Machado nor her staff explained when and how she left Venezuela or what had delayed her arrival in Oslo. Machado has not been seen in public since January 9, when she was briefly detained after joining supporters in an anti-government protest in Caracas, Venezuela's capital. The following day, Maduro was sworn in to a third six-year term despite credible evidence that he lost the presidential election. Machado intended to challenge Maduro in last year's contest, but the government barred her from running for office, forcing her to endorse retired diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez in her place. Before and after the election, many voters said they backed Machado -- and by extension Gonzalez -- because she had not gone into exile while the country came undone. On Wednesday, some Venezuelans understood her decision to depart while others questioned why she was awarded the Nobel. "They say she left the country, if that's true, good for her," office worker Josefina Paez said in Caracas. "That woman has made many sacrifices to fight for democracy, and it's time she reunites with her family, with her children, and continues fighting from abroad." Meanwhile, shopkeeper Jose Hurtado called Machado a "traitor" for her support of US President Donald Trump's policy toward Venezuela. "Those awards are very discredited," he said. The ceremony took place as Trump continues a military operation in the Caribbean that has killed Venezuelans in international waters and threatens to strike Venezuela. Gonzalez, who attended the ceremony in Oslo, sought asylum in Spain last year after a Venezuelan court issued a warrant for his arrest. His son-in-law, Rafael Tudares, is among the hundreds of people who are in prison for what human rights organisations have determined to be political reasons. Independent experts backed by the United Nations, Venezuelan non-governmental organisations and other groups have documented extensively brutal government repression throughout Maduro's presidency. Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel committee, told attendees about repeated instances of torture, including the experiences of children who were detained in the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election. "The United Nations documented their experience as follows: Plastic bags pulled tight over their heads, electric shocks to the genitals, blows to the body so brutal it hurt the great, sexualised violence, cells so cold as to cause intense shivering, foul drinking water teeming with insects, screams that no one came to stop," he said. Watne Frydnes then called on Maduro to "accept the election result and step down." It is unclear when and how Machado and Gonzalez could return to Venezuela. An opposition plan to get Gonzalez back ahead of the January 10 ceremony that gave Maduro another term did not materialise. "People are anxiously awaiting news about what will happen, about how Maria Corina receiving or not receiving the award will affect things," Caracas teacher Jose Murillo 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 December,2025 11:05 AM IST | Caracas | APBombardier marked a major moment in business aviation on Monday when it handed over the first Global 8000 — the fastest civilian aircraft to fly since the Concorde — at its Assembly Centre in Mississauga, Ontario. Patrick Dovigi, a former Canadian hockey pro who later built a successful business career, received the first delivery. The Global 8000 reaches Mach 0.95, which makes it the fastest private jet on the market. The company also highlighted its range of 8,000 nautical miles, a figure demonstrated during a long-haul test earlier this year. That distance allows nonstop flights between more global city pairs than any competing business jet. The aircraft also features a refined Smooth Flex Wing with leading-edge slats that improve landing performance. Engineers say this configuration allows the jet to access more runways and provides takeoff and landing capabilities similar to those of much smaller aircraft. 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 December,2025 11:00 AM IST | Toronto | AgenciesAt least two of several agreements aimed at ending global conflicts that US President Donald Trump has hailed as evidence of his negotiating prowess are in trouble and at risk of collapsing. Less than a week after Congo and Rwanda signed a deal in Trump’s presence in Washington that was meant to halt fighting in eastern Congo, and less than two months after he witnessed Cambodia and Thailand sign a ceasefire pact in Malaysia to end their border conflict, fighting has surged in both places. The developments have caused international alarm, which on Tuesday resulted in urgent calls to halt the renewed violence from countries involved in the African Great Lakes region and from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In each case, the statements urged the combatants to live up to their commitments in the deals that Trump has touted in part as the rationale for casting himself as the “president of peace”. Displaced residents from Cambodia’s Siem Reap province evacuate with their belongings, on Wednesday. PIC/AFP Trump expressed confidence that once again he could end the fighting. “Tomorrow I’ll have to make a phone call,” Trump said at a rally in Pennsylvania. “Who else could say, ‘I’m going to make a phone call and stop a war of two very powerful countries, Thailand and Cambodia?’” Thai-Cambodia clashes along border continue Renewed border fighting between Thailand and Cambodia showed no signs of abating Wednesday, leaving hundreds of thousands of displaced people in both countries living in strained conditions as more moved to temporary shelters. About 400,000 people have been evacuated from affected areas in Thailand, and around 700 schools closed while fighting was ongoing in four border provinces, Thai military spokesperson Rear Adm Surasant Kongsiri said on Wednesday. Cambodia evacuated more than 127,000 villagers, and hundreds of schools closed, the defence ministry said. Thailand’s military announced that casualties this week include five soldiers killed and dozens wounded. Cambodia said seven civilians died and 20 others were wounded, though it did not update those figures on Wednesday. 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 December,2025 10:48 AM IST | New York | AgenciesAn Indian-origin man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the murder of a 24-year-old woman on a beach in Australia's Queensland in 2018, local media reported. The Supreme Court in Cairns on Monday found former nurse Rajwinder Singh, 41, guilty of killing Toyah Cordingley, ABC News reported on Tuesday. Justice Lincoln Crowley said Singh's motive for murder was "unknown", characterising it as an "opportunistic killing", the report added. Singh killed Cordingley while she was walking her dog at Wangetti Beach north of Cairns on 21 October 2018, The Guardian reported on Tuesday. Cordingley worked in a health food and pharmacy store in Port Douglas and also volunteered at an animal refuge. Singh left for India after the murder, leaving behind his wife, children and parents in Australia. "You left without even saying a proper goodbye to your wife, your parents, your children, demonstrating that your only concern was to save your own skin, regardless of the consequences for your family", ABC News quoted Crowley as saying. Singh was given a non-parole period of 25 years, seven years after he killed Cordingley, it said. He was extradited from India two years ago after Queensland police posted AUD 1 million reward for his information, the report 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.
10 December,2025 05:32 PM IST | Canberra | PTIAustralia is poised to become the first country to implement a minimum age for social media use on Wednesday, according to the reports. Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube will be required to block over a million accounts of users under 16, marking the start of a wave of global regulation. From midnight (1300 GMT), ten major platforms must comply or face fines of up to USD 49.5 million. While the law has drawn sharp criticism from tech companies and free speech advocates, it has been praised by parents and child welfare groups. The rollout ends months of speculation about whether a country can limit children’s access to technology that has become integral to modern life. It also begins a live experiment closely watched by global lawmakers frustrated with what they see as Big Tech’s slow adoption of effective harm-minimisation measures, as per the reports. Governments from Denmark to Malaysia, and even some U.S. states, have announced similar plans, following revelations that Meta had internally acknowledged its products could harm teenagers’ mental health while publicly denying it. “While Australia is the first to adopt such restrictions, it is unlikely to be the last,” said Tama Leaver, professor of internet studies at Curtin University. “The social media ban in Australia is very much the canary in the coal mine.” The British government, which recently began enforcing under-18 restrictions on pornographic websites, said it is “closely monitoring Australia’s approach to age restrictions.” The eSafety Commissioner, tasked with enforcing the ban, has commissioned Stanford University and 11 other academics to study the policy’s impact on thousands of young Australians over at least two years. Initially covering ten platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, the list may expand as new apps emerge or young users migrate to alternatives. Most platforms have pledged to comply using age inference techniques, such as analysing online activity, selfies, identification documents, or linked bank accounts. Elon Musk’s X remains the notable holdout, calling the ban a “backdoor way to control access to the internet.” A High Court challenge is pending, according to the reports. For social media businesses, the ban signals a new era of structural stagnation, as user growth and engagement decline. Platforms argue they earn little from advertising to under-16s, but the ban disrupts a pipeline of future users. Before implementation, 86 per cent of Australians aged 8–15 were active on social media. “The days of social media as a platform for unbridled self-expression are coming to an end,” said Terry Flew, co-director of the University of Sydney’s Centre for AI, Trust, and Governance. While platforms had earlier introduced minimum age limits and privacy features, Flew says, “Had these structures existed during the social media boom, this debate might never have happened.”
10 December,2025 12:18 PM IST | Australia | mid-day online correspondentAn earthquake of magnitude 4.3 struck Afghanistan in the early hours of Wednesday, according to information shared by the National Center for Seismology (NCS). The tremor was recorded at a depth of 150 km. In a post on X, the NCS said, "EQ of M: 4.3, On: 10/12/2025 00:30:01 IST, Lat: 36.39 N, Long: 70.88 E, Depth: 150 Km, Location: Afghanistan." This latest quake follows another magnitude 3.8 earthquake reported by the NCS a day earlier, indicating continued seismic activity in the region. That tremor occurred at a depth of 70 km, with the agency posting, "EQ of M: 3.8, On: 09/12/2025 14:36:02 IST, Lat: 35.87 N, Long: 69.41 E, Depth: 70 Km, Location: Afghanistan." Further movement was recorded earlier the same day when a magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck at a shallow depth of 10 km, a level that typically increases the likelihood of aftershocks. The NCS said, "EQ of M: 4.5, On: 09/12/2025 13:17:35 IST, Lat: 34.53 N, Long: 70.54 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Afghanistan." Shallow quakes such as this tend to be more dangerous because seismic waves reach the surface quickly, causing stronger shaking and a higher potential for damage and casualties. Afghanistan frequently experiences earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush region, which is known for high seismic activity, according to the Red Cross. On November 4, a powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck northern Afghanistan, killing at least 27 people and injuring 956 more, according to Sharafat Zaman Amar. CNN reported that the tremor also damaged one of the country's most iconic mosques. Families were jolted awake as the quake hit near Mazar-i-Sharif at a shallow depth of 28 km, the United States Geological Survey said. Afghanistan's location atop several active fault lines, formed along the collision zone between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, makes it highly prone to frequent seismic disturbances. A major fault line also runs directly through Herat. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) notes that Afghanistan remains extremely vulnerable to natural disasters, including earthquakes, landslides and seasonal flooding. Repeated tremors worsen the situation for communities already struggling with decades of conflict and limited development, leaving them with minimal resilience to withstand multiple shocks. 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
10 December,2025 10:06 AM IST | Kabul | ANIFormer Nepali ministers, officials and a Chinese company were charged with corruption over financial irregularities during the construction of an international airport. The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority filed on Sunday cases against 55 people and the China CAMC Engineering Company Limited, one of the biggest such cases in the Himalayan nation, accusing them of inflating construction expenses by more than USD 74 million. It remains unclear when the hearing will begin. Two officials of the Chinese company have been named in the charges filed at the Special Court in Kathmandu, which handles corruption cases related to government dealings. The bidding agreed on with the government in 2012 was set at USD 169.6 million, but Nepali officials increased the amount to a little over USD 244 million "in collusion with the Chinese company," the commission said. The airport, at the resort city of Pokhara, 200 kilometres west of Kathmandu, was built with a loan from China Exim Bank. It was expected to draw foreign tourists to the picturesque city, the starting point of many trekking routes in Nepal. However, it failed to attract international flights since operations began in 2023, according to local reports. Court cases in Nepal can take months if not years to be resolved. Corruption is widespread in the South Asian country. In September, massive demonstrations against corruption led by youth, which left dozens killed, forced the government to step down, and an interim administration was installed. General elections are expected in March. 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
10 December,2025 10:03 AM IST | Kathmandu | APPope Leo XIV insisted Tuesday that Europe must have a role in any Ukraine peace deal and criticised what he said was the Trump administration's effort to "break apart" the long-standing US-European alliance. Leo spoke to reporters after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is on another tour to rally European support for Kyiv. The American pope said they discussed the need for a ceasefire and the Vatican's efforts to facilitate the return of Ukrainian children taken by Russian authorities. Leo was asked about the US peace proposal and the seeming sidelining of European powers in the process. Speaking as he left his vacation home in Castel Gandolfo, Leo insisted that Europe's role was crucial to any deal. "Seeking a peace agreement without including Europe in the talks is unrealistic, given the war is in Europe," he said. "Guarantees are also being sought for security today and in the future. Europe must be part of this, and unfortunately, not everyone understands this, but I think there is a great opportunity for European leaders to unite and seek a solution together." Zelenskyy has said there are three documents in the peace agreement being discussed with US and European partners: a framework document of 20 points, a second document with security guarantees, and a third document about Ukraine's recovery. Leo was asked about the US peace plan for Ukraine, but appeared to respond to a broader question about the Trump administration's views on the US-Europe alliance. Just last week, the Trump administration released its US national security strategy, which questions the US-European alliance and stresses a desire to improve US-Russia relations. Leo said what he had read would "make a huge change in what was for many, many years a true alliance between Europe and the United States." Additionally, some comments by US President Donald Trump suggest an effort "trying to break apart what I think needs to be an alliance today and in the future." While some people in the United States may agree with that effort, "I think many others would see things in a different way," Leo said. The Holy See has tried to remain neutral in Russia's war while offering solidarity and concrete assistance to what it calls the "martyred" people of Ukraine. Leo has met now three times with Zelenskyy and has spoken by telephone at least once with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The American pope has called for a ceasefire and urged Russia in particular to make gestures to promote peace. The Vatican has also tried to facilitate the return of Ukrainian children taken by Russian authorities, and last month, Leo met with some returned children at the Vatican. 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
10 December,2025 10:01 AM IST | Rome | APThe fiancee of a man who died on a cruise ship has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Royal Caribbean, alleging it negligently served him at least 33 alcoholic drinks and was liable for his death after crew members tackled him to the ground and stood on him with their full body weight. Connie Aguilar's lawsuit for the death of Michael Virgil seeks unspecified damages and a jury trial. Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment on Tuesday. Aguilar and Virgil were on a round trip voyage from Los Angeles to Ensenada, Mexico, with other members of their family, including their autistic son, at the time of Virgil's death in December 2024, the lawsuit said. Crew members on board Navigator of the Seas served Virgil more than two dozen drinks, after which he got lost and became agitated trying to find his room, it said. That is when crew members tackled him and stood on him with their full weight, the lawsuit charges. They subjected him to prolonged prone restraint, compressed his back and torso, and impaired his breathing, the lawsuit said. At the captain's request, crew members administered a sedative and sprayed him with pepper spray, the lawsuit said. This treatment led to respiratory failure, cardiac arrest and Virgil's death, it continued. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide. It said Virgil died from the combined effects of mechanical asphyxia, which is when force or an object blocks breathing; obesity; an enlarged heart and alcohol intoxication. The lawsuit said crew members should not have served Virgil alcohol because he "exhibited obvious visual signs of intoxication" and were negligent for doing so, the lawsuit said. Maritime common law requires carriers like Royal Caribbean to "supervise and assist passengers likely to engage in behaviour dangerous to themselves or others," the lawsuit said. Royal Caribbean also failed to exercise its right to stop serving alcohol to Virgil to protect his life, the lawsuit said. The company's ships, it added, are deliberately designed to ensure there are alcohol-serving stations "in every nook and cranny" and the company "does as much as possible to encourage and facilitate alcohol consumption" on board. The lawsuit said medical personnel on board lacked proper education, licences, experience and skills and it failed to properly train crew members to assess when to stop serving a passenger. The lawsuit was filed Friday in federal court in Miami, where Royal Caribbean, the world's second largest cruise company, has its headquarters. 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
10 December,2025 09:57 AM IST | Washington | APADVERTISEMENT
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