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Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Israel destroyed two sites linked to Iran's nuclear programme, IAEA confirms
The United Nations nuclear watchdog has confirmed that two Iranian centrifuge production facilities were hit during Israeli strikes on Wednesday. In a post on X, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) identified the two centrifuge production facilities as the TESA Karaj workshop and the Tehran Research Centre. The UN agency was monitoring both sites. Follow LIVE updates here. "The IAEA has information that two centrifuge production facilities in Iran, the TESA Karaj workshop and the Tehran Research Center, were hit. Both sites were previously under IAEA monitoring and verification as part of the JCPOA," IAEA wrote on X. "At the Tehran site, one building was hit where advanced centrifuge rotors were manufactured and tested. At Karaj, two buildings were destroyed where different centrifuge components were manufactured," IAEA added on X. According to AFP, Centrifuges are vital for uranium enrichment, the sensitive process that can produce fuel for reactors or, in highly extended form, the core of a nuclear warhead. Also Read | Ayatollah Khamenei warns Donald Trump-led US of 'irreparable consequences' On Wednesday, the Israeli military issued a warning for civilians to leave one district of Tehran for their safety, following which the warplanes hit the capital. "More than 50 Israeli Air Force fighter jets... carried out a series of air strikes in the Tehran area over the past few hours," the Israeli military said, adding that several weapons manufacturing facilities were hit. "As part of the broad effort to disrupt Iran's nuclear weapons development programme, a centrifuge production facility in Tehran was targeted." Also Read | What is America's GBU-57, the only bomb that can hit Iran's deep nuclear sites? Meanwhile, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they had launched hypersonic Fattah-1 missiles at Tel Aviv. "The 11th wave of the proud Operation Honest Promise 3 using Fattah-1 missiles" was carried out, the Guards said in a statement broadcast on state television. Iran intensified its offensive against Iran even as United States President Donald Trump called for the country's 'unconditional surrender'.
Indian Express
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Club World Cup: ICE agents presence adds unease to USA's litmus test ahead of 2026 WC, 2028 Olympics
On Thursday, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authority consented to removing a social media post from their handles across platforms. The purported reason? It seemed to be spooking football fans who are expected to flock to stadiums to watch the inaugural edition of the revamped Club World Cup, which kicks off in Miami early on Sunday. The CBP's post noted that they will be 'suited and booted ready to provide security for the first round of games'. It was also confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will also be at the games; the stated presence of these agencies being mostly for reasons of security. But some noted a coded messaging behind that vague reasoning, given the Donald Trump-led American administration's massive recent anti-immigrant push. As Thomas Kennedy, member of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, told NBC News: 'It's sort of alluding that people should have their paperwork in order to attend the games. It creates an environment where people are less likely to come watch the games because of sheer intimidation.' Why this assumes greater significance is that the upcoming Club World Cup will act as a litmus test for the two biggest sporting events in the world that will be hosted in the US during the ongoing term of the incumbent administration: the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Global sport is increasingly veering towards the commercial viability of American eyeballs – the third edition of the Major League Cricket franchise T20 tournament kicked off there on Thursday, after part of the T20 World Cup was also held in the US last year. In no market in the world does live sport make more money than in the US. And football is no different in attempting to cash in on that. Despite the guarantees that both FIFA and the IOC have publicly stated they have been provided in this matter, though, there will be some unease regarding US decisions that have made them less open to people from all over the world. A travel ban in the form of a new policy, issued by President Trump himself, came into effect there on Sunday. It places total restrictions on entry into American borders for residents of 12 countries, and partial restrictions on those of seven other countries. Included are countries like Afghanistan, Iran and Venezuela. The order contains an exemption for both the World Cup and the Olympics, but the US will get to decide which members of a team and support staff are deemed 'necessary' to be given entry into their country. The order also makes no mention of fans who wish to travel to watch those events. The exemption may ease fears held on paper but it does little for the uncertainty that will be felt on global events of such a massive scale, and in Kennedy's words, the environment of 'sheer intimidation,' may not make for the most welcoming tournaments. In the short term, regarding the Club World Cup, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who was seen meeting President Trump at the White House in March, has dismissed these concerns, even as he stakes his reputation on the smooth functioning of the tournament that he has personally pushed through. According to Infantino, the tournament, essentially his brainchild, will do wonders for the global game by addressing its current Eurocentrism and giving global teams broader visibility. 32 teams will play – 12 from Europe, six from South America, four each from Asia and Africa, one from Oceania, and five from North America. According to his critics, it will serve none of those purposes, instead being a vanity project to portray Infantino in a good light, making lots of money for FIFA's 211 member nations and strengthening his grip on the global game. But buzz for the event has been low, a far cry from the international football tournaments that traditionally take place in the summer. Players have complained about the bloated calendar putting stress on their bodies. As a result, clubs are likely to rotate squads and not play their best team, reducing the quality of the football to a glorified pre-season tournament. Sponsors haven't expressed a lot of interest. Ticket sales were a concern: according to The Athletic, local Miami college students have been offered as many as five tickets for the price of one at $21. So were broadcast rights. When a lucrative deal was not struck, the rights were sold to streaming platform DAZN for $1 billion. The Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund PIF then bought 10% of the company for $1 billion. Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. When Lionel Messi's Inter Miami kick the tournament off at home on Sunday against Egyptian side Al Ahly, football will take the centre stage. Realpolitik will have to go behind the curtains, where it belongs. But the result of the tournament will be instructive of a few things: how successful football is in tapping the American market, and a glimpse of how the US manage hosting major global sporting events in today's uncertain, frayed times.
Indian Express
13-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Walk away if deal is lopsided, US can't cut tariffs: Former officials, experts write to govt
India should resist signing a trade deal if the Donald Trump-led US administration demands disproportionate concessions, as it is not legally permitted to reduce tariffs and can therefore offer no substantial trade-related concessions in the near term, as many as 20 experts and former senior government officials have said in a letter to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Friday. This comes as the US is seeking greater market access in a range of sensitive sectors, including agriculture, and has raised objections to India's restrictions on politically sensitive genetically modified (GM) products and regulations requiring that imported dairy come from animals not fed blood-based feed. 'If excessive or disproportionate concessions are demanded on India's hardest interests, India should take equally hard positions and resist – even at the cost of not securing a deal. In these circumstances, the costs of no deal — navigating a US market walled off by high tariffs in the short-to-medium term — may still be lesser than the longer-term costs of an unequal pact,' the memorandum said. The signatories to the document include K M Chandrasekhar, former Cabinet Secretary; G.K. Pillai, former Home Secretary; Ujal Singh Bhatia, former Member and Chairman, WTO Appellate Body; Amarendra Khatua, former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs; and Sanjaya Baru, author and former adviser to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The letter said it was important to acknowledge that the ongoing negotiations with the US could not be seen as business-as-usual, and that their exceptional nature must be recognised. It said that the proposed BTA may be aimed more at mitigating escalatory tariff action by the US and reaching an acceptable compromise — 'balancing the equation', as it were — rather than actually resolving trade issues with the US. The Trump administration in its trade deal with the UK retained the 10 per cent baseline tariff — which Trump said is the lowest country-specific tariff that will be applied to trading partners, giving concessions only on the escalatory tariffs that Trump had announced on countries globally since assuming office in February this year. Experts such as Ajit Ranade, Senior Fellow, Pune International Centre; Badri Narayanan Gopalakrishnan, economist; Prabhash Ranjan, professor, OP Jindal Global University; R V Anuradha, partner, Clarus Law Associates; Anand P. Gupta, former professor of economics, IIM Ahmedabad; and Pradeep S. Mehta, Secretary General, CUTS International, also supported the letter to the ministry. 'It is also important to mention here that, in the absence of a valid Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), the current US administration is not legally permitted to reduce tariffs and can therefore make no substantial trade-related concessions in the near term. The tariff discussions in the BTA negotiations are accordingly expected to be restricted only to the executive tariffs levied by the current administration. This also raises questions regarding the durability of any deal reached,' the letter said. The memorandum further said hat careful thought must be given to the legal architecture of the BTA, as it remains to be seen whether the agreement will take shape as an interim arrangement leading to a conventional GATT Article XXIV-type regional trade agreement, which would require a roadmap towards finalisation and preferential trade liberalisation on 'substantially all trade', interpreted qualitatively. 'In any event, care must be taken to ensure that the contours of any negotiated outcome are compliant with India's existing obligations under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) framework. In the face of the US' blatant disregard for the rules-based multilateral trading system (MTS), with the WTO at its core, India, as an ascendant global power, should also call out US actions,' the letter said. A Commerce and Industry Ministry spokesperson in response to a query said: 'The negotiations are being held along the lines outlined by the two leaders, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi, in their meeting in Washington'.
Time of India
02-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
New steel tariffs mixed bag for Indian companies making in US
Mumbai: While the US government's decision to double tariffs on steel and aluminium has led to renewed uncertainty, it is likely to be a mixed bag for domestic companies with a manufacturing presence in the US. The Donald Trump-led US government is set to double tariffs on the import of steel and aluminium to 50% from Wednesday. International media reports suggest that the move is aimed to protect workers in the US as the proposed takeover of US Steel by Nippon Steel could receive an approval soon. While most of the steel produced in India is consumed locally, higher tariffs in the US may lead to steel being dumped in other regions, including India, which could impact prices in the domestic market. JSW Steel , which has a steel manufacturing facility in Ohio in the US, saw its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) loss narrow sequentially in the March quarter helped by an improvement in sales realisations. At its Plate and Pipe Mill in Texas, the company's EBITDA rose quarter-on-quarter, also helped by higher realisations. Both units also saw an improvement in their capacity utilisations in the March quarter compared to the December quarter, and the management was confident of the performance improving further. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký "Volumes have picked up, the prices have improved, and we do expect that going into this year, we should see positive contributions from overseas, especially US," Swayam Saurabh, chief financial officer of JSW Steel, said on a call to analysts recently. The Ohio unit produced 810,000 tonnes of steel in fiscal 2025, accounting for around 3% of the total crude steel produced by the company. "The company will see a positive impact, but it will be very marginal, so not significant in the larger scheme of things," said an analyst, not wishing to be identified. The other company which could potentially benefit from these tariffs is Hindalco Industries , which has a US-based subsidiary Novelis, and manufacturing units in the region. Live Events While Novelis did see an improvement in its net income and adjusted EBITDA per tonne on a sequential basis in the March quarter, analysts said the company's guidance has seen a marginal shift. While the management indicated that they were confident of getting exemption on the import duties in February, in May, Novelis' CEO Steve Fisher said a 'neutral to positive' impact was expected considering certain trade deals between countries were bound to happen. "We think that there will be a USMCA 2.0," he told analysts in May. "As soon as we have some of those (deals), particularly the USMCA 2.0, we will be going in that direction. So, you have to take this negative impact as something for the time being," he said. The USMCA is a free trade agreement that came into effect in 2020 between the US, Mexico and Canada. After Trump came to power in January this year, steel and aluminium were one of the earliest to be subjected to tariffs. "This is more of a sentiment thing because, if you see, there was not much of an impact even the last time, as steel safeguard duties helped offset the impact," another analyst said. On Monday, shares of Hindalco Industries , Jindal Steel and Power, Vedanta, Tata Steel and JSW Steel ended up 0.4-1.5% lower on the NSE while the Nifty 50 ended 0.1% lower.
The Print
29-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
‘Everything at stake' for Indian students as US pauses visa interviews amid social media vetting plan
This development is the latest in a series of crackdowns by the Trump administration on international students. Last week, the administration ordered a halt to the enrolment of new international students at Harvard University. However, a federal judge has temporarily blocked the move. A Delhi-based student, who has an interview at the US Embassy this week, called the reports 'a nightmare'. 'Everything is at stake at this moment. Although my interview is on so far, I do not know how things will proceed amid so much uncertainty,' the student said, speaking to ThePrint on condition of anonymity. New Delhi: Recent reports that the Donald Trump-led United States administration has asked embassies to 'pause scheduling new interviews for student visa applicants' are creating unease among thousands of Indian students set to join US universities this year. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a diplomatic cable Tuesday, asking embassies and consular sections to pause scheduling new student visa interviews, Politico reported. The cable reportedly cited potential plans to require all foreign student applicants to undergo social media vetting. However, so far, there is no official order confirming the policy. During a press conference later in the evening Tuesday, Tammy Bruce, the spokesperson of the US Department of State, commented that the news reports on the decision likely came from 'leaked material'. However, Bruce emphasised, 'Every sovereign country has a right to know who is trying to come in, why they want to come in, who they are, what they have been doing, and at least hopefully within that framework determine what they will be doing while they are here.' If the Trump administration proceeds with the plan, student visa processing may face indefinite delays, potentially causing financial challenges for numerous universities that rely extensively on international students for funds. An Open Doors Report showed US institutes enrolled 3,31,602 Indian students in the 2023-24 academic year, making India the largest source of international students flocking to the US. Of the 1,126,690 international students in the US, 29.4 percent are Indian students. Another Indian student aiming for postgraduate studies at an Ivy League university this year also has an upcoming interview at the embassy. Mixed news is pouring in from his peers, giving him significant anxiety. 'A Bangladeshi student's visa was approved, but that is just one case. Everyone else has had their visas put on hold or rejected,' he said, requesting anonymity. He said that he has so far paid nearly $1,500 in application fees, college acceptance fees, SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) fees, and visa application fees. 'Besides, the tuition fee is nearly $101,200 per year, and I am yet to pay it,' the student said. 'All of it feels like a complete waste of time at this moment.' Students generally pay tuition fees after joining the university and, before that, the college acceptance fees. Also Read: IMF growth outlook is cautiously optimistic. It seems to leave out impact of larger disruptions in US Concerns over social media vetting The Politico report cites a cable stating, 'Effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consular sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor (F, M, and J) visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued via a 'septel', which we anticipate in the coming days.' The term 'septel' is state department shorthand for 'separate telegram'. The cable reportedly does not specify what future social media vetting would screen for. However, it references executive orders on checking terrorism and antisemitism, according to Politico. Students are very apprehensive about the upcoming social media vetting policy. A student at Harvard Kennedy School told ThePrint that a senior who returned to the US days ago had to pass a thorough vetting at the airport, including a search of his phone. 'Right now, we do not know which social media likes or comments will get you into trouble. The policy announcement is pending,' the student said during a phone interview, requesting anonymity. However, Shreya Mishra Reddy, an Indian student enrolled in a leadership development programme at Harvard Business School, stated in a post on LinkedIn that extensive social media screenings for all international students will become part of the process. 'Currently, the departments concerned are conducting a review of existing operations and processes for screening and vetting of student and exchange visitor visa applicants. The freeze is a further escalation from current screening measures, which have primarily targeted students who participated in pro-Palestinian campus protests,' she said. Uncertainty despite long, rigorous admission According to consultants and students, the entire process of admission to a good college in the US may take years of hard work. Sakshi Mittal, the founder of the education consultancy University Leap, said that students work tirelessly for four years to secure admission to top universities. 'Parents and students invest heavily in SAT preparations, taking coaching classes, and participating in extracurricular activities. For many who finally achieved their dream, the hope of studying in the US feels uncertain now,' Mittal said. 'Some of our students have already secured visa interview slots and received their visas, but others on waitlists or recently admitted are extremely stressed. Many had not applied to alternative universities and are now rushing to apply last-minute to universities in the UK and other countries,' she added. 'On average, parents spend between Rs two crore and four crore for an undergraduate programme at a top U.S. university.' Mittal also advised some students to defer their admissions if the decision is irreversible, adding that she is hoping for a reversal of the decision soon. A student set to join a law course at a reputed US university described the visa process as lengthy. She explained that after a US college accepts a student, the student receives a Form I-20 or Form DS-2019 to apply for an F-1 or a J-1 visa, respectively. Then, pay the SEVIS fee and complete the online DS-160 visa application form. Then, schedule a visa interview at the nearest US Embassy or Consulate and prepare all necessary documents. These include the passport, I-20 or DS-2019, DS-160 confirmation, SEVIS fee receipt, university admission and invitation letters, financial proof, and academic records. 'The visa appointment happens in two steps—first, the biometric, and then, the actual interview on a separate date. My biometrics are complete. I am anxious and uncertain about my interview scheduled for next week. But I believe that, as with all other decisions of the Trump administration, this will also be revoked, or reverted,' she said, requesting anonymity. (Edited by Madhurita Goswami) Also Read: US pushes for direct India-Pakistan talks, 'dealmaker' Trump ready to aid 'pursuit of peace'
