Putin urges Iran to take 'zero enrichment' nuclear deal with US, Axios reports
Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim denied the report, quoting an "informed source" as saying Putin had not sent any message to Iran in this regard.
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New York Times
a few seconds ago
- New York Times
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Visits Netanyahu's Corruption Trial
Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, made a highly unusual appearance at the corruption trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, the latest sign of the Trump administration's public support for Mr. Netanyahu in a long-running case. Israeli prosecutors have indicted Mr. Netanyahu for bribery, fraud and breach of trust. He has dealt with the legal challenge as Israel has waged wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran since the Hamas-led attack on the country on Oct. 7, 2023. It is unusual for ambassadors to place themselves directly in a country's legal issue. Mr. Huckabee's appearance occurred after President Trump, who has been convicted in a number of cases, called for Mr. Netanyahu's trial to be suspended. Before he went to the courthouse, Mr. Huckabee said at a conference in Tel Aviv on Wednesday that his visit was 'an act of friendship,' to signal that 'we want Israel to be successful.' He accused the judges overseeing Mr. Netanyahu's trial of being biased, and he compared the Israeli leader to Mr. Trump, who was convicted of falsifying business records to conceal a sex scandal in 2024. Mr. Trump has declared the verdict against him a 'disgrace.' Of the Israeli case, Mr. Huckabee said, 'It's an unprecedented thing that in the midst of holding office, during an incredibly tense time, that you would spend a lot of your time — as our president had to do — sitting in a courtroom, often before judges who are totally unfair.' Mr. Trump's call for the trial to end was also rare: a direct intervention by an American president in judicial proceedings against an allied leader. He labeled the trial a 'Witch Hunt against their Great War Time Prime Minister' last month on social media. 'Bibi Netanyahu's trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State,' Mr. Trump wrote. Some political analysts say Mr. Trump hopes that lifting Mr. Netanyahu's fear of being convicted would allow him to accept a politically risky agreement to end the war in Gaza. The prime minister's hard-right coalition includes parties that oppose a permanent cease-fire with Hamas. Mr. Huckabee said on social media after leaving the court that Mr. Trump was 'right … again' about the case. He has also disputed that the president was directly intervening in the trial, contending that Mr. Trump was not 'trying to pick a side.' Israeli prosecutors indicted Mr. Netanyahu in 2019, accusing him of granting regulatory favors and diplomatic support to prominent businessmen in exchange for gifts and sympathetic media coverage. He denies all the charges. The trial began in 2020 and split the country over whether Mr. Netanyahu could continue to serve as prime minister during the court proceedings. His opponents labeled him a 'crime minister' whose purported dealings had rendered him unfit for office. Mr. Netanyahu and his defenders have accused prosecutors of seeking to undo his election victory through legal means. The rhetoric echoes claims made by Mr. Trump, who has frequently attacked judges, bureaucrats and civil servants and accused them of unfairly acting against him. There are several possible outcomes to the trial. If the prime minister is convicted, Isaac Herzog, Israel's president, could pardon him. But legal analysts say the trial is set to continue for months at the very least. Another option that has been discussed is a plea bargain, under which Mr. Netanyahu would accept some charges in exchange for a suspended sentence. But talks on that foundered after Mr. Netanyahu refused to accept a charge of 'moral turpitude,' which would bar him from holding public office for several years.
CNBC
a few seconds ago
- CNBC
Market watchers warn Trump might not ‘chicken out' of 30% tariffs on the EU
Global investors may be underestimating U.S. President Donald Trump's commitment to follow through on his latest tariff threats, some market watchers have warned. In his latest trade policy update, Trump announced that he would be slapping 30% tariffs on goods imported to the U.S. from the European Union and Mexico from Aug. 1. European markets had a muted reaction to the news, with the pan-European Stoxx 600 index ending Monday's session — the first after Trump sent his letter to the EU — 0.06% lower. Tuesday's session saw a slightly deeper sell-off , with the index shedding 0.4%, but sentiment was largely dampened by economic growth concerns after U.S. inflation rose. Compared with the rout seen in the immediate aftermath of the so-called "liberation day" announcement earlier this year, this week's market moves mark a stark contrast in sentiment – even though the looming EU tariff rate is higher than the one drawn up back in April. On April 3 – the day after Trump unveiled his reciprocal tariffs list that included a 20% blanket rate on EU goods – the Stoxx 600 lost 2.7%. The subsequent two sessions saw the index plummet 5% and 4.5%, respectively. .STOXX YTD line Stoxx 600 price year-to-date Part of the reason for the less severe reaction from markets might be due to investors doubling down on the so-called TACO – Trump Always Chickens Out – trade , in which market participants are trading assets with a firm belief that the White House's tariff threats are merely a negotiating tactic that are unlikely to come to fruition. Indeed, there appears to be a strong belief among many that a deal between the EU and the U.S. will be struck before Trump's looming Aug. 1 deadline. "When it comes to the most recent tariff threats, investors just aren't getting worried," Michael Field, European market strategist, at Morningstar, told CNBC in an email on Wednesday. "Of course, you could put this down to complacency … but their experience of the last few months has shown that, so far, tariff threats have simply been a way of getting people to the negotiation table, and haven't yet translated into a working policy." Others, however, have warned that this approach could see some investors getting burned by the expectation of deals being reached. "I do believe these tariffs will ultimately be implemented. I don't think the EU is going to give in as easily as Trump might hope," Anthony Esposito, founder and CEO of Australian investment advisory AscalonVI Capital, told CNBC. "This scenario likely contributes to lower global GDP growth, and it's coming at a time when many of the EU's largest economies are burdened with historically high sovereign debt levels." European officials have expressed optimism that Washington and Brussels are edging closer to the framework of a trade agreement, but it has also been made clear that the EU is ready to retaliate with countermeasures if its economic interests are damaged by tariffs. Kevin Yin, VP of investment at Phoenix, Arizona-based Asterozoa Capital, argued that this time around, Trump has a greater incentive to follow through on his tariff threats. "The TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out) narrative has held so far, but now with domestic stock markets near all-time highs and largely complacent to continued tariff threats, Trump has additional leverage to continue his push which increases the chance of the 30% tariff rate coming to fruition," he said in an email. "On the other hand, Trump and [Treasury Secretary Scott] Bessent have shown more sensitivity to the bond market, and the recent rise in yields may pressure the President and his team to back off." Risk to Europe's stock rally European equities have been on a bull run this year, amid a broad diversification away from U.S. assets and the promise of vast fiscal stimulus in the region. The Stoxx 600 has gained more than 7% so far this year, while Germany's DAX index is up by around 21% and Italy's FTSE MIB has surged 17%. Market watchers told CNBC that a 30% tariff scenario threatened to derail – at least in part – the regional rally. "Could tariffs kill the European bull run? It really depends on the level," Morningstar's Field said. "[10%] tariffs, as is the case with the U.K., would be a mild hurdle – 30% tariffs on the other hand could put a serious dent in European GDP growth for the next few years. This might not be enough to quell entirely the flight to European equities, but it would certainly weaken the current momentum that Europe has." Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at AJ Bell, agreed that if Trump follows through on his latest threat, it could hamper further growth in valuations in Europe. "Europe has been such a strong performer this year thanks to investors looking for cheaper valuations compared to the US and the prospect of greater spending by the German government on areas such as defence and construction," he told CNBC. "High tariffs threaten to spoil this party and could lead to a bout of profit taking by investors." Anthony Willis, senior economist at Columbia Threadneedle, took a more optimistic view. "It's worth remembering that EU exports to the US are around 18% to 20% of overall exports – that leaves a large amount of trade that will not be impacted by the actions of the Trump administration," he said. "Indeed, the consequences of the US imposing levies on everyone appears to be that many countries are looking elsewhere for trade opportunities." Trading amid uncertainty When it comes to trading amid the uncertainty, AscalonVI's Esposito warned that a 30% tariff scenario would see "most asset classes across the region … feel pressure." "However, if defense spending continues to rise , the European Central Bank continues to hold rates around 2%, and precious metals continue to rally, we could see relative outperformance in defense, financials, and mining," he said. "From a trading perspective, I would be long precious metals and cautious on European and US equities." Asterozoa's Yin added that if Trump's proposed tariffs are fully realized, he would expect to see U.S. Treasurys selling off, while gold and U.S. industrials rally. "European exporters such as auto [equipment manufacturers] could suffer," he told CNBC.
Time Magazine
a few seconds ago
- Time Magazine
Trump's War on Education Is Driving Academics Like Me Abroad
On a recent flight back to the U.S., I wondered if I would be stopped at passport control. It was at this moment when I thought it may be time to consider leaving America. I was returning from Marseille, France after participating in a workshop in March that I co-organized at the Iméra research institute on climate change and religious conflict during the Little Ice Age. The topic is now effectively banned from federal funding after the Trump Administration stripped support for scientific research that mentions the word 'climate,' amid a broader purge of 'woke' keywords in the federal government. Iméra leaders had asked me to attend a meeting with university administrators and government ministers on the broad crisis in research and provide an American perspective. The event was much bigger than I had imagined, and there was a press conference, where I shared my criticisms of the Trump Administration's assault on research and higher education. For months, I have watched coordinated attacks on the National Endowment for the Humanities, Smithsonian Institution, Institute for Museum and Library Services, Fulbright Program, Woodrow Wilson Institute, U.S. Institute of Peace, Kennedy Center, USAID, Department of Education, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and other federal agencies that support academic research and education. Read More: Inside the Chaos of Trump's Foreign-Aid Freeze I personally know many colleagues and former students who have had research funds and grants frozen or terminated, while others have lost jobs or contracts. Academic grant competitions and peer review processes are being politicized and disrupted, effectively censoring the types of research that can be pursued. When politicians—rather than professionals—can select which types of research can be funded and how that money can be spent based on their own preferences, the entire pursuit of knowledge is corrupted. So when Aix-Marseille Université (amU) decided to launch a 'Safe Place for Science' program, I became one of the 298 researchers who applied. After all, I was already due to spend one year there as a visiting professor, and the initiative promises three years of research funding. The university has invested €15 million for the program and is lobbying the French government to match that amount, so it can double its planned hires to 39 people. The program comes amid a wider European push to attract American and international researchers who are based in the U.S. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has unveiled a €500 million program to make the continent a 'safe haven' for researchers, and France has committed another €100 million. There is certainly interest state-side, as the surge in applicants for amU's program showed. Data analyzed by Nature also found that the number of applicants in the U.S. looking for jobs in Canada has climbed by 41%, in Europe by 32%, and in China by 20% compared to a year earlier. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute has even called the Trump Administration's attacks on research a 'once-in-a-century brain gain opportunity.' It's a stunning development, considering that the U.S. has long been a place of refuge for researchers and academics. In 1933, when Adolf Hitler consolidated power in Germany, leading scientists such as Albert Einstein fled the country. Later, during the Second World War, other intellectuals and artists fled occupied Europe, including Hannah Arendt, who notably escaped through Marseille with the help of American journalist Varian Fry. Ever since, American research universities and laboratories have relied on an open system of international recruitment of the best and brightest from across the globe. The federal government has supported the development of this system by providing visas for faculty and students, as well as billions in funding through competitive, peer reviewed grants. Read More: The Trump Administration Is Pausing Student Visa Interviews at Embassies That approach helped turn the U.S. system of higher education into a model of excellence for the entire world. These research universities have been informally linked with a broader network of regional state universities and small private colleges that often provide higher education to the public at relatively low cost for middle- and working-class Americans. The GI Bill of 1944, the expansion of regional state universities in the 1960s, and the evolution of community colleges since the 1970s have dramatically boosted access to higher education, becoming a key form of upward social mobility for millions of Americans. These institutions have also served as a key plank in the civil rights movement and other forms of protest, meaning an assault on them will undermine free speech and assembly, as well as other democratic principles. For now, I am on the shortlist at amU's 'Safe Place for Science.' Whether I am ultimately selected for a position or not, I foresee conducting research collaborations with French academics with French or E.U. funding in the coming years, considering that the entire U.S. sector has been thrown into disarray. Packing up and relocating to France, or any other country, will be an adjustment. But it is clear that an era of U.S. brain drain is beginning, as researchers and scientists seek opportunities in places where academic freedom and research are still valued.
