India's Modi announces credit worth $565 million to the Maldives and launches free trade talks
Modi is visiting the Maldives, known for its upmarket tourist resorts, to mark the 60th anniversary of its independence and diplomatic relations between the two countries. The announcement came during Modi's joint media statement with Maldives' President Mohamed Muizzu.
The two-day visit is crucial to India's ambition to control the seas and shipping routes of the Indian Ocean in a race with its regional rival China. It also marks the further easing of diplomatic tensions between the two nations that followed the election of pro-China Muizzu in 2023.
Regional powers India and China compete for influence in the archipelago nation, which is strategically located in the Indian Ocean.
On Friday, Modi witnessed the exchange of agreements to cooperate in sectors such as fisheries, health, tourism and digital development. He also formally handed dozens of heavy vehicles to the Maldives' defense forces.
'India is Maldives' closest neighbor. Maldives holds an important place in both India's neighborhood- first policy and ocean vision," Modi said. 'India is also proud to be Maldives' most trusted friend.'
The line of credit will be used for 'infrastructure and development projects in line with the priorities of the people of the Maldives,' he said.
"India will continue to support Maldives in developing its defense capabilities. Peace, stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean region is our common goal," he added.
During Muizzu's visit to India last October, India announced financial support to the cash-strapped Maldives in the form of a $100-million treasury bills rollover and the countries signed a $400-million currency swap agreement.
Tensions between India and the Maldives grew since Muizzu, who favored closer ties with China, was elected in 2023 after defeating India-friendly incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. Leading up to the election, Muizzu had promised to expel Indian soldiers deployed in the Maldives to help with humanitarian assistance. Last year New Delhi replaced dozens of its soldiers in the Maldives with civilian experts.
Measure by Modi to promote tourism in India's Lakshadweep archipelago, off the southwestern coast of the Indian mainland, also sparked anger from Maldivians, who saw it as a move to lure Indian tourists away from their country. Indian celebrities then called for a tourism boycott to the Maldives.
The dispute deepened when Muizzu visited China ahead of India in January last year, a move seen by New Delhi as a snub. On his return, Muizzu spelled out plans to rid his tiny nation of dependence on India for health facilities, medicines and import of staples.
Relations started to improve after Muizzu attended Modi's swearing-in ceremony for a third five-year term. Muizzu has toned down his anti-Indian rhetoric, and official contacts with New Delhi have intensified as concerns grew about Maldives' economy.
India has long been a critical provider of development assistance to the Maldives. Meanwhile, the Maldives joined China's Belt and Road Initiative in 2013 to build ports and highways and expand trade as well as China's influence across Asia, Africa, and Europe.
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It's based on where money actually is in the market. As Snider's chart below shows, at a current reading of 0, investor sentiment could certainly have plenty of room to move higher. "While valuation multiples sit at elevated levels relative to history, constrained positioning indicates room for the recent equity rally to continue," Snider told us. Deutsche Bank chief global strategist Binky Chadha made a similar point with his Chartbook submission. "Equity positioning tends to align with earnings growth but is currently still below what we expect for Q2 and we look for a typical earnings season rally," Chadha said. "Our outlook out to year end sees a rise in equity positioning as one of the drivers of further upside for equity prices." To see Chadha's chart and 34 more that help explain the state of markets and the US economy right now, read the full Yahoo Finance Chartbook here. 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Meanwhile, they are looking ahead to the JOLTS job openings update for June at 10 a.m. ET. for labor market insight. Major drugmakers trade mixed as financial updates come in Among the top drugmakers reporting earnings on Tuesday, AstraZeneca (AZN, AZN.L) rose almost 2%, and Merck fell nearly 4% before the market open. British drugmaker AstraZeneca reported second quarter revenue ahead of expectations Tuesday, with its cancer drugs helping fuel sales for the period. Meanwhile, fellow pharma giant Merck (MRK) reported earnings below Wall Street's projections, according to Bloomberg consensus data, and revenue from its HPV vaccine Gardasil was also less than expected amid continued headwinds in China. Investors are also bracing for patents for Merck's drug Keytruda (which accounted for roughly half of its second quarter revenue) to expire in 2028. Also on Tuesday, Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk's (NVO) stock plummeted roughly 20%. The firm cut its 2025 revenue and profit outlook, pointing to lower than expected sales growth of its obesity drug Wegovy in the US, ahead of its second quarter earnings results slated for Aug. 6. Among the top drugmakers reporting earnings on Tuesday, AstraZeneca (AZN, AZN.L) rose almost 2%, and Merck fell nearly 4% before the market open. British drugmaker AstraZeneca reported second quarter revenue ahead of expectations Tuesday, with its cancer drugs helping fuel sales for the period. Meanwhile, fellow pharma giant Merck (MRK) reported earnings below Wall Street's projections, according to Bloomberg consensus data, and revenue from its HPV vaccine Gardasil was also less than expected amid continued headwinds in China. Investors are also bracing for patents for Merck's drug Keytruda (which accounted for roughly half of its second quarter revenue) to expire in 2028. Also on Tuesday, Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk's (NVO) stock plummeted roughly 20%. The firm cut its 2025 revenue and profit outlook, pointing to lower than expected sales growth of its obesity drug Wegovy in the US, ahead of its second quarter earnings results slated for Aug. 6. Trump's DOJ puts companies on notice: Don't evade tariffs The Justice Department is putting American companies on notice that they could be prosecuted if they chose to evade President Trump's tariffs, even as the legality of the president's "Liberation Day" duties remain unsettled in US courts. Yahoo Finance's Alexis Keenan reports: Read more here. The Justice Department is putting American companies on notice that they could be prosecuted if they chose to evade President Trump's tariffs, even as the legality of the president's "Liberation Day" duties remain unsettled in US courts. Yahoo Finance's Alexis Keenan reports: Read more here. Nvidia leads Mag 7 higher on sign of 'enormous pent-up demand' from China Nvidia (NVDA) led the Big Tech "Magnificent Seven" stocks higher on Tuesday before the market open, climbing 1.4%. The gain came after Reuters reported that the AI chipmaker had ordered 300,000 H20 chips from its contract manufacturer TSMC. "This supports our theory that there is enormous pent-up demand for NVDA chips from China right now," Hedgeye Risk Management analyst Felix Wang wrote in a note to clients. Meanwhile, Microsoft (MSFT), Meta (META), and Amazon (AMZN) rose fractionally ahead of their quarterly earnings reports later this week. Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG), and Tesla (TSLA) traded down less than 1%. Nvidia (NVDA) led the Big Tech "Magnificent Seven" stocks higher on Tuesday before the market open, climbing 1.4%. The gain came after Reuters reported that the AI chipmaker had ordered 300,000 H20 chips from its contract manufacturer TSMC. "This supports our theory that there is enormous pent-up demand for NVDA chips from China right now," Hedgeye Risk Management analyst Felix Wang wrote in a note to clients. Meanwhile, Microsoft (MSFT), Meta (META), and Amazon (AMZN) rose fractionally ahead of their quarterly earnings reports later this week. Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG), and Tesla (TSLA) traded down less than 1%. Good morning. Here's what's happening today. Economic data: S&P CoreLogic 20-city home price index (May); Conference Board consumer confidence, July; Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (June); Dallas Fed services activity (July) Earnings: Boeing (BA), Booking Holdings (BKNG), Caesars (CZR), Cheesecake Factory (CAKE), Merck (MRK), PayPal (PYPL), Procter & Gamble (PG), Spotify (SPOT), Starbucks (SBUX), SoFi (SOFI), UnitedHealth Group (UNH), UPS (UPS), Visa (V) Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: The market is finally getting what it wants 35 charts explain markets and the economy right now UnitedHealth stock falls after reporting mixed Q2 earnings Sarepta stock soars as FDA reverses course on gene therapy pause Spotify stock slides after Q2 earnings and revenue miss Trump's DOJ puts companies on notice on tariffs US, EU rush to clinch final details and lock in trade deal Apple to Shutter a Retail Store in China for the First Time Ever Stellantis faces $1.7B hit from US tariffs this year Economic data: S&P CoreLogic 20-city home price index (May); Conference Board consumer confidence, July; Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (June); Dallas Fed services activity (July) Earnings: Boeing (BA), Booking Holdings (BKNG), Caesars (CZR), Cheesecake Factory (CAKE), Merck (MRK), PayPal (PYPL), Procter & Gamble (PG), Spotify (SPOT), Starbucks (SBUX), SoFi (SOFI), UnitedHealth Group (UNH), UPS (UPS), Visa (V) Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: The market is finally getting what it wants 35 charts explain markets and the economy right now UnitedHealth stock falls after reporting mixed Q2 earnings Sarepta stock soars as FDA reverses course on gene therapy pause Spotify stock slides after Q2 earnings and revenue miss Trump's DOJ puts companies on notice on tariffs US, EU rush to clinch final details and lock in trade deal Apple to Shutter a Retail Store in China for the First Time Ever Stellantis faces $1.7B hit from US tariffs this year Trending tickers: UPS, Whilepool and Royal Caribbean Here are some top stocks trending on Yahoo Finance in premarket trading: UPS (UPS) stock fell over 2% before the bell on Tuesday after reporting a drop in second-quarter profit and revenue, as demand took a hit from new "de minimis" tariffs on low-value Chinese shipments and mounting risks from President Donald Trump's trade policies. Whirlpool (WHR) stock fell premarket on Tuesday. after the appliance maker slashed its earnings outlook the day prior. Royal Caribbean (RCL) stock rose 4% before the bell after raising its annual profit forecast on Tuesday, banking on resilient demand for the cruise operator's high-end private island destinations and premium sailings. Here are some top stocks trending on Yahoo Finance in premarket trading: UPS (UPS) stock fell over 2% before the bell on Tuesday after reporting a drop in second-quarter profit and revenue, as demand took a hit from new "de minimis" tariffs on low-value Chinese shipments and mounting risks from President Donald Trump's trade policies. Whirlpool (WHR) stock fell premarket on Tuesday. after the appliance maker slashed its earnings outlook the day prior. Royal Caribbean (RCL) stock rose 4% before the bell after raising its annual profit forecast on Tuesday, banking on resilient demand for the cruise operator's high-end private island destinations and premium sailings. The market is finally getting what it wants Wall Street's busiest week of the summer is turning out to be an inflection point. Yahoo Finance's Hamza Shaban explains why in today's Morning Brief: Read more here. Wall Street's busiest week of the summer is turning out to be an inflection point. Yahoo Finance's Hamza Shaban explains why in today's Morning Brief: Read more here. Spotify stock sinks after Q2 earnings miss Spotify (SPOT) shares fell as much as 10% in early premarket trading Tuesday after the company missed second quarter earnings and revenue expectations. The results follow a remarkable 120% rally over the past year, as the stock rebounded from 2022 lows on the back of price hikes, cost cuts, and investor enthusiasm for AI and advertising. Spotify hit a record high of $738.45 earlier this month, but shares slid to around $635 immediately following the results. Spotify reported second quarter revenue of €4.19 billion ($4.86 billion), missing analyst expectations of €4.27 billion, though up from €3.81 billion in the same period last year. The company posted an adjusted loss of €0.42 ($0.49) per share, sharply missing forecasts for a profit of €1.97 and down from earnings of €1.33 in Q2 2024. "Outsized currency movements during the quarter impacted reported revenue by €104 million vs. guidance," the company said in the earnings release. Operating income also fell short of expectations in the quarter, though subscriber metrics for both premium and ad-supported tiers came in ahead of estimates. Gross margins of 31.5% came in as expected. Spotify's massive rally heading into the earnings report was fueled by a sweeping business overhaul, including layoffs, leadership changes, and a pullback from costly podcast exclusivity. After spending $1 billion to build out its podcast business, the company has since scaled back and narrowed its focus. Still, it remains committed to the medium, paying over $100 million to creators in Q1 alone, including high-profile names like Joe Rogan and Alex Cooper. Read more here. Spotify (SPOT) shares fell as much as 10% in early premarket trading Tuesday after the company missed second quarter earnings and revenue expectations. The results follow a remarkable 120% rally over the past year, as the stock rebounded from 2022 lows on the back of price hikes, cost cuts, and investor enthusiasm for AI and advertising. Spotify hit a record high of $738.45 earlier this month, but shares slid to around $635 immediately following the results. Spotify reported second quarter revenue of €4.19 billion ($4.86 billion), missing analyst expectations of €4.27 billion, though up from €3.81 billion in the same period last year. The company posted an adjusted loss of €0.42 ($0.49) per share, sharply missing forecasts for a profit of €1.97 and down from earnings of €1.33 in Q2 2024. "Outsized currency movements during the quarter impacted reported revenue by €104 million vs. guidance," the company said in the earnings release. Operating income also fell short of expectations in the quarter, though subscriber metrics for both premium and ad-supported tiers came in ahead of estimates. Gross margins of 31.5% came in as expected. Spotify's massive rally heading into the earnings report was fueled by a sweeping business overhaul, including layoffs, leadership changes, and a pullback from costly podcast exclusivity. After spending $1 billion to build out its podcast business, the company has since scaled back and narrowed its focus. Still, it remains committed to the medium, paying over $100 million to creators in Q1 alone, including high-profile names like Joe Rogan and Alex Cooper. Read more here. UnitedHealth stock slips after mixed Q2 results Shares of UnitedHealth Group (UNH) fell nearly 3% after its quarterly results before the bell painted a mixed picture. Yahoo Finance's Anjalee Khemlani reports: Read more here. Shares of UnitedHealth Group (UNH) fell nearly 3% after its quarterly results before the bell painted a mixed picture. Yahoo Finance's Anjalee Khemlani reports: Read more here. Sarepta stock rockets higher after FDA greenlight Shares in drugmaker Sarepta (SRPT) rocketed up over 30% in premarket after the embattled company got the FDA's go-ahead to resume shipments of its Elevdis gene therapy. The greenlight comes after Sarepta put a voluntary pause on shipments for some patients while the US regulator reviewed its safety following deaths. The FDA on Monday recommended that the compa lift that halt. Sarepta's stock is poised to build on a 16% gain on Monday, continuing a recent volatile spell triggered by changing fortunes for its best-selling product. AP reports: Read more here. Shares in drugmaker Sarepta (SRPT) rocketed up over 30% in premarket after the embattled company got the FDA's go-ahead to resume shipments of its Elevdis gene therapy. The greenlight comes after Sarepta put a voluntary pause on shipments for some patients while the US regulator reviewed its safety following deaths. The FDA on Monday recommended that the compa lift that halt. Sarepta's stock is poised to build on a 16% gain on Monday, continuing a recent volatile spell triggered by changing fortunes for its best-selling product. AP reports: Read more here. Nvidia orders 300,000 H20 chips from TSMC to satiate Chinese demand Reuters reports: Nvidia placed orders for 300,000 H20 chipsets with contract manufacturer TSMC last week, two sources said, with one of them adding that strong Chinese demand had led the U.S. firm to change its mind about just relying on its existing stockpile. Read more here. Reuters reports: Nvidia placed orders for 300,000 H20 chipsets with contract manufacturer TSMC last week, two sources said, with one of them adding that strong Chinese demand had led the U.S. firm to change its mind about just relying on its existing stockpile. Read more here. Oil maintains gains with tariffs and OPEC+ supply in sight Oil maintained gains following Trump putting pressure on Russia over the war in Ukraine with economic sanctions against Putin's government on the table. Bloomberg reports: Read more here. Oil maintained gains following Trump putting pressure on Russia over the war in Ukraine with economic sanctions against Putin's government on the table. Bloomberg reports: Read more here.
New York Post
5 minutes ago
- New York Post
Airlines to allow certain passengers to skip customs security checkpoint for faster travel — here's who will benefit
Airlines are making international travel easier for some passengers. The airline partnered with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to pilot a new program that allows some international travelers to skip the usual TSA and customs re-screenings. The first-of-its-kind program, known as One Stop Security (OSS), will allow passengers to go directly to their connecting flight after landing from abroad without reclaiming and rechecking their checked luggage, which will be automatically transferred to the connecting flight. American Airlines partnered with the TSA to pilot a new program that lets international travelers skip TSA and customs re-screenings. AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File OSS is expected to streamline the travel experience by 'leveraging advanced technology' to cut connection times by more than half, which typically includes clearing US Customs, claiming checked bags, rechecking bags and then clearing TSA security. 'One Stop Security is one of the most forward-thinking enhancements we can bring to international travel — and importantly, to our customers — as it delivers a level of convenience and time-savings that's never been available before to customers connecting from international flights,' David Seymour, Chief Operating Officer at American, said in a statement. 'With this game-changing program and thanks to our federal partners at CBP and TSA, along with DFW Airport, our customers will spend significantly less time worrying about an onerous connection process and more time enjoying their travel journey.' The program is currently being tested through AA's largest hub, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), and only with flights arriving from London Heathrow Airport (LHR). OSS is expected to cut connection times by more than half. AP Travelers traveling from London and connecting through Dallas will be able to clear customs right at the arrival gate. American is the first airline to implement OSS at a US airport and 'plans to explore opportunities to expand' the service to additional flights and airports in the future. 'One Stop Security is a smart, long-overdue step toward modernizing the travel experience, eliminating redundant screening, cutting connection times and unlocking more international air service,' U.S. Travel President and CEO Geoff Freeman said in a separate statement. Per a Fox News report, Delta Air Lines is expected to follow with their own trial beginning July 30 for passengers flying from London Heathrow to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).
