Eutelsat signs strategic partnership with UK government for its LEO network access
"Under the agreement, Eutelsat OneWeb's LEO's constellation will provide high-speed, low latency connectivity for British embassies, high commissions, and consulates as well as broader UK government activities globally," the French satellite group said in a statement.
Earlier this month, the UK announced plans to invest 163.3 million euros ($190.72 million) in Eutelsat, which is often presented as the European rival to the American giant Starlink.
($1 = 0.8562 euros)
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Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
US has likely moved nuclear weapons to UK first time since 2008
Find out what's new on ST website and app. This is seen as a signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin that US remains committed to European security. The US has likely stationed nuclear weapons in the UK for the first time since 2008, in a signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin that it remains committed to European security. On July 16, a US military aircraft flew with its transponder on – making its identification and location publicly visible – from a US nuclear weapons depot at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to an airbase in the UK city of Lakenheath, according to defence analysts and open-source data. The C-17 flight involved the US Air Force's Prime Nuclear Airlift Force, which transports nuclear weapons, and did not fly over any other nation's territory, according to Mr William Alberque, a Europe-based senior fellow at the Pacific Forum. The US and UK governments have longstanding policies of not commenting on the status or location of their nuclear weapons. US Department of Defence budget documents show that millions of dollars of work on surety facilities – the term the Pentagon uses to describe nuclear weapon security – has been in progress at Lakenheath for several years. The weapons the aircraft most likely delivered were the new B61-12 thermonuclear bombs, increasing the number of US tactical nuclear weapons in Europe for the first time since the Cold War. 'There are strong indications' that the US has returned nuclear weapons to the UK, said Mr Hans Kristensen, director of the Federation of American Scientists' Nuclear Information Project. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Cambodia, Thailand agree to 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire' to de-escalate border row Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole: Road recovery works progressing steadily, tests under way Singapore ST Explains: What we know about the Tanjong Katong sinkhole so far Singapore Foreign workers who rescued woman from sinkhole given tokens of appreciation Asia Gunman kills 5 near Bangkok's Chatuchak market before taking own life Business SIA Q1 profit falls 59%; airline group sees volatile times ahead Singapore Man exposed daughter's identity despite court order after she was removed from his care Singapore Over 6 years' jail for conman who cheated 13 victims of more than $1.2m Mr Alberque said the decision to leave the flight transponders on indicates the US wants to show Russia that it is not reducing its nuclear capability in Europe. Nato officials declined to immediately comment. 'This is a down payment that there's more to come on shifting Nato 's deterrence posture toward strengthening,' M r Alberque said. 'Returning US nuclear weapons to the UK is no small feat.' The move also signals that the US is committing more flexible nuclear capabilities to Europe, creating a wider range of options for its forces, said Dr Sidharth Kaushal, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. 'Capabilities such as the B61 can contribute to limiting the impact of Russia's large advantage in theater-level nonstrategic nuclear weapons,' Dr Kaushal said. US President Donald Trump has hardened his approach to Mr Putin in recent weeks, agreeing to send Ukraine more US-made Patriot missiles through European purchases and threatening to hit Russia with secondary tariffs if it does not agree to a cease fire within 50 days. On July 28 , Mr Trump said that he would reduce that deadline, adding that the was 'disappointed' in Mr Putin. The UK announced in June that it would purchase at least a dozen new US-made F-35A fighter jets capable of carrying B61-12 nuclear bombs. This week, its Ministry of Defence stated in an updated policy document that ' Nato 's nuclear deterrence also relies on US nuclear weapons deployed in Europe and supporting capabilities and infrastructure provided by allies.' The new jets will be available to fly Nato 's nuclear mission, according to the document. 'This decision reintroduces a nuclear role for the Royal Air Force for the first time since the UK retired its sovereign air-launched nuclear weapons after the Cold War,' the Ministry of Defence said in the document. B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bombs carry a warhead with a yield adjustable between 0.3 kilotons and 50 kilotons, according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. They can be carried on F-35A fighter jets as well as other US and Nato aircraft. Yield measures the explosive power of a nuclear weapon, measured in the equivalent in tons of conventional explosives. Designed to be much more accurate than previous B61 models, its variable yield means it can used against small military targets as well as population centers. The apparent shipment to the UK means the bomb is now fully deployed in Europe at seven bases across six Nato countries, Mr Kristensen said. US nuclear weapons, even those on other countries' territory, can only be used after the direct authorisation of the US President. BLOOMBERG
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Dollar gains against major peers after US-EU trade pact
NEW YORK/LONDON :The dollar gained against major currencies including the euro and yen on Monday with sentiment lifted by a trade agreement between the U.S. and the EU, which brings market certainty and averts a global trade war. U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reached a framework trade agreement, which provides for an import tariff of 15 per cent on EU goods, half the rate Trump had threatened from August 1. That follows last week's U.S. agreement with Japan, while top U.S. and Chinese economic officials will resume talks in Stockholm on Monday aiming to extend a truce by three months and keep sharply higher tariffs at bay. The dollar rose against the safe-haven Swiss franc, up 0.82 per cent at 0.80155 francs. It rose against the Japanese yen, up 0.29 per cent at 148.12. The euro was last down 0.81 per cent at $1.164275, set for its biggest daily loss since mid-May, reversing an initial knee-jerk rise in Asia trade as investors' focus shifted to what an easing in global trade tensions meant for the dollar overall. "While the USD's strength today may reflect the perception that the new US-EU deal is lopsided in favor of the US, the USD's strength may also reflect a feeling that the US is reengaging with the EU and with its major allies," Thierry Wizman, global FX & rates strategist at Macquarie Group, said in an investor note. "Rather than the 'divorce' between the US and its partners that was seemingly foretold in February-June, the US and its key partners are instead in 'marriage counseling', and thus still 'talking about their feelings.'" The dollar tumbled sharply earlier this year, particularly against the euro, as fears that dramatically higher tariffs on trade with most of its major partners would hurt the U.S. economy caused investors to consider shifting out of U.S. assets. Normally the gap between yields on government bonds is a major factor for currency moves, but at present the euro is significantly higher than the gap between U.S. and eurozone yields would imply. "If you think about what we expected in the beginning of the year, no one really thought that the euro is going to be so strong. We all thought that, especially post Liberation Day, that the dollar will remain strong," said Anthi Tsouvali, multi-asset strategist at UBS Wealth. "We continue to see the dollar weakening, it has consolidated recently a little bit but we think that in the long term it will get weaker." The euro fell against the yen and sterling, having hit a one-year high on the Japanese currency and a two-year high on the pound at the start of trade. The dollar strengthens against the pound, which was 0.24 per cent lower at $1.3422. As concerns subside about the economic fallout from punishing tariffs, investor attention is shifting to corporate earnings and central bank meetings in the United States and Japan in the next few days. Both the Fed and the Bank of Japan are expected to hold rates steady at policy meetings this week, but traders will watch subsequent comments to gauge the timing of the next moves. Investors will also be watching to see Trump's reaction to the Fed's decision. The U.S. president has been putting the Fed under heavy pressure to make significant rate cuts, and Trump appeared close to trying to fire Powell last week, but backed off with a nod to the market disruption that would likely follow. In addition, quarterly results are due in coming days from Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook parent Meta Platforms META.O, four of the "Magnificent Seven" whose stocks heavily influence benchmark indexes.
CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
US, China hold new talks on tariff truce extension, easing path for Trump-Xi meeting
STOCKHOLM: Top US and Chinese economic officials met in Stockholm on Monday (Jul 28) to resume talks to resolve longstanding economic disputes at the centre of a trade war between the world's top two economies, aiming to extend a truce by three months. US Treasury Chief Scott Bessent was part of a US negotiating team that entered Rosenbad, the Swedish prime minister's office in central Stockholm in early afternoon. China's Vice Premier He Lifeng was also seen arriving at the venue on video footage. China is facing an Aug 12 deadline to reach a durable tariff agreement with President Donald Trump's administration, after Beijing and Washington reached preliminary deals in May and June to end weeks of escalating tit-for-tat tariffs and a cut-off of rare earth minerals. Without an agreement, global supply chains could face renewed turmoil from US duties snapping back to triple-digit levels that would amount to a bilateral trade embargo. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that he did not expect "some kind of enormous breakthrough today" at the talks in Stockholm that he was attending. "What I expect is continued monitoring and checking in on the implementation of our agreement thus far, making sure that key critical minerals are flowing between the parties and setting the groundwork for enhanced trade and balanced trade going forward," he told CNBC. The Stockholm talks come hot on the heels of Trump's biggest trade deal yet with the European Union on Sunday for a 15 per cent tariff on most EU goods exports to the United States, including autos. Trade analysts said that another 90-day extension of a tariff and export control truce struck in mid-May between China and the United States was likely. An extension would facilitate planning for a potential meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in late October or early November. The Financial Times reported on Monday that the US had paused curbs on tech exports to China to avoid disrupting trade talks with Beijing and support Trump's efforts to secure a meeting with Xi this year. DEEPER ISSUES Previous US-China trade talks in Geneva and London in May and June focused on bringing US and Chinese retaliatory tariffs down from triple-digit levels and restoring the flow of rare earth minerals halted by China and Nvidia's H20 AI chips and other goods halted by the United States. So far, the talks have not delved into broader economic issues. They include US complaints that China's state-led, export-driven model is flooding world markets with cheap goods, and Beijing's complaints that US national security export controls on tech goods seek to stunt Chinese growth. "Geneva and London were really just about trying to get the relationship back on track so that they could, at some point, actually negotiate about the issues which animate the disagreement between the countries in the first place," said Scott Kennedy, a China economics expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Bessent has already flagged a deadline extension and has said he wants China to rebalance its economy away from exports to more domestic consumption – a decades-long goal for US policymakers. Analysts say the US-China negotiations are far more complex than those with other Asian countries and will require more time. China's grip on the global market for rare earth minerals and magnets, used in everything from military hardware to car windshield wiper motors, has proved to be an effective leverage point on US industries. In the background of the talks is speculation about a possible meeting between Trump and Xi in late October.
