Latest news with #Israel-Hamas
The Herald Scotland
8 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Trump says he wants foreign students in US amid crackdown on Harvard
"We want to have great students here. We just don't want students that are causing trouble. We want to have students. I want to have foreign students," Trump told reporters at the press conference. Trump and members of his administration allege Harvard has created a campus environment that is antisemitic, after protests broke out on campus in response to the Israel-Hamas war. On May 25, Trump ordered Harvard to turn over the "names and countries" of every international student enrolled at the university in a post on Truth Social. The other major front in the Trump administration's battle with Harvard has been over federal funding. Since mid-April, the White House has frozen billions of dollars in federal research grants for the school. "I'd like to see a lot of money going into trade schools... And that's what's been wasted at places like Harvard," Trump said.
Mint
10 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
FMCG stocks face margin pressure. Here's why
The fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector is seen as a favourite among investors due to its stable cash flows and performance even in turbulent times. But recently, FMCG companies have been facing a new wave of margin pressure. From rising input costs to subdued demand, multiple forces are compressing the profitability for companies, and the markets are taking notice. Market acknowledgement of this fact is reflected in the performance of the FMCG index. Looking at the broader markets over the past year, the Nifty FMCG index rose 0.96% as compared to a 9.06% increase in the Nifty50. Here's a closer look at why FMCG stocks are under margin pressure right now. Reasons for Margin Pressure At the core of the problem is cost inflation. Sharp price rise in key raw materials- especially palm oil, wheat, maida, potato, cocoa, tea, etc, have pressured margins and have made it necessary for the companies to raise the prices. But companies can pass on these costs through price hikes only to some extent. The confluence of a few macro factors further impacted the margins, which have pushed global commodity prices higher. These factors are: geopolitical disturbances due to the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas war, and reciprocal trade tariffs by the US. Slowdown in various advanced economies, including the US and the UK, and climate change (untimely monsoon, floods, droughts) are the other factors. Managements of various top FMCG giants have highlighted the uncertainty in input costs and remain cautious in their margin guidance in the recent investor presentations. The management of Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) revised FY26 earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (Ebitda) margin guidance downward from 23–24% to 22–23% due to inflation. Operating profit margins (OPM) for FY25 of Marico Ltd are lower, from 21% to 20%, while Britannia's margins have fallen from 18% to 16.4%. Further, the pace of real GDP growth decreased from 9.2% in FY24 to 6.5% in FY25. The weakness in consumption was seen in the flat volume growth of the FMCG sector, both in rural and urban areas. To make matters worse, India's consumer food price index fluctuated during the previous fiscal year, with a peak in October 2024 (marking an inflation rate of 10.08%). The cumulative impact of inflationary pressures, as well as low GDP growth, has pulled down household savings and reduced consumption expenditure. Another factor contributing to the margin pressure is the intense competition in the FMCG space, not just from large brands but also from aggressive local players and small direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands. Recovery signs in the FMCG space Despite a weak short-term outlook, the FMCG companies are cautiously positive for the FY26 recovery. Management sees macro factors to normalise soon, including stabilising CPI inflation, easing raw material prices. India's overall retail inflation fell to 3.16% in April 2025, the lowest in nearly six years. Companies are implementing gradual price increases to slowly rebuild and recover their margins without disturbing the demand. Consumption expenditure is expected to pick up slowly due to the continuous recovery in rural demand because of the good monsoon. Further, improvement in urban demand can be seen due to lower inflation levels and tax cuts announced in the Union Budget, which is expected to boost disposable incomes. What could turn things around? The companies are focusing on deepening penetration and distribution in core and growth categories. The companies continue to execute on their strategy of premiumization (a shift towards branded products) and innovation. Companies are improving supply chain management and achieving cost optimization through modern trade, e-commerce, quick commerce, and digital transformation. They are continuously focusing on volume-led competitive growth. Conclusion The FMCG stocks are facing margin pressures right now. Rising input costs, weak demand, and intense competition, all putting pressure on the profitability of the companies and affecting the revenue growth as well. For FMCG companies, the solution lies in premiumization, cost optimization, deeper penetration, and digital transformation. Investors should be selective with stock picking, looking for companies that are adjusting to changing consumer preferences through product innovation and deeper distribution. Investors should evaluate the company's fundamentals, corporate governance, and valuations of the stock before making any investment decisions. Happy Investing. Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only. It is not a stock recommendation and should not be treated as such. This article is syndicated from
Politico
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Politico
State begins rolling out expanded student visa vetting — starting with Harvard
The State Department has told U.S. consulates and embassies to immediately begin reviewing the social media accounts of Harvard's student visa applicants for antisemitism in what it called a pilot program that could be rolled out for colleges nationwide. The cable signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, obtained by POLITICO, was sent late Thursday. It says consular officers should 'conduct a complete screening of the online presence of any nonimmigrant visa applicant seeking to travel to Harvard University for any purpose.' The policy, while primarily affecting students, will also include faculty members, researchers, staff members and guest speakers at Harvard. The policy will take effect immediately, per the cable. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The document puts into motion a proposal the Trump administration floated earlier this week for expanded social media vetting of all foreign students applying to U.S. colleges, pausing new appointments for student visa applicants in the meantime. Increased social media vetting did already exist, but it was previously primarily intended for returning students who may have participated in protests against Israel's actions in Gaza. Notably, State Department leadership wants consular officers to consider 'whether the lack of any online presence, or having social media accounts restricted to 'private' or with limited visibility, may be reflective of evasiveness and call into question the applicant's credibility.' The cable also instructs consular officers to inform applicants with private social media accounts that they could be viewed as evading vetting and request they make their accounts public while the Fraud Prevention Unit reviews their case. It also adds to the White House's battle with elite academic institutions over alleged mishandling of cases of antisemitism during campus protests in response to Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip against militant group Hamas. The cable specifically identifies antisemitism and antisemitic viewpoints as the focus for consular officers but does not spell out what specifically would rise to the level of inadmissible antisemitism in the eyes of State Department leadership. It says that the Harvard review process 'will also serve as a pilot for expanded screening and vetting of visa applicants' and that 'this pilot will be expanded over time,' indicating it will likely reach other universities in the Trump administration's crosshairs. The new guidance comes as the U.S. government continues its showdown with Harvard for alleged failures to address antisemitism on campus amid the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. The federal government has stripped Harvard of billions in research funding and entered in dueling litigation with the Cambridge, Massachusetts, school. It had also suspended Harvard's ability to enroll international students by briefly blocking visa applications before that decision was blocked by a federal judge. It also comes as the administration has targeted other academic communities, including Chinese nationals studying at U.S. colleges and universities. Rubio said Wednesday the administration would 'aggressively revoke' visas of Chinese nationals studying in sensitive fields, the potential implementation of which has flummoxed State Department officials.
Newsweek
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Trump Weighs In On If He Should Have Been A Judge Instead Of President
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump weighed in Friday on whether he should have become a judge instead of president when a reporter asked him about it. The Context The Trump administration has been dealt a flurry of legal setbacks since Trump took office as courts across the country blocked or temporarily paused Trump's efforts to deport pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil; the administration's attempt to bar Harvard University from enrolling international students; Trump's effort to dismantle an independent agency; his retaliatory campaign against law firms whose work runs counter to his policies; and more. Trump and a number of other administration officials have publicly targeted the judges who have issued adverse rulings, calling them "rogue" and "woke activist" judges and adding that they should be impeached. One Republican lawmaker has also called for Trump to serve three terms in office so he can "reset" the courts. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Elon Musk in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Washington. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Elon Musk in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Washington. Evan Vucci/AP What To Know Fox News' Peter Doocy asked Trump about the string of rulings during an Oval Office press conference on Friday, saying: "So many of the things that you're trying to do are held up in court right now. If the courts are going to have so much influence over U.S. policy, do you wish you would have just become a judge instead?" Trump laughed in response and said, "Yeah, well, look, it wasn't meant to be that way. If you look at the founders, the president had certain powers. And you have three groups and ... they're equal powers." The president went on to repeat his criticisms of a federal judge in Boston who recently accused the Trump administration of violating a court ruling ordering it to provide "meaningful" due process to people targeted for deportation. "You can't have a judge in Boston running foreign policy in places all over the country because he's got a liberal bent or he's a radical left person," Trump said, referring to U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden. "That's what the executive branch is for and you have checks and balances," Trump told Doocy. The president then went on recycle his criticisms of the Biden administration over immigration, inflation, the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war. This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Toronto Star
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Live updates: Hamas considers Gaza ceasefire proposal as Israeli strikes kill at least 27
Israeli airstrikes killed at least 27 people in the Gaza Strip, hospital officials said Friday, while Hamas was reviewing a new Israeli-approved ceasefire proposal after giving it an initial cool response. President Donald Trump's Mideast envoy had expressed optimism this week about brokering an agreement that could halt the Israel-Hamas war, allow more aid into Gaza, and return more of the 58 hostages still held by Hamas, around a third of whom are alive. Experts say a nearly three-month Israeli blockade of Gaza — slightly eased in recent days — has pushed the population of roughly 2 million Palestinians to the brink of famine. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Israel's war in Gaza has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tally. The war began with Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which left around 1,200 dead. Here's the latest: Israel says it struck weapons depots in Syria The airstrikes late Friday targeted missile storage facilities on Syria's Mediterranean coast that the Israeli military said 'posed a threat to international and Israeli maritime freedom of navigation,' according to a brief statement. State-run news agency SANA said the strikes in the Latakia area resulted in 'material damage' but no casualties were reported. Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes across Syria targeting military infrastructure since Syrian Islamist insurgents toppled the government of Bashar Assad late last year. Israeli forces have also captured a buffer zone along the Golan Heights. Friday's strike comes a day after the U.S. special envoy to Syria reopened the long-shuttered U.S. ambassador's residence in Damascus — a sign of growing ties between Washington and the new Syrian government. Iran nuclear deal remains on the horizon, Trump says Trump also said Friday say that he still thinks a deal between the U.S. and Iran could be completed in the 'not too distant future.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'They don't want to be blown up. They would rather make a deal,' Trump said of Iran. He added, 'That would be a great thing that we could have a deal without bombs being dropped all over the Middle East.' Trump said he's warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from carrying out preemptive strikes on Iran's nuclear program while the talks are playing out. Trump says Israel-Hamas 'very close' on temporary truce deal 'They're very close to an agreement on Gaza, and we'll let you know about it during the day or maybe tomorrow,' Trump told reporters on Friday. Trump's optimistic outlook comes after the White House announced Thursday that Israel has accepted a new U.S. proposal for a temporary ceasefire with Hamas. U.S. negotiators have not publicized the terms of the proposed deal. A Hamas official and an Egyptian official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks, said Thursday that it called for a 60-day pause in fighting, guarantees of serious negotiations leading to a long-term truce and assurances that Israel will not resume hostilities after the release of hostages, as it did in March. However, changes may have been made. UN says it only picked up 5 truckloads of aid from border because of nearby fighting ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Currently, after supplies enter Gaza from Israel at the Kerem Shalom crossing, aid workers are required to unload them and reload them onto their own trucks for distribution. 'Yesterday, we and our humanitarian partners only managed to collect five truckloads of cargo from the Palestinian side of the Kareem Shalom crossing,' U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters Friday. 'The other 60 trucks had to return to the crossing due to intense hostilities in the area.' An Israeli official said his country has offered the U.N. logistical and operational support but 'the U.N. is not doing their job.' The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said other organizations had succeeded in collecting aid from the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom crossing. The official declined to provide details on how many truckloads were collected or which organizations were able to collect them. What is a famine and who declares one? For months, experts have warned that Palestinians in Gaza are on the brink of famine. Israel eased its blockade on the territory a few weeks ago, but the U.N. humanitarian aid office said Friday that deliveries into Gaza remain severely restricted. No famine has been formally declared in the war-torn territory. Often, U.N. officials or governments will make a formal statement, based on an analysis from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the leading international authority on hunger crises. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'There's a widespread misunderstanding that someone has to declare a famine before it is a famine. That is not the case,' said Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 'When IPC shows the data that hits the threshold for a famine, then it's a famine.' The IPC considers an area to be in famine when three things occur: 20% of households have an extreme lack of food; at least 30% of children suffer from acute malnutrition or wasting; and two adults or four children per every 10,000 people are dying daily of hunger and its complications. Armed Palestinians steal medicine and food meant for kids from a hospital, UN says The looters took medicine, health equipment and nutritional supplements intended for malnourished children from warehouses at a field hospital in Deir al-Balah on Friday, and U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters. 'This appeared to be much more organized and different' from recent looting episodes in which desperate Palestinians took food from warehouses or aid trucks, Dujarric said. There have been episodes of looting by armed gangs throughout the war, however there's concern that desperation and hunger could lead to a breakdown of law and order in Gaza after three months of near-total Israeli blockade. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Israeli strike on families in a tent kills 13 people, including 8 kids An Israeli strike hit a tent sheltering displaced people in the southern city of Khan Younis on Friday afternoon, killing 13 people including eight children, hospital officials said. The strike killed members of two different families, according to Nasser Hospital records viewed by The Associated Press. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strike. Israeli forces killed 72 people on Thursday, Gaza medics say Hospital officials said Friday that at least 72 had been killed in Gaza during the previous day. That figure does not include some hospitals in the north, which are largely cut off due to the fighting. Hamas and other Palestinian factions are still studying the ceasefire proposal Hamas said in a terse statement Friday that it is holding consultations with Palestinian factions over the proposal it received from the U.S. Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff. Qatar's UN envoy says negotiations are ongoing on Gaza ceasefire proposal Qatar is intensively engaged with the United States and Egypt 'to stop the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and end the war,' said the Gulf country's ambassador to the United Nations. 'Negotiations are ongoing on the current proposal,' Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani told reporters at the U.N. on Friday. 'We are very determined to find an ending to this horrific situation in Gaza.' Throughout the war, Qatar has been an important location for negotiations, and it has served as an intermediary for Hamas ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Many Palestinians in Gaza trek for hours to secure just 1 meal a day Mohammed Abed said he and his family suffer greatly trying to find food and eat only one meal a day because of shortages. He said he waits for three hours daily to get a small amount of rice. 'It's heartbreaking that people are being starved because of politics. Food and water should not be used for political purposes,' Abed told The Associated Press in the central city of Deir al-Balah. Fuad Muheisen from Deir a-Balah said if charity kitchens shut down 'all of Gaza will die. No one will stay alive.' Mnawar al-Rai said she has been displaced five times with her family and now is settled in Deir al-Balah where they tried to collect aid in recent days but came under fire. She said they have to walk to three or four locations every day to collect a plate of food to feed the children, adding that almost nothing is available in markets because 'merchants are exploiting people.' Palestinians hope a ceasefire ends what they describe as a meaningless nightmare Mohammed Abed said people in central Gaza grow optimistic when they hear that a ceasefire is near, only to be disappointed when a deal is not reached. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'This war has no meaning. This is the war of starvation, death, siege and long lines for food and toilets,' Abed said. 'This war is the 2025 nightmare, 2024 nightmare and 2023 nightmare.' Another Gaza resident Mohammed Mreil said about the possibility of a truce that: 'We want to live and we want them (Israelis) to live. God did not create us to die.' US- and Israeli-backed foundation says it distributed over 2 million meals The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said Friday it distributed more than 2 million of what it described as meals within four days of starting operations. It said that on Friday it distributed six truckloads of food at one distribution point. Palestinian aid-seekers have described getting basic items like bags of pasta, rice and cans of beans. Hunger and malnutrition have mounted among Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians since Israel barred entry of food, fuel, medicine and other supplies nearly three months ago, allowing a trickle of aid in only the past two weeks. The GHF has faced criticism by aid groups and Palestinians for a chaotic rollout since it began operations this week. More than a dozen Palestinians described chaos at all three aid hubs on Thursday, with multiple witnesses reporting a free-for-all of people grabbing aid, and they said Israeli troops opened fire to control crowds. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The group said that it was committed to safely and effectively supplying food to a 'large, hungry population.' It said it planned to scale and build additional sites — including in the north of Gaza — in the coming weeks and that it was testing and adapting its distribution model to safely deliver as much aid as possible to the greatest number of people. ▶ Read more about chaos at new distribution sites Families of hostages plead with Netanyahu Families of hostages held in Gaza are pleading with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ensure that any agreement to end the war must include the freedom of all the hostages. There are 58 hostages left in Gaza, of whom Israel believes approximately a third are still alive. Ayelet Samerano, the mother of Yonatan Samerano, whose body is being held in Gaza, was among the family members who met with Netanyahu on Thursday. She said the news that only 10 hostages and several bodies would be released had once again plunged the families into indescribable uncertainty. 'It's again a selection, you know, all the families, we are right now standing and thinking, is it going to be my son? Isn't it? What will be after part of them will come, what will be with the rest?' Israel has accepted a new U.S. proposal for a temporary ceasefire with Hamas, the White House said Thursday, while Hamas has had a cooler response. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'If they (Hamas) want guarantees, we will give them guarantees that after the last hostages will back to Israel, we will stop the war,' Samerano said. 'I'm telling you, Netanyahu, say yes. All our countries say yes, the families say yes. All the families, when we are saying, stop the world and give us the hostages back.' At least 14 killed in Gaza strikes, medics say Hospital officials and paramedics say Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have killed at least 14 people and wounded others. Officials at Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza said the bodies of 12 people, including three women, were brought Friday from the nearby Jabaliya refugee camp. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said the bodies of two people as well as nine others who were wounded were taken to Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City. It said one of the wounded is a doctor who works at the same hospital. Hamas is reviewing a new ceasefire proposal Hamas said Friday it was reviewing a new Israeli-approved ceasefire proposal. The White House said Thursday that Israel accepted a new U.S. proposal for a temporary ceasefire with Hamas. Hamas officials, however, gave the draft a cool response, saying that it seeks to perpetuate Israel's policies of killing and starving people in Gaza. Still, the group said it was going to thoroughly review it. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to end the war until all the hostages are released and Hamas is either destroyed or disarmed and sent into exile. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages for a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. Netanyahu undergoes a routine colonoscopy Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underwent a routine colonoscopy on Friday morning in Jerusalem, his office said. The office did not provide further information about whether Netanyahu was moderately sedated or under general anesthesia for the procedure. Netanyahu, 75, underwent successful surgery in December to have his prostate removed. Netanyahu has gone to great lengths to bolster a public image of himself as a healthy, energetic leader, as he manages multiple crises including the war in Gaza and his trial for alleged corruption, despite a series of recent health setbacks.
