Latest news with #NuclearDeal
Al Arabiya
3 days ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Trump says he believes a Gaza ceasefire deal is close
US President Donald Trump said on Friday he believes an agreement is close on a Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas and that it could be announced soon. US officials have been waiting on a formal response from Hamas about what a source said is a proposed 60-day Gaza ceasefire deal. Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, also said he believes the United States is close to a deal with Iran on its nuclear program.
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Meet Jason Miller, India's $1.8 million man in Washington
In an effort to bolster its diplomatic outreach to the Trump administration, the Indian government hired lobbying firm SHW Partners LLC last month. The firm –– helmed by former Trump adviser Jason Miller –– will be paid a monthly fee of $150,000 by the Indian government for its services. 'This is not a new practice. This has been in place for several decades and under successive governments since the 1950s. These firms have been regularly engaged by the Embassy as per the requirement of the situation. All such engagements are available in the public domain. In the run up to the Nuclear Deal in 2007 and thereafter, firms were engaged to strengthen India's case. I should also add that such a practice is common among Embassies and other organizations in Washington DC and in other parts of the US,' said Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs at a press briefing on Thursday. 'SHW's representation will encompass providing strategic counsel, tactical planning, and government relations assistance on policy matters before the US Government, the U.S. Congress, state governments, academic institutions, think tanks, and any other relevant stakeholders as required,' the firm disclosed on April 24 about its one-year, $1.8 million contract with the Indian Embassy in Washington DC. Miller is a veteran of Trump's political campaigns and shot to prominence in 2016 when he served as Trump's chief media spokesperson. Known for his acerbic and voluble defence of Trump, Miller was initially slated to assume the powerful role of White House communications director after Trump won the 2016 election. Miller was forced to withdraw from consideration after he was accused of having an extramarital affair with and impregnating another Trump campaign official. He has subsequently been accused of sexual abuse and rape by the concerned official. Despite the scandal, Miller has remained firmly entrenched in Donald Trump's orbit. He returned to assist Trump in both his 2020 and 2024 Presidential campaigns as a key adviser. Along the way, Miller has also served as a political commentator for news networks such as CNN and Newsmax. He also has a long professional history working with top Republican politicians including Senator Ted Cruz, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin. Miller registered as a lobbyist in 2020 through his newly set up firm SHW Partners LLC. Prior to his recent contract with the Indian government, Miller's firm has also worked for real estate and financial services companies. 'In 1949, (the) Embassy hired Rosen & Fred; 1954 GOI hired Schaler, Butler Associates; 1958 GOI hired Moss Edward K; 1969-1974 GOI hired Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLC; 1981-83 GOI hired Baron / Canning & Co Inc; 1992-93 GOI hired International Development Systems Inc; 2005- till date GOI hired BGR Govt affairs LLC. All such information is available on the US DOJ website - FARA filings,' Jaiswal added on Thursday, detailing a list of other lobbying firms used by India in the past. The development comes even as Pakistan has hired a suite of lobbying firms to assist in its diplomatic outreach. Javelin Advisers, Squire Patton Boggs, Conscience Point Consulting, Seiden Law and Orchid Advisers registered as foreign agents representing the government of Pakistan over just the last two months. According to one filing by Javelin Advisers with the US Department of Justice, the firm will help Pakistan communicate its perspective on India-Pakistan relations and the Kashmir dispute to America's executive branch, Congress and the general public.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Pakistan hires Trump-linked lobbyists to boost ties with US amid India tensions
Pakistan has hired two lobbyist firms close to the US President to plead its case amid conflict with India which may have had its impact on Donald Trump's recent approach in equating India with Pakistan. Longtime Trump associates have recently signed their agreements to represent Pakistani. Javelin Advisors' Keith Schiller, Trump's former bodyguard, and George Sorial, the Trump Organisation's former compliance chief, would facilitate Pakistan create "long-term economic partnerships" in the US by boosting the country's ties to the US government and private sector. Sources claim this would explain Trump's constant references on the trade deal with Pakistan. Pakistan is trying to secure investments for its mining sector, including from US companies. Lobbyists hired by Pakistan are trying to impress the Trump administration on the economic potential of Pakistan-US ties. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 기미 잡티, 레이저에 헛돈 쓰지 마세요 두아이연구원 Undo Meanwhile, the MEA spokesperson, answering a question on hiring of lobby firms by India in the US said, "This is not a new practice. This has been in place for several decades and under successive governments since the 1950s. These firms have been regularly engaged by the Embassy as per the requirement of the situation. All such engagements are available in the public domain. In the run-up to the Nuclear Deal in 2007 and thereafter, firms were engaged to strengthen India's case. I should also add that such a practice is common among Embassies and other organisations in Washington DC and in other parts of the US."
Globe and Mail
21-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Asian shares climb and oil prices gain after a report Israel may attack Iran's nuclear facilities
Shares rose in Asia on Wednesday while oil prices jumped more than 1% following a report that Israel may be planning an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. U.S. futures were lower. A CNN report cited unnamed intelligence officials saying Israel may be preparing for an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. Oil prices tend to rise with conflicts that might disrupt oil supplies, and they jumped early Wednesday but lost some of those gains by midday. U.S. benchmark crude oil gained 79 cents to $62.82 per barrel while Brent crude, the international standard, rose 77 cents to $66.15 per barrel. In talks on the nuclear issue, Iranian officials have warned they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran's program if a deal isn't reached. In share trading, Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 0.6% to 37,313.62. Gains have been limited by the continued worries over higher tariffs Trump has imposed on many U.S. trading partners since taking office. Earlier this week, Japanese officials said they were insisting all of his higher tariffs on imports from Japan be removed as part of talks with Washington. Japan's exports have slowed due to the tariffs, the government reported Wednesday. Exports to the U.S., Japan's largest single trading partner, fell almost 2% year-on-year in April and the annual rate of growth in its global exports slowed to 2% from 4% in March, preliminary customs data showed. In a step that further weakened Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's faltering administration, the agriculture minister, Taku Eto, resigned after an outcry over comments he made about not having to buy rice, but getting it for free, at a time when shortfalls in supply have pushed prices of the staple grain sharply higher. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng picked up 0.4% to 23,785.58, while the Shanghai Composite index edged 0.2% higher to 3,387.00. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 surged 0.5% to 8,386.00, while the Kospi in South Korea climbed 0.9%, to 2,625.80. Taiwan's Taiex advanced 1.3% and India's Sensex gained 0.7%. The future for the S&P 500 was down 0.5% early Wednesday, while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.4%. On Tuesday, the S&P 500 lost 0.4% for its first drop in seven days. The Dow fell 0.3% and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.4%. Treasury yields and the value of the U.S. dollar held relatively stable following a brief jolt Monday morning after Moody's Ratings said the U.S. government no longer deserves a top-tier credit rating because of worries about its spiraling debt. U.S. government debt could be set to get even bigger with Washington debating more cuts to taxes. Stocks of companies in the travel industry led the way lower on doubts about how much U.S. households will be able to spend on summer vacations. Airbnb dropped 3.3%, Norwegian Cruise Line fell 3.9% and United Airlines lost 2.9%. Viking Holdings fell 5% even though the company, which offers river cruises and other trips, reported stronger results than analysts expected for the latest quarter. Home Depot slipped 0.6% after reporting a profit for the start of the year that came up just short of analysts' expectations, though its revenue topped forecasts. The home-improvement retailer also said it's sticking with its forecasts for profit and sales growth over the full year. That's counter to a growing number of companies, which have recently said tariffs and uncertainty about the economy are making it difficult to guess what the upcoming year will bring. Trump has delayed or rolled many of the stiff tariffs he has imposed as he tries to compel companies to move manufacturing to the United States. Investors are hopeful that Trump will eventually lower his tariffs after reaching trade deals with other countries, but that's not a certainty. On the winning side of Wall Street was D-Wave Quantum, which jumped 25.9% after releasing its latest quantum computing system. The company says it can solve complex problems beyond the reach of classical computers. Target and Home Depot rival Lowe's will report their latest results on Wednesday. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury edged up to 4.47% from 4.46% late Monday. The two-year yield, which more closely tracks expectations for action by the Federal Reserve, edged down to 3.96% from 3.97%. In currency dealings, the U.S. dollar fell to 143.63 Japanese yen from 144.51 yen. The euro rose to $1.1344 from $1.1284.
New York Times
18-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Trump Envoy Says Iran Must Give Up Nuclear Enrichment Capability
President Trump's chief Iran negotiator provided the clearest description yet of the administration's bottom line on negotiations over the country's nuclear program, declaring on Sunday that Tehran must give up all enrichment of nuclear fuel. Members of the administration, including Mr. Trump himself, have for weeks been vague about whether Iran would be permitted any capability to produce uranium — even for ostensibly commercial purposes, to run the nuclear power plants Iran says it wants to build. When Mr. Trump pulled out of the last nuclear deal with Iran in 2018, he argued that the Obama administration had made a major error by allowing Iran to retain modest enrichment capabilities, which it has since used to produce fuel that is near weapons grade. But Mr. Trump's Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, told ABC's 'This Week' on Sunday that enrichment was 'one very, very clear red line' for the administration. 'We cannot have that because enrichment enables weaponization, and we will not allow a bomb to get here,' he said. Even '1 percent of an enrichment capability' would be too much, he said. Mr. Witkoff said he expected to meet Iran again, for a fourth negotiating session, sometime this week in Europe. Officials say he is expecting a response to an outline for an agreement that the United States transmitted to Iran in recent days. Iran argues that it has a right to enrichment under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty that has been in force since 1970 and has said it will never give up the right to enrich. Mr. Witkoff appears to be looking for a middle ground, and it is not clear what that compromise might be. But notably, Mr. Witkoff did not insist in the interview that Iran destroy its main enrichment centers at Natanz and Fordow, including one being built deep under a mountain. That leaves open the possibility that Iran could claim it has a right to enrich, while not actually exercising that right.
