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Prime Minister Shehbaz expresses gratitude to Trump for suspending ‘Project Freedom’ in the Strait of Hormuz.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sent his appreciation to US President Donald Trump for his bold leadership and prompt declaration over the temporary suspension of Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on social media platform X, he stated: “President Trump’s benevolent response to the request from Pakistan and other allied nations, especially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and my esteemed brother Crown Prince and Prime Minister H.R.H. Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will significantly contribute to promoting regional peace, stability, and reconciliation during this critical juncture.”
He stated that Pakistan is steadfastly dedicated to endorsing any initiatives that foster restraint and a peaceful resolution of issues via dialogue and diplomacy.
“We are optimistic that the existing momentum will culminate in a sustainable agreement that ensures enduring peace and stability for the region and beyond,” stated the article.
On Tuesday, May 5, Trump announced the cessation of the US military operation to escort vessels through the Strait of Hormuz after only one day, aiming to negotiate a resolution with Iran to conclude the Middle East conflict.
Trump’s initiative, termed “Project Freedom”, commenced on Monday to assist vessels in departing the Strait of Hormuz, the constricted passage to the Gulf where Iran has asserted control following attacks.
The US leader announced on Truth Social that he is now suspending it at the request of mediator Pakistan and other nations, stating that “significant progress has been achieved toward a comprehensive and conclusive agreement” with Tehran.Trump stated, “We have reached a mutual agreement that, although the blockade will continue to be fully enforced, Project Freedom will be temporarily suspended to assess the possibility of finalising and signing the Agreement.”
Washington is enforcing a blockade on Iran’s ports to compel Iran to negotiate a resolution to the conflict initiated by the US and Israel on February 28.
Tensions escalated about the Hormuz operation, with the US claiming it had sunk seven Iranian warships, while many civilian ships reportedly faced attacks attributed to Iran.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated earlier on Tuesday that the confrontations in the Strait of Hormuz were not included in the initial conflict.Rubio stated, “This is not an offensive operation; it is a defensive operation.” “This means that shooting will only occur if we are fired upon first.”
He stated that the United States had concluded its offensive operations against Iran, designated as “Operation Epic Fury”.
Latest News
Global corporate bond markets reshaped by AI debt sales
- Big Tech bond offerings from Europe to Japan and Switzerland show smaller markets, traditionally dwarfed by the U.S., can flex their muscles in the $40 trillion corporate debt sector.
Google-parent Alphabet (GOOGL.O) is already one of the largest outstanding borrowers in the sterling and Swiss franc corporate bond markets, while Amazon (AMZN.O) raised 14.5 billion euros ($16.88 billion) in March from an eight-part deal, the biggest ever in the euro corporate bond market, LSEG said.
The debt issuance by so-called “hyperscalers”, or Big Tech, outside the United States is part of a campaign to diversify funding early as they plan to finance trillions of dollars of investment in AI infrastructure, mainly data centres, in the years ahead, bankers say.
Companies can also hedge their currency risk on global assets by issuing debt in foreign currencies, benefiting from relatively cheaper borrowing costs in regions like Europe.
Alphabet broke records across markets, with its yen, Canadian dollar, Swiss franc and sterling deals all breaking borrowing marks in respective currencies.”If you fast forward 12 months looking at the pace of investment of these companies, some of these companies are going to be already among the biggest issuers globally in any currency,” said Giulio Baratta, co-head of investment-grade finance at BNP Paribas.
Meanwhile, Alphabet and Amazon have helped increase borrowing by non-financial U.S. corporations in Europe to above 60 billion euros ($69.85 billion) this year, another record.
DEBT SALES RECORD
Morgan Stanley forecasts euro debt issuance from the hyperscalers to hit roughly 50 billion euros in borrowing this year, a move that could help the U.S. edge past France as the largest provider of overall corporate debt in the euro zone.”A lot of these markets, including euro, have evolved and now provide a lot more depth and opportunity for larger capital raising than was historically the case,” said John Servidea, global co-head of investment grade finance at JPMorgan, which guided recent offers for the two hyperscalers.
Hyperscalers sold a record amount of international non-financial corporate bonds this year in markets such as the Swiss franc and yen, LSEG tracked.
The capacity for U.S. companies beyond the hyperscalers to raise considerable amounts of money in such markets has not gone overlooked, Servidea added.“They’re definitely looking at other markets more seriously than they would have done before.”
On a broader basis, currencies such as the Australian dollar and Hong Kong dollar have also seen an increase in borrowing as global corporations diversify their funding sources.
Meanwhile, amid international tensions and policy uncertainty, investors are turning to diversification away from the U.S. currency.
BUILDING UP EXPOSURE TO AI
Hyperscalers’ non-dollar issuance has doubled to 30% of their total bond funding this year, Bank of America said.
“It means that Big Tech can go longer periods between taps of the U.S. market and borrow at rates that are in some cases cheaper than the U.S. dollar market, or at least similar,” Servidea said in an email.
Heavy borrowing can weigh heavily on a borrower’s bonds, and experts see indicators of hyperscalers underperforming the U.S. corporate bond market. If you visit it less often, that can assist to lessen the hit.
BNP Paribas, which also arranged deals for Alphabet and Amazon, said the companies were mainly holding the cash in the currency they are raising rather than converting them back to dollars.
As for investors, they are seeking to gain exposure to the AI theme in the international bond markets where technology brands had a limited presence before.
Nicolas Forest, chief investment officer at Candriam, is one example who is buying into the euro offers from hyperscalers to increase exposure to the IT industry in the European bond market.
By the end of April, one round of issuance had seen Alphabet replace the UK’s Prudential as the fourth-largest borrower in ICE BofA’s pound corporate bond index and the sixth-largest in Swiss francs.
As tech issuance increases, corporate bond markets outside the U.S. will be more exposed to tech trends, for better or worse.“If there are problems with (AI), it will probably create more volatility,” said David Zahn, head of European fixed income at Franklin Templeton.
Latest News
PM briefed on health programs by Mustafa Kamal
Federal Minister for National Health Services Syed Mustafa Kamal met on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday and apprised him of the ongoing and forthcoming developments in the health sector.
During the meeting they discussed subjects related to the ministry.
The prime minister also complimented the ministry’s work for continuous changes in health sector and its efforts for eradication of polio, hepatitis and other fatal diseases.
Entertainment
A prayer ceremony kicks off Momina Iqbal’s wedding celebrations.
Pakistani actress Momina Iqbal has officially began her wedding celebrations with a traditional prayer ritual, videos from the event are trending on social media.
According to the data, the wedding celebrations of the actress, who has been in the spotlight due to controversies recently, have started with her fiancé Hamza.
The celebrations began with a “Dua-e-Khair” (prayer for blessings) ritual, attended by close family members, relatives and friends.
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