Latest News
Trump threatens to reinstate ‘Project Freedom Plus’ if the Iran agreement is not finalised.
US President Donald Trump cautioned that Washington may intensify its military presence in the Strait of Hormuz if an agreement with Iran is not concluded, threatening to reinstate and broaden the suspended “Project Freedom” operation.”We will pursue an alternative course if all agreements are not finalised,” Trump informed reporters at the White House.
In response to an inquiry regarding the US’s potential return to “Project Freedom,” Trump stated, “I don’t think so,” yet indicated that it remains a possibility.
He stated that Pakistan, acting as a mediator in discussions between Washington and Tehran, requested the United States to refrain from resuming military operations.”We might revert to Project Freedom if circumstances do not progress,” he stated. “It will be Project Freedom Plus, indicating Project Freedom along with supplementary components,” without specifying what new steps the expanded initiative would encompass.
Regional tensions have intensified following the US and Israel’s assaults on Iran on February 28, prompting retaliation from Tehran against Israel and US allies in the Gulf, as well as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A truce was implemented on April 8 due to Pakistani mediation; nevertheless, negotiations in Islamabad did not yield a sustainable deal. The truce was then prolonged by Trump without a specified deadline.
Since April 13, the United States has implemented a naval blockade aimed at Iranian maritime traffic in the strait. On Tuesday, Trump declared that the US military will temporarily suspend “Project Freedom” to re-establish freedom of navigation for commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, while affirming that the American embargo will remain “in full force and effect.”
Negotiations between the United States and Iran are anticipated to recommence in Islamabad.
Negotiations between the United States and Iran may recommence as soon as next week in Islamabad, Pakistan, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal, referencing sources with knowledge of the situation.
The Journal reported that both parties are collaborating with mediators to develop a one-page, 14-point memorandum of understanding that will establish the framework for a month of negotiations intended to conclude the conflict.
The document reportedly encompasses deliberations on Iran’s nuclear program, alleviating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, and the potential transfer of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stocks to another nation, while significant issues persist unresolved.
The scope of any sanctions release, however, remains contentious and may complicate negotiations. The study states that, should negotiations advance, the initial one-month timeframe may be prolonged by mutual consent.
‘AMBIGUOUS CIRCUMSTANCE’ AS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION NAVIGATES ‘STATE OF UNCERTAINTY’ WITH IRAN
The entire Trump administration appears to perceive the current situation with Iran as not a state of war, but rather a state of limbo.
An end to the fighting has been established, and the US is currently focused on managing this cessation while attaining the negotiating terms it demands.
There exists a consensus among the president, the secretary of state, the secretary of defence, and other officials inside Trump’s government regarding this matter.
They all imply the war is over but the United States is standing ready to strike should it decide to and begin the war again. The scenario is somewhat perplexing.
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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