Israeli army says missile launched from Yemen's Houthis intercepted
CAIRO - The Israeli army said on Tuesday that a missile launched from Yemen toward Israeli territory had been intercepted.
Israel has threatened Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement - which has been attacking Israel in what it says is solidarity with Gaza - with a naval and air blockade if its attacks on Israel persist.
Since the start of Israel's war in Gaza in October 2023, the Houthis, who control most of Yemen, have been firing at Israel and at shipping in the Red Sea, disrupting global trade.
Most of the dozens of missiles and drones they have launched have been intercepted or fallen short. Israel has carried out a series of retaliatory strikes. REUTERS
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AsiaOne
an hour ago
- AsiaOne
Trump says US could reach trade deal with India, casts doubt on deal with Japan, World News
WASHINGTON — The United States could reach a trade deal with India that would help American companies compete in the South Asian country and leave it facing far lower tariffs, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (July 1), while casting doubt on a possible deal with Japan. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he believed India was ready to lower barriers for US companies, which could pave the way for an agreement staving off the 26 per cent rate he announced on April 2, before pausing it until July 9. "Right now, India doesn't accept anybody in. I think India is going to do that, if they do that, we're going to have a deal for less, much less tariffs," he said. Earlier, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that the US and India are nearing a deal that would lower tariffs on American imports to the South Asian country and help India avoid levies from rising sharply next week. "We are very close with India," Bessent told Fox News in response to a question about progress on trade negotiations. Indian officials extended a visit to Washington last week through Monday to try to reach agreement on a trade deal with President Donald Trump's administration and address lingering concerns on both sides, Indian government sources told Reuters. A White House official familiar with the talks said the Trump administration plans to prioritise securing trade deals with countries including India ahead of Japan in the days leading up to the July 9 deadline. [[nid:719692]] India is one of more than a dozen countries actively negotiating with the Trump administration to try to avoid a steep spike in tariff rates on July 9, when a 90-day tariff pause ends. India could see its new "reciprocal" tariff rate rise to 27 per cent from the current 10 per cent. The US-India talks have hit roadblocks over disagreements on import duties for auto components, steel, and farm goods, ahead of Trump's deadline to impose reciprocal tariffs. "We are in the middle — hopefully more than the middle — of a very intricate trade negotiation," Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told an event in New York on Monday. "Obviously, my hope would be that we bring it to a successful conclusion. I cannot guarantee it, because there's another party to that discussion," said Jaishankar, who is in the US for a meeting of the China-focused Quad grouping. He added that there "will have to be give and take" and the two sides will have to find middle ground. Trump suggests higher tariff for Japan Bessent told Fox News that different countries have different agendas for trade deals, including Japan, which Trump complained about on Monday and again on Tuesday. Trump said he was not thinking of extending the July 9 deadline and would simply send letters notifying countries of the tariff rate they would face. "We've dealt with Japan. I'm not sure we're going to make a deal. I doubt it," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned to Washington from a trip to Florida. Trump suggested he could impose a tariff of 30 per cent or 35 per cent on imports from Japan — well above the 24 per cent tariff rate he announced on April 2 and then paused until July 9. He said Japan was refusing to accept US-grown rice, a demand made by Washington that he described as "an easy one", while selling millions of cars in the United States. "So what I'm going to do, is I'll write them a letter saying we thank you very much, and we know you can't do the kind of things that we need, and therefore you pay a 30 per cent, 35 per cent or whatever the numbers that we determine," he said. So far, only Britain has negotiated a limited trade deal with the Trump administration, accepting a 10 per cent US tariff on many goods, including autos, in exchange for special access for aircraft engines and British beef. [[nid:719539]]
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Trump withholds nearly $8.9 billion for schools, with little explanation
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The withholding of dollars threw school district budgets into uncertainty, with only weeks to go before the start of school in many parts of the country. WASHINGTON - The Trump administration has declined to release nearly US$7 billion (S$8.91 billion) in federal funding that helps pay for after-school and summer programmes, support for students learning English, teacher training and other services. The money was expected to be released by July 1. But in an email on June 30, the Education Department notified state education agencies that the money would not be available. The administration offered little explanation, saying only that the funds were under review. It gave no timeline for when, or if, the money would be released, saying instead that it was 'committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the president's priorities.' The frozen funds are unrelated to the millions of dollars in cuts included in the domestic policy Bill that squeaked through the Senate on July 1. 'It's catastrophic,' said Ms Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance, a group that works to expand after-school services for students. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World US Senate approves divisive Trump spending Bill World Trump escalates feud with Musk, threatens Tesla, SpaceX support Singapore A second chance to excel: 3,800 private candidates taking O- and A-level exams in 2025 Multimedia Right on track: Meet the new JB-Singapore RTS Link train Singapore 'He fought till the end': Man who survived acid attack as a baby dies of cancer at 26 Business Binance to keep hundreds of staff in Singapore despite crackdown, sources say Opinion US strikes on Iran: The impact ripples on, from Baghdad to Beijing Asia Thai PM's suspension could spell end of Shinawatra clan's era of political dominance She estimated that the federal dollars for after-school and summer-school programs – about US$1.3 billion annually – support 1.4 million students, mostly lower income, representing about 20 per cent of all students in after-school programmes nationally. The move is likely to be challenged in court and has already been criticised as illegal by Democrats and teachers' unions, who emphasised that the money had been appropriated by Congress and was approved by President Donald Trump in March as part of a broader funding Bill. 'This is lawless,' said Ms Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. The administration has taken an aggressive approach to cutting back the federal government's role in education, including plans to eliminate the Education Department entirely. Though only Congress can abolish the department, the Trump administration has taken an axe to education staffing and funding more broadly as it seeks to whittle down the department. The administration has suggested that it may seek to eliminate the nearly US$7 billion in frozen funding. Mr Russell Vought, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing last week that the administration was considering ways to claw back the funding through a process known as rescission. The administration would formally ask lawmakers to claw back a set of funds it has targeted for cuts. Even if Congress fails to vote on the request, the president's timing would trigger a law that freezes the money until it ultimately expires. 'No decision has been made,' Mr Vought said. The withholding of dollars on July 1 threw school district budgets into uncertainty, with only weeks to go before the start of school in many parts of the country. Ms Heidi Sipe, the superintendent in Umatilla, Oregon, a low-income, rural district, said her district's after-school programme has traditionally gone until 4.45pm or 5.30pm, and was fully funded through federal dollars. She recently sent a note to parents urging them to make backup plans, though few exist in her community, where she said there is no YMCA or similar alternatives. In Omaha, Nebraska, Ms Nicole Everingham, who helps manage after-school funding for programmes at 42 public schools, said a loss of funding would force her group to consolidate the number of schools that can offer after-school care, and also mean fewer slots for students, because of staffing reductions. 'It completely puts us in flux,' said Ms Everingham, the development director for Collective for Youth, which helps coordinate after-school programming for about half of Omaha public schools. Even if the money comes through after a delay, she said, it could disrupt the ability to hire staff by the start of school in mid-August, creating chaos for working parents who depend on after-school programmes. Many school districts also rely on federal dollars to help non-English-speaking students and families, including training teachers and hiring translators. 'Without this outreach, families who do not speak English could be cut off from schools and the support system they need,' said Ms Ana DeGenna, the school district superintendent in Oxnard, California. Several of the federally funded programmes have been in place for decades. The 21st Century Community Learning Centres, which support before- and after-school programmes, were created in 1994 by federal legislation, and expanded six years later with the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act. Both measures, the first passed during a Democratic administration and the second under a Republican president, were approved by broad bipartisan majorities. One of the newest programmes, known as Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants, has been in place for a decade, supporting many services for issues like mental health and school technology. That law that authorised those grants received broad bipartisan support, including from Representative Tim Walberg of Michigan and Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, both Republicans who are now the chairs of the education committees in their respective chambers. But criticism about cutting funding for these programmes has largely been limited to Democrats. 'Every day that this funding is held up is a day that school districts are forced to worry about whether they'll have to cut back on after-school programmes or lay off teachers instead of worrying about how to make sure our kids can succeed,' Senator Patty Murray, a Democrat who is the vice- chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a statement. NYTIMES
AsiaOne
2 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Trump urges Hamas to accept 'final proposal' for 60-day Gaza ceasefire, World News
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump urged Iran-backed Hamas militants on Tuesday (July 1) to agree to what he called a "final proposal" for a 60-day ceasefire with Israel in Gaza that will be delivered by mediating officials from Qatar and Egypt. In a social media post, Trump said his representatives had a "long and productive" meeting with Israeli officials about Gaza. He did not identify his representatives but US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance had been due to meet Ron Dermer, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump said Israel has agreed to the conditions to finalize a 60-day ceasefire, "during which time we will work with all parties to end the War". He said representatives for Qatar and Egypt will deliver "this final proposal" to Hamas. "I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — it will only get worse. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" he said. Trump told reporters earlier in the day that he is hopeful that a ceasefire-for-hostages agreement can be achieved next week between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza. He is set to meet Netanyahu at the White House on Monday. Hamas has said it is willing to free remaining hostages in Gaza under any deal to end the war, while Israel says it can only end if Hamas is disarmed and dismantled. Hamas refuses to lay down its arms. The war in Gaza was triggered when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. The two sides have shown little sign of a readiness to budge from their entrenched positions. The US has proposed a 60-day ceasefire and the release of half the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the remains of other Palestinians. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said earlier this week Israel has agreed to a US-proposed 60-day ceasefire and hostage deal, and put the onus on Hamas. Trump and his aides appear to be seeking to use any momentum from US and Israeli strikes on Iran nuclear sites, as well as a ceasefire that took hold last week in that conflict, to secure a lasting truce in the war in Gaza. Trump told reporters during a visit to Florida that he would be "very firm" with Netanyahu on the need for a speedy Gaza ceasefire while noting that the Israeli leader wants one as well. "We hope it's going to happen. And we're looking forward to it happening sometime next week," he told reporters. "We want to get the hostages out." Gaza's health ministry says Israel's post-Oct 7 military assault has killed over 56,000 Palestinians. The assault has also caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced Gaza's entire population and prompted accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice and of war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Israel denies the accusations. [[nid:719433]]
