Protecting Indian interest ‘supreme' in U.S. trade talks, says India trade ministry source
(Reporting by Manoj Kumar, writing by Sakshi Dayal; Editing by Toby Chopra)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Etihad
6 hours ago
- Al Etihad
Saudi Arabia signs agreements for green hydrogen, power exports to Europe
20 July 2025 23:17 RIYADH (WAM)Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power signed on Sunday, in Riyadh, agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with several international partners, aimed at creating a green hydrogen and renewable energy export value chain between Saudi Arabia and signing of these agreements and MoUs comes as part of the Kingdom's pioneering role in enhancing global logistics connectivity and its leadership in the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) project, driven by its strategic geographical location that connects East and agreements and MoUs were signed during the Renewable Energy and Green Hydrogen Export Workshop, led by ACWA Power under the supervision of the Ministry of Energy. The event brought together high-level government representatives from Saudi Arabia, Greece, France, and Germany, alongside executives from global specialised companies and leading national workshop showcased the Kingdom's progress in diversifying its energy mix and promoting regional and international integration in clean energy—reinforcing its position as a reliable global supplier of energy and a key leader in the economic corridor connecting East and West. Moreover, a joint development agreement was concluded for collaboration on the first phase of the Yanbu Green Hydrogen Hub, which is planned to be ready for commercial operations by 2030.
The National
6 hours ago
- The National
US hostage envoy describes 'new sense of ability' to achieve deal with Hamas
US hostage envoy Adam Boehler said he is optimistic about a potential deal between Hamas and Israel that would involve the release of hostages from Gaza. During an appearance on CNN's State of the Union, Mr Boehler told anchor Jake Tapper that negotiations were down to 'little details' and that in his opinion, mentalities have changed significantly in recent months. 'I think that post Israel winning in Iran, there's a new sense of ability to get something done,' he said, cautioning that he felt Hamas was still being 'hardheaded', while Israel was 'bending over backwards'. Mr Boehler also spoke about the two deceased Americans believed to be remaining in Gaza, Omer Neutra and Itay Chen, saying that it was still a major priority for the administration to recover their bodies and 'get them home'. He claimed that during previous occasions when Hamas had turned down potential deals, their negotiating position weakened. 'So my recommendation to Hamas would be take the deal that Israel and the United States is offering you,' he continued. 'Let's get some people home and let's move to end this conflict.' As of June, it was estimated that 50 hostages now remain in Gaza, with 20 believed to be alive. Back in March, Mr Boehler was the source of controversy for the Trump White House when he described Hamas as 'nice guys' and said his country was 'not an agent of Israel'. He later said in a social media post: 'I want to be crystal clear as some have misinterpreted. Hamas is a terrorist organisation that has murdered thousands of innocent people. They are by definition bad people.' Israel's campaign in Gaza – which followed the 2023 attacks by Hamas-led fighters on Israel that resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people and the capture of 240 hostages – has killed nearly 58,895 people and injured more than 140,980. The latest round of Gaza talks mediated by the US, Qatar and Egypt began on July 6. On Sunday, sources told The National that Hamas was considering giving Israel and Gaza ceasefire mediators until the end of the week to reach a deal that would end the war or it would withdraw from the current talks in Doha and only return if proposals for a comprehensive deal are on the table. Also on Sunday, the Gaza Health Ministry said at least 85 Palestinians waiting for aid had been killed in Gaza – the deadliest day yet for aid-seekers in over 21 months of war. The deaths included 79 people trying to reach aid entering through the Zikim crossing with Israel in northern Gaza, the ministry said. More than 150 people were injured, some of them left in critical condition.
The National
9 hours ago
- The National
Jerome Powell is 'torturing America' with interest rates, says US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick
The Trump Administration is showing no sign that it will lessen its criticism of Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell, with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick saying that the Fed chairman was torturing the US. On CBS Face the Nation, Mr Lutnick echoed US President Donald Trump's sharp tone when talking about the Federal Reserve chairman, saying that he was doing the 'worst job', among other things. 'I don't know why he's torturing America this way,' he said, referring to Mr Powell's decision to not cut interest rates. CBS anchor Margaret Brennan pointed out to Mr Lutnick that Mr Powell does not unilaterally set the interest rates, but rather, a committee consisting of federal governors and the heads of central bank offices throughout the US. Later in the show, Democratic Congressman Jim Himes condemned Mr Lutnick for his choice of words. 'He said, 'Jay Powell is torturing the American people',' lamented Mr Himes, saying that Mr Lutnick was putting Mr Powell's physical safety at risk. 'What you just saw was a masterclass by a huckster and a con man who uses words like torture that are very, very dangerous words,' he continued. Mr Lutnick's decision to use words like 'torture' when referring to the US Federal Reserve chairman are the latest in a series of condemnations of Mr Powell from the Trump White House. It also comes after Mr Trump's own comments on Tuesday, when he denied reports that he intends to fire Mr Powell, a move that is largely unprecedented and would likely rock the markets. 'I talked about the concept of firing him. I said, 'what do you think?' Almost every one of them said I should, but I'm more conservative,' he said before a meeting with Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. When asked if he would rule out the idea, Mr Trump said: 'I don't rule out anything but I think it's highly unlikely unless he has to leave for fraud.' That same day, Mr Trump continued to insist the Fed's current target rate of 4.25 per cent to 4.50 per cent should be three points lower. During his appearance on Face The Nation, Mr Lutnick said he was angry that the US 'had the same interest rates as Gabon,' and echoed Mr Trump's call for lower rates. 'Whether [President Trump] decides to let Jerome Powell stay on the job or not, I'll leave that to Donald Trump,' Mr Lutnick explained, while addressing speculation that Mr Trump might fire Mr Powell. Under the Federal Reserve Act, a president can remove a Federal Reserve official only 'for cause'. This means the White House must show a Fed official or its chairperson had committed an act of malfeasance or neglect of duty. A recent Supreme Court ruling upheld the notion that legal reasoning the White House has been used to fire officials at other independent federal agencies does not apply to the Fed. But the White House in recent weeks has launched a new phase of attack on the Federal Reserve, accusing Mr Powell of mismanaging the central bank given the ballooning renovation costs of its headquarters. Asked if Mr Powell should be investigated, Mr Trump said: 'Well, I think he's already under investigation. He spent far more money than he was supposed to rebuilding.' Mr Powell's term as Fed chairman expires next May. Reports in recent days had suggested that Mr Powell had managed to convince Mr Trump to lessen his threats to remove the Fed chairman before his term expires. While addressing those reports on Sunday, Mr Lutnick instead boasted of what described as Mr Trump's transparency. 'When he thinks something he says it,' Mr Lutnick added.
