Latest news with #SDF
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
PayPal Blockchain Lead José Fernández da Ponte Joins Stellar
José Fernández da Ponte, formerly the head of blockchain at PayPal, has left the fintech giant, where he oversaw the roll-out of digital currencies and stablecoins, to become president and chief growth officer of the Stellar Development Foundation (SDF). The foundation also said it appointed Jason Karsh, a former Block and executive, as chief marketing officer. The Stellar blockchain operates a cash on and off-ramp network through MoneyGram as well as tokenizing real world assets with partners including Franklin Templeton. But going back over a decade, Stellar has kept in mind humanitarian missions such as improving financial inclusion in developing counties — a deciding factor in his decision to move, Fernández da Ponte said. 'I believe that blockchains are an artifact for a community of people working together in a decentralized way to fix problems,' he said in an interview. 'And if the problem that you're trying to work on is financial inclusion, which is the problem I am interested in, then there's no better place than Stellar to work on that.' Karsh, who has also held positions at Coinbase and security firm Blockaid, will bring together brand, product and ecosystem strategy to strengthen Stellar's presence with developers, institutions and the public. 'Stellar isn't just another blockchain project; it's financial infrastructure that is used each day by institutions and individuals around the world,' Karsh said in a statement. 'Our job is to accelerate adoption and usage for every organization, builder and blockchain enthusiast who cares about enterprise-grade security, transaction speed, and the ease of programmability that builders have come to expect.' Fernández da Ponte, who worked for Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), and McKinsey before PayPal, led the strategic launch of the payment firm's PYUSD stablecoin. Asked if he didn't have the stomach to stay in the trenches for the ensuing stablecoin wars, Fernández da Ponte said the move to Stellar was more about choosing to work at the infrastructure layer, ensuring applications like stablecoins can run at scale. 'The stablecoin wars are going to be interesting,' Fernández da Ponte said. 'But we need to have the technology primitives for those stablecoins to be useful, and that's why working at the blockchain level is so important.' Stellar's lumen (XLM) token has risen 38% this year, outpacing the CoinDesk 20 Index, to which it belongs, which has added 27%.Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Shafaq News
a day ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
SDF Commander urges halt to Suwayda violence
Shafaq News – Damascus On Wednesday, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi called for an immediate end to the ongoing violence in Suwayda, emphasizing that Syria's future depends on dialogue and reason rather than revenge. In a post on X, Abdi reported receiving appeals from residents in Suwayda requesting safe corridors for civilians, describing the killing of women and children, along with the targeting of religious symbols, as violations of human values and Syrian societal norms. تصلنا مناشدات من أهلنا في السويداء لتأمين ممرات آمنة للمدنيين ووقف الهجمات التي تستهدفهم.قتل النساء والأطفال والاعتداء على الرموز الدينية جريمة بحق الإنسانية وقيم السوريين، ويجب وقف هذه الأعمال العدوانية فورًا ومحاسبة المسؤولين عنها.بعد 14 عامًا من الحرب، آن الأوان لوقف نزيف… — Mazloum Abdî مظلوم عبدي (@MazloumAbdi) July 16, 2025 He also urged a halt to what he called 'aggressive actions,' calling for those responsible to be held accountable. 'Fourteen years into the war, it is time to stop the bloodshed. Syria cannot recover through retaliation, but through reasoned dialogue,' he added. Abdi further characterized the situation facing the Druze community as a national issue that must be resolved through constitutional means and inclusive dialogue. The southern province has witnessed days of intense clashes between local armed groups and tribal factions, with over 250 people reported dead, according to local sources. A ceasefire agreement was later reached between a Druze faction and Syria's Interior Ministry.
Rudaw Net
a day ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Five killed, two injured in ‘terrorist' attacks on Rojava Asayish
ERBIL,Kurdistan Region - The Kurdish-led Internal Security Forces (Asayish) in northeast Syria (Rojava) confirmed on Tuesday that five of their personnel were killed and two others were injured in a series of attacks by 'terrorist groups' against their positions. In a statement, the Asayish said that a series of 'treacherous attacks' carried out by 'terrorist groups' had targeted their positions, resulting in the deaths of five members in the Shaddadi area of northeastern Syria's Hasaka province, and the injury of two others in the Tabqa region of northern Raqqa province. Both Tabqa and Shaddadi are in areas administered by the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES). TThe Asayish characterized the attacks as 'a futile attempt to undermine stability and spread chaos' that 'will not deter us from performing our duty." The Kurdish-led forces added that "extensive investigations" are underway to identify the perpetrators and hold them accountable. A day prior, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that five members of the Asayish were killed in an attack carried out by Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Rojava. The UK-based war monitor characterized the attack as part of a broader ISIS campaign aimed at 'reorganizing its ranks and creating a state of chaos.' Since the beginning of 2025, SOHR says it has 'documented 126 ISIS operations' in areas administered by the DAANES. 'These operations included armed assaults, targeted killings and bombings,' resulting in the deaths of 51 individuals - 34 fighters from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), nine civilians, and eight ISIS members. The US-backed SDF was instrumental in defeating ISIS in 2019 and capturing thousands of the group's fighters. The force continues to operate in coordination with hundreds of US troops as part of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. Both the SDF and Asayish are also primarily responsible for securing the Roj and al-Hol camps in Rojava. These camps house thousands of individuals suspected of ISIS ties and are widely viewed as potential breeding grounds for extremist ideology. Since its defeat in 2019, ISIS has been trying to regain its strength, particularly after a coalition of opposition groups led by the now-dissolved Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) on December 8 toppled the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. SDF chief Mazloum Abdi has repeatedly warned of the growing threat posed by ISIS. In mid- January, he urged the 'need to intensify efforts to continue the fight against ISIS if we don't want to see it make a comeback.'
Economic Times
a day ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Fixed income market outlook: why short-term bonds may outperform in 2H 2025
Synopsis India's bond market is evolving amid geopolitical tensions, softening inflation, and stable currency trends. Axis MF's July 2025 outlook favors short-term corporate bonds over long-duration G-Secs, citing better yields and risk-reward. Investors are advised to stay tactical with duration and focus on selective credits for 2H 2025. In a world grappling with geopolitical uncertainties and changing interest rate dynamics, India's bond market stands at a crucial juncture. ADVERTISEMENT According to the Fixed Income Market Outlook (July 2025) report by Axis Mutual Fund, abundant liquidity, falling inflation, and a shallow rate cut cycle are shaping a nuanced bond market strategy for the months geopolitical tensions between Israel and Iran have driven global investors towards safer assets like bonds and gold. In the US, 10-year Treasury yields slipped by 17 basis points to 4.23%. Meanwhile, Indian 10-year government bond yields inched up by 3 basis points to settle at 6.32%, largely due to abundant banking liquidity and moderating inflation trends. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) conducted a ₹84,975 crore VRRR (Variable Rate Reverse Repo) auction to manage excess liquidity. Overnight rates are currently trading below the Standing Deposit Facility (SDF), prompting the central bank to maintain short-term policy interventions. India's headline inflation fell to 2.8% in May 2025, thanks to easing food prices and an expected above-normal monsoon. Analysts expect inflation to stay around or below 3% in the near term. Industrial production slowed to 1.2% in May, with the mining and electricity sectors dragging overall growth. However, India posted a robust current account surplus of 1.3% of GDP in Q4FY25—the strongest in over 15 years—driven by resilient service exports and front-loaded goods shipments ahead of US tariffs. ADVERTISEMENT The rupee remained broadly stable against the US dollar, as the greenback weakened against most major currencies. While bond markets have benefited from a strong rally over the past 12 months, analysts now expect the upside to be limited, particularly for long-duration government bonds. With much of the rate-cut-driven rally already priced in (10-year yields have already fallen by 70–75 bps over the last year), experts predict that yields will likely remain range-bound between 6% and 6.40% for 10-year G-Secs in the coming months. ADVERTISEMENT The report emphasizes a clear tactical shift towards short-duration bonds. Several factors support this view: Surplus system liquidity and subdued credit growth favor short-end corporate bonds. A shallow rate cut cycle and limited OMO (Open Market Operations) purchases further restrict long-duration bond rallies. Corporate bonds with maturities of 1 to 5 years are expected to outperform long bonds from a risk-reward standpoint. AAA-rated corporate bonds maturing within 3 to 10 years are likely to offer yields between 6.50% and 6.75%, providing incremental gains of 50–100 basis points. Globally, while tariff uncertainties between the US and its trading partners are easing, negotiations remain ongoing. The US Federal Reserve is expected to resume its rate-cutting cycle soon, with two cuts likely in 2025 as growth slows and labor market data weakens. However, the Fed's cautious approach keeps markets volatile. ADVERTISEMENT Given the current environment, investment experts recommend: Maintaining allocations to short- to medium-term bond funds. Gradually adding duration during yield spikes. Favoring government securities (G-Secs) in long-term portfolios while increasing exposure to 1–5-year corporate bonds for better near-term returns. With the bulk of the bond rally behind us, the report advises investors to focus on short-term corporate bond funds and tactical gilt funds. Selective credits also remain attractive due to improving macro fundamentals and corporate profitability. ADVERTISEMENT In short, the fixed-income space continues to offer opportunities—but disciplined portfolio allocation, duration management, and selective sector exposure will be critical for capturing returns in 2H 2025. (Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by experts are their own. 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SEBI warns of securities market frauds via YouTube, Facebook, X and more SEBI warns of securities market frauds via YouTube, Facebook, X and more API Trading for All: Pi42 CTO Satish Mishra on How Pi42 is Empowering Retail Traders API Trading for All: Pi42 CTO Satish Mishra on How Pi42 is Empowering Retail Traders Security, transparency, and innovation: What sets Pi42 apart in crypto trading Security, transparency, and innovation: What sets Pi42 apart in crypto trading Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Altcoins? How investors are structuring their crypto portfolios, Avinash Shekhar explains Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Altcoins? How investors are structuring their crypto portfolios, Avinash Shekhar explains The rise of Crypto Futures in India: Leverage, tax efficiency, and market maturity, Avinash Shekhar of Pi42 explains NEXT STORY
Rudaw Net
2 days ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
EU sanctions relief for Syria ties to human rights commitments: Diplomats
Also in World Kurdish student in Finland turns coffee waste into clean energy From refugee to educator: A Kurd's mission to empower children in Germany Author uses literature to document Kurdish tragedies US reiterates support for SDF integration A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – European officials on Tuesday stressed that Syria's future must be shaped through an inclusive, Syrian-led political process that safeguards minority rights and reflects the country's diverse social fabric. They warned that failure to do so could trigger the reinstatement of European Union (EU) sanctions. Speaking to Rudaw on the sidelines of the EU Foreign Ministers' meeting in Brussels, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said France is actively supporting dialogue between the interim authorities in Damascus and the Kurdish-led Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) in northeast Syria (Rojava). 'Certainly, we continue working with the Americans to facilitate dialogue between Syrian authorities and Kurdish authorities,' Barrot said, affirming France's ongoing commitment to Kurdish rights. "The Kurds were trusted allies in the fight against the [Islamic State] ISIS,' he emphasized, adding that France's priority is for the people of Rojava to 'enjoy full citizenship rights in Syria.' Barrot expressed hope that the talks between Damascus and the Kurdish-led administration would 'continue under the best conditions.' Following a swift offensive in December, a coalition of opposition groups - then headed by the now-dissolved Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) under Ahmed al-Sharaa - toppled the regime of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad. Sharaa was appointed interim president in January, vowing to lead an inclusive political transition. However, the interim government has faced criticism from minority groups, including the Kurds, who accuse it of exclusionary policies and centralization of power. A key breakthrough came in early March, when Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi, commander of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), signed an agreement to integrate the Kurdish-led force, which serves as the de facto army in Rojava. The accord also outlined the integration of 'all civil and military institutions' in Rojava under the Syrian state, including border crossings, Qamishli International Airport, and oil and gas fields. Since then, multiple rounds of negotiations have taken place between DAANES and Syrian government delegations, with the presence of both US and French representatives. While some progress has been made, a central disagreement remains unresolved. Damascus maintains that DAANES's administrative and military structures must be fully absorbed into a centralized state, adhering to the principle of 'one Syria, one army, one government.' In contrast, the Kurdish parties in Rojava are advocating for a decentralized, democratic Syria that preserves the autonomy and institutions developed in Rojava over the past decade. In its Sunday statement, DAANES welcomed the latest meetings with the Syrian government - held in the presence of US and French representatives - as 'a crucial step toward launching a serious Syrian-Syrian dialogue.' It also expressed 'sincere thanks and gratitude' to both countries for their 'constructive role and continuous efforts in supporting stability, peace, and democracy in Syria.' Speaking to Rudaw on Tuesday, Dubravka Suica, the European Commissioner for Democracy and Demography, reiterated the EU's position in favor of a 'Syrian-led and Syrian-owned' process that ensures representation of all societal segments - including minorities and women. 'We trust in this government and we are looking forward to talking about all the parts of the society,' she said, noting that a 'national dialogue' with different groups will be held in November. Crucially, Suica stressed the effort should not be confined to Damascus, urging locations 'at the [Syrian] coastal [areas] or in Aleppo or somewhere else. 'Syria is not only Damascus,' she said. The initiative follows recent diplomatic engagements with the Syrian government, who are "aware of the situation" and "trying to make what they can," Suica said, adding that 'the minister hoped these discussions will "cover the whole country." For his part, Germany's Minister of State for Europe Gunther Krichbaum also underscored that discussions on Syria's future must prioritize the country's sovereignty and avoid confusing federalism with separatism. "In the case of sovereign states, it is always the state itself that is asked how it wants to organize itself," the official stated, stressing that "one must always be a bit careful that [federalism] is not confused with separatism." Krichbaum further highlighted the immense challenge for Syria to "bring together the different social currents, and also tribes." This internal cohesion, he stressed, "will be the great task for the future' to achieve 'stability for the country.' Meanwhile, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys told Rudaw that any easing of EU sanctions is strictly conditioned on Syria's commitment to human rights and inclusive governance. On May 20, the EU officially decided to lift all economic sanctions on Syria, removing 21 entities from 'the EU list of those subject to the freezing of funds and economic resources,' the EU Council then said. 'Several of these entities are banks, including the Central Bank of Syria, or companies operating in key sectors for Syria's economic recovery,' the Council elaborated. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas then hailed the decision, saying it comes at a 'historic' time to safeguard Syria's economic recovery. 'The EU has stood with the Syrian people throughout the last 14 years, and it will continue to do so. Today the EU reaffirms its commitment as a partner for the transition,' she said. However, according to Budrys, a key condition for any lifting or suspension of sanctions in Syria is its adherence to principles that safeguard all societal groups and minorities, regardless of their religious, ethnic, or other identities. 'Be it religion, ethnicity, or any other identity - it must be protected,' he said. 'If these protections are not provided, the EU reserves the right to reimpose sanctions.' He acknowledged the scale of destruction in Syria following years of war, but stressed that 'international laws and principles must still be followed.'
