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Trump's nominee for India says that the US and India are not far apart on tariffs.
The nominee of Donald Trump to be ambassador to India, who is a Republican, said that Washington and New Delhi "are not that far apart" when it comes to tariffs. Sergio Gor, an aide to Trump who is director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office and was confirmed by the Senate, stated that "we're not too far apart" on a tariff deal. Gor: "I think that it will be resolved within the next few days." U.S.-India relations have been affected by Trump's Trade War. Talks on lower tariffs collapsed after India, which is the fifth largest economy in the world, refused to open its vast dairy and agricultural sectors. The bilateral trade between India and the United States is valued at more than $190 million each year. Trump imposed tariffs on India's imports at first of 25%, but then increased them to 50% as punishment when New Delhi bought more Russian oil. Trump said Tuesday that his administration continues negotiations to address India's trade barriers and he will talk to Modi. This is a sign of a new beginning after weeks of diplomatic tension. Gor responded to the question of whether he would push to have the Quad summit, which includes India, Australia, Japan, and the United States take place on the scheduled date later this year. "Without giving exact dates, the president is committed to continuing to meet with Quad and strengthening it." India was expected to host the Quad Summit in November, with an explicit focus on China's security. However, a source familiar with the situation said this month that Trump had not yet scheduled a visit to India.
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GE Vernova sells Proficy to TPG at $600 million and shifts its focus to grid software
GE Vernova announced on Thursday that it would sell its Proficy Industrial Software unit to TPG, a private equity firm for $600,000,000 and reinvest those proceeds into grid software. Proficy, which represents about 20% of GE Vernova’s electrification-software revenue, allows manufacturers to monitor and optimize their production. Revenue from electrification software in 2024 will be $7.55 billion. The company spun off last year from GE has been working on reducing rising costs due to inflation and tariffs. In April, the company forecasted a $300-400 million cost increase by 2025. It said that it would raise prices and streamline its operations to protect margins. GE Vernova also invests in its supply chain. In January, it announced a $600,000,000 upgrade of its U.S. facilities over two years in order to meet the rising global demand for electricity. After the announcement of the deal, CEO Scott Strazik stated that "Indirectly we will reinvest in the grid software business". The Proficy transaction is expected to be completed in the first half 2026. TPG will own and control the company, while GE Vernova will retain a seat on the board as an observer. GE Vernova anticipates receiving additional proceeds from the sale in future, depending on different outcomes and conditions. Christopher Dendrinos, analyst at RBC Capital Markets, stated that the company is monetizing software assets with a high value but are likely undervalued. The shares of the energy equipment provider dropped 3.2% to $622.77. Reinvesting in other areas is a strategic move. Dendrinos said that manufacturing is in high-demand and there are many opportunities to reinvest into these core business lines. The deal will establish Proficy's software division as a separate business. TPG Capital would invest in Proficy, TPG's U.S.-based and European private equity platform. (Reporting and editing by Tasimzahid and Pooja Deai in Bengaluru, and Sumit Saha based in Bengaluru)
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After the Doha attack, an adviser said that the UAE president's Gulf trip seeks coordination.
His diplomatic advisor said that the tour by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates to Gulf countries was meant to coordinate positions following Tuesday's Israeli assault on Hamas leaders at Doha. Anwar Gargash wrote in a blog post that "the President's Gulf Tour reflects a profound conviction in strengthening cooperation and coordination, and reinforcing a concept of a shared destiny." Israel tried to kill Hamas leaders on Tuesday in an airstrike in Qatar's capital. This escalating military campaign in the Middle East prompted a wave of international condemnation. Sheikh Mohammed is the first head-of-state to visit Doha since the attack. He has also visited Bahrain and Oman. Qatar's official news agency announced earlier Thursday that Doha would host an urgent Arab-Islamic Summit next Sunday and on Monday to discuss Israel's attack. The UAE's Foreign Ministry condemned Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks about Qatar in a separate press release. It stressed that any attack against a Gulf State was an attack against "the collective Gulf Security Framework." On Wednesday, Netanyahu warned Qatar to "either expel Hamas representatives or bring them to justice because if we don't do it, then you will". He also accused Qatari of providing safe-haven and funding to Hamas. Doha responded with a harsh rebuke. The UAE is a major oil exporter and regional hub for trade and commerce with diplomatic influence across the Middle East. In 2020, the Abraham Accords, negotiated by the United States, led to a normalisation agreement between Israel and the UAE. This opened the door to close economic and security ties, including defence cooperation.
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Judge ends the rambling trial of a man accused of attempting to kill Trump
The criminal trial for the man accused of attempting to assassinate U.S. president Donald Trump started off with a scuffle on Thursday when a federal court judge cut short a long opening statement by defendant Ryan Routh. Routh is representing himself and the proceeding aims to highlight the growing prominence of political violence within the U.S. Aileen Cannon, a U.S. district judge in Florida, stopped Routh from presenting to a jury only minutes after Routh had covered topics such as the origins of the human race, the settlement of America's West and international conflict. Routh told Cannon that the case was meaningless, and he sent the jury outside the courtroom. Routh said he would like to talk about non-violence. Cannon warned Routh earlier that she would not tolerate an argument which "would make a mockery out of the dignity in the courtroom." Routh, who is 59 years old, has pleaded guilty to five federal counts, including the attempted assassination a prominent presidential candidate. He could face a life sentence in prison. The trial started the day after Charlie Kirk, a right-wing activist who was an influential Trump ally and had been shot dead at Utah Valley University during a political event. This marked the latest example of political violence to occur in the U.S. Trump faced two assassination efforts during his presidential campaign for 2024 that sent him back into the White House. U.S. prosecutors claim Routh concealed himself with a rifle at the Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach in order to kill Trump while he was golfing on the course September 15, 2024. John Shipley, prosecutor at the time of his opening statement, said that "Last Year, defendant Ryan Routh was determined to ensure that Americans could not elect Donald Trump president of the United States." "So, the defendant decided that he would take away the choice from American voters." According to court documents, a Secret Service agent saw Routh and his rifle poking their way through a fence. The agent opened fire and Routh fled without firing a single shot. The same afternoon, he was arrested after being stopped on a Florida highway by police. Shipley claimed Routh had planned to kill Trump for weeks, driving from Hawaii to North Carolina to West Palm Beach with stolen plates and six cell phones in the family car. Shipley said that Routh stayed in a truckstop for a little over a month and tracked Trump's movements, visiting the golf course 17 times. This incident occurred two months after Trump had been shot in the ear at a Pennsylvania campaign rally last July. The gunman was killed on the spot. Routh had led a erratic and difficult life as a roofing contractor. He had advocated democracy in Taiwan and Ukraine. In 2023, he was interviewed about a quixotic idea to send Afghan refugees to Ukraine to repel Russia's invasion. In July, he said to Cannon that he would not allow a "random" stranger to represent him and defend himself. Two of his former public defenders now serve as standby attorneys to help with logistical concerns. Investigations have revealed that the United States has experienced the highest sustained rise in political violence in decades, which began during Trump’s first presidential campaign in 2016. Other high-profile incidents include the shooting of Steve Scalise in 2017, a senior Republican House of Representatives member, during a congressional baseball match, and the assault by Trump supporters on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Recent political violence has also targeted Democrats. An arsonist set fire to the home of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro in April while his family was there. In June, an assailant posing a policeman in Minnesota killed state legislator Melissa Hortman along with her husband. He also shot state senator John Hoffman and his spouse. Trump has put his stamp on the U.S. Justice Department that is prosecuting this case by firing officials who are deemed to be insufficiently loyal. The Routh Trial begins. It is a strange coincidence that it will take place in the same courtroom and before the same judge as the criminal case against Trump for illegally retaining classified documents after his first term. Cannon, who Trump nominated as his 2020 nominee, dismissed the case before it went to trial. Cannon displayed flashes anger towards Routh over the three-day jury selection process. She rejected Routh's proposed questions, which included topics such as pro-Palestinian activist activism and war in Ukraine. (Reporting and editing by Andy Sullivan; Bill Berkrot, Nick Zieminski, and Andy Sullivan)
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After talks with the US energy chief, EU has decided to stick to its 2028 Russian gas withdrawal.
After a meeting on Thursday with U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, EU Energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen stated that the EU will stick to its deadline for phasing out Russian oil imports by 2028. The EU is currently negotiating legal proposals that will completely phase out the imports of Russian gas and oil by January 1, 2028. A ban on short-term contracting will be implemented next year. However, it faces pressure from both the United States and Russia to stop Russian energy imports earlier. As part of the new sanctions against Moscow, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated on Wednesday that the EU is considering a quicker phase-out for Russian fossil fuels. Jorgensen confirmed that Wright and he did not discuss sanctions during their meeting in Brussels last Thursday. He said that Jorgensen was focused on getting the EU countries to approve the phase-out of 2028 - separate from any EU sanctions. He said, "This is an ambitious plan." He said: "I am happy to do anything else that can be done at the same time that puts pressure on Russia." A White House official revealed that U.S. president Donald Trump told European leaders to stop buying Russian oil last week in order to end the conflict in Ukraine. Jorgensen refused to comment on whether Wright asked the EU to stop using Russian oil and gas faster. Wright, speaking to reporters following the meeting in Brussels, said: "Our goal is deploying American energy exports around the world... This point strikes home in Europe where I'm today. Nearly 50% of the imported natural gas comes from Russia." We're working to reduce that number to zero. The biggest contributor to that has been the energy exports of the United States. We will continue this and stop all Russian energy imports to the EU. Jorgensen stated that they agreed Europe needed to move as quickly as possible in order to achieve this. They had discussed "several different ways" to make it happen. Jorgensen explained that the EU's phase-out plan by 2028 was designed to "avoid price increases and future supply issues", adding that it would force Europe to purchase more U.S. Liquefied Natural Gas. (Reporting by Kate Abnett, Writing by Mathias de Rozario, Editing by Susan Fenton)
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US CPC predicts 71% La Nina in Oct-Dec
The U.S. Climate Prediction Center said that a transition from El Nino/Southern Oscillation neutral to La Nina will likely occur in the next few months. There is a 71% probability of La Nina between October and December. Climate Prediction Center reported on Thursday. The U.S. forecaster said that "La Nina will be favored in the future, but chances of it occurring are expected to decrease from 54% between December 2025 and February 2026." Why it's important La Nina is a part of El Nino-Southern Oscillation, a climatic cycle that affects the water temperatures in central and eastern Pacific Ocean. La Nina causes cooler water temperatures which increases the risk of droughts and floods. This can have an impact on crops. When ENSO neutral, water temperature stays around average, leading to better weather and possibly higher crop yields. KEY QUOTES Donald Keeney is an agricultural meteorologist with Vaisala. He said that if we do get a weak La Nina it will be brief and weak. All the models should warm back to neutral at the end of the calendar year. Neutral conditions usually result in favorable conditions for growing in the north-central U.S. but dryer conditions in the Central and Southern Plains in the fall/winter. He added that the outlook for South America was a little more positive, particularly in central and northern Brazil. CONTEXT Japan's The weather bureau reported on Wednesday that the chance of rain was 60% Chance The La Nina phenomena would not appear and normal weather conditions will continue into the Northern Hemisphere Winter. The World Meteorological Organization On Tuesday, it was reported that the return of La Nina could start to influence global weather patterns in September. Reporting by Noel John, Bengaluru. Editing by Mark Porter
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TPG to buy Proficy software from GE Vernova for $600 Million
As part of its cost-cutting efforts, GE Vernova, a U.S. manufacturer of power equipment, announced on Thursday that it had agreed to sell Proficy (its industrial software business) to asset management company TPG for $600,000,000. In premarket trading, shares of the company increased by 1.2% to $651. Proficy accounts for approximately 20% of GE Vernova’s electrification revenue. This more than doubled in the second quarter to $332 millions from a year earlier. GE Vernova stated on its first quarter call in April that it expected a $300-400 million increase in cost in 2025. It also said they were looking to offset tariffs, inflation and other costs through pricing. The company also invests to strengthen its supply chains and announced in January a $600,000,000 investment in U.S. factory over the next two-years to meet global electricity demand. The Proficy transaction is expected to be completed in the first half 2026. TPG will own and control the company, while GE Vernova will retain a seat on the board as an observer. GE Vernova anticipates receiving additional proceeds from the sale in the future, depending on different outcomes and conditions. The company stated that the deal would make Proficy a stand-alone software business. TPG Capital is the private equity platform of TPG, which has offices in Europe and the United States. (Reporting and editing by Tasimzahid and Pooja Deai in Bengaluru, and Sumit Saha from Bengaluru)
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Stocks and the euro slump as ECB remains steady, US inflation increases
The euro and the dollar were largely unmoved by the European Central Bank's decision to keep interest rates unchanged and the U.S. inflation figures that showed a slight increase. The ECB held its rate at 2% as expected. However, with the ECB reducing its inflation forecasts during its press conference and Christine Lagarde at the helm of it, traders were looking for any indication of when another rate reduction might be coming. The euro moved a fraction lower to $1.1672, after soaring nearly 13% against the dollar in this year. Bond vigilantes have not yet been able to push France's politically-strained borrowing costs above Italy. The headline rate for August U.S. Consumer Price Inflation was 2.9%, the highest since January. However, the core measure remained at 3.1%. Stock markets mostly shrugged off the news as it was in line with expectations. Wall Street futures continued to price in more record highs on the S&P 500, Nasdaq and Dow after the 36% jump in Oracle shares Wednesday was the latest driver. The pan-European STOXX 600 rose 0.4% ahead Lagarde. Benoit Begoc, ABN AMRO's strategist, said that while the ECB was widely expected to maintain rates in the near future, it is important for Lagarde to keep the door open. "I'm wondering why you don't cut rates more." Begoc stated. Begoc said. Oracle's U.S. surge helped Asia overnight, where Japan's, Taiwan's and South Korea’s main stock exchanges also achieved record highs. Germany's 10-year Bond yield fell to 2.63% as Lagarde began to speak. It had reached 2.80%, its highest level since March last week. Oil prices fell 1.2% on the commodity market after three consecutive days of gains. Poland's downing a suspected Russian drone sparked new talk of sanctions on Wednesday, while Israel had attacked Hamas leaders in Qatar the previous day. Gold, the safe-haven metal, also dipped from recent records and copper, the bellwether of metals took a break from its 20%+ rally since U.S. president Donald Trump's tariffs on trade shook markets worldwide in April. TRADERS BET ON TRIO OF FED CUTS The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates next week, despite the higher U.S. data on consumer prices. Recent signs of weakness in employment markets have led many to expect this. Wall Street futures point to further gains in fractions when the markets return at record levels soon. Oracle's 36% gain on Wednesday was the largest one-day increase for the 48-year old tech giant since 1992. Investors now fully price in a quarter point move by the Fed during next week's meetings, with an 8 percent chance of a cut of 50 basis points. Katy Stoves is an Investment Manager with Mattioli Woods. She said that despite the modest increase in inflation, the market expects a rate cut of 0.25% next week. Turkey's Central Bank was also in the spotlight after it cut interest rates by more than expected 250 basis points amid growing concerns over a crackdown on the political opposition of the country and recent higher-than anticipated inflation. The foreign exchange market was relatively quiet, with little movement in the U.S. Dollar and the six-currency dollar index barely above its seven-week low. The 10-year Treasury yields remained at 4.03% after falling 4 basis points Wednesday following the PPI data. A solid 10-year note sale also helped to ease investor concerns about long-term U.S. government debt. The Treasury's sale of $22 billion in 30-year bonds, which will take place on Thursday, is a more accurate gauge. The 30-year bond yield remained at 4.68% after falling more than 30 basis point since briefly topping 5% last week.
Russell: China and India's reaction to Trump's Russia oil-tariff threat is crucial.
The threat by U.S. president Donald Trump to impose secondary duties of 25 to 50 percent on buyers of Russian crude is so outrageous and bold that it may achieve his stated goal of a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.
What is important now is how the other key players react to the latest move of this mercurial, inconsistent U.S. president.
Do Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister NarendraModi, as well as Chinese President Xi Jinping, believe that Trump is going to follow through on his promises? If so, what will this mean for the energy situation of these countries?
India and China are the two largest buyers of Russian crude oil. Their reaction is as important as Putin’s response to Trump’s latest shift.
Trump told NBC News he was "frustrated" with Putin and would impose tariffs up to 50% for buyers of Russian crude if he felt that Moscow was blocking efforts to bring peace to Ukraine.
If Russia and I cannot reach an agreement to stop the bloodshed in Ukraine and if I believe it is Russia's responsibility, then I will impose secondary tariffs on all oil coming out of Russia. Trump said that he would impose secondary tariffs on all Russian oil.
It is a reversal from his previous friendly attitude toward Putin. This had attracted widespread criticism because it was seen as a surrender to Russia and a tacit acceptance of its aggression.
Russia, China, and India have to assess whether Trump's threats are credible and likely.
Putin may back down a little if he believes Trump is going to increase sanctions against Russia's major export.
India is in a difficult position, as Modi's stance has been to try to appease Trump. A proposal to abolish the import duty for U.S. Liquefied Natural Gas in order to increase purchases was an example.
India is also a major beneficiary from the fact that the rest of world has shunned Russian crude. This has allowed the South Asian nation the opportunity to purchase discounted cargoes, so much so that Russia now ranks as its biggest supplier.
According to LSEG Oil Research, India will import 1.52 million barrels of Russian oil per day in March. This represents just over 30% of the total number of arrivals.
India is already forced to buy less oil from Iran due to U.S. sanctions. Replacing Russian barrels would increase the price of Indian oil and force India to look for alternative suppliers.
CHINA RISK
China is less likely than the U.S. to give in to pressure, since it is the sole major buyer of Iranian oil. It is also the top importer for Russian oil.
Beijing faces the risk that a tariff increase of up to 50 percent on U.S. imported goods from China on top of Trump's 20% tariff would cause real pain to its economy. It is already struggling for momentum.
If Trump's threat of secondary duties on buyers of Russian oil is credible, this will also change the dynamics of the OPEC+ exporters group, which includes the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, including Russia.
OPEC+ Members other than Russia will benefit from any price increase resulting from a reduction of Russian barrels. This will enable them to increase production and exports.
It's a fight between self-interest and group solidarity. With the fiscal position of many OPEC+ countries deteriorating, it may be difficult to resist the temptation of earning more money through higher exports.
For the moment, players will likely respond cautiously - at least publicly - as they attempt to determine whether Trump's new tariff threat was a thought balloon easily discarded by the next change in sentiment.
Initial market reactions were subdued. Brent futures, the global benchmark, rose a modest 0.3% in early Asian trading on Monday to $73.84 per barrel.
These are the views of a columnist, who is also an author. (Editing by SonaliPaul)
(source: Reuters)