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Trump invites El Salvador’s President to the White House — will Bitcoin find a seat at the table?
1743663103 from CryptoNWS
President Donald Trump has invited El Salvador’s president Nayib Bukele to the White House on Apr. 14 to discuss cooperation on border security, criminal repatriation, and potentially Bitcoin. The invitation follows a public display of admiration between the two leaders,…
Gulf States Refuse To Let US Use Bases, Airspace For Iran Attack
1743662700 from ZEROHEDGE
Gulf States Refuse To Let US Use Bases, Airspace For Iran Attack Via Middle East Eye Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have imposed a ban on US warplanes using their air fields or skies to attack Iran after US President Donald Trump over the weekend threatened to bomb the country. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait have all told the US they will not permit their airspaces or territories to be used as a launchpad against Iran, including for refuelling and rescue operations, a senior US official told Middle East Eye. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military planning. "They do not want to be drawn in," the official said. The Gulf states’ intransigence is a setback for the Trump administration, which has hoped to use massive air strikes on the Houthis in Yemen as a show of force to corral Tehran to the negotiating table on a nuclear deal. If Iran realizes the US's oil-rich Arab allies are not on board with strikes, it could harden their negotiating position. US Air Force C-17 Globemasters at al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, via AFP The Gulf states were more accommodating on the Houthi strikes, a former US official briefed on the matter told MEE without divulging which Gulf countries the US used as a launchpad for recent strikes. The former official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US felt confident it had enough Gulf support, including to launch important recovery flights, if any American aircraft were downed during those operations. The Trump administration has been courting the Gulf states to come on board as it ramps up a "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran. US defense and intelligence officials met with both their Emirati and Saudi counterparts in March in Washington DC, around the time of the first Houthi strikes. In quick succession, the Trump administration approved long-stalled arms sales to Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Doha received approval to purchase MQ-9 Reaper drones, and Riyadh secured weapon systems that convert unguided air to ground rockets to precision rockets. Trump said on Monday that he plans to visit Saudi Arabia and potentially other Gulf states as early as May. US turns to Diego Garcia base The US has been moving warplanes and cargo to Jordan and Gulf states at the highest level since the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel morphed into a simmering regional conflict. According to flight tracking data shared on X by open source analysts, the number of US military cargo flights to the region has surged by 50 percent compared to previous highs. In response to the Gulf states' ban, the US has amassed B-2 bombers at Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean, the official said. This is not the first time American war planners leaned on Diego Garcia’s strategic position as an alternative to Gulf air bases. During the late 1990s, when the US was bombing Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and Saudi Arabia imposed a freeze, the US used the Chagos Islands base as a launchpad. Open-source satellite information provided by Planet Labs earlier this week showed three B-2 bombers on the US base. Other open-source accounts shared imagery suggesting at least five B-2 bombers were on the base. The Chagos Islands base is within 5,300 kilometres of Iran, well within the B-2 refuelling range of approximately 11,000 kilometres. B-2s are capable of carrying 30,000-pound “bunker-buster” bombs that would be needed to penetrate Iran’s nuclear sites deep underground, known as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator. Diego Garcia complicates Iran’s power of deterrence against the US. Iran's tit-for-tat warnings on Gulf In October 2024, when Iran was girding for Israeli retaliation over its second direct missile attack on Israel, the Islamic Republic warned Gulf states it would bomb their oil facilities in response to an Israeli strike. Those carefully constructed tit-for-tat warnings allowed Iran to ward off an Israeli strike on their energy facilities at the time. However, if the US uses Diego Garcia to attack Iran, it could avoid the Gulf states' airspace altogether, or at the very least, give Gulf monarchs some plausible deniability about being involved in strikes. That gives Iran fewer options to deter American or Israeli strikes by threatening the Gulf. Iran was believed to be behind the 2019 attack on Saudi Arabia’s Aramco oil facilities. But Iran and the Sunni Gulf monarchs have patched up ties since then. The Telegraph reported on Monday that Iranian military commanders were being urged to launch pre-emptive strikes on Diego Garcia. Behnam Ben Taleblu, an Iran expert at the Foundation For Defence of Democracies think tank in Washington, said on X that while Tehran’s ballistic missiles’ range is publicly capped at 2,000 kilometres, it could hit the island by giving intermediate range ballistic missiles to the Houthis which it may be able to produce, launching Shahed drones from ships or using container-launched cruise missiles that Russia and China produce to attack from the Indian Ocean. From Pacific to Middle East Trump raised the specter of a new Middle East war in an interview on Saturday, threatening "bombing the likes of which they (Iran) have never seen before" if Iran doesn’t agree to a nuclear deal. Trump is pursuing maximalist demands on Iran’s nuclear programme. National security advisor Mike Waltz said recently that the US wanted to see a “full dismantlement” of Tehran’s nuclear capabilities. Iran, which insists its nuclear program is for civilian purposes, has rejected that. The Trump administration’s demands also put the US on a collision course with Russia, with which it is trying to reset relations. Russia built Iran's first nuclear power plant at Bushehr, and its state-run atomic energy giant Rosatom says it is in talks to build more. Regional diplomats and analysts are trying to decipher whether the US military build-up in the Middle East is designed to put teeth behind Trump’s threats or if the US is preparing for a strike. In addition to cargo flights, the US has ordered two aircraft carriers to the Middle East. Notably, the US has moved the carrier Carl Vinson out of the Pacific and to the Middle East, despite heightened tensions around Taiwan. The US has at least 40,000 troops in the Middle East. The majority are located in the oil-rich Gulf states, where they are based at a string of strategic air and naval bases. Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base is home to the US’s 378th Air Expeditionary Wing, which operates F-16 and F-35 jet fighters. The US operates MQ-9 Reaper drones and jet fighters out of the UAE’s Al Dhafra Air Base. Kuwait’s Ali al-Salem Air Base is home to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing. Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base hosts the regional headquarters for US Central Command. It has also hosted some Israeli military officials, MEE has previously reported, but it's not clear if those officials are still in the country. The island kingdom of Bahrain is home to around 9,000 US troops that belong to the headquarters of the US Naval Forces Central Command and the US Fifth Fleet. Tyler Durden Thu, 04/03/2025 - 02:45
STABLE Act targeting stablecoins advances with House Committee approval
1743662481 from CryptoNWS
A bill to regulate stablecoin in the United States has been passed by the US House Financial Services Committee. On April 2, the Committee approved the Stablecoin Transparency and Accountability for a Better Ledger Economy Act in a 32-17 vote.…
CLIMATE: aBi Development sets ambitious targets for Uganda’s agricultural sector by 2028
1743662447 from AG NEWS
… 000 smallholder farmers, and strengthen agribusiness market linkages. Kampala, Uganda | … additional income for farmers and agribusinesses, impacting approximately 11 million … smallholder farmers, and strengthen agribusiness market linkages. The organization …
Giesecke+Devrient Continues Strong Growth Trajectory
1743662015 from FPOST
MUNICH — Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) continues to write its growth story. The SecurityTech company achieved the highest revenue in its history in the 2024 fiscal year, surpassing its outstanding 2023 performance, even in an economically challenging environment. The SecurityTech company G+D continued its growth path in the past fiscal year 2024. The company generated revenue of […]
How Will Trump Tariffs Affect the German Auto Industry?
1743661961 from BLOOMBERG
Hildegard Muller, the president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), discusses the impact of US President Donald Trump's auto tariffs on German carmakers. "I think this kind of protectionism will only produce losers," she tells Bloomberg Television. (Source: Bloomberg)
Asian markets plunge and US dollar slides after Trump tariff announcement – business live
1743661844 from GUARDIAN
Ursula von der Leyen says tariffs a ‘major blow’ to world economy after US President Trump targets allies on what he dubbed ‘liberation day’ Full report: Trump announces sweeping new tariffs, upending decades of US trade policy Analysis: Trump’s wall of tariffs is likely to raise prices and cause chaos for business The new US tariffs “will only create losers” with US consumers particularly hard hit, the German Automotive Industry Association (VDA), has said in a statement, calling on the EU “to act together and with the necessary force, while continuing to signal its willingness to negotiate.” The body, which represents the powerful German auto industry, said the tariffs marked the United States’ departure from the rules-based global trade order – and thus a departure from the foundation for global value creation and corresponding growth and prosperity in many regions of the world. This is not America first; this is America alone. Continue reading...
Soybeans Still Weaker on Wednesday
1743661799 from NASDAQ
Soybeans are trading with midday weakness on Wednesday, as contract are down 2 to 6 cents. CmdtyView’s national front month Cash Bean price is down 6 1/4 cents at $9.72 ¾. Soymeal futures are down$4.50/ton, with Soy Oil futures up another 79 points so far on the day. USDA reported...
Treasure DAO announces huge pivot in hopes of extending runway to February
1743661522 from CoinTLGRPH
Decentralized video game ecosystem Treasure DAO is restructuring as “a matter of survival” to extend its financial runway to at least February 2026.Treasure DAO's chief contributor John Patten says in an April 2 video posted to X that he has resumed a leadership role and is taking a plan to the DAO to streamline operations, eliminate unnecessary costs, and center the organization around a few key projects. “I will introduce this after all of you provide your opinions at this time. I have my own thoughts, but we must make this decision as a community through long deliberation. The best ideas need to rise to the surface,” he said.  The Next Chapter of Treasure ✨We're releasing an official statement on our pivotal transition, outlining the rationale behind leadership changes, financial restructuring, and our bold new strategic direction.Full details 👇 pic.twitter.com/BjWgZxc98l— Treasure (@Treasure_DAO) April 2, 2025 As part of cost-cutting to reduce Treasure DAO's annual burn rate of $8.3 million, Patten says 15 contributors have either left or been laid off, and game publishing support and the treasure chain will be terminated.  At the same time, he is proposing to withdraw an idle $785,000 from the market maker Flowdesk to increase the DAO’s treasury. Patten says that, with the current runway, “stablecoins will last until roughly December,” but if the DAO approves withdrawing the funds from Flowdesk, this could be extended to February 2026, in “an optimistic scenario.” The DAO's current treasury only has $2.4 million left, and the ecosystem fund holds 22.3 million MAGIC, valued at $2.3 million, according to Patten, but if “Magic falls,” the DAO is “unsustainable sometime between December and February.” Treasure DAO to refocus on four products Patten says the DAO also needs to focus its energy on a few key products and future partnerships will be based on revenue generation for the DAO, where users of the platform will need to generate value through token use. “The DAO should officially commit to a focused, streamlined approach of four products and four products only, the marketplace, Bridgeworld, Smolworld and AI agent, scaling technology,” he said.  Related: Illuvium CEO says firm has gone ‘super lean’ to speed up development “That’s all that Treasure should be through 2025. Bridgeworld and Smolworld will be use cases to demonstrate how other projects utilize magic marketplace and our AI framework and back end to run many, many agents concurrently.” TreasureDAO, launched in 2021, offered services to provide game publishers access to infrastructure and advisory services to launch Web3-based games.  However, Patten says it “didn't have a scalable business model” and hasn’t grown since the Arbitrum airdrop in March 2023.  The Treasure ecosystem token MAGIC is down 16.5% to $0.0872 for the last 24 hours, according to CoinGecko. Overall, the token has shed 98% after hitting its all-time high of $6.32 on Feb. 19, 2022.  Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again
Currys Plc Current Trading Strong; Lifts FY25 Outlook For Adj. Pre-tax Profit
1743661091 from NASDAQ
(RTTNews) - Currys Plc (CURY.L), an Omnichannel retailer of technology products and services, on Thursday reported strong trading in the period since January 4, and lifted its outlook for fiscal 2025 profit.
Australian agriculture industry "profoundly disappointed" in U.S. tariffs
1743660930 from AG NEWS
… representing Australia's agriculture industry has expressed … trade, not just for agriculture but all industries, … growth and stability. Australian agriculture is unwavering in its … to government data, Australian agricultural exports to the U. …
LNG Canada Moves Closer to Launch
1743660889 from OILPRICE
LNG Canada has received its first import cargo of liquefied gas that it will use for equipment testing as the facility nears completion, which is scheduled to take place later this year. The Greece-flagged Maran Gas Roxana tanker arrived safely in Kitimat, LNG Canada said in a news release without specifying the size of the LNG cargo. “This activity is critical to our safe start-up and commissioning process in advance of our operations, and to achieving our first LNG export cargoes by the middle of 2025,” the company said. LNG Canada…
Argristack: Only 48.5 million Farmer IDs issued as the digital agriculture initiative lags behind
1743659181 from AG NEWS
… Government had approved the Digital Agriculture Mission in September 2024, … Public Infrastructure (DPI) for agriculture, including AgriStack, a Krishi Decision Support System … shift toward a highly centralised agricultural database. While the Government …
Trump Tariffs: How Will China React?
1743658807 from BLOOMBERG
US President Donald Trump imposed the steepest American tariffs in a century that will see at least a 10% tariff on all exporters to the US, with even higher duties on some 60 nations. China now faces a tariff of well above 50% on many goods. Bloomberg’s Katia Dmitrieva breaks down the situation and its significance for international trade.
House bill offering relief to hundreds of Iron Range miners faces difficulties
1743658658 from MINING
… bill being called the “Minnesota Miners Relief Act” heard by the … idles its Hibtac and Minorca mines later this spring due to … insurance benefits proposed by the Miners Relief Act—an additional 26 … the livelihood of Iron Range miners into the future. “The …
Sugar Prices Finish Higher as Dollar Weakness Stokes Short Covering
1743658595 from NASDAQ
May NY world sugar #11 (SBK25 ) Wednesday closed up +0.24 (+1.24%), and May London ICE white sugar #5 (SWK25 ) closed up +7.00 (+1.28%). Sugar prices Wednesday rose to 1-week highs and settled moderately higher due to a weaker dollar. The dollar index (DXY00 ) on Wednesday fell to...
AirTrunk Seeks $1.7 Billion Loan to Build Singapore Data Centers
1743658585 from FPOST
Blackstone-owned data center firm AirTrunk is seeking a S$2.2 billion ($1.7 billion) green loan for a new greenfield project in Singapore, according to people familiar with the matter, as it looks to ramp up its expansion plans regionally.
Did ChatGPT come up with Trump’s tariff rate formula?
1743658568 from CoinTLGRPH
There’s a crazy theory on social media that US President Donald Trump's newly announced reciprocal tariff plan — which hits all countries with a minimum 10% tariff — could have been designed by an artificial intelligence chatbot. Only a short period after Trump announced the tariffs at the White House Rose Garden on April 2, some X users claim they were able to duplicate the same tariff plan with a rudimentary prompt using OpenAI’s ChatGPT.  “I was able to duplicate it in ChatGPT,” NFT collector DCinvestor told his 260,000 followers on X following the Donald Trump announcement of reciprocal tariffs on 185 countries on April 2.  “It also told me that this idea hadn’t been formalized anywhere before, and that it was something it came up with,” he added, referring to the chatbot’s ability to calculate the tariff rates. “FFS. Trump admin is using ChatGPT to determine trade policy,” he added. Of course, the similarities between the artificial intelligence-generated tariff plan and Trump’s plan could also be simply coincidental. DCInvestor’s observation came in response to crypto trader Jordan Fish, also known as Cobie, who also asked ChatGPT using the prompt: “What would be an easy way to calculate the tariffs that should be imposed on other countries so that the US is on even playing fields when it comes to trade deficit. Set a minimum of 10%.”  ChatGPT response to question on tariff calculations. Source: Cobie Journal of Public Economics editor Wojtek Kopczuk also experimented with ChatGPT, which generated the same results. “I think they asked ChatGPT to calculate the tariffs from other countries, which is why the tariffs make absolutely no fucking sense,” he said.  Author Krishnan Rohit postulated on X that this “might be the first large-scale application of AI technology to geopolitics.” ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Grok all give the same answer to the question on how to impose tariffs easily, he observed.  Trump's reciprocal tariffs lead to crypto dip Founder and CEO of supply chain logistics platform Flexport, Ryan Petersen, said his firm had reverse-engineered the formula the Trump administration used to generate the reciprocal tariffs.  “It’s quite simple, they took the trade deficit the US has with each country and divided it by our imports from that country,” An editor at The Yale Review, James Surowiecki, said something similar, “they just took our [US] trade deficit with that country and divided it by the country’s exports to us.” Related: ‘National emergency’ as Trump’s tariffs dent crypto prices Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, which come into effect on April 5, have hit all countries with a 10%  levy, with some nations facing even larger rates, such as China with a 34% tariff, Japan with 24%, and the European Union with 20%.  Crypto markets reacted particularly badly, plunging 5% after the announcement as Bitcoin (BTC) fell by $5,500 to $82,277 before recovering marginally, according to CoinGecko.  Magazine: Financial nihilism in crypto is over — It’s time to dream big again
Warning issued to anyone banking with TSB from May onwards
1743658403 from BANKING
… less confident with digital banking could find themselves … as a banking partner for most high street banks, including … banking hubs, he said: “These shared spaces allow customers from different banks … to do their everyday banking. They’re …
H&R Block Names Richard Johnson New Chairman Of Board
1743657959 from NASDAQ
(RTTNews) - H&R Block, Inc. (HRB) on Wednesday said that Richard Johnson has been elected as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors, effective April 1. He succeeded Robert Gerard, who had held the position since 2011.
Robinhood to launch banking product
1743656604 from BANKING
… wealthy individuals.” While announcing the banking product last week, Vlad Tenev … 100 currencies and access private banking services like estate planning and … from traditional banks because neobanks lack “backward compatibility” with essential banking features …