HONG KONG:&nbsp;Asian stocks mostly rose and the dollar fell Monday after the US Supreme Court struck down a large part of President Donald Trump&#39;s tariffs policy that had sent shockwaves through the global economy last year. The rally was led by tech firms, which have been at the forefront of regional gains this year as traders turn away from Wall Street to seek out cheaper investments amid concerns about extended valuations. Trump&#39;s trade agenda was dealt a hefty blow Friday when the country&#39;s top court ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act used by the White House to impose sweeping levies in April &quot;does not authorize the president to impose tariffs&quot;. Global tariff&nbsp;The president immediately vowed to impose a global tariff of 10% under a separate authority, before raising it to 15% on Saturday. However, the development fanned a fresh round of uncertainty, with calls growing for the government to repay cash taken under the scheme and analysts warning officials would likely pursue other ways of imposing his tolls. &ldquo;The first observation to make is that IEEPA tariffs may be dead, but Trump&#39;s trade regime isn&#39;t,&rdquo; wrote Rodrigo Catril at National Australia Bank. &quot;The administration has several avenues it can pursue, these are likely to be litigated over several years, but there is no sign President Trump is planning to back down. &quot;Another conclusion is that the tariff landscape is now more uncertain than before, uncertainty is not good news for any economy or market. &quot;Unless commonsense prevails, we could be entering a circular process where new tariffs are announced, then potentially overturned, only for new tariffs to be announced, and we do the dance again.&quot; EU-US deal &nbsp;The decision also raised questions about trade deals Washington has signed. European leaders had been due to approve the EU-US deal on Tuesday but the head of the European Parliament&#39;s trade committee said he would call Monday for putting &quot;legislative work on hold until we have a proper legal assessment and clear commitments from the US side&quot;. And Bloomberg reported that Indian trade officials will postpone a trip to the United States aimed at finalizing their interim agreement. Still, Asian investors welcomed the news, which is seen benefiting China and India, with tech firms the best performers. Hong Kong rose more than two percent, with ecommerce titans Alibaba and JD.com surging more than three percent, while Seoul hit another record high thanks to big advances for chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. Singapore, Wellington, Taipei and Manila also rose, though Sydney dipped. Tokyo and Shanghai were closed for holidays. The strong start to the week followed gains on Wall Street, where the tariff ruling overshadowed data showing the US economy grew much slower than expected in the fourth quarter of 2025, when it was hit by the extended government shutdown. The uncertainty also weighed on the dollar, which was well down against the yen, pound and euro. Oil prices&nbsp;And oil prices dropped more than one percent amid hopes for an Iran nuclear deal. That has tempered last week&#39;s concerns about a possible US strike on the country after Trump warned &quot;bad things happen&quot;, as he deployed warships, fighter jets and other military hardware to the Middle East. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">Key figures at around 0220 GMT&nbsp;</h2>Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 2.5% at 27,066.21 Shanghai - Composite: Closed for a holiday Tokyo - Nikkei 225: Closed for a holiday Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1823 from $1.1788&nbsp;on Friday Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3517 from $1.3487 Euro/pound: UP at 87.47 pence from 87.37 pence Dollar/yen: DOWN at 154.15 yen from 155.02 yen West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.3% at $65.63 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 1.3% at $70.86 per barrel New York - Dow: UP 0.5% at 49,625.97 (close) London - FTSE 100: UP 0.6% at 10,686.89 (close)

Business

The strong start to the week followed gains on Wall Street, where the tariff ruling overshadowed data showing the US economy grew much slower than expected in the fourth quarter of 2025, when it was hit by the extended government shutdown.

Asian stocks rally after Trump's Supreme Court tariffs blow

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Saturday he is raising the worldwide tariffs on goods entering the United States from <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-vows-10-global-tariff-after-stinging-court-rebuke" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">10 percent to 15 percent</a>&nbsp;&quot;effective immediately,&quot; a day after the Supreme Court largely struck down his sweeping duties.&nbsp;Trump said on his Truth Social platform that after a thorough review of Friday&#39;s &quot;extraordinarily anti-American decision&quot; by the court to rein in his tariff program, the administration was hiking the import levies &quot;to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level.&quot;

Americas

President Donald Trump raises worldwide tariffs on goods entering the United States from 10 percent to 15 percent a day after the Supreme Court largely struck down his sweeping duties.

Trump announces hike in US global tariff rate from 10 to 15%

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump imposed Friday an additional 10 percent tariff on imports into the United States after the Supreme Court struck down many of his sweeping and often arbitrary duties, delivering a stinging rebuke on his signature economic policy. Trump signed the tariff order in the Oval Office&mdash;saying on social media it was &quot;effective almost immediately&quot;&mdash;after spending the past year imposing various rates to cajole and punish countries, both friend and foe. The new duty is slated to take effect February 24 for 150 days, with exemptions remaining for sectors that are under separate probes, including pharma, and goods entering the US under the US-Mexico-Canada agreement, according to a White House factsheet. The conservative-majority&nbsp;high court ruled six to three Friday that a 1977 law Trump has relied on to slap sudden rates on individual countries, upending global trade, &quot;does not authorize the President to impose tariffs.&quot; Trump, who had nominated two of the justices who repudiated him, responded furiously, alleging without any evidence that the court was influenced by foreign interests. &quot;I&#39;m ashamed of certain members of the court, absolutely ashamed, for not having the courage to do what&#39;s right for our country,&quot; Trump told reporters. &quot;In order to protect our country, a president can actually charge more tariffs than I was charging in the past,&quot; Trump said, insisting that the ruling left him &quot;more powerful.&quot; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, addressing the Economic Club of Dallas, said the alternative method &quot;will result in virtually unchanged tariff revenue in 2026.&quot; Major setbackThe ruling did not impact sector-specific duties Trump separately imposed on steel, aluminum, and various other goods. Government probes still underway could lead to additional sectoral tariffs. Still, it marked Trump&#39;s biggest defeat at the Supreme Court since returning to the White House 13 months ago. The court has generally expanded his power. In a controversial decision before the 2024 election it ruled in Trump v. United States that he was immune from prosecution for &quot;official acts&quot; during his first term, when he refused to accept defeat. The justices ruled Friday that &quot;had Congress intended to convey the distinct and extraordinary power to impose tariffs&quot; through the 1977 law, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, &quot;it would have done so expressly, as it consistently has in other tariff statutes.&quot; &quot;IEEPA contains no reference to tariffs or duties,&quot; Chief Justice John Roberts said in his opinion. Wall Street saw share prices rise modestly after the decision, which had been expected. Business groups largely cheered the ruling, with the National Retail Federation saying this &quot;provides much-needed certainty&quot; for companies. Doubts on refundsThe Trump administration in court arguments said companies would receive refunds if the tariffs were deemed unlawful. But the ruling did not address the issue. Trump said he expected years of litigation on whether to provide refunds. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the one Trump nominee to side with him, noted the refund process could be a &quot;mess.&quot; The University of Pennsylvania&#39;s Penn Wharton Budget Model projected that the court decision on tariffs would generate up to $175 billion in refunds. California Governor Gavin Newsom, who is widely expected to seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, said Americans deserved refunds from the &quot;illegal cash grab.&quot;&quot;Every dollar unlawfully taken must be refunded immediately&mdash;with interest. Cough up!&quot; But Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, cautioned that there remained &quot;no legal mechanism for consumers and many small businesses to recoup the money they have already paid.&quot; The Budget Lab at Yale University estimates consumers face an average effective tariff rate of 9.1 percent with Friday&#39;s decision, down from 16.9 percent. The rate &quot;remains the highest since 1946,&quot; excluding 2025, it said. Close US trading partners, including the European Union and Britain, said they were studying the decision. Trump, in response to a question, suggested trade deals negotiated with individual countries would remain in place, specifically mentioning India. Canada, which has faced repeated tariff threats as Trump questioned the sovereignty of the northern neighbor, said the Supreme Court showed the levies were &quot;unjustified,&quot; but the country braced for more turbulence. &quot;Canada should prepare for new, blunter mechanisms to be used to reassert trade pressure, potentially with broader and more disruptive effects,&quot; said Candace Laing, president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

US President Donald Trump vows a 10% global tariff after the US Supreme Court struck down his emergency tariff policy, triggering political backlash and uncertainty over trade and refunds

Trump vows 10% global tariff after stinging court rebuke

WASHINGTON: The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier was seen entering the Mediterranean Sea on Friday, where it was ordered by US President Donald Trump as part of a massive military buildup in the Middle East.&nbsp;The carrier was seen transiting the Strait of Gibraltar -- which links the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean -- in a photo taken from the Gibraltar side of the strait.&nbsp;Trump -- who had previously sent another carrier to the Middle East -- said Friday he is &quot;considering&quot; a limited strike on Iran if negotiations fail to yield a replacement for the nuclear deal with Tehran that he tore up during his first term in office.

Middle East

The USS Gerald R. Ford entered the Mediterranean via the Strait of Gibraltar as President Donald Trump ordered increased military presence in the Middle East. Trump said he is considering limited strikes on Iran if nuclear negotiations fail

US aircraft carrier enters Mediterranean as Trump mulls Iran strikes

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Friday he is contemplating a limited military strike on Iran, in case a deal on its nuclear program is not reached.&nbsp;Asked by a reporter if he is &quot;considering a limited military strike if Iran doesn&#39;t make a deal,&quot; Trump answered: &quot;The most I can say I am considering it.&quot;

US President Donald Trump said he may order a limited military strike on Iran if a nuclear deal is not reached.

Trump says 'considering' limited military strike on Iran

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump praised Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir during a speech in Washington on Thursday. Speaking at the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pm-sharif-to-land-in-us-for-board-of-peace-inaugural-session" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">inaugural meeting</a> of the Board of Peace at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, the US President described Field Marshal Munir as &ldquo;a tough man, a good fighter, serious fighter,&rdquo; adding, &ldquo;I like good fighters actually.&rdquo; Trump said he intervened during a military confrontation between Pakistan and India, which he said could have cost &ldquo;25 million lives.&rdquo; He described the conflict as &ldquo;intense&rdquo;, stating that the &ldquo;war was raging [and] planes were being shot down.&rdquo; &ldquo;Prime Minister Sharif, I like this man, of Pakistan. There was some fighting going on when I got to know him and your Field Marshal, great general, great Field Marshal, great guy,&rdquo; Trump said. He recalled PM Sharif telling White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles that Trump had &ldquo;saved 25 million lives when he stopped the war between India and Pakistan.&rdquo; The US President said that 11 jets were shot down during the fighting. He also praised PM Sharif and the Field Marshal for their cooperation in preventing a larger conflict in the region. &ldquo;I think we will always be able to settle up with them. It&rsquo;s a lot of progress that&rsquo;s made even in the relationship. They are all great men, and I was very proud of it,&rdquo; Trump said. Separately, during a meeting with Pakistan&#39;s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio appreciated Pakistan&#39;s &quot;ongoing support&quot; for President Trump&#39;s peace plan. &quot;In our meeting, we discussed the importance of our strategic relationship on critical minerals development and counterterrorism,&quot; Rubio said in a post on X.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 719px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2024614315018310132&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=b20dfaf377288055659d21dac844e09f45427c2a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2024614315018310132"></iframe></div></div>US, others pledge billions Trump also reflected on his first year in office, saying he had &ldquo;settled eight wars and I think a ninth to come,&rdquo; and called the <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/head-of-gaza-technocrat-committee-in-washington-for-board-of-peace-meeting" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="noopener noreferrer">Board of Peace</a> &ldquo;one of the most important and consequential things I think that I&rsquo;ll be involved in.&rdquo; While the US pledged $10 billion, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the UAE, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Kuwait have pledged more than $7 billion to relief efforts. &ldquo;We work together to ensure the brighter future of Gaza, the Middle East and the entire world,&rdquo; Trump said. He added that &ldquo;there is nothing more important than peace&rdquo; and that going to war is &ldquo;a hundred times&rdquo; more expensive than peace. Troops pledgedIndonesia, the world&#39;s largest Muslim-majority country, will take a deputy commander role in a nascent International Stabilization Force in Gaza and Morocco will contribute troops, the unit&#39;s American chief said Thursday, reported AFP. &quot;I have offered and Indonesia has accepted the position of deputy commander for the ISF,&quot; Major General Jasper Jeffers announced at the Board of Peace meeting attended, among other world leaders, by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. Indonesia has said it is ready to send up to 8,000 troops to Gaza if the force is confirmed. The force aims to have 20,000 soldiers and a new police force. Jeffers confirmed that Morocco had also agreed to send troops, marking the first commitment by an Arab country, along with Albania, Kazakhstan, and Kosovo.

Foreign Affairs

Speaking at the inaugural meeting of Board of Peace at the Donald Trump Institute of Peace, the US President described Field Marshal Munir as “a tough man, a good fighter, serious fighter,” adding, “I like good fighters actually.”

Board of Peace: Trump praises Pakistan’s PM, calls Field Marshal 'tough fighter'

GAZA CITY: The head of the Palestinian technocratic committee formed to handle day-to-day governance of Gaza, Ali Shaath, was in Washington Thursday to attend the inaugural &quot;Board of Peace&quot; meeting, two Palestinian officials told AFP.&nbsp;&quot;Ali Shaath ... arrived in Washington at dawn today to participate in the Washington meeting of the Board of Peace,&quot; a source familiar with the committee told AFP.&nbsp;&quot;Shaath is scheduled to deliver a speech outlining the general framework of his plan for the first 100 days. He is accompanied by the committee&#39;s official in charge of the finance portfolio,&quot; the source added.&nbsp;A committee member confirmed to AFP that Shaath had arrived &quot;following an invitation he received yesterday to attend the Washington meeting&quot;.&nbsp;Around two dozen world leaders and senior officials have travelled to Washington for the meeting, which was set up after the Trump administration, along with Qatar and Egypt, negotiated a ceasefire in October to halt two years of war in Gaza.&nbsp;At Thursday&#39;s meeting, Trump is expected to detail pledges of more than $5 billion for Gaza.&nbsp;The meeting will also discuss how to launch the International Stabilization Force to ensure security in Gaza.

Ali Shaath arrives in Washington for the inaugural Board of Peace meeting. The Trump administration, along with Qatar and Egypt, seeks $5 billion in pledges and a stabilization force for security there.

Head of Gaza technocrat committee in Washington for 'Board of Peace' meeting

ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump announced that member states of the Board of Peace have pledged $5 billion for Gaza&#39;s reconstruction and committed thousands of personnel to join the International Stabilization Force in the region. In a post on Truth Social,&nbsp;Trump said he would announce this development when the board meets in Washington at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace on Feb. 19.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;We will announce that member states have pledged more than $5 billion dollars toward the Gaza humanitarian and reconstruction efforts, and have committed thousands of personnel to the International Stabilization Force and local police to maintain security and peace for Gazans.&rdquo; Trump wrote. He also urged Hamas to move forward with disarmament under his plan for postwar Gaza. &quot;Very importantly, Hamas must uphold its commitment to Full and Immediate Demilitarization,&quot; Trump said in the post.&nbsp;Disarmament is a key part of the second phase of the US-brokered ceasefire plan sealed in October between Israel and the Palestinian militant group to end the war triggered by Hamas&#39;s attack on Israel in October 2023. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/c51f8c1d-e843-4892-a1f8-4b170e26e738-Screenshot 2026-02-15 214653.png" alt="Screenshot 2026-02-15 214653.png" class="fr-fil fr-dib"></figure> The United Nations endorsed the plan in November.&nbsp;The second phase stipulates that Israeli forces gradually withdraw from Gaza and Hamas should disarm, with an international stabilization force deployed to ensure security.&nbsp;Hamas has repeatedly said that disarmament is a red line, although it has indicated it could consider handing over its weapons to a future Palestinian governing authority.&nbsp;Both sides accuse each other daily of ceasefire violations.&nbsp;Although originally intended to oversee Gaza&#39;s rebuilding, the Board of Peace&#39;s charter does not appear to limit its role to Palestinian territory.&nbsp;&quot;The Board of Peace has unlimited potential,&quot; Trump said Sunday in his post.&nbsp;After an initial meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos last month, the board is due to meet on Thursday in the US capital.&nbsp;Countries have been asked to pay $1 billion for permanent membership of the board, and the invitation for Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country invaded Ukraine in 2022, has drawn criticism.&nbsp;Key US allies, including France and Britain, have expressed doubts.&nbsp;Trump has said the organization will work &quot;in conjunction&quot; with the United Nations.&nbsp;&quot;The Board of Peace will prove to be the most consequential International Body in History,&quot; he said.&nbsp;Under the ceasefire plan, a Palestinian technocratic committee has also been set up with a goal of taking over governance in the battered Gaza Strip.

The US president urged that 'Hamas must uphold its commitment to Full and Immediate Demilitarization.'

Board of Peace members have committed 'thousands of personnel' to peace force, over $5B for Gaza: Trump

TEHRAN: Iran is ready to compromise on its stockpile of highly enriched uranium in exchange for US sanctions being lifted, its deputy foreign minister said in a BBC interview published Sunday.&nbsp;Majid Takht-Ravanchi&#39;s remarks came after the resumption of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States in Oman on Feb. 6.&nbsp;Switzerland announced on Saturday that a new round of talks would take place in Geneva next week, without specifying the day.&nbsp;Iran has not yet officially confirmed the new round of talks, but Takht-Ravanchi, who was in Iran&#39;s delegation to Oman led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, said they would be on Tuesday, the BBC reported.&nbsp;Western countries, led by the United States as well as by Israel, Iran&#39;s arch-enemy and considered by experts to be the only nuclear power in the Middle East, accuse the Islamic republic of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.&nbsp;Tehran denies having such military ambitions, but insists on its right to this technology for civilian purposes.&nbsp;Iran is ready to compromise to reach an agreement with the United States, including diluting its highly enriched uranium, but Washington must lift its sanctions, which are crippling Iran&#39;s economy, Takht-Ravanchi said, according to the BBC.&nbsp;&quot;If we see the sincerity on their (American) part, I am sure we will be on a road to have an agreement,&quot; he said, speaking in English.&nbsp;The BBC said he was also questioned about the possibility of Tehran agreeing to ship its stockpile of more than 400 kilos of highly enriched uranium out of the country and did not rule out a compromise, saying &quot;it is too early to say&quot; what will happen at the talks.&nbsp;Several countries, including Russia, have offered to take responsibility for the stockpile, an offer Iran has so far refused.&nbsp;Considerable uncertainty surrounds the fate of Iran&#39;s stockpile of more than 400 kilos of 60% enriched uranium that was last seen by nuclear watchdog inspectors last June 10, before Israeli and US strikes against Iranian nuclear sites.&nbsp;Iran had been enriching uranium to 60 percent, well above the 3.67 percent limit allowed by the now-defunct 2015 nuclear agreement and close to 90 percent needed to make a bomb, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.&nbsp;US President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for zero enrichment in Iran.&nbsp;&quot;The issue of zero enrichment is not an issue any more and as far as Iran is concerned, it is not on the table any more,&quot; Takht-Ravanchi told the BBC.&nbsp;The Fars news agency, citing a foreign ministry official, reported on Sunday that the talks would also cover potential American investments in Iran&#39;s energy sector.

Asia

Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi says Iran is open to diluting or compromising on its highly enriched uranium stockpile if the United States lifts sanctions, as nuclear talks resume and disputes over enrichment limits persist.

Iran says ready for nuclear compromise if US lifts sanctions

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to try to bypass Congress and force new voting laws ahead of the November midterm elections, where his Republican Party fears losing control of the legislature. Trump said he would soon issue an executive order attempting to impose the rules if Congress does not pass a law requiring photo identification to vote and other nationwide reforms. Any attempt would likely be met by a legal challenge that could ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court. &quot;There will be voter I.D. for the midterm elections, whether approved by Congress or not!&quot; Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. &quot;If we can&#39;t get it through Congress, there are legal reasons why this SCAM is not permitted. I will be presenting them shortly, in the form of an Executive Order,&quot; he wrote. While many jurisdictions across the United States require photo ID to cast ballots, not all do, with Trump and many Republicans arguing without evidence that those areas have permitted significant voter fraud. The Trump-backed &quot;SAVE America&quot; election reform act was passed in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives this week. However, it is expected to fail in the Senate, where the Republican majority is too slim to pass the law without Democratic support. In addition to requiring a photo ID to cast a ballot, the bill would also require proof of citizenship to register to vote. There is no evidence of meaningful fraud in US elections, and critics say that the bill&#39;s measures would instead push millions of people away from casting ballots, because they don&#39;t have a passport or a paper copy of their birth certificate. An analysis by the Brennan Center found more than 21 million Americans lack easy access to such documents. This would &quot;disenfranchise Americans of all ages,&quot; the center found &mdash; especially young people and ethnic minorities. Trump&#39;s push for federal election reforms has also run up against constitutional concerns. Under the US Constitution, states retain broad control over the administration of elections. It was unclear how Trump could legally force a national mandate on voter ID. However, the 79-year-old Republican has repeatedly overturned norms in the White House. In his post on Friday, he repeated his widely debunked claim that more election security is needed because of mass fraud. For years, Trump has propagated the falsehood to justify his unprecedented &mdash; and ultimately unsuccessful &mdash; attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Polls show that Trump&#39;s Republican Party faces a serious threat of losing its narrow control of Congress in the Midterms, particularly the lower chamber. If Democrats win, they have signaled they will block Trump&#39;s agenda and could move to impeach him.

US president says he will soon issue an executive order attempting to impose the rules if Congress does not pass a law requiring photo identification to vote and other nationwide reforms.



Articles tagged with "US President Donald Trump"