US public souring on Trump’s handling of economy, polls show
Majority of Americans disapprove of Trump’s economic management amid stock market turmoil, polls show. United States President Donald Trump’s handling of the economy is facing growing pushback from Americans amid wild swings in the stock market and growing fears of a recession, new polling shows. In a CNN/SSRS poll released on Wednesday, 56 percent of respondents said they disapproved of Trump’s economic management – higher than at any point during his first term in office. The poll had better news for Trump on his other signature issue of immigration, with 51 percent of respondents expressing support for his strict enforcement policies. A Reuters/Ipsos poll also released on Wednesday found that 57 percent of Americans believe Trump’s economic policies have been too “erratic”. Trump’s overall approval rating in the CNN and Reuters polls was 45 percent and 44 percent, respectively. The results come as Trump’s back-and-forth announcements on tariffs have roiled markets and stoked tensions with trading partners, including key US allies. The benchmark S&P 500 has lost more than $3 trillion since its February peak as investors struggle to make sense of the US president’s “America First” economic agenda. Advertisement On Wednesday, the Trump administration imposed 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports, prompting retaliatory duties from Canada and the European Union. The latest tariffs came after Trump a day earlier threatened Canada with a 50 percent duty on steel and aluminium before reversing course after the province of Ontario agreed to suspend a surcharge on electricity exports to some US states. Trump, who earlier this week declined to rule out the possibility of a recession this year, and his aides have played down the stock market turmoil as a temporary blip on the road to a stronger economy. “I think this country is going to boom. But as I said, I can do it the easy way or the hard way,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday. “The hard way to do it is exactly what I am doing, but the results are going to be 20 times greater.” Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,113
These are the key developments on day 1,113 of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Here is the situation on Thursday, March 13: Fighting Ukrainian officials say Russia fired a slew of missiles and drones overnight, with one attack on Kryvyi Rih killing a 47-year-old woman and injuring nine others, while an attack on Odesa killed four. Russia has claimed major gains in the Kursk region with Russia’s Ministry of Defence reporting the capture of five more villages, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying that “the dynamics are good”. Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov said that Russian forces had retaken about 1,100sq km (386sq miles) of territory in the Kursk border region, including 24 settlements over the past five days. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in televised remarks while visiting troops in Kursk that the “region will soon be completely liberated from the enemy”. It was Putin’s first visit to the region since Ukraine launched its major incursion there in August of last year. Putin also said that any Ukrainian fighters captured in the Kursk region would be treated as “terrorists” and would not be protected under the Geneva Convention’s provisions for prisoners of war, Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported. Military bloggers on both sides said Kyiv’s forces have begun withdrawing from Kursk, losing their hard-won foothold inside the Russian region. Advertisement Ceasefire talks Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he expects “strong steps” from the United States against Russia if Moscow does not accept the 30-day ceasefire proposal, which Ukraine agreed to in talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. US President Donald Trump said that reaching a truce is now “up to Russia”. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US was hoping for a positive response from Russia, and that if the answer was “no”, then it would tell Washington a lot about the Kremlin’s true intentions. “Here’s what we’d like the world to look like in a few days: Neither side is shooting at each other, not rockets, not missiles, not bullets, nothing … and the talking starts,” Rubio told reporters. Russia has reportedly presented Washington with a list of demands for a deal to end the Ukraine war and reset relations with the US. The Reuters news agency quoted sources saying the demands were similar to previous Kremlin terms for ending its war, including no NATO membership for Kyiv, recognition of Russia’s claim to annexed Crimea and four Ukrainian provinces, and an agreement that no foreign troops would be deployed in Ukraine. Politics and diplomacy A “very broad consensus” is emerging among European nations on boosting Ukraine’s long-term security through the Ukrainian armed forces, French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said after a meeting with the defence ministers of Britain, Germany, Italy and Poland. Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz also welcomed a “real unity of the continent”, referring to the threat from Russia. United Kingdom Defence Secretary John Healey said Britain and its allies knew that “we must step up” and re-arm. “We are looking to build a coalition,” he said. “We are accelerating this work.” US State Secretary Rubio said that an expected minerals deal with Ukraine would give the US a “vested interest” in Ukraine’s security, although, he said, “I wouldn’t couch it as a security guarantee”. The Polish foreign minister confirmed that US weapons are flowing back to Ukraine through Poland after the US lifted its pause on military aid to Kyiv. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Palestinian survivor of Israeli sexual abuse testifies at UN
NewsFeed The United Nations has heard testimony from Palestinians who detailed beatings, torture and sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of Israeli settlers and security agents. Mohamed Matar told the UN’s independent Commission of Inquiry on the occupied West Bank, that the abuse left him traumatised for months. Published On 12 Mar 202512 Mar 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
DRC and M23 rebels to begin direct talks next week, mediator Angola says
A spokesperson for DRC’s President Felix Tshisekedi told the Reuters news agency that they had received an invitation from Angola for the talks. The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels will hold talks next week, mediator Angola has announced. A statement from President Joao Lourenco’s office on Wednesday said the two parties would begin “direct peace negotiations” in the Angolan capital Luanda on March 18. Angola has previously acted as a mediator in the eastern DRC conflict that escalated in late January when the M23 took control of the strategic eastern Congo city of Goma. In February, M23 seized Bukavu, eastern Congo’s second-biggest city. Rwanda denies backing the M23 armed group in the conflict, which is rooted in the spread of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide into DRC, and the struggle for control of DRC’s vast mineral resources. DRC President Felix Tshisekedi was in Angola on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of talks and his spokesperson Tina Salama told the Reuters news agency on Wednesday that the government had received an invitation from Angola but did not say whether it would participate in the talks. Advertisement M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa wrote on X that the rebels had forced Tshisekedi to the negotiating table, calling it “the only civilized option to resolve the current crisis that has lasted for decades.” The government has said at least 7,000 people have died in the conflict since January. Last week, the United Nations refugee agency reported that nearly 80,000 people have fled the country due to the armed conflict. Since January, 61,000 have arrived in neighbouring Burundi, the agency’s deputy director of international protection, Patrick Eba, said. M23 is one of about 100 armed groups vying to control resources in eastern Congo, home to vast reserves of strategic minerals such as coltan, cobalt, copper and lithium. DRC’s neighbours, including South Africa, Burundi, and Uganda, have troops stationed in east Congo, increasing fears of an all-out regional war that could resemble the Congo wars of the 1990s and early 2000s that killed millions of people. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia claims more gains in Kursk as Ukraine hints at pullback
Putin hails advances in Kursk during a rare visit, promising to fully liberate the region from Ukrainian forces soon. Ukrainian troops appear on the point of losing their hard-won foothold inside Russia’s Kursk region as Moscow claims further advances there and military bloggers on both sides say Kyiv’s forces are withdrawing. Ukraine sprang one of the biggest shocks of the war on August 6 last year by storming across the border and seizing territory inside Russia, boosting citizens’ morale and gaining a potential bargaining chip. But after clinging for more than seven months to a gradually shrinking area, Ukraine has seen its position worsen sharply in the past week. Russia’s Ministry of Defence on Wednesday reported the capture of five more villages, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “the dynamics are good”. A video published by Russian bloggers and state media showed troops standing with a Russian tricolour flag on a square in the centre of Sudzha, a town near the Ukrainian border on a highway used by Ukraine as a supply route. In his first visit to the region since Ukraine launched its shock counteroffensive, Russian President Vladimir Putin, dressed in army camouflage, hailed the recent gains and urged his troops on. Advertisement “I am counting on the fact that all the combat tasks facing our units will be fulfilled, and the territory of the Kursk region will soon be completely liberated from the enemy,” he said. Minutes after footage of Putin’s remarks aired on Russian state TV, Ukraine’s army commander hinted his troops were pulling back to minimise losses. “In the most difficult situation, my priority has been and remains saving the lives of Ukrainian soldiers. To this end, the units of the defence forces, if necessary, manoeuvre to more favourable positions,” commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskii said in a Facebook post, in language typically used to describe a withdrawal. He added, however: “Despite the increased pressure from the Russian/North Korean army, we will hold the defence in the Kursk region as long as it is appropriate and necessary.” Active fighting continued in the outskirts of the town of Sudzha and around it, according to Syrskii. The Russian advance on the battlefield comes as the United States says it wants Russia to agree “unconditionally” to a complete 30-day ceasefire – a plan Kyiv has endorsed. The Kremlin said it was examining the US ceasefire proposal, but Putin has previously said he is not interested in a temporary truce and would rather have a full stop. Adblock test (Why?)
With an ailing economy, is China a stable global player?
Chinese leaders have unveiled their plans to revive the economy during the National People’s Congress. Confidence in the economy and projecting China as a stable global player, despite serious economic problems, were the messages delivered by the nation’s top leaders during the National People’s Congress. Beijing is asking consumers to spend more to hit a growth target of 5 percent and telling the US it is no longer relying on exports to power its slowing economy as a trade war with Washington escalates. China’s leaders also aim to transform the nation into a technological superpower to rival the US. The EU wants to spend big on defence. Plus, Trump’s strategic Bitcoin reserve. Adblock test (Why?)
Bank of Canada cuts interest rates, warned country faces ‘new crisis’
BoC also said it would ‘proceed carefully with any further changes’ to rates given inflationary pressures from tariffs. The Bank of Canada has trimmed its key policy rate by 25 basis points to 2.75 percent and raised concerns about inflationary pressures and weaker growth stemming from trade uncertainty and President Donald Trump’s tariffs. The bank on Wednesday also said it would “proceed carefully with any further changes” to rates given the need to assess both the upward pressures on inflation from higher costs and the downward pressures from weaker demand. The bank’s stance, which some economists said could be a signal that rates will not fall further, comes after months of inflation sitting at or around its 2 percent target. “We’re focused on weighing those downward pressures and those upward pressures. Our job is to maintain price stability, and that’s what we’re focused on,” Governor Tiff Macklem told a news conference. But he declined to give any forward guidance in terms of where rates might go. The cut marked the seventh consecutive time the central bank has eased monetary policy, shrinking the key rate by a total of 225 basis points in a space of nine months and making it one of the most aggressive central banks globally. Advertisement “We ended 2024 on a solid economic footing. But we’re now facing a new crisis,” he said in opening remarks to a news conference. Trump’s stop-start tariff policies and threats to a wide range of Canadian products have alarmed companies, shaken consumer confidence and hurt business investment. Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminium products on Wednesday and Canada said it will impose 29.8 billion Canadian dollars ($20.68bn) in retaliatory tariffs on the US effective Thursday. The bank said a protracted tariff war would lead to poor GDP growth and high prices, a challenging mix that makes it tough to decide on whether to raise or cut rates. The rate-setting Governing Council will focus on assessing the timing and strength of both the downward pressure on inflation from a weaker economy and the upward pressure from higher costs, Macklem said. The trade conflict would slow first-quarter GDP and could possibly disrupt the recovery in the jobs market, he said, adding that the fear of the impact of tariffs on prices had already pushed up short-term inflation expectations. Inflation is expected to be approximately 2.5 percent in March, up from 1.9 percent in January, as a short-term sales-tax break ends. The Canadian dollar extended gains after the decision and was trading stronger by 0.2 percent to 1.44 to the US dollar. Currency markets are betting that the chances of another rate cut of 25 basis points at the bank’s next announcement on April 16 are near 45 percent. Advertisement “The focus on rising inflation expectations in today’s release is somewhat hawkish,” said Royce Mendes, head of macro strategy for Desjardins Group. Slowdown The US is Canada’s biggest trading partner and takes almost 75 percent of all Canadian exports. A separate special bank survey of businesses and households conducted from late January until the end of February showed that many households were concerned about job security, especially in sectors exposed to US trade. The tariff threat has forced businesses to lower their sales outlook. Some businesses are finding it hard to get credit, and a weaker currency has made imports expensive, the survey pointed out. This means that firms are pulling back their hiring and investment plans, it said. The recent shift in consumer and business intentions is expected to translate into a marked slowing in domestic demand in the first quarter, Macklem said in his remarks. “Monetary policy cannot offset the impacts of a trade war. What it can and must do is ensure that higher prices do not lead to ongoing inflation,” he said. Adblock test (Why?)
Balochistan train hijacking: situation still “very complex”
Masood Akhtar, a national security analyst from Pakistan, examines the Balochistan train hijacking and its implications. Masood Akhtar, a Pakistan national security analyst, discusses the Balochistan train hijacking – what happened and what’s next. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia ‘studying’ US ceasefire proposal agreed to by Ukraine
NewsFeed The Kremlin says it is examining the US ceasefire proposal agreed to by Ukraine, but Russia’s Vladimir Putin has previously said he is not interested in a temporary truce and would rather have a full stop. Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari has more from Moscow. Published On 12 Mar 202512 Mar 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
Pakistan separatist fighters release video showing attack on train
NewsFeed Video released by Pakistan separatists, the Balochistan Liberation Army, show the moment they attacked a train on Tuesday and took hundreds of passengers hostage. Officials said that more than 300 people had been rescued but a number of people were killed as they declared an end to the incident. Published On 12 Mar 202512 Mar 2025 Adblock test (Why?)