Belgrade braces for another anti-government protest, calling for an early parliamentary election
BELGRADE, Serbia — Belgrade is bracing for yet another student-led protest on Saturday to pressure Serbia's populist President Aleksandar Vucic to call for a snap parliamentary election after nearly eight months of rallies that have rattled his firm grip on power in the Balkan country.
Tensions have soared ahead of the protest organized by Serbia's university students, a key force behind nationwide anti-corruption demonstrations that started after a renovated rail station canopy collapsed, killing 16 people on Nov. 1.
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Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump Approval Rating Falls To All-Time Low
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Donald Trump's approval rating has dropped to an all-time low, according to Newsweek's latest poll tracker. The tracker shows that 43 percent of Americans currently approve of Trump's performance, while 53 percent disapprove—giving him a net approval rating of -10 points. That marks a three-point decline from the previous day, when his net approval stood at -7. It also matches his lowest net rating since April 29, when he last hit -10—which was, at the time, his lowest on record. Why It Matters Trump's poll numbers initially plunged after he announced his "Liberation Day" tariffs back in April. Although his approval ratings recovered somewhat soon after, his recent actions appear to have reignited public frustration with the White House. This includes his decision to deploy the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles to suppress anti-ICE protests, as well as ordering air strikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran last weekend—strikes that polls show most voters oppose. In response, Iran retaliated by launching missiles at a U.S. military base in Qatar on Monday. Since then, surveys have shown Trump's popularity has fallen to its lowest point on record. President Donald Trump listens during a briefing with the media, Friday, June 27, 2025, at the White House in Washington. President Donald Trump listens during a briefing with the media, Friday, June 27, 2025, at the White House in Washington. Jacquelyn Martin/AP What To Know Several polls show that Trump's approval rating has fallen to new lows for his second term. The latest YouGov/Economist poll, conducted between June 20-23 among 1,590 adults, shows Trump with a net approval rating of -14 points, with 40 percent approving and 54 percent disapproving—down slightly from -13 last week. The poll had a margin of error of ± 3.5 percent. Similarly, a new Bullfinch Group poll, conducted between June 17-20 among 1,223 adults, puts his net approval at -13 points, with 41 percent approval and 54 percent disapproval. That marks a sharp drop from -5 in May. The poll's margin of error was ± 3.1 percent. The latest Ipsos/Reuters, and American Research Group polls also show Trump's net approval rating at record lows for his second term. In the Ipsos/Reuters poll, conducted between June 21-23 among 1,139 registered voters, Trump's net approval rating stood at -16 points, with 41 percent approving and 57 percent disapproving. That is down from a previous low of -12 points in last week's poll. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. In the latest American Research Group poll, conducted June 17-20 among 1,100 adults, Trump's net approval rating hit -21 points, with 38 percent approving and 59 percent disapproving, down from a low of -14 points in the previous poll conducted in May. The latest Morning Consult poll, conducted between June 20-22 among 2,205 registered voters, did not show Trump's approval rating at an all-time low. But it did show a notable decline, with 45 percent approving and 53 percent disapproving, for a net approval rating of -8 points. That is down from -6 in the previous poll. The margin of error is plus or minus 2 points. Other polls have also shown a downward trend in Trump's approval rating in recent days. That includes the latest Quantus Insights poll, conducted between June 23-25 among 1,000 registered voters, which shows Trump's approval slipping slightly to 47 percent, down from 48 percent. His disapproval rating rose to 50 percent, up from 49 percent in the previous poll. Meanwhile, a Tyson Group poll, conducted between June 25-26 among 1,027 U.S. adults, showed Trump's net approval rating 6 points underwater, with 45 percent approving and 51 percent disapproving. It comes as polling has shown Trump deep underwater on almost every issue. The latest Quinnipiac poll showed that Trump was underwater on at least seven key issues. His lowest marks concerned his handling of deportations, where his net approval rating stood at -20, down from -16 in early June. That was followed closely by trade and the economy, both at -17. On immigration—an issue long central to his political brand—Trump hit a new low in his second term, with a net approval of -16, down from -11 earlier in the month. The survey also showed that 56 percent of voters disapproved of the way Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did its job, compared to 39 percent who approved. Nearly two-thirds of voters (64 percent), when given two choices, said they preferred giving most undocumented immigrants in the United States a pathway to legal status, while 31 percent said they preferred deporting most undocumented immigrants. He also received negative ratings on foreign policy (-14), military affairs (-4), and his handling of the Israel-Iran conflict (-14), highlighting broad concerns over his approach to international crises. The latest Emerson poll showed similar results. When asked whether Trump's economic policies are making the economy better or worse, 46 percent of respondents said his policies are making things worse, compared to just 28 percent who said they are making the economy better. Another 26 percent said they believe it's too soon to tell or that his actions have had no effect. The poll also found that nearly half of voters disapprove of Trump's overall handling of the U.S. economy. Forty-eight percent said they disapprove of the way he is managing economic issues, while only 37 percent approve. On immigration—historically one of Trump's signature issues—the public remains deeply divided. The survey shows that 48 percent approve of his approach to immigration policy and undocumented immigrants, while 40 percent disapprove. Just under 12 percent said they have no opinion. Foreign policy appears to be another area of concern for voters. On key international conflicts, Trump's ratings skew negative. Regarding the war between Russia and Ukraine, 45 percent of respondents disapprove of his handling, while 41 percent approve. On the war between Israel and Hamas, 41 percent disapprove and 38 percent approve. Meanwhile, the Tyson Group poll showed more positive results for the president, who is 4 points above the water on immigration, with 48 percent approving and 44 percent disapproving. On foreign policy, voters were evenly split, with 45 percent approving and the same amount disapproving. But on the issue of inflation, Trump is still deep underwater by 16 points, with 37 percent approving and 53 percent disapproving. Poll Date Approve Disapprove The Tyson Group June 25-26 45 51 Emerson College June 24-25 45 46 Quantus Insights June 23-25 47 50 American Pulse June 23-25 50 49 Quinnipiac June 22-24 41 54 YouGov/Economist June 20-23 40 54 Ipsos/Reuters June 21-23 41 57 Morning Consult June20-22 45 53 Bullfinch Group June 17-20 41 54 American Research Group June 17-20 38 59 Still, a handful of polls recorded slight gains for Trump, though largely within the margin of error. Quinnipiac's latest poll, conducted between June 22-24 among 979 self-identified registered voters, shows Trump's approval rating at 41 percent, a 3-point increase from the previous survey earlier this month. His disapproval rating remains unchanged at 54 percent. The most recent RMG Research poll, conducted between June 11-19, put his approval rating up one at 53 percent, while his disapproval rating remained the same at 46 percent. And in the latest Trafalgar Group poll, conducted between June 18-20, 54 percent approved of Trump's job performance, while 45 percent disapproved, giving him a net approval of +9 points. That is up from +8 in last month's poll, when 54 percent approved and 46 percent disapproved. The latest Emerson College poll, conducted between June 24-25 showed Trump's approval rating largely unchanged from April, with 45 percent approving and 46 percent disapproving, giving him a net approval rating of -1.
Bloomberg
2 hours ago
- Bloomberg
South Africa No. 2 Party Stays in Coalition, to Boycott Dialogue
South Africa's fractious coalition survived after the second-largest party opted to stay in the government following its ultimatum to President Cyril Ramaphosa for firing one of its members as a deputy minister this week, while announcing it won't take part in a national dialogue. Ramaphosa set up the panel that includes business leaders, actors and the captain of its national rugby team to guide a dialogue on the country's future development path. The Democratic Alliance made the decision after accusing the president of double standards because he fired one of its members as a deputy minister for traveling abroad without permission while members of his African National Congress who were implicated in corruption retained their cabinet posts.
Axios
2 hours ago
- Axios
Attacks on Muslims flood mainstream after Mamdani win
Zohran Mamdani's victory in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary triggered a wave of Islamophobic attacks — including from sitting members of Congress — that once might have disqualified the perpetrators from public office. Why it matters: Openly racist rhetoric has become normalized at the highest levels of American politics. Islamophobic and antisemitic incidents both reached an all-time high in 2024, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Anti-Defamation League, respectively. The mainstreaming of Islamophobic rhetoric in political discourse comes a decade after President Trump called for "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States" as part of his 2016 campaign. Driving the news: Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) urged the Justice Department to denaturalize and deport Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and became a U.S. citizen in 2018. Under federal law, denaturalization is an extreme measure typically reserved for cases involving fraud during the naturalization process. The other side: Mamdani, who would be the first Muslim mayor of New York, has spoken openly about the violent threats and hateful messages he's received throughout the campaign. He told MSNBC that he sees his victory as "an opportunity for me to introduce the fact that being Muslim is like being a member of any other faith." The big picture: The fractured media ecosystem — splintered into hyperpartisan echo chambers — has made the public shaming of racism less effective. Attacks that once would have drawn bipartisan outrage now circulate with impunity — especially on social media platforms, where hate can go viral. The baseless attempts to link Mamdani to Islamist terrorism could alarm some voters, especially amid rising antisemitism in a city that is home to the world's largest Jewish population outside of Israel. Yes, but: Some of Mamdani's loudest critics are already unpopular in New York, raising the possibility that their Islamophobic posts could backfire — and further galvanize his coalition into a history-making victory. Catch up quick: Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist, defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo by assembling a young, multiracial coalition in one of the nation's largest and most diverse cities. That coalition included progressive Jewish voters in Manhattan, college-educated liberals in Brooklyn's Park Slope and working-class communities in Queens. Mamdani, currently serving in the New York State Assembly, is of Indian ancestry. He was born in Uganda and moved to New York at age 7. After his victory, MAGA activists and Republican lawmakers took to social media to attack Mamdani's faith, heritage and left-wing politics. "Zohran 'little muhammad' Mamdani is an antisemitic, socialist, communist who will destroy the great City of New York. He needs to be DEPORTED," Ogles posted on X. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) posted an AI-generated image of the Statue of Liberty wearing a black burqa. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) tied Mamdani's victory to what she called America's "forgetting" of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. What they're saying: "Wow. Just wow," James Zogby, co-founder of the Arab American Institute, told Axios after reviewing the posts. Zogby said Islamophobia is becoming more brazen because "there are no repercussions." "We see the same Islamophobia from the same bigots anytime a Muslim runs for public office," said Basim Elkarra, executive director of CAIR Action, the political arm of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "Now it's been normalized." Zoom out: Since Sept. 11, 2001, Muslim and Arab Americans have periodically been the targets of racist and Islamophobic political campaigns. In 2005, then Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) suggested the U.S. could "take out" Islamic holy sites if attacked by radical Muslim terrorists. In 2010, the proposed Park51 Islamic community center in Lower Manhattan — branded the " Ground Zero Mosque" by activist Pamela Geller, founder of Stop the Islamization of America — became a national campaign flashpoint. Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (R-Mich.), who became the first two Muslim women elected to Congress in 2018, have faced years of Islamophobic attacks from Republicans and conservative media. State of play: Muslim Americans have built broader, multiethnic coalitions and political alliances in recent years. "I don't think [Islamophobia] is going to fly this time," Zogby said. Elkarra echoed that view, saying Mamdani's popularity could help him withstand the wave of attacks he's likely to face. There are currently an estimated 3 to 4 million Muslim Americans in the U.S. Between the lines: Days before the primary, Mamdani became embroiled in controversy for declining to condemn the phrase "globalize the intifada" during a podcast with The Bulwark. Mamdani, a longtime critic of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories, said the phrase represented to him "a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights." The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) responded by urging all New York City candidates — without naming Mamdani — to "disassociate themselves from and avoid using language that plays into antisemitic tropes." Calls to "globalize the intifada," the ADL said, invoke a decades-old history of attacks on the Jewish people and amount to "an act of incitement that encourages violence against Jews." The bottom line: Mamdani has condemned antisemitism and promised to be a mayor for all New Yorkers — one who will be laser-focused on the city's affordability crisis.
