WSJ Opinion: Is the West Finally Getting Serious About Imposing Pain on Vladimir Putin?
The European Union places tougher economic sanctions on Russia amid its war on Ukraine. Will Donald Trump do the same at last? Plus, a populist wave hits Japan as the Liberal Democratic Party loses its majority in the upper house as voters revolt against inflation. Photo: Monica Espitia
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Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Serbia seeks extension of US sanctions waiver for oil firm NIS, minister says
(Reuters) -Serbia has sought an extension from the United States on a sanctions waiver for Russian-owned Serbian oil company NIS for an additional 180 days, Serbia's mining and energy minister said on Thursday. "In the past month, as well as in the entire period since January when U.S. sanctions against NIS were first announced, we have consistently defended our position that sanctions would be very bad for the energy security of Serbia and the region," Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic said in a statement. Continued sanctions on NIS, which is majority-owned by Russia's Gazprom Neft and Gazprom, would also hurt Serbia's economy, he said. The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) initially placed sanctions on Russia's oil sector on January 10, with NIS having so far secured a fourth reprieve, which is due to expire on July 29. NIS operates Serbia's only oil refinery and the company's operating license is critical for crude oil procurement at the refinery, the minister said, stressing Serbia's commitment to working with its U.S. and Russian partners for a sustainable solution. Djedovic Handanovic also thanked Hungary for its support, stating, "the Hungarian government has always supported Serbia's request to extend the license for NIS, and we expect it to do so this time as well." NIS's refinery in the town of Pancevo, just outside Belgrade, has an annual capacity of 4.8 million tons and covers most of the Balkan country's needs.
Newsweek
19 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump's Approval Among Gen Z Hits Second Term 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. Support for President Donald Trump among Generation Z voters has plunged to its lowest level since he returned to the White House, according to new polling. The latest CBS/YouGov survey, conducted between July 16-18 among 2,343 adults, found just 28 percent of voters aged 18 to 29 now approve of Trump's performance, while 72 percent disapprove—a net approval rating of -44, down from -20 in early June and -12 in late April. Morning Consult's latest poll, conducted between July 18-20 among 2,202 registered voters, also put Trump's approval rating among Gen Z at an all-time low, with 71 percent disapproving of his job performance, compared with just 24 percent who approve of it. That gives him a net approval rating of -47. President Donald Trump addresses the crowd as he prepares to sign the GENIUS Act, a bill that regulates stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency, in the East Room of the White House, Friday, July 18, 2025,... President Donald Trump addresses the crowd as he prepares to sign the GENIUS Act, a bill that regulates stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency, in the East Room of the White House, Friday, July 18, 2025, in Washington. More Alex Brandon/AP Why It Matters In the 2024 election, Trump made inroads with young voters, narrowing the Democrats' traditional lead among Gen Z—a group that has typically leaned left in recent cycles. According to AP VoteCast, voters ages 18 to 29 supported Kamala Harris over Trump by just 51 percent to 47 percent. By comparison, in 2020, Joe Biden carried the same age group by a much wider margin, winning 61 percent to Trump's 36 percent. Now, that shift appears to be reversing among a generation that had showed signs of warming to Trump's populist messaging. What To Know The CBS/YouGov data showed that the collapse in support for Trump among Gen Z voters has been both sharp and steady. By late February, it had slipped to 51 percent, with disapproval at 49 percent—a modest but narrowing lead. That equilibrium held through March. But April brought a dramatic downturn, with approval plunging to 43 percent by mid-month and 44 percent by April 25. Disapproval climbed in parallel, hitting 57 percent and 56 percent, respectively. By June 6, Trump's approval stood at just 40 percent, and by mid-July, support among Gen Z cratered at 28 percent—the lowest of his second term to date. Gen Z Turns on Trump Over Economy and Inflation The data also reveal an accelerating erosion of confidence in Trump's handling of core policy issues—especially among a generation hit hard by economic precarity and rising living costs. On the economy, Gen Z voters gave Trump a net rating of +4 in late February. That number fell to zero in March, -26 in early April and -42 by July 18. Discontent over inflation has grown even more severe. In February, Trump's net inflation approval rating was -10. By April, it had dropped to -38. As of July 18, it sits at -46, meaning fewer than one in four Gen Z voters likely approve of his handling of the issue. It comes as annual inflation rose 2.7 percent in June, up from 2.4 percent in May, according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The latest polling also sheds light on the growing breadth of disapproval among young voters. Nearly half (49 percent) of Gen Z respondents say Trump's policies are responsible for the current state of the economy, while just 14 percent blame Biden's policies. Sixty-two percent now believe the economy is getting worse, up from 48 percent in June. And more than half (58 percent) now say Trump's policies have made them personally worse off financially. When asked about specific economic concerns, 70 percent of Gen Z voters say Trump is not focusing enough on lowering the cost of goods and services. Seventy-two percent say he is focusing too much on tariffs, which many blame for rising prices. Food costs continue to be a major source of frustration, with 68 percent saying grocery prices are still rising under Trump's second term. Immigration Crackdown Backfires Among Young Voters Trump's immigration crackdown has also lost favor. After briefly climbing into positive territory in March (+2), Trump's immigration approval fell to -16 in April, -12 in June, and -40 in the most recent survey. Throughout his second term, Trump has aggressively expanded immigration enforcement—launching mass deportation operations, increasing raids in sanctuary cities and reviving thousands of old deportation cases. Unlawful crossings at the southern border hit a historic low last month, and Trump has secured billions in additional funding for border security and expanded enforcement operations. His administration has also dramatically scaled up detention capacity, allocating $45 billion to expand ICE facilities and construct large-scale temporary camps, including a facility in Florida nicknamed "Alligator Alcatraz." But while Trump has continued to push the hardline immigration agenda that helped him win support in 2024, new polls indicate that backing for those policies is fading across other demographic groups. Gallup polling this month shows that 30 percent of Americans now say immigration levels should be reduced, down from 55 percent in 2024. Support for maintaining or increasing immigration has risen across the board, including among Republicans. More broadly, the number of Americans who view immigration as a "good thing" has reached an all-time high of 79 percent, the same poll shows, reversing a steady decline during Joe Biden's presidency and surpassing sentiment levels from Trump's first term. But among Gen Z, the backlash extends beyond economic and immigration policy. According to the YouGov/CBS polling, 71 percent of Gen Z voters disapprove of Trump's signature legislative package, the "Big Beautiful Bill Act," which critics say prioritizes tax cuts for the wealthy while slashing safety-net programs. And in one of the sharpest rebukes yet, 84 percent disapprove of the Trump administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files—the highest disapproval on that issue among any age group.
The Hill
20 minutes ago
- The Hill
Ukraine's Zelenskyy promises safeguards after street protests over a new anti-corruption law
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Opponents of a new law they say strips Ukraine's anti-corruption watchdogs of their independence called for a third straight day of street protests across the country Thursday, despite President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's attempts to defuse the tension with promises of legislative safeguards. After meeting with the heads of Ukraine's key anti-corruption and security agencies, Zelenskyy promised to act on their recommendations by presenting a bill to Parliament that strengthens the rule of law. 'And very importantly: all the norms for the independence of anti-corruption institutions will be in place,' Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address late Wednesday. Zelenskyy acknowledged the controversy triggered by the new corruption law, which also drew rebukes from European Union officials and international rights groups. 'It's not falling on deaf ears,' Zelenskyy said of the complaints. 'We've analyzed all the concerns, all the aspects of what needs to be changed and what needs to be stepped up.' However, he didn't promise to revoke the law that he approved. The legislation that was adopted this week, despite pleas for Zelenskyy to veto it, tightened government oversight of two key anti-corruption agencies. Critics said the step could significantly weaken the independence of those agencies and give Zelenskyy's circle greater influence over investigations. The protests haven't called for Zelenskyy's ouster. But the first major anti-government demonstrations since the war began come at a tough time for Ukraine in its three-year battle to thwart Russia's invasion. Russia's bigger army is accelerating its efforts to pierce Ukraine's front-line defenses and is escalating its bombardment of Ukrainian cities. Ukraine is also facing a question mark over whether the United States will provide more military aid and whether European commitments can take up the slack, with no end to the war in sight. Delegations from Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul for a third round of talks in as many months Wednesday. But once again the talks were brief and delivered no major breakthrough. Zelenskyy had insisted earlier Wednesday that the new legal framework was needed to crack down harder on corruption. Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine's aspirations to join the EU and maintain access to billions of dollars in Western aid in the war. 'Criminal cases should not drag on for years without verdicts, and those working against Ukraine must not feel comfortable or immune from punishment,' he said. Meanwhile, Russian planes dropped two powerful glide bombs on the center of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, on Thursday morning, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said. At least 16 people were injured, including a 10-year-old girl who suffered an acute stress reaction, he said. The southern Ukrainian city of Odesa and Cherkasy in central Ukraine were also hit overnight, authorities said. The drone and missile strikes on the cities injured 11 people, including a 9-year-old, and damaged historic landmarks and residential buildings, officials said. Ukraine has sought to step up its own long-range drone attacks on Russia, using domestic technology and manufacturing. An overnight Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi killed two women and injured 11 other people, local authorities said Thursday. An oil depot was hit, officials said, without offering details.
