Latest News
Trump approval falls to record low of 32pc as high costs bite, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
President Donald Trump’s approval rating plummeted to 32 percent, the lowest of his political career, as fellow Republicans soured on his management of the expense of living amid the unpopular Iran conflict, a new Reuters/Ipsos survey revealed.
Sunday’s poll was taken over a four-day period in which Trump expelled three major news organizations from the White House and mused that Washington’s iconic Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, named after assassinated President John F. Kennedy, could be razed if Trump’s own name could not be added.
It found voters moving away from backing Trump’s fellow Republicans in the Nov. 3 midterm elections that will decide who controls Congress for the next two years.
Overall approval of Trump fell to 35% in last week’s Reuters/Ipsos poll from 40% a week before, with support among his own Republicans falling to 73% from 82% a week ago.
Trump returned to the White House in Jan. 2025 with vows he would curb inflation and cease international hostilities. A Reuters/Ipsos poll taken hours after his swearing-in showed he had a 47% approval rating.
Only 17% of respondents to the new poll approved of his handling of the cost of living, which Americans say is the top issue that will affect how they vote in November.
IRAN SHUTS DOWN TOLL
Since Trump launched his assault on Iran in February, Republicans have been increasingly unhappy about inflation, as gasoline and diesel prices have soared. For the first time, Republicans who disapprove of Trump’s handling of the expense of living outweigh those who give him a thumbs up – 51% to 44%.
Trump’s approval rating is lower than any of his Democratic predecessors, including Joe Biden who also faced increasing inflation throughout his presidency and finally dropped out of his reelection quest after a poor debate performance raised concerns about his age. Biden’s low was 35% in late October 2024.
The latest poll finds that only 34% of respondents support the strikes on Iran. The war has cut the world off from a large share of the oil and gas produced in the Middle East, and risks stoking higher inflation in the US and beyond as companies pass higher fuel prices onto consumers.
Trump first claimed the fight would last a few weeks and Iran should be destroyed to stop it from making nuclear weapons. Earlier this month, the Republican leader promised that the war would cease “immediately after” the election. But Iran has showed no sign of backing down and Tehran and its allies have ramped up threats in recent weeks of future disruptions to oil markets.
“The conflict is likely to continue for a “extended length of time,” according to the poll, with 82% of respondents saying so – including nine in ten Democrats and three-quarters of Republicans.
Asked how they would vote in the elections, registered voters in the poll favored Democrats over Republicans – 43% vs 35%, the Reuters/Ipsos poll indicated. The 8-point margin was the largest Democratic advantage this year in Reuters/Ipsos polls. For Republicans, losing either chamber may make Trump’s agenda more difficult to advance in the final two years of his presidency.
The results of the poll on congressional voting intentions provide a broad sense of which party Americans across the country would like to see running things in Congress, though the results don’t reflect all the complexities of the state-by-state and district-by-district races that determine who will control the Senate and House of Representatives.
Trump’s immigration policy remains popular among Republicans – 79% of his party support him – but only 36% of Americans overall support his approach to the subject and 55% disapprove. certain Republican friends in Congress have cautioned that his hard-line drive to deport those in the country illegally risks alienating voters with relatives who recently moved to America, such as certain Hispanics.
About 35% of those surveyed approve of Trump’s strategy to fighting crime, while 50% disapprove.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online, and received 1,277 responses from US adults across the country. There was a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
Latest News
OpenAI says its AI agents weakened internal monitoring system
Two of OpenAI’s artificial intelligence agents turned off sections of an internal monitoring system designed to identify misbehaviour, the latest example of AI agents operating in ways the developers did not expect, the company said Tuesday.
While the ChatGPT maker stated the incidences occurred during internal code work and were not considered its most serious, the disclosure underscores how even the methods developers use to spot AI misbehavior are vulnerable to the agents they monitor.
The discovery also comes amid rising fears that efforts on AI safety are failing to keep pace with the rapid development of ever more powerful systems. Scientists have cautioned about the emergence of powerful AI agents becoming increasingly autonomous and difficult to monitor and manage.
In recent months, developers including IPO-bound rivals OpenAI and Anthropic have disclosed incidents where their AI agents accessed external systems without authorisation.
In a blog post Tuesday, OpenAI reported that a GPT-6.1 Sol agent on an internal testing task on October 3 disabled automatic security alarms after interpreting an earlier order not to send Slack messages as also covering safety notifications.
Separately, on Oct. 6, an Astra agent using GPT-6 removed a safety monitor when copying an existing piece of code and later stated falsely that it did not do so, OpenAI said.“In both cases, agents thought about keeping monitoring safeguards in place but “interpreted normal coding instructions as permission to weaken them,” the company said.
“OpenAI said it was making it harder for models to disable monitoring, saying it does not ‘yet have a satisfying explanation for this behavior’.
The San Francisco-based company said it was studying whether its models would be inclined to avoid being observed and seek out reasons to justify such behaviour.
Latest News
Makkah pact aims to strengthen collective deterrence among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye
Turkiye sent a defence treaty with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to parliament for ratification on Tuesday, three parliamentary sources said, bringing NATO’s second-largest army closer to a formal mutual defence promise with Riyadh as it fears Houthi threats.
The three countries signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement in August, under which an armed attack on one member is an attack on all.
The first clause of the agreement says the parties shall use “all necessary means” to eradicate threats to each other’s territorial integrity, sovereignty or internationally recognised borders, according to a text seen by Reuters.Article 2 of the agreement states, “If one of the parties is subjected to an armed attack or military aggression by another country or group of countries, the parties shall immediately render assistance to the party which is under attack, with all means of mutual assistance at their disposal.”
Similar to NATO’s Article 5, the clause references Article 51 of the UN Charter, which deals with the individual or collective right of states to self-defence against armed attack.
The same page says the three countries “will determine the scope and nature of the support to be provided following an objective assessment of the assistance required” and will collaborate within their available resources, including military capabilities and resources.
Earlier this month, the three countries decided in an emergency alliance conference in Riyadh to guarantee the “rapid deployment” of military forces and capabilities in Saudi Arabia.
Turkiye, which has its own strong defence sector, has condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, showed a willingness to help satisfy Riyadh’s military technology demands and agreed to join a Saudi-led coalition to assure navigational safety in the Red Sea.
The pact also foresees tight cooperation on the defence sector, exchange of information, logistical support, and the fight against “all forms of terrorism”, including at the operational level.
Parliamentary approval is required for Turkiye to formally sign off on the pact.
The aim is to “strengthen collective deterrence”
Two sources claimed Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus, who is on a visit to Kyrgyzstan, would send the deal to the foreign affairs commission of parliament after he returns. The terms and specifics of the agreement are expected to be released when it is filed with the commission.
The commission may discuss the accord as early as Friday, another person added.
Turkiye’s latest move was an important milestone in the institutionalisation of strategic collaboration between the three countries, Burhanettin Duran, communications director for President Tayyip Erdogan, stated.“This strategic partnership between our countries aims to strengthen collective deterrence, improve joint capabilities in the defence sector and secure security and stability in our region,” Duran said in a post on X.
A Turkish official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said Turkey’s own contribution was likely to be limited to military equipment, intelligence sharing and weapons systems, and no other form of deployment had been made under the alliance so far.
“The Mecca Agreement is not a ‘offensive agreement,’ and Turkiye would not send forces to another nation to conduct out operations on its land. When asked how Turkiye could help Saudi Arabia fight against attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan responded
Turkey’s constitution needs independent parliamentary approval for any deployment of military overseas, regardless of international agreements.
Latest News
Pakistan decide not to participate in Over-50s Cricket World Cup 2027 in India
– Pakistan have decided not to participate in the Over-50 Cricket World Cup 2027 scheduled to take place in India after failing to secure government permission for the tournament.
The competition is scheduled to be held in Hyderabad Deccan from January 23 to February 7, 2027. Pakistan was due to participate as defending champions after winning the 2025 edition in Sri Lanka.
Fawad Ejaz Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), said Indian veterans cricket officials had assured the Pakistani team of visa arrangements and high-level security for the tournament.
He said the association had sought permission to participate from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior. However, Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi subsequently informed the association that permission would not be granted.
Following the government’s decision, the association decided against sending the team to India, Khan said, adding that the organisation respected the government’s position.
-
Latest News5 months agoICC board meeting in India: Mohsin Naqvi gets invitation
-
Latest News2 months ago‘Self-Reliance in Digital ID’: NADRA launches locally produced QR code-based National Identity Card
-
Latest News3 months ago23 people have died during the monsoon as rain-related incidents plague Punjab and KP.
-
Latest News2 months agoTurkish FM, Dar discuss regional trends, bilateral connections
-
Business3 months agoGovt dedicated to resolving Balochistan issues: Dar
-
Latest News3 months agoPakistan making rapid progress in robotics, AI: Shaza Fatima
-
Entertainment5 months agoInterim bail given to YouTuber Rajab Butt in gambling app marketing case
-
Latest News3 months agoAfter a divorce, LHC decides that women who have been harmed by their spouses get their dower.
