Ceuta, on Morocco’s northern coast, is separated from mainland Spain by the Strait of Gibraltar and has long been a focal point for migrants attempting to reach Europe.
Local officials had appealed to Madrid for help after a recent rise in attempted crossings, but there were chaotic scenes on Thursday as border controls apparently broke down.
The astonishing estimation by Spanish officials suggests the number of migrants who entered into Ceuta in the last day or so could be more than half of the population of the city – which sits at around 83,600, according to the latest local figures.
Spain later deployed its armed forces to bolster security in Ceuta and at its sister city of Melilla, where between 300 to 400 crossings were also reported overnight.
Coveted by Morocco, both cities have long been a flashpoint in diplomatic relations with Spain. Madrid asserts that both territories are integral parts of Spain and have the same status as the semi-autonomous regions on its mainland.
They form the European Union’s only land borders with Africa.
LONDON — The British government on Thursday urged FIFA to investigate Argentina’s team after players posed with a banner claiming sovereignty over the contested Falkland Islands.
Argentina beat England 2-1 in a World Cup semifinal on Wednesday in Atlanta.
During post-match celebrations, Argentine players held a banner handed over by fans in the stands, reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” — “The Malvinas are Argentine.”
Argentina refers to the Falkland Islands as Islas Malvinas. They were invaded in 1982 under orders from Argentina’s then-military dictatorship, triggering a 10-week war won by Britain.
“The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are,” a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Thursday. “Self-determination rests with the islanders and our commitment to the Falklands will never waver.”
Starmer supported calls for FIFA to investigate, the spokesperson said, after U.K. Business Secretary Peter Kyle said the players’ behavior was “entirely inappropriate.”
FIFA can prosecute Argentina’s players and soccer federation because its disciplinary code prohibits at stadiums any “message that is not appropriate for a sports event” including those of “a political, ideological, religious or offensive nature.”
The FIFA fines for political messaging are $5,000 to $20,000.
FIFA was approached for comment Thursday.
A FIFA disciplinary case under previous leadership banned a South Korea player for two 2014 World Cup qualifying games because he held up a similar banner about a territorial claim against Japan at the 2012 London Olympics. Park Jong-woo took a fan banner with the slogan “Dokdo is our territory” after South Korea beat Japan in the men’s bronze medal game.
On Wednesday, Argentina player Lisandro Martínez was asked if the banner could have stirred deep emotions and tears for a veteran of the Malvinas conflict.
“We couldn’t let the Argentine people down” said Martínez, who has played in England for the past four years with Manchester United.
The sporting rivalry between the two countries is heightened by political tensions over the South Atlantic archipelago. It is a British overseas territory with a population of around 3,500 people located about 8,000 miles from the U.K. and 300 miles from Argentina.
Argentina argues that the islands were illegally taken from it in 1833. Britain, which says its territorial claim dates to 1765, sent a warship to the islands in 1833 to expel Argentine forces who sought to establish sovereignty over the territory.
The war in 1982 killed 649 Argentine troops, 255 British service personnel and three islanders.
That conflict ended during the 1982 World Cup in Spain where Argentina, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland all played. British television networks declined to broadcast Argentina playing in the tournament’s opening game, when the defending champion lost to Belgium.
“Sadly, it is a sad part of our history,” Argentina player Leandro Paredes said in Atlanta about the banner, “for everyone involved in that chapter of, I repeat, our history. And it hurts. We knew we were playing for them, too.”
British government minister Kyle told the BBC “politics needs to be separate from football.”
“In fact, the World Cup has one of its central tenets that politics is separate from football,” he said. “That is now a matter for FIFA.”
FIFA’s statutory political neutrality has been questioned at this World Cup after its president, Gianni Infantino, and disciplinary process — which could now judge Argentina — seemed to cave to pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump in allowing United States forward Folarin Balogun to play Belgium in the round of 16.
Balogun was shown a red card in the previous round and FIFA disciplinary rules mandated he should be banned from his team’s next game. FIFA deferred that suspension for one year of probation, provoking an all-time controversy in modern World Cup history. Belgium beat the U.S. 4-1 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Infantino is expected to sit with Trump and Argentina President Javier Milei, who are political allies, at the World Cup final Sunday. Argentina plays Spain in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Argentina players showed the same “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” slogan at a warmup game in June 2014 in Buenos Aires for the World Cup that started days later in Brazil.
FIFA’s disciplinary panel ruling in that case was published after the tournament finished and fined the Argentina federation $37,000.
In the 2012 London Olympics case, FIFA’s ruling said the conduct of the South Korea player “cannot be tolerated.”
At the 2022 World Cup, FIFA fined the Serbia federation 20,000 Swiss francs ($24,800) for hanging a political banner about neighboring independent state Kosovo in the locker room before playing Brazil.
It showed a map of Serbia that included the territory of Kosovo, which has been an independent state since 2008, and the slogan “No Surrender.”
Lawless and Dunbar write for the Associated Press. Dunbar contributed to this report from Geneva.
When major disasters strike, Americans are routinely waiting weeks — or even months — to receive presidential approval for aid. And if they live in a state that didn’t support President Trump, chances are greater that aid will be denied.
Since taking office last year, Trump has approved about 65 requests for major disaster declarations and denied more than two dozen others from states, tribes or territories seeking federal financial assistance following hurricanes, tornadoes, storms, floods and fires.
Trump has taken longer on average to approve disaster requests than any other president, according to an Associated Press analysis of data dating back to 1989, when a federal law setting new parameters for disaster determinations was implemented. And no other president has such a disparity in denials between states that supported him politically and those that did not.
The delays and denials come as Trump’s administration contemplates a makeover of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which administers disaster aid. Major disaster declarations are intended for events that are beyond the resources of state and local governments.
During his second term, Trump has denied a greater percentage of disaster requests than any president dating to 1989. Those denials have not been evenly distributed among states.
Trump has approved 80% of the disaster requests from Republican governors but only about 60% from Democratic governors, according to the AP’s analysis of FEMA data.
The discrepancy is even more apparent when analyzing major disaster declarations based on presidential elections. Trump has approved more than three-fourths of the requests from states that voted for him in the 2024 election but less than half the requests from states that did not. Although there are federal criteria for disaster aid, decisions ultimately are at the president’s discretion.
A batch of denials earlier this month included four Democratic states — Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island — seeking federal aid for a February snowstorm.
“The President’s denial is part of a pattern of extreme partisanship as he tries to shift a heavier economic burden onto blue states. Disaster aid should be merit-based, not politicized,” Rhode Island’s Democratic U.S. Senate and House members said in a joint statement.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement that “there is no politicization to the President’s decisions on disaster relief.”
During his first term, Trump actually approved a greater share of requests from states that had opposed him than those that supported him.
Yet no other president had such a wide partisan divide in disaster declarations as currently exists under Trump. Obama approved 87% of the disaster requests from Democratic governors during his second term and 79% from Republican governors, but Obama’s approval rate was identical for states that voted for and against him.
When requests are denied, individuals, insurers and local governments are left to shoulder the costs themselves.
Since Trump assumed office last year, it’s taken him an average of a month and a half to approve major disaster declarations after receiving a request from the governor or chief executive of a state, territory or tribe, the AP found. Because it can take several weeks after a disaster for officials to inspect the damage and submit a request, the total wait time often has exceeded two months.
By comparison, Trump approved major disaster requests in an average of about three weeks during his first term, a pace similar to President Joe Biden. Their predecessors — Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Clinton and George H.W. Bush — all had average disaster approval times of less than two weeks.
All presidents have taken longer to approve some requests. But that’s become the norm in Trump’s second term. Of Trump’s approvals, 70% have taken at least a month — up from about one-quarter of requests during Trump’s first term and Biden’s administration, and fewer than 10% under their predecessors.
Jackson said that Trump conducts a more thorough review than any administration before him, “ensuring American tax dollars are used appropriately and efficiently by the states to supplement — not substitute — their obligation to respond to and recover from disasters.”
The longer the approval process takes, the longer people must wait to receive federal aid for daily living expenses, temporary lodging and home repairs. Delays in major disaster declarations also can hamper recovery efforts by local officials uncertain whether they will receive federal reimbursement for cleaning up debris and rebuilding infrastructure.
FEMA has had four different temporary leaders since Trump took office in January 2025. One of those, Cameron Hamilton, is awaiting Senate confirmation as the agency’s permanent director.
During a Senate committee hearing last month, Hamilton said he would try to speed up disaster declaration decisions and reimbursements. He also pledged to ensure that FEMA is objective, fair and reasonable in reviewing disaster declaration requests and making recommendations to the president.
Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL, had been fired as FEMA’s acting director in May 2025 after publicly disagreeing with Trump’s idea of dismantling the agency. His reemergence signals that Trump now may support changes to FEMA instead of an outright elimination of the agency.
A council appointed by Trump has recommended a series of changes to FEMA that would shift greater responsibility to states, potentially reducing the number of major disaster declarations and the amount of federal money paid out.
The council suggested revised criteria to qualify for presidential declarations, including a prerequisite of annual minimum expenditures by states, territories and tribes.
Another recommendation, which would require congressional approval, would reduce the federal government’s share of the disaster aid from a minimum of 75% to 50% of the costs, leaving state and local governments more to cover. For governments approved for assistance, federal funding could get there quicker — within 30 days of a federal disaster declaration, instead of waiting months or years for reimbursements that are based on proof of expenditures.
For individuals, the council recommended consolidating several different types of aid into one payment targeted for those whose homes are uninhabitable.
Lieb and Wildeman write for the Associated Press.
The TWZ Newsletter
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
A robotic boat glides through the darkness, reaches an occupied shoreline, and releases an armed ground robot that rolls inland to fight without a single soldier setting foot on the beach. While this sounds like a scene from a future war, it recently played out in southern Ukraine, reflecting Kyiv’s rapid embrace of uncrewed systems as it seeks to counter Russia’s invasion.
No soldiers. Just machines.
Ukraine has carried out the world’s first known combat mission in which a sea drone transported and deployed an armed ground robot behind Russian lines on the occupied Kinburn Spit. pic.twitter.com/zyJdFXWxVb
— Ivan Khomenko (@KhomenkoIv60065) July 13, 2026
Described as the first of its kind anywhere in the world, the operation took place on the Russian-occupied Kinburn Spit in Ukraine’s southern Mykolaiv region, according to Ukraine’s 123rd Separate Territorial Defense Brigade, which carried it out on an unspecified recent date.
“A new era of war begins with the decisions of courageous commanders,” the brigade stated today on its Telegram page, adding that the operation was led by the 123rd’s commander, Col. Oleg Makukha. The mission involved the brigade’s 1st Unmanned Systems Battalion, under Maj. Denys Gipik.
A video published by the brigade shows parts of the operation from an overhead aerial drone as well as from the uncrewed ground vehicle (UGV), and from the vessel that transported it to the shore. The uncrewed surface vessel (USV), powered by an outboard motor, beaches itself before lowering a bow ramp that allows the wheeled UGV to drive ashore. Armed with a machine gun, the UGV is then seen engaging a target beyond the beach. The USV subsequently departs, although it is unclear whether any attempt was made to recover the UGV.
The UGV appears to be a member of the Rys family, produced by Roboneers and armed with a 7.62mm machine gun. These platforms typically incorporate a ballistic computer for accurate fire and artificial intelligence that assists with autonomous target detection, tracking, and engagement.
The Rys family of vehicles is already widely used for logistics, casualty evacuation, combat engineering, and combat support missions. Variants have also been configured for minelaying and demining operations.
A Ukrainian UGV being used for the evacuation of wounded soldiers:
A Ukrainian robotic evacuation vehicle equipped with an armored capsule successfully rescued a wounded soldier from a frontline position.
During the extraction, the vehicle struck two mines on its return route. Despite the blasts, the armored capsule protected the wounded… https://t.co/84Cv2IMueX pic.twitter.com/rjwdARtyJ6
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) May 22, 2026
Ukraine has stepped up its use of similar UGVs, which it claims have been crucial in certain engagements. Earlier this year, a Droid TW-7.62, also fitted with a 7.62mm machine gun, is said to have destroyed two Russian drones before opening fire on Russian infantry, killing one and injuring another. The Droid remained in the fight, despite artillery fire, and pushed back another Russian infantry attack.
Interesting use of Ukrainian UGV Droid TW-7.62 equipped with an FN MAG machine gun to shoot down FPV drones over Kramatorsk, Ukraine.
The robot warfare is here. pic.twitter.com/7Y2zj2jdoP
— Dimko Zhluktenko 🇺🇦⚔️ (@dim0kq) March 15, 2026
You can read our in-depth account from inside Ukraine’s effort to build its UGV arsenal here.
Meanwhile, the Kinburn Spit is among southern Ukraine’s most fiercely contested coastal areas.
Russian forces occupied the roughly six-mile-long, narrow spit in the summer of 2022. Overlooking the mouth of the Dnipro River, it became a base for electronic warfare systems as well as missile and artillery strikes against southern Ukraine. Russia also constructed concrete bunkers and reportedly established a drone control station there.
Ukraine has repeatedly targeted the spit since late 2022 with reconnaissance missions, raids, and precision strikes in an effort to erode Russia’s hold on the area. Although Moscow retained control for much of the war, Ukrainian attacks steadily increased the cost of defending the position.
As of June, the Institute for the Study of War, a U.S. think tank, reported that Russian troops had withdrawn from the spit under sustained Ukrainian pressure, while Ukrainian marines later flew a national flag there using a drone. Russian forces retreated under heavy fire, with the evacuation of surviving personnel continuing, a statement from Ukraine’s Southern Defense Forces said on June 25.
Whether Russian forces have since returned in some capacity remains unclear, meaning the latest operation may have been intended as reconnaissance, a technology demonstration, or both.
Regardless of the current disposition of Russian troops, the Kinburn Spit is an ideal proving ground for uncrewed operations. Heavy surveillance, artillery, and drone coverage make conventional amphibious landings exceptionally dangerous, while robotic systems can conduct reconnaissance and combat missions without exposing troops to direct fire.
I held a Staff meeting. Three key issues.
First – UGVs. It is unmanned ground vehicles that are currently one of the most urgent needs of our Defense Forces, and production and supply must keep pace with demand. The volume of contracting for UGVs must be significantly higher…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 27, 2026
The operation reflects Ukraine’s growing reliance on uncrewed systems, with ground robots increasingly taking on high-risk tasks such as logistics, engineering, fire support, and battlefield scouting to reduce the exposure of frontline troops. At the same time, Ukraine has become the world’s leading innovator in uncrewed surface vessels, fielding versatile platforms for strike missions, intelligence gathering, logistics, and, increasingly, the deployment of other robotic systems.
While the mission was likely something of a battlefield proof-of-concept, it provides more evidence of Ukraine’s rapid pace of innovation in the field of uncrewed systems. It could also provide a glimpse of a future where amphibious landings are led by uncrewed systems.
Reflecting on the Kinburn Spit operation, the 123rd Brigade offered a simple prediction: “It’s going to get even more interesting.”
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
Ukraine said it reclaimed more of its territory than it lost during May, reversing a Russian trend of monthly net gains.
“The ratio of liberated and lost territories is almost 100 square kilometres (40 square miles) in our favour,” wrote Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskii on his Telegram messaging channel.
list of 4 itemsend of list
Ukrainian defence news outlet Militarnyi estimated net gains slightly higher, at 120 sq km (46 sq miles), citing sources within the military. Militarnyi said Russia seized 130 sq km (50 sq miles) and lost 250 sq km (100 sq miles) during the month.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank using open source geolocated information, assessed Ukrainian gains higher still, saying Russia had seized or infiltrated 40 sq km (15 sq miles) in May but lost control of about 280 sq km (108 sq miles).
The ISW believed Ukraine actually reversed Russian gains in April, when it estimated Moscow’s gains at 28 sq km (11 sq miles) of Ukrainian land and lost 116 sq km (45 sq miles).
The ISW’s assessments suggest Ukrainian gains are growing.
Syrskii said Ukraine reclaimed 600 sq km (230 sq miles) during the first five months of 2026.
However, Russia was successful on one part of the front
Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets reported on June 10 that Russian forces had advanced into eastern Konstiantynivka, the southernmost of a “fortress belt” of four cities in the eastern region of Donetsk. Russian forces first infiltrated parts of the city last October, and now hold about 13 percent of it, said the ISW.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has prioritised the capture of the remaining one-fifth of Donetsk he does not possess, but his set deadlines to achieve this have been missed several times.
Putin may be putting out feelers for potential ceasefire talks. Although on June 5 he rejected a call from Zelenskyy for direct talks, Zelenskyy said he had met with Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich who acted as Putin’s intermediary.
Ukraine says its battlefield achievements are thanks to a strategy of disrupting Russian supply lines by striking fuel and ammunition in warehouses and in transit.
“The logistical lockdown is working,” said Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. “The number of hits on enemy targets at a distance of over 50km (30 miles) from the (frontline) has doubled,” he said, comparing May to April.
Syrskii put the May total at almost 2,000 strikes.
The effects of Ukraine’s strategy have begun to build up.
Weeks of attacks in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhia reduced Russian military traffic by more than 70 percent along the M-14 motorway, the main east-west route, said Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces.
On June 7, regional authorities prohibited traffic along the M-14 altogether, Brovdi said.
That forced Russian planners to route more supplies along two highways that reach Kherson and Zaporizhia, via Crimea – the E105 and E97.
The following day, Ukraine struck a bridge that shoulders the E105 over the Chonhar Strait, leaving only the E97 passable. On June 9, as about 50 Russian fuel and ammunition trucks were routed to the E97, Ukrainian forces ambushed and destroyed some of them at Armyansk, commander Dmitry Filatov told Suspilne Radio.
“This operation would not have been possible if other units had not struck at Mariupol and the road to Berdyansk,” Filatov said, referring to the mainland routes. “This is what led to the units stationed in the Hulyaipil direction starting to be supplied, not via the Mariupol highways, but via Crimea.”
Civilians in Crimea have faced severe fuel shortages as a result of Ukrainian strikes, and these became dramatically worse in the past week.
On June 7, Sevastopol occupation governor Mikhail Razvozhaev rationed fuel to 20 litres per car per day. He later changed that to 20 litres per week.
Shortages were reportedly forcing troop evacuations from some outlying positions.
The Ukrainian underground group Atesh, which operates in Crimea, said Russian units were abandoning their positions on the Kinburn Spit because they were running out of food and fuel.
“We will create conditions under which it will be extremely difficult for military personnel and defence industry workers to remain in Crimea, in the temporarily occupied territories, or to use the routes leading to them,” Brovdi told Reuters.
Although Russia’s air force continues to command the skies over eastern Ukraine and to drop large ordnance there, Ukraine’s own figures suggest its drone superiority is the more effective tool.
Ukrainian short-and medium-range drones hit 180,000 targets in May, said Syrskii, 12.7 percent more than in April.
Ukrainian defenders are also reportedly becoming more adept at shooting down Russian Shahed drones with their own interceptor drones. Although Russia launched 25 percent more Shaheds in May compared to April, shoot-downs increased by 50 percent to about 4,000, said Fedorov,
Fedorov expected a step-change in Shahed elimination once a new generation of interceptor goes into full production which “automates 95 percent of the entire interception process”.
Beyond these mid-range strikes, Ukraine has also continued a successful long-range strike campaign that has devastated Russian refineries, oil depots and offloading terminals, reducing Russian oil production and export revenue.
Aware of the Ukrainian drone threat, Russia has created unmanned systems units of its own but appears to be having trouble manning them.
Since the beginning of the year, 14,500 people have signed contracts to serve in these units, about 21 percent of the annual recruitment target, said Syrskii. Overall, Ukraine has killed or wounded 12,500 more troops than Russia has been able to recruit this year, he said.
That is both because casualty figures have been rising since last autumn there – Ukraine estimated 31,500 Russian casualties in May – and because Moscow’s recruitment has been falling, despite increased bonuses to sign-up.
Russian opposition source Vazhnye Istorii said 71,200 people had been paid enlistment bonuses in the first quarter of 2026 according to budget data, compared to almost 90,000 in the first quarter of 2025.
It estimated that recruitment in 2025 was already 10 percent lower than in 2024.
This photo, taken Friday, shows the trading room of Hana Bank in Seoul as South Korean stocks spiked more than 4 percent amid hopes the war between the United States and Iran could end soon. Photo by Yonhap
Seoul stocks rose by more than 4 percent Friday, as investors snapped up tech heavyweights amid hopes the war between the United States and Iran could end soon.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed up 359.67 points, or 4.63 percent, at 8,123.62 after rising as high as 8,434.40.
After opening sharply higher on renewed hopes that the war between the U.S. and Iran is near its end, the index trimmed earlier gains on profit taking ahead of the closing bell.
Trade volume was heavy at 490.3 million shares worth 51.1 trillion won (US$33.6 billion). Winners outnumbered losers 753 to 144.
On Thursday (U.S. time), U.S. President Donald Trump said he has reached a “great settlement” that would resolve the monthslong conflict with Iran and the deal would be signed as early as over the weekend, possibly in Europe.
Media outlet Axios also reported that four U.S. Air Force C-17 planes departed for Europe on Thursday, moving equipment for possible travel by Vice President J.D. Vance, raising the possibility a signing ceremony could take place in Geneva, Switzerland.
“Market sentiment improved as foreign investors shifted to net buying after a 25-session selling streak, on anticipations for peace negotiations,” said Lee Kyoung-min, an analyst from Daishin Securities.
But the rise was limited, amid reports that global banks are curbing hedge funds’ leveraged bets on the country’s two semiconductor heavyweights: Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, Lee added.
Foreigners and institutional investors net purchased a combined 4.4 trillion won. Retail investors net sold 4.3 trillion won.
In Seoul, shares closed higher across the board.
Market top-cap Samsung Electronics rose 7.86 percent, to 322,500 won, while its chipmaking rival SK hynix moved up 2.33 percent to 2,150,000 won.
Semiconductor equipment maker Hanmi Semiconductor vaulted 24.05 percent to 361,000 won, after the company said in a regulatory filling it is seeking to invest in SpaceX, Elon Musk’s space company set to make its Nasdaq debut on Friday (local time).
Shipmakers also gathered ground as investors went bargain hunting. Hanwha Ocean added 7.85 percent to 112,700 won and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries increased 0.62 percent to 650,000 won.
Portal operator Naver jumped 10.27 percent, to 247,000 won, financial firm KB Financial climbed 6.4 percent to 161,200 won, and top car maker Hyundai Motor added 1.68 percent to 607,000 won.
The Korean won was quoted at 1,519.8 won against the U.S. dollar as of 3:30 p.m., up 9.1 won from the previous session’s close.
Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, closed higher. The yield on three-year Treasurys fell 9.6 basis points to 3.808 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds declined 10.9 basis points to 3.971 percent.
Copyright (c) Yonhap News Agency prohibits its content from being redistributed or reprinted without consent, and forbids the content from being learned and used by artificial intelligence systems.
WASHINGTON — Mired in a persistent cost of living crisis and an unpopular war with Iran, President Trump reached a perilous milestone last week, registering an approval rating of 34% in a top-tier poll — a record low less than halfway through his second term.
The results mark one of the sharpest polling collapses of any modern president. The data, from the Economist and YouGov, brings Trump back down to his political nadir, matching a number he hasn’t seen since the immediate aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack five years ago.
It follows on several other surveys published in recent days showing the president entering precarious political territory roughly six months ahead of the midterm elections, raising alarm bells in Republican campaign offices across the country over the party’s prospects in the fall.
It has also led pollsters to question long-standing assumptions about the president’s floor of support, wondering whether it is at risk of giving way.
“It’s harder to get lower, but it’s possible depending on what he does,” said Christopher Wlezien, a political scientist at the University of Texas at Austin. “To get that number down, you are going to have to eat into his core.”
Trump’s base of support remains strong, reinforcing a long-standing theory among pollsters that partisanship now serves as a direct proxy for presidential approval. But softening Republican support on specific policy matters — including top voter priorities, such as the economy — have begun raising questions among experts whether further erosion is possible.
A New York Times poll found his approval at 38%, and a Politico poll recorded a similar erosion, driven by a majority of Americans — including 18% of Trump supporters — stating they are financially worse off than they were before he resumed office.
Roughly 2 out of 3 Americans oppose the war Trump started with Iran. And the coalition that swept him back into office — including a surge in support from Latino, independent and young voters — has effectively disappeared.
While the downward trend looks like a story of a presidency in perpetual trouble, political scientists see a more complicated picture.
“Polarization has raised the floor and lowered the ceiling for approval ratings,” said Brandon Rottinghaus, a professor of political science at the University of Houston. “Dramatic swings are less common because approval ratings are now fixed to partisanship.”
The comparison to George W. Bush, whose numbers famously soared after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and cratered into the mid-20s after Hurricane Katrina and the Iraq war, is instructive of how polarization has changed in the Trump era.
Bush governed in a country capable of moving together, in favor or against a president, in response to major events. Americans are no longer swayed in that way when it comes to their views of the president, Rottinghaus argues.
“Approval ratings today are increasingly a measure of who the president is rather than what the president does,” he said.
Trump, in his own way, has seemed to nod at this dynamic. When challenged on his standing with the public, or when a Republican lawmaker breaks with him over a policy issue, he has made the argument that he and the MAGA movement are inseparable. In other words, that opposition to any decision he makes is opposition to the movement itself.
“MAGA is me. MAGA loves everything I do, and I love everything I do,” Trump said in a January interview with NBC News when asked if his base supports long-term military interventions abroad.
Rottinghaus compared the questions about presidential approval as the “same as asking whether you’re Republican or not.”
“So why ask it,” he said.
Gallup, the organization that had tracked presidential approval for eight decades, announced earlier this year that it would stop publishing approval ratings of individual political figures, a shift that underscores how the traditional measure of a politician’s popularity has evolved.
When asked about the change, a Gallup spokesperson told the Washington Post at the time that “the context around these measures has changed.”
“They are now widely produced, aggregated and interpreted, and no longer represent an area where Gallup can make its most distinctive contribution,” the spokesperson added.
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Awards Award Winners World’s Best Islamic Financial Institutions 2026: Country and Territory Winners
In 2026, Islamic financial institutions continue to demonstrate resilience, innovation, and regional impact.
Across the Middle East, Asia, and beyond, leaders are balancing robust growth with Shariah-compliant practices, setting new standards in both domestic and cross-border markets.
Institutions are harnessing digital transformation to deliver more efficient, accessible, and customer-focused banking, from mobile apps and AI-powered services to fully digitized payment and investment platforms. Their portfolios span retail, corporate, and wealth banking, while many are pioneering new products in sukuk, digital savings, and Shariah-compliant investment solutions.
Regional leaders are also championing financial inclusion, SME support, and sustainable initiatives, reflecting a commitment to both community development and responsible growth. Across markets, the combination of innovative technology, solid performance, and ethical finance is positioning these institutions as benchmarks of excellence in the global Islamic finance landscape.
Standard Chartered Saadiq (SCS)
SCS is a leading Islamic financial institution throughout Asia and particularly in Malaysia, Pakistan, Brunei, Singapore, and Indonesia, providing innovative solutions for Shariah-compliant financial needs. With the support of parent Standard Chartered Bank, it also provides access to the global banking and financial markets. SCS is active across corporate and investment banking, trade finance, wealth management, and retail and private banking as well as the sukuk market.
Emirates Islamic Bank (EIB)
EIB had a banner year in 2025, reporting net profit up 19% at 3.3 billion UAE dirhams ($899 billion), driven by robust balance-sheet growth and higher recoveries. Financing growth was 26% over the retail and corporate banking segments. Total income in retail banking and wealth management increased 14%, driven by increased customer liabilities and Islamic financing growth. Total income from corporate and institutional banking increased 15%. Supported by a sophisticated digital offering, EIB’s franchise has strengthened across a broad menu of Shariah-compliant products.
KFH Bahrain
Part of the KFH Group, KFH Bahrain continued to develop its domestic franchise last year; to focus more closely on the local Islamic market, it sold its stake in Oman’s Ahlibank. A signal achievement in 2025 was the successful, $400 billion Additional Tier 1 Sukuk offering, the largest of its kind ever in Kuwait. Also last year, KFH Bahrain launched the KFH Gold Account, Bahrain’s first digital gold investment and savings account. KFH’s MyHassad Savings Scheme is now the island kingdom’s largest prize-based savings product, with a record-breaking deposit portfolio of $675 million following 17% growth last year. The bank also completed its fully digitized Liquidity Management Solution in 2025.
Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam
Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam is the dominant bank in Islamic finance in Brunei Darussalam, with assets of $8.3 billion covering a range of Islamic SME and consumer financing products.
ADIB Egypt
A leading performer in Egypt’s Islamic banking sector, ADIB Egypt reported assets of $7.3 billion last year, up by 42% in US dollar terms, thanks to growing market share as net profit grew 25% to $256 million. ADIB Egypt offers retail and corporate banking services together with investment banking, leasing, asset management, and microfinance.
Bank Muamalat
Indonesia’s first Islamic bank, founded in 1991, Bank Muamalat today holds total assets of $4 billion. It provides a comprehensive range of Shariah-compliant financial services and has pioneered many Islamic banking products in Indonesia.
Islamic International Arab Bank (IIAB)
IIAB takes the title as 2026 Best IFI for Jordan thanks to a strong performance in 2025, significant digital progress, and a widening business reach. Growth was in double figures and assets now total some $6 billion. IIAB holds a 22% market share of Islamic assets in the kingdom. IIAB serves individuals, SMEs and large corporates, in addition to financing large projects. It has been an initiator of multiple domestic SME enablers, including the Kafalah Scheme, Jordan’s first Shariah-compliant finance guarantee scheme, and jointly organized the first Islamic funds mobilization with the Central Bank of Jordan, the Arab Fund, the World Bank, and other regional players.
IIAB’s digital banking services include a high-end mobile app that includes digital onboarding, seamless access to most of IIAB’s banking services, personal finance management, and third-party services via the bank’s ecosystem. IIAB is also an active AI adopter, embedding it at the core of its digital transformation to enhance customer experience, operational efficiency, and Shariah-complaint innovation.
Kuwait Finance House (KFH)
Kuwait’s second-largest bank, KFH now controls over 60% of domestic Islamic banking assets and is by far the kingdom’s largest Islamic institution. It holds a 30% share of conventional and Islamic banking assets. Domestically, KFH dominates the Islamic financing and deposit market—and, in turn, has a strong presence in the overall banking sector for both deposits and financing/loans—as well as a strong positions in retail, private, and corporate banking.
Maybank Islamic
Maybank Islamic, Malaysia’s flagship Islamic institution, is innovative, well managed, and over the long term, has recorded impressive performance. It is often first in introducing innovative Shariah-compliant financial products. In its home country, the bank controls around 30% of Islamic assets, but its activities extend across other Asian markets as well, making it the largest Islamic bank outside the Middle East and fifth-largest globally with $90 billion in assets. It also holds a prominent position in the global sukuk market. Maybank’s financial metrics are solid, with a strong capital base and good returns.
Umnia Bank
Umnia Bank was Morocco’s first Islamic bank, established in 2017. Shareholders include Qatar International Islamic Bank, CIH Bank (Credit Immobilier et Hotelier), and Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion (CDG). Unmia operates the country’s largest Islamic banking network and is its largest by total assets, with around 50% market share in financings and 40% in deposits. Its main areas of financing are automobiles, real estate, and equipment finance.
Bank Nizwa
With $5.2 billion in assets at the end of last year, Bank Nizwa is Oman’s seventh-largest bank, with a focus on innovation that has helped broaden its reach in its home market. Oman’s first digital Islamic bank, it remains focused on digital expansion.
Reinforcing its commitment to leveraging strategic partnerships, Bank Nizwa launched the Tranna app last year in collaboration with Zappit, a financial technology company. The app is designed for expatriates living and working in Oman, enabling instant transfers to six countries: India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, the Philippines, and Bangladesh. Also last year, Bank Nizwa launched its Electronic Mandate (E-Mandate) for Direct Debit service that streamlines recurring transactions and enhances the overall banking experience for corporate and retail customers.
Meezan PAKISTAN
Meezan Pakistan had a strong 2025, launching several new products. Totall deposits increase by 28% to $17.2 billion, aided by a large branch and ATM network and solid digital infrastructure.
Meezan continued to strengthen its digital offerings via WhatsApp Banking, a simple, secure, and accessible transactions channel, and its highly rated mobile app, which is recognized for its simplicity, speed, and reliability. The app expanded its user base 40% to over 4.3 million while financial transactions increased 40% to 553 million.
The bank offers one of the industry’s most comprehensive portfolios of debit cards, supported by advanced payment technologies including NFC-enabled payments, chip and PIN security, mobile-based contactless transactions, and 3D secure e-commerce payments.
Qatar Islamic Bank
The emirate’s largest Islamic bank and its second-largest bank overall, QIB enjoys a strong franchise and market position, when ranked by total banking assets. QIB reported 2025 net profit of $1.3 billion as total assets reached $61 billion, as total assets rose to 10% to $61 billion, QIB is also active in the Islamic capital markets, including sukuk-related activities, structured financing, and transaction execution. QIB has significant government backing, with the Qatar Investment Authority its largest shareholder.
Al Rajhi Bank
Al Rajhi Bank is the world’s largest Islamic financial institution and Saudi Arabia’s flagship Islamic bank with $278 billion in total assets and $6.6 billion in net profit at the end of last year. It operates a strong retail banking network in its home market, particularly measured by deposits and income. It ranks first in banking transactions with 1 billion per month and first in remittances for the Middle East by payment value. Al Rajhi has 20.6 million customers in Saudi Arabia and the leading market share in deposits at 22.6%. Financial metrics are good, particularly capital ratios with total CAR at 21.9% at the end of 2025 and ROAA of 2.4%.
Commercial Bank of Ceylon
Al-Adalah, Commercial Bank of Ceylon’s Islamic banking window, offers a diverse portfolio of innovative Shariah-compliant products. Assets grew 67% last year as the financing portfolio doubled. The bank also made a strategic pivot in 2025 toward SME financing and sustainable energy projects.
Kuveyt Türk Katilim Bankasi (KTKB)
KTKB is KFH’s Turkish subsidiary. The largest Islamic bank in Turkey and one of the country’s top 10 banks, its business model has proved resilient amid a challenging operating environment. Commanding a 34% market share in Turkish Islamic banking, it also operates an Islamic bank in Germany under the name KT Bank AG as well as a Bahrain office that serves as a bridge between Turkey and the Gulf Cooperation Council states.
Emirates Islamic Bank (EIB)
EIB’s market position grew significantly in 2025 as assets increased 30% to $39.7 billion and deposits grew 33%, bolstered by a strong balance sheet and strong capital and liquidity position. The third-largest Islamic bank in the UAE, EIB has been improving its digital infrastructure and increasing its AI utilization. It has expanded its wealth management services and products, becoming the first Islamic bank in the UAE to launch a Shariah-compliant digital wealth offering and equity trading via mobile banking app.
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Veteran investor George Noble said investors should avoid long-dated bonds and instead focus on energy, commodities, and gold miners as rising deficits, sticky inflation, and higher yields reshape markets.
(George Noble, in collaboration with Seeking Alpha, will host the
THE HAGUE — Venezuela ’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez told journalists Monday that her country had no plans to become the 51st U.S. state after President Trump said he was “seriously considering” the move.
Rodríguez was speaking at the International Court of Justice in The Hague on the final day of hearings in a dispute between her country and neighboring Guyana over the massive mineral- and oil-rich Essequibo region.
“We will continue to defend our integrity, our sovereignty, our independence, our history,” said Rodríguez, who assumed power in January following a U.S. military operation that ousted then-President Nicolás Maduro. Venezuela is “not a colony, but a free country,” she added.
Speaking to Fox News earlier on Monday, Trump said he was “seriously considering making Venezuela the 51st U.S. state,” according to a post by Fox News’ co-anchor John Roberts on social media. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.
Trump has made similar comments about Canada.
Rodríguez went on to say that Venezuelan and U.S. officials have been in touch and are working on “cooperation and understanding.”
Before addressing Trump’s comments, Rodríguez defended her country’s claim to Essequibo at the United Nations’ highest court, telling judges that political negotiations — not a judicial ruling — will resolve the century-old territorial dispute.
The 62,000-square-mile territory, which makes up two-thirds of Guyana, is rich in gold, diamonds, timber and other natural resources. It also sits near massive offshore oil deposits currently producing an average 900,000 barrels a day.
That output is close to Venezuela’s daily production of about 1 million barrels a day and has transformed one of the smallest countries in South America into a significant energy producer.
Venezuela has considered Essequibo its own since the Spanish colonial period, when the jungle region fell within its boundaries. But an 1899 decision by arbitrators from Britain, Russia and the United States drew the border along the Essequibo River largely in favor of Guyana.
Venezuela has argued that a 1966 agreement sealed in Geneva to resolve the dispute effectively nullified the 19th-century arbitration. In 2018, however, three years after ExxonMobil announced a significant oil discovery off the Essequibo coast, Guyana’s government went to the International Court of Justice and asked judges to uphold the 1899 ruling.
Tensions between the countries further flared in 2023, when Rodríguez’s predecessor, Maduro, threatened to annex the region by force after holding a referendum asking voters if Essequibo should be turned into a Venezuelan state. Maduro was captured Jan. 3 during a U.S. military operation in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, and taken to New York to face drug trafficking charges. He has pleaded not guilty.
Rodríguez did not address the referendum in her remarks, but she told the court that the 1966 agreement is designed to allow negotiations between Venezuela and Guyana to resolve the territorial dispute. And she accused Guyana’s government of undermining the agreement with the “opportunistic” decision to ask the court to address the dispute.
“At a time when the mechanisms established in the Geneva agreement were still fully in force, Guyana unilaterally chose to shift the dispute from the negotiating arena to a judicial resolution,” she said. “This change was not accidental; it coincided with the discovery in 2015 of the oil field that would become world-renowned.”
When hearings opened last week, Guyana’s foreign minister, Hugh Hilton Todd, told the panel of international judges that the dispute “has been a blight on our existence as a sovereign state from the very beginning.” He said that 70% of Guyana’s territory is at stake.
The court is likely to take months to issue a final and legally binding ruling in the case.
Venezuela has warned that its participation in the hearings does not mean either consent to, or recognition of, the court’s jurisdiction.
Quell and Cano write for the Associated Press. Garcia Cano reported from Mexico City.