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Added on the 18/03/2021 16:45:00 - Copyright : France 24 EN
White House negotiations with Democrats over another pandemic aid bill have come to naught so far. Congress left town on Tuesday without passing another one, as virus cases surge across the nation, and the economic recovery threatens to grind to a halt. Business Insider reports that the prospect of more coronavirus aid is uncertain during a 'lame-duck session.' Such a session takes place in an even-numbered year, between the general election and the first session of the new Congress. The next deadline Congress faces is December 11. It must approve another spending bill to prevent a government shutdown. President Donald Trump supports another stimulus package. But his position has veered from cutting off relief negotiations to pressing for more money than Democrats.
The world's economic outlook is "much more pessimistic" as a result of the war in Ukraine, warns Secretary-General Mathias Cormann, as the OECD slashes its 2022 growth forecast and projects higher inflation. SOUNDBITE
EU economic affairs commissioner Paolo Gentiloni says that the bloc has increased its growth forecast for 2021, as the eurozone economy holds strong against higher energy prices, supply chain bottlenecks and a fresh wave of Covid cases. SOUNDBITE
Dubai's Expo-2020 opens for visitors, during which the United Arab Emirates hopes to welcome about 25 million guests, as it is considered the first universal exhibition held in the Middle East and the largest event globally since the start of the Covid-19. pandemic. IMAGES
Optimism that new vaccines will bring the pandemic under control and allow economic activity to resume coupled with stimulus in major economies has boosted the growth forecast this year to 5.5 percent, the IMF says in its latest World Economic Outlook. SOUNDBITE
President Donald Trump is the first president in polling history never to have received a positive job approval rating while in office. In exit polls Tuesday, CNN reports Americans gave Trump an approval rating of 47%. Senior CNN commentator David Axelrod notes that as Trump blames the media and voter fraud for his loss to Joe Biden, Trump should look in the mirror, instead. Axelrod argues that Trump had planned to be re-elected on the strength of the economy, which caused him to downplay the seriousness of COVID-19. As the pandemic picked up speed, Trump used it to inflame his base even more, and divide the country even further. By denying science, however, he torpedoed the US economy, not to mention contributing to hundreds of thousands of deaths.
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