America’s economy added 151,000 jobs in February, missing forecasts of 160,000. The unemployment rate rose to 4.1%, from 4%. Treasury yields fell in response as investors bet that the data—and concerns over the impact of President Donald Trump’s trade policies on growth—would push the Federal Reserve toward rate cuts. Wage growth, however, outpaced inflation.
Mr Trump said he had written to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, about negotiating a nuclear deal. During his first term America’s president abandoned a nuclear pact with Iran, which he said was too generous. Yet he failed to secure a stricter agreement. Earlier Mr Trump said he was “strongly considering” sanctions and tariffs on Russia until it makes peace with Ukraine.
Donald Tusk, Poland’s prime minister, said the country will expand its army to 500,000 troops and provide military training to all adult men. He said the country was in “serious talks” with France about using its nuclear capabilities to defend Poland, and warned that Russia is preparing for a larger war. Poland will invest $46bn in its armed forces this year.
Over 140 people have been killed over two days in clashes between Syrian security forces and supporters of Bashar al-Assad, the deposed president. The two groups have been engaged in heavy fighting in Latakia and Tartus. The coastal provinces are the heartland of Syria’s Alawite minority, of which Mr Assad is a member. In late February security forces killed four people there, including an officer in the army of the overthrown regime.
Three Bulgarians were convicted in London of spying for Russia. Prosecutors said they were controlled by Jan Marsalek, the fugitive former chief operating officer of Wirecard, a fintech darling turned Germany’s biggest post-war corporate scandal, on behalf of Russia. Two co-conspirators had already pleaded guilty. Police described the operation as “spying on an almost industrial scale”.
A South Korean court overturned the arrest warrant for Yoon Suk Yeol, the impeached president, citing procedural flaws and questions over the legality of his detention. Mr Yoon, jailed since January on insurrection charges linked to his declaration of martial law in December, could now be released. The ruling does not dismiss the charges; his impeachment trial will continue.
The Trump administration cancelled $400m in federal grants to Columbia University, citing its “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students” and warning that the cuts were merely the “first round of action”. Last spring protests against the war in Gaza rocked the university, fuelling debates about free speech and campus policing. The administration said that Columbia holds more than $5bn in federal grants.
Word of the week: Sertanejo, Brazil’s most popular music genre, a country-inspired style reflecting the country’s rural and agricultural roots. Read the full story.
Donald Trump’s return to the presidency has brought exceptional changes to American politics—with consequences for the rest of the world, too. Read The US in brief, a daily update of the domestic political stories that matter. Sign up here to receive it as a newsletter, each weekday, in your inbox.