China sets lowest growth target since 1991 as economy struggles to keep momentum

BEIJING —Chinaannounced its lowest growth target in 35 years Thursday as the world's second-biggest economy struggles with challenges at home and growing uncertainty around the world.

This year, China will aim for GDP growth of 4.5% to 5%, "while striving for better in practice," Premier Li Qiang, China's No. 2 official, said in a "work report" delivered inside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during the opening session of the National People's Congress, China's biggest political event of the year.

That figure, the country's lowest since 1991, compares with the5% target achieved last yearand is the first formal downgrade since 2023. It's an acknowledgment that China's growth is slowing as the model that supercharged its economy for decades starts to reach its limits.

"While recognizing our achievements, we are also clear-eyed about the difficulties and challenges we face," Li said in his more than hourlong address, during which he read much of the 35-page report.

Thousands of delegates are gathered in Beijing for the National People's Congress, where the ruling Communist Party sets economic targets, lays out policies and signals its tone to the rest of the world. The event, overseen by Chinese leaderXi Jinping, is tightly scripted and almost entirely predetermined to showcase a leadership hyper-focused on stability.

It comes weeks before PresidentDonald Trumpis set to visit China for a meeting with Xi where both leaders are trying toextend a fragile trade truce. The highly anticipated meeting has been further complicated byU.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, which has close ties with Beijing.

China is trying to rebalance its export-dependent economy by boosting domestic demand while addressing structural issues, including a prolonged property slump, industrial overcapacity and soaring local government debt.

It is also investing heavily in cutting-edge technologies such asartificial intelligenceandroboticsas it competes with the United States for global dominance in those industries.

Li said the government would roll out economic policies "against U.S. tariffs," which have varied wildly since Trump launched a trade war with China upon his return to office last year. Though China's exports to the U.S. have fallen precipitously under the tariffs, it has sold more products elsewhere in the world and had arecord trade surplusof almost $1.2 trillion last year.

Defense spending will increase 7% to more than $275 billion, according to a separate government budget report, down from 7.2% last year and roughly in line with recent years. China, which has recently seen alarge-scale purge of senior military officers, aims to modernize its military by 2035 amid rising tensions in the region, including over the Beijing-claimed island ofTaiwan.

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"We will make solid gains in military training and combat readiness, and speed up the development of advanced combat capabilities," Li said in his speech.

Even with a slightly lower growth target, which was widely expected, China is seeking to project confidence in the face of uncertainty and pressures. But the picture is complicated by the war in Iran, China's longtime strategic partner.

China has been a lifeline for heavily sanctioned Iran, buying 80% of its crude oil imports in exchange for a major discount. But they account for only about 13% of China's total oil imports and are easily replaced.

Beijing is more concerned about theStrait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping route that Iran has effectively shut down in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli strikes. China, the world's largest energy importer, relies on the strait for one-third of its oil imports and a quarter of its gas.

Though China has spent years building up its reserves, which analysts say can offset immediate supply shocks, an extended conflict threatens its economic interests across the Middle East.

Iran is the second Chinese partner in two months to be targeted by U.S. military action, after the surprisecapture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduroin January. Beijing has criticized the strikes on Iran, as it did the U.S. raid on Venezuela, but is unlikely to provide more than rhetorical support.

Stability amid international turbulence is a key theme for China's leadership, which favors a "multipolar world" over one dominated by the U.S. But Beijing is also keen to preserve stability in its relationship with Washington, meaning it is unlikely to let the Iran strikes delay or derail Trump's China visit, which the White House says will start March 31.

In his speech, Li talked about the "positive outcomes" from five rounds of U.S.-China trade talks and said economic and trade cooperation between the world's two biggest economies was on a "more stable footing."

China's economic plans are complicated by its aging and rapidly shrinking population, with officials prioritizing more marriages and a higher birthrate a decade after ending the controversial one child policy. The country of 1.4 billion people faces the same demographic crunch as the U.S. and many other countries, with young people increasingly putting off marriage and starting families or decidingnot to have children at all.

Li proposed building a "childbirth-friendly society" in the next five years, with changes to education and health care. Many young people in China complain that the cost of raising children is too high andjob prospects too low.

With more than one-fifth of its population over age 60, China is also trying to improve services at the other end of the age spectrum with initiatives to bolster the so-called silver economy. Li said the government would expand sports programs and increase the number of beds at elder care facilities.

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March 04, 2026

China sets lowest growth target since 1991 as economy struggles to keep momentum

BEIJING —Chinaannounced its lowest growth target in 35 years Thursday as the world's second-biggest economy struggles...

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Who won the Trent McDuffie trade? Grading blockbuster Rams-Chiefs deal

TheLos Angeles Ramsand Kansas City Chiefs have swung the first major trade of the NFL offseason.

The Chiefsare trading cornerback Trent McDuffieto the Rams in exchange for the No. 29 overall pick in April's NFL Draft, along with fifth- and sixth-round picks this year and a third-round pick in 2027, a person with knowledge of the deal told USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade could not become official until the start of the new league year on March 11.

The deal significantly changes the landscape for two teams desperate to claw back to the front of the pack in their respective conferences. For Los Angeles, it serves as the latest marquee veteran addition – at perhaps the most pressing area of need – for a team seeking to capitalize onNFL MVP Matthew Stafford's return. The Chiefs, meanwhile, receive more ammunition for resetting a roster that still has several needs and is undergoing some salary cap-related shifts.

But who came out ahead in the deal? Here are grades for each team:

Rams trade grade: B

Turns out Rams general manager Les Snead wasn't kidding about trying to maximize Stafford's competitive window.

After the 38-year-old quarterback announced after taking home the league's top individual award that he would be returning for the 2026 season, Snead later suggested that the team was intent on catering its offseason to "make the most of the time we have" with the passer. On Tuesday, Snead seemed to tease the possibility of using one of his two first-round picks to swing a splashy deal.

"Is there an All-Pro that you could add?" Snead told reporters. "That would be nice."

Less than 24 hours later, he has one in the former Chiefs standout.

McDuffie's arrival shores up the back end of a Rams defense that unraveled down the stretch, culminating with Sam Darnold torching the group for 346 yards and three touchdowns in Los Angeles' NFC championship game defeat. Coverage performance can be volatile, but the four-year veteran has reliably clamped down on opposing receivers. And parting with the latter of the Rams' two first-rounders and holding onto their payoff from the Atlanta Falcons' ill-conceived gamble last year was a nice touch from Snead.

Still, this is a fairly considerable compensation package – including the a likely extension that should be costly – for a player not in an elite tier at his position group. And there are at least a couple areas of concern.

At 5-11 and 193, McDuffie doesn't solve Los Angeles' lingering problem of matching up with bulkier receivers. Those size limitations led Kansas City to place the 2022 first-round pick in the slot early in his career, and the result was an All-Pro campaign in 2023. Staying there full-time with the Rams might be a non-starter given how much the team gave up to land him, but moving him inside at least occasionally should be a consideration.

McDuffie also struggled last season with the Chiefs tilting more toward zone coverages, allowing a career-worst catch rate of 67.9% and a passer rating of 96.3 when targeted, according to Next Gen Stats. That might seem like a bad fit for defensive coordinator Chris Shula's scheme, which tends to live in zone looks. Maybe the move indicates the team wants to deploy more man coverage to better combat the likes of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and other top-flight targets capable of burning the secondary.

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There's plenty to like about the configuration the Rams have to make this work, including the presence of Jimmy Lake, McDuffie's college coach at Washington, as the newly appointed defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator. And perhaps this was merely an overdue investment for Snead, who had largely scoured the bargain bin at cornerback since parting with Jalen Ramsey in 2023.

Still, as Snead somewhat returns to his "(expletive) them picks" roots, it seems clear that the Rams paid a premium to address their most glaring deficiency with a proven entity rather than one of the draft's top cover men. Whether that apparent overpay will be justified in the end won't become clear until at least next January.

MORE:Latest NFL free agency news, rumors, trade buzz and more

Chiefs trade grade: A-

The knee-jerk reaction for many in Kansas City might be best summed up by Patrick Mahomes.

"Damn," the Chiefs quarterback wrote after news broke of McDuffie being sent packing.

Some disappointment is only natural for an organization attempting to reclaim its status as the AFC's alpha after falling to 6-11 last season, the franchise's worst mark in a decade-plus. Viewed through the proper lens, however, this deal might actually help fast-track a resurgence.

That general manager Brett Veach bailed on paying yet another standout cornerback should come as no surprise. Veach previously walked away from both L'Jarius Sneed and Charvarius Ward rather than pay them top-of-market contracts.

If McDuffie wasn't in Kansas City's long-term plans, offloading him before he reaches free agency might simply have been good business. Not only do the Chiefs not have to worry about fitting him into a cap-crunched roster this year and beyond, they can now focus on re-signing fellow cornerback Jaylen Watson, whoranked 13th on Nate Davis' top 100 free agent rankingsand likely would not have been able to return without the secondary's sea change.

But the big boon here is the draft picks. As Kansas City gets set to make its earliest selection (No. 9) since 2013, the breadth of the team's needs at premium positions is rather imposing. Yes, a wide receiver to assist Mahomes would be of massive value. Then again, a massively disruptive defensive end or defensive tackle could also be required. And don't forget about the lackluster outlook at running back, safety and potentially tight end if Travis Kelce retires.

With a second Day 1 selection and additional draft resources in hand, Veach now is well-positioned to build something formidable for the latter half of Mahomes' career rather than merely cling on to the vestiges of a bygone era. And going this route was necessary given what Kansas City faced with its salary cap.

Pressure on Veach, however, ramps up considerably in April. Describing the general manager's draft track record as uneven would be charitable, and his various missteps in evaluating young talent have played a central role in Kansas City's roster becoming so lopsided.

But Veach has also displayed a shrewd sense for when to sell high on his existing veterans, and he might have timed the market correctly again here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Trent McDuffie trade grades: How Rams, Chiefs fared in huge NFL deal

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March 04, 2026

Who won the Trent McDuffie trade? Grading blockbuster Rams-Chiefs deal

TheLos Angeles Ramsand Kansas City Chiefs have swung the first major trade of the NFL offseason. The Chiefsare...

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Stefon Diggs to be free agent after Patriots release

Add another veteran wide receiver to the list of pendingNFL free agents.

TheNew England Patriotsinformed wide receiverStefon Diggsthat they will release him after the start of the new league year, which is set for March 11.

Diggs, 32, signed a three-year, $63.5 million contract with New England in free agency last offseason. He will end hisPatriotstenure after playing one year on that contract.

"THANK YOU for a hell of a year," Diggswrote in an Instagram story. "We family forever (heart emoji)."

During the 2025 season, Diggs' 11th season in the NFL, he caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns. His receptions and yardage total, along with his 104 targets, led all Patriots pass-catchers this season.

The Maryland product will have a chance to join a fourth team in four seasons when he becomes a free agent next week after spending 2023 with the Buffalo Bills, 2024 with the Houston Texans and 2025 with New England.

NFL NEWS, TAKES, FANTASY ADVICE:USA TODAY Sports has you covered with our NFL vodcast

2. New York Jets – OLB/DE David Bailey, Texas Tech

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 3. Arizona Cardinals – OLB/DE Arvell Reese, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 4. Tennessee Titans – RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 5. New York Giants – LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 6. Cleveland Browns – OL Francis Mauigoa, Miami (Fla.)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 7. Washington Commanders – S Caleb Downs, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 8. New Orleans Saints – WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 9. Kansas City Chiefs – CB Mansoor Delane, LSU

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 10. Cincinnati Bengals – DE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (Fla.)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 11. Miami Dolphins – OT Spencer Fano, Utah

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 12. Dallas Cowboys – CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 13. Los Angeles Rams (from Atlanta Falcons) – WR Denzel Boston, Washington

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 14. Baltimore Ravens – DL Caleb Banks, Florida

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 16. New York Jets (from Indianapolis Colts) – WR Makai Lemon, USC

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 17. Detroit Lions – OT Monroe Freeling, Georgia

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 18. Minnesota Vikings – S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 19. Carolina Panthers – DT Peter Woods, Clemson

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 20. Dallas Cowboys (from Green Bay Packers) – OLB/DE T.J. Parker, Clemson

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 21. Pittsburgh Steelers – WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 22. Los Angeles Chargers – G Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 23. Philadelphia Eagles – DE/OLB Akheem Mesidor, Miami (Fla.)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 24. Cleveland Browns (from Jacksonville Jaguars) – WR Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 25. Chicago Bears – S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 30. Denver Broncos – WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 31. New England Patriots – DE Keldric Faulk, Auburn

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

NFL mock draft: First-round projection after Trent McDuffie trade

Mike Vrabel recently discussed Stefon Diggs' future with the Patriots

At the NFL combine last week, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel praised Diggs for his contributions on the field as well as his leadership.

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"He worked extremely hard in the time that he was rehabbing from the knee," Vrabel said, referring to Diggs' recovery from the torn ACL he suffered in 2024. "I think he was just a really good presence each and every week."

The Pats' head coach said at the time that he and other members of New England's front office were still evaluating Diggs' future, including how Diggs' legal troubles factored into the decision.

The veteran wide receiver is facing strangulation and assault allegations after a physical altercation with his personal chef in December last year. Diggs was arraigned on Feb. 13, days after the Patriots' loss in Super Bowl 60, and pleaded not guilty to felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery.

Vrabel said at the NFL combine that Diggs "or anybody else that has something, have done exactly what they're supposed to do, been where they're supposed to be, communicated with the court when they're supposed to communicate with them. So we're going to let all that take care of itself, and then we'll have to see what the judgments are in those particular cases."

Diggs is due for another pre-trial hearing on April 1.

Stefon Diggs stats

• Games (starts): 17 (17)

• Receptions: 85

• Receiving yards: 1,013

• Yards per reception: 11.9

• Touchdowns: 4

• Games (starts): 161 (153)

• Receptions: 942

• Receiving yards: 11,504

• Yards per reception: 12.2

• Touchdowns: 74

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Patriots to release star WR Stefon Diggs

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March 04, 2026

Stefon Diggs to be free agent after Patriots release

Add another veteran wide receiver to the list of pendingNFL free agents. TheNew England Patriotsinformed wide ...

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Haitian man dies in US immigration custody with untreated toothache, brother says

FLORENCE, Ariz. (AP) — A Haitian man confined at an Arizona immigration detention center for months died at a hospital Monday after a tooth infection was left untreated, the man's brother said Wednesday.

Emmanuel Damas, 56, told medical personnel at the Florence Correctional Center that he had a toothache in mid-February, but he was not sent to a dentist, said Damas' brother, Presly Nelson.

Nelson believes the staff at the facility did not take his brother's complaints seriously even though it was a treatable condition. Nelson said he would expect such a death in countries with less access to health care, but not the United States.

"As a country — I'm an American now — I think we can do better than that," Nelson said.

Damas is among least nine people who have died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody this year.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment. ICE had said it hoped to issue a news release Wednesday.

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Earlier Wednesday, ICE officials announced the death of Mexican national Alberto Gutierrez-Reyes, who had been in a California ICE detention center and died in the hospital Feb. 27 after reporting chest pain and shortness of breath.

Chandler City Council member Christine Ellis, a Haitian American who is a registered nurse, said she was contacted by Damas' family after his death.

"As a medical person, I am absolutely appalled that there were medical-licensed people that were working there and allowed those things to happen," Ellis said. "It does not make sense to me."

A report from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office listed Damas' cause of death as "pending" as of Wednesday.

Damas was taken into ICE custody in September and was soon transferred to the medium-security Florence Correctional Center, where he was held for several months, including after his asylum application was denied, Ellis said.

CoreCivic, a for-profit corrections company that runs the Florence facility, did not respond to emails seeking comment.

byAdministrator

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March 04, 2026

Haitian man dies in US immigration custody with untreated toothache, brother says

FLORENCE, Ariz. (AP) — A Haitian man confined at an Arizona immigration detention center for months died at a hospital Mo...

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Canada and Australia leaders urge war de-escalation, but agree Iran can't get nuclear weapons

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Canadian and Australian prime ministers on Thursday called for a de-escalation of theIran warbut added the Iranians must never gain a nuclear weapon.

Canada Australia

Canada'sMark Carneyand his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese discussed the war during their meeting in Australia's capital, Canberra.

The meeting came after news that a U.S. submarinesank an Iranian warshipin the Indian Ocean and Turkey saidNATO defensesintercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran before it entered Turkey's airspace.

"We want to see a broader de-escalation of these hostilities with a broader group of countries than just the direct belligerents involved," Carney said at a press conference with Albanese.

"We stress that that cannot be achieved unless we're in a position that Iran's ability to acquire a nuclear weapon, develop a nuclear weapon, and to export terrorism, is ended. So that process must lead to those outcomes," Carney added.

He said the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which were "showing tremendous restraint," should become involved in the de-escalation process.

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Albanese said: "The world wants to see a de-escalation and wants to see Iran cease to spread the destinations of its attacks."

"We're seeing Gulf states, that have not been involved, attacked across the board, including the attacks on civilian and tourist areas as well. But we also want to see the objectives achieved. I want to see the possibility of Iran getting a nuclear weapon removed once and for all," Albanese said.

Questioned by a reporter, Carney could not rule out the Canadian military ever becoming involved in the conflict.

"You've asked a fundamental hypothetical in a conflict that can spread very broadly," Carney said.

"So one can never categorically rule out participation. We will stand by our allies when it makes sense," he added.

Carney is in Australia on a trade-focused, three-nation visit that began inIndialast week. He addressed the Australian Parliament on Thursday and will fly to Japan on Friday.

byAdministrator

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March 04, 2026

Canada and Australia leaders urge war de-escalation, but agree Iran can't get nuclear weapons

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Canadian and Australian prime ministers on Thursday called for a de-escalation of theIran...

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