Germany’s fiscal policy reversal. The country’s center-left, center-right, and Green blocs joined forces yesterday to pass a constitutional reform that alters the country’s debt limit. The legislative package allows for military spending to surpass the debt limit, creates a more than $540 billion fund for economic stimulus—with a fifth of that earmarked for climate projects—and relaxes state rules on borrowing.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Israel’s defense minister yesterday said that the new strikes on Gaza would not stop unless Hamas releases all remaining hostages and that Israel’s offensive would extend to “air, sea, and land.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the strikes “just the beginning.” By midday today local time, there were no reports of Hamas retaliating militarily; the group said it was communicating with mediators. Thousands demonstrated in Jerusalem today against the return to war and Netanyahu’s efforts to dismiss Israel’s internal security chief, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called Israel’s return to fighting in Gaza “unacceptable.”
Astronaut splashdown. Three NASA astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut returned safely to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) yesterday, splashing down in a SpaceX capsule off the coast of Florida. Two of the astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, stayed in space for around nine months longer than originally planned, using the time to perform some 150 experiments. The work aboard the ISS is “the building blocks for going back to the moon and to Mars,” NASA Space Operations Mission Directorate Deputy Associate Administrator Joel Montalbano said.
Turkish president’s rival detained. Police detained Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu as part of a probe into alleged corruption and support for terrorism. İmamoğlu is a competitor to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and was soon expected to be announced as the main opposition party’s political candidate for a 2028 election. İmamoğlu called the arrest politically motivated in order to “steal the will of the people;” Istanbul authorities banned public demonstrations for four days and access to social media platforms was restricted.
DRC-Rwanda meeting in Qatar. Qatar hosted a meeting between the presidents of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, which backs M23 rebels fighting the DRC government. The three countries issued a joint statement saying all parties were committed “to an immediate and unconditional cease-fire” in the eastern DRC. An M23 spokesperson did not immediately respond to a question about whether this would lead to a truce; M23 refused to attend peace talks in Angola scheduled for yesterday.
Charges in Belgian Huawei probe. Belgium’s prosecutors office said it charged five people in an investigation of alleged corruption involving Huawei and the European Parliament. Four are charged with active corruption and involvement in a criminal organization, while one is charged with money laundering. They were not publicly identified. The European Parliament did not immediately comment, while Huawei said last week it took the allegations seriously.
USAID in court. A federal judge ruled that Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)’s moves to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) likely violated the Constitution. The judge ordered DOGE to reinstate access to payment and other systems to current USAID employees and contractors and prohibited further steps related to the shutting down of the agency. A White House spokesperson said that “rogue judges are subverting the will of the American people” and that the White House plans to appeal.
Changing India-Bangladesh visa permissions. Following the August ouster of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina—who fled to New Delhi—India has sharply curtailed the number of medical visas issued to Bangladeshis, unnamed Bangladeshi sources told Reuters. Some Bangladeshis are reportedly traveling to China and Thailand instead, and China’s ambassador in Bangladesh said Beijing would work to strengthen medical cooperation. The Indian and Bangladeshi foreign ministries did not comment.
