€40 billion: French Prime Minister François Bayrou is set to present a 2026 budget Tuesday that aims to cut the size of the country’s 2026 annual deficit by €40 billion ($46.7 billion). However, all opposition parties are expected to reject the proposal – and that could spell the end for Bayrou’s minority government.
12: Hong Kong’s pro-democracy dissidents aren’t going to go gentle into that good night. Twelve of them have appealed their recent subversion convictions in a move that shines a fresh light on Beijing’s anti-democracy crackdown in the city. The case, which challenges China’s draconian 2021 national security law, is drawing international attention: foreign diplomats from over six countries were present at the trial. The appeals are expected to take 10 days.
59: Lesotho won independence from the United Kingdom 59 years ago, but one member of the tiny southern African nation’s parliament has accused its king of signing parts of the country away again – to its neighbor South Africa. The accusation stems from a decades-old border dispute, but the MP who leveled the charge now faces criminal charges for doing so. Lesotho gained notoriety in March when US President Donald Trump said “nobody has ever heard of” the country.
6: Six members of United Torah Judaism – an ultra-Orthodox political party – have quit Israel’s ruling coalition again over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s failure to guarantee military exemptions for yeshiva students. While Netanyahu has survived this once before, their departure leaves him with yet another slim majority in parliament.Elections have been taking place around the world in recent weeks – and if there’s one thing they have in common, it’s this: voters are fired up.
Airlines across the continent have been affected by threats, now in their second week, with some planes making emergency landings or being escorted by fighter jets.
On The Debrief, Clayton Allen explains why the vice president’s ties to Trump—and dependence on a fractured MAGA coalition—could make 2028 a race he chooses to skip.
From shopping to services, consumer spending is showing strength across categories. Holiday shopping got an early start, and it’s not just higher earners filling their carts. Bank of America Institute sees continued spending growth recovery for lower- and middle-income households. See what’s driving the trends.