Babiš returns to power in Czechia
The billionaire is back. Populist tycoon Andrej Babiš officially returns to the premiership of Czechia after decisively winning the election earlier this year. Babiš, a staunch Eurosceptic who last held power from 2017 to 2021, has formed a cabinet with the ultranationalist SPD party and the Motorists movement, which is opposed to European Union climate regulations. Alongside neighboring nationalist Viktor Orbán of Hungary, Babiš’s return could further complicate EU efforts to continue backing Ukraine – on the campaign trail he suggested reviewing Prague’s military and financial support for Kyiv. For more on how the “Czech Trump” stormed back to power, see here.
The peace won’t hold between Rwandan-backed rebels and the DRC
Back in June, leaders from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo went to Washington, DC, to sign a peace deal to end the war between the Congolese army and the M23 Rwandan-backed rebel group. The leaders signed another peace deal at the White House last week. Yet on the ground in eastern Congo, the fighting hasn’t stopped. M23 rebels this week entered the Congolese town of Uvira, the site of an important Congolese army base, continuing their advance in the region. DRC’s top diplomat urged the US to impose sanctions on Rwanda to resurrect the peace deal.
Typeface politics
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio nixed the department’s use of Calibri, calling the Biden administration’s decision to adopt the typeface a “wasteful” diversity move. In a memo, Rubio said reverting back to Times New Roman would “restore decorum and professionalism.” The move comes as part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to oust diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives from the federal government. Calibri became the State Department’s font of choice in 2023, and was meant to improve accessibility for readers with disabilities. Our contribution to the font wars is to write this in Code. Tell us which font you like best.
