Third Column

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has offered his government’s resignation to King Philippe after overnight negotiations failed to produce an agreement on the 2027 budget. The five-party coalition remains divided over how to address a €10 billion fiscal gap and meet EU deficit rules. De Wever’s N-VA and the liberal MR have pushed for spending cuts, including in healthcare, while socialist and centrist partners have called for higher taxes on wealthier citizens. The King has yet to decide whether to accept the resignation.

Washington is backing a proposal to restart Russian natural-gas exports to Europe through pipelines in Ukraine as part of efforts to secure an energy ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv. Discussed by U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff during September visits to Moscow and Kyiv, the plan would route the gas through a U.S. intermediary, potentially creating opportunities for American investors while restoring transit revenue for Ukraine. The U.S. has also proposed placing Russian gas proceeds in escrow to prevent Moscow from using the funds to finance its war. European governments remain resistant, citing their commitment to ending Russian gas imports by 2027.

Ukraine’s public air raid alert app was briefly compromised, displaying false warnings of nuclear and chemical threats, street fighting and the deployment of Russia’s Oreshnik hypersonic missile. The Ukrainian Air Force said there was no radiation threat and urged the public to remain calm. The abnormal alerts later disappeared, while other warning systems, including air raid sirens, continued operating.

The Karbala Criminal Court has sentenced an ISIS member to life imprisonment for planning attacks against Arbaeen pilgrims. Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council said the defendant promoted ISIS ideology on social media and distributed manuals explaining how to manufacture explosives and drones for attacks in Karbala Governorate. The man was not publicly identified, and authorities did not disclose the intended targets or how far the plot had progressed. Under Iraqi law, the life sentence amounts to 20 years in prison.

According to Maariv, the IDF is preparing contingency plans to occupy Tyre, Sidon and Nabatieh if Hezbollah joins a conflict against Israel. The report says Israel is preparing to use heavy firepower, with the Israeli Navy also preparing bombardment operations and a possible naval blockade targeting the ports of Beirut and Tripoli.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced that it had designated the UK’s Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as terrorist organizations and classified MI6 as a “hostile group.” Tehran said the measures were in response to Britain’s alleged military and logistical support for U.S.-Israeli operations against Iran, as well as the UK’s decision to designate the IRGC under its State Threats Act.

Yemen’s armed forces claim to have carried out 1,119 targeting operations against Houthi forces in recent hours as part of Operation Dawn of Yemen. According to the military, the operations resulted in 427 Houthi fighters being “neutralized” and 142 military vehicles, equipment and transport assets being destroyed or disabled. The forces also reported advancing and taking control of several strategic positions in Al-Jawf. These figures and battlefield claims come from the military’s statement and have not been independently verified.

Ukraine has rejected reports that it agreed to suspend attacks on Russian oil refineries until after the U.S. midterm elections, insisting its campaign against Russian oil infrastructure remains ongoing. Ukrainian officials said U.S. envoy Jared Kushner had suggested a 30-day pause, but Kyiv never approved the proposal. A senior official also said Ukraine would continue the strikes while avoiding publicly claiming responsibility for some of them to prevent tensions with the Trump administration. Meanwhile, a U.S. official said Washington had largely responded with a “shrug” to the attacks, while the CIA continued sharing intelligence on Russian air defense positions to support Ukraine’s deep-strike campaign, according to The Kyiv Independent.

The FBI has officially attributed the theft of $6.3 billion in cryptocurrency from Binance to North Korean hackers. The bureau said the attack was linked to a group known as TraderTraitor, which was also responsible for last year’s $1.5 billion Bybit hack. Binance said it had enough reserves to cover 90% of the stolen assets and promised to fully reimburse affected customers.