Category: News

Early this morning, several drones flew near the Kleine Brogel Air Base in northeast Belgium, a site known to store U.S. nuclear weapons. The drones appeared in two phases over Saturday and Sunday night, first small ones testing radio signals, then larger ones apparently to disrupt the area, according to Belgium’s defense minister. Authorities are treating the incident as a possible espionage operation. The minister noted the drones used their own radio frequencies, which implied professional planning and control. Security measures were activated, but no shoot-down occurred because the drones were not directly over restricted zones. The air base is part of NATO’s nuclear sharing arrangement and thus holds strategic significance. The incident caused increased concern among allied countries about airspace security and drone defense capabilities. Belgium’s minister lamented that stronger drone counter-measures should have been purchased years ago.

The Federal Reserve, often called “the Fed,” is the central bank of the United States. It was created in 1913 to make the nation’s financial system safer, more stable, and better able to respond to economic crises. At its core, the Fed’s job is to manage the supply of money and credit in the economy. It does this mainly by setting interest rates, buying or selling government securities, and regulating banks. When the economy slows and unemployment rises, the Fed often lowers interest rates to encourage borrowing and spending. When inflation climbs too high, it raises rates to cool things down. The Federal Reserve is made up of three main parts: the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C.; twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks across the country; and the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), which sets national monetary policy. The Board of Governors oversees the system and reports directly to Congress, though the Fed operates independently of political control to avoid short-term influence on long-term decisions. Besides controlling interest rates, the Fed supervises banks to make sure they are financially sound and protects consumers in their dealings with lenders. It also provides financial services—like clearing checks and transferring money—to banks and the federal government. Ultimately, the Federal Reserve’s goal is to promote stable prices, maximum employment, and a healthy financial system. It doesn’t control the economy directly, but its decisions strongly shape the environment in which businesses, consumers, and investors operate.

Today in New Jersey, candidates Jack Ciattarelli and Mikie Sherrill stepped up efforts across the state in the last hours before the election. They held back-to-back public rallies to appeal to undecided voters and boost early turnout. Officials report nearly 1.2 million ballots have been cast early, setting a record pace for this type of election in the state. Polling stations remained busy today, especially in suburban and urban districts. Ciattarelli emphasized tax relief and stronger law enforcement in his speeches. Sherrill stressed investment in schools and public transit. Each urged supporters to “make their voice heard” before polls close tomorrow. Campaign analysts say the narrow gap between the candidates underscores how much hinges on turnout. The state’s economy, infrastructure and education policies are all in play.

Many residents of the kibbutz Nahal Oz, near Israel’s border with Gaza, remain reluctant to go back despite the government ending housing subsidies.The community was attacked on October 7, 2023, leaving lasting trauma.About half of its roughly 400 residents have returned so far.The government has stopped paying for evacuees’ temporary housing outside the area, signaling a push to rebuild the community.Many returning residents say they’re torn—wanting closure but still feeling unsafe living just meters from the border.Their hesitation comes as subsidies end, infrastructure remains damaged, and memories of the attack weigh heavily.

The U.S. federal government has now been shut down for 34 days. The stalemate is led by Donald Trump’s administration and Congress, unable to agree on a funding bill. During the shutdown, benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — serving about 42 million Americans — have been delayed. Two federal judges recently ordered the administration to tap contingency funds to keep the aid flowing. Meanwhile, President Trump is pressing Republicans to scrap the Senate filibuster rule so funding can pass without Democratic votes. Congress has scheduled no major vote this week to end the freeze. The shutdown is now on track to become the longest in U.S. history if it continues beyond this week.

The parliamentary committee tasked with reviewing the draft-exemption bill for yeshiva students postponed its discussion once more. The motion, led by the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, was expected to move forward this week. But the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intervened and ordered the session delayed.Ultra-Orthodox parties immediately accused Netanyahu’s government of stalling the legislation deliberately. They argue the delay serves as a political punishment after large protests by yeshiva students and community leaders. Meanwhile, government spokespeople say more time is needed to refine the bill and align key ministries on the details.

The Israeli government signed a major cloud-computing deal with Google LLC and Amazon Web Services as part of its Project Nimbus initiative. Under the agreement, the tech firms will build and operate cloud infrastructure within Israel to serve government and defense agencies. The contract is reported to be worth about $1.2 billion and runs over seven years.It includes provisions that prevent the companies from shutting off Israeli access, even if use of the services would violate their standard rules. Investigators say the deal also contains a “secret code” mechanism: if foreign authorities request data stored by the firms on behalf of Israel and are legally gagged, the companies must send coded payments to inform Israel of the request. Google and Amazon say they comply with lawful orders and haven’t violated global laws. Israeli officials say the agreement protects national security and keeps data under Israeli control. Because of this deal, Israel gains expanded ability to store, analyze, and move large volumes of data—defense-, intelligence-, or civilian-related—within its borders. The deal changes who controls key cloud infrastructure.

Early Monday morning, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake rattled northern Afghanistan. It struck near the city of Mazar-e Sharif in Balkh province at a depth of about 28 km. The quake killed at least 20 people and injured hundreds more across several provinces. Hospitals in the area have been placed on high alert, and relief workers are weathering difficult access in mountainous terrain. Power outages and blocked highways are slowing aid efforts. The death toll is expected to increase as teams reach isolated villages.

Russia launched heavy drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure overnight. Bombs hit key power-plants and substations in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. One regional official reported nearly 60,000 people lost electricity after the attacks. Emergency crews worked through the morning to assess damage and restore service.The grid damage forced parts of several regions into rolling blackouts, severely affecting heating, water, and lighting services.Ukraine’s energy ministry said the strikes are part of a broader push by Russia ahead of winter, aimed at weakening Ukraine’s ability to sustain daily life in cold months. The fallout: thousands of homes now face the risk of freezing.

President Trump announced that the most advanced AI chips made by Nvidia will be reserved for American companies only. He stated that foreign countries, including China, will not have access to the latest “Blackwell” chips.The move marks a sharp shift from previous policy, which had allowed some export of high-end technologies. The chips are seen as critical for next-generation AI systems and other advanced computing tasks.While Trump indicated that less powerful versions of the chips might still be sold abroad, he emphasized the full-capability models will stay in the U.S. The decision raises questions about how this affects alliances and supply-chains with countries like South Korea, which recently made large chip deals.With global tech competition heating up and export restrictions becoming a key part of strategy, this action signals the U.S. is pressing hard on tech leadership.