French Prime Minister François Bayrou has been ousted in a confidence vote in the National Assembly, with 364 deputies voting against him and 194 in favor, leading to the collapse of his minority government.

Bayrou, who was appointed in December 2024, will submit his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, marking the fifth prime minister change in less than two years and plunging France into a deep political crisis. The vote was a direct result of Bayrou’s gamble to secure parliamentary backing for his controversial 2026 budget plan, which aimed to cut $51 billion in spending to address France’s ballooning public debt, including scrapping two public holidays.

Bayrou’s government was defeated in a confidence vote, a rare move in French politics, as he called the vote himself to force support for austerity measures. This is the first time in modern French history that a prime minister has been removed via a confidence vote rather than a no-confidence vote.

The vote was triggered by Bayrou’s urgent warnings about France’s fiscal health, with public debt reaching $3.946 trillion (114% of GDP) by the end of Q1 2025 and a deficit of 5.8% of GDP in 2024, far exceeding the EU’s 3% limit. He argued that without drastic cuts, France risked becoming dependent on foreign creditors, describing the debt as an “unbearable hemorrhage” and a threat to national sovereignty.

Bayrou's downfall was facilitated by a rare alliance between left-wing and populist factions in the National Assembly, who united to oppose his government despite their ideological differences.

Populist leader Marine Le Pen seized the moment to demand new elections, calling for Macron’s resignation and claiming her party would win a majority in a new vote.

President Macron has stated he will appoint a new prime minister “in the coming days,” but no clear successor has emerged, leaving his domestic authority severely weakened.

The political instability has already impacted financial markets, with French government bond yields rising above those of Spain, Portugal, and Greece, once considered the epicenter of the eurozone debt crisis.

Meanwhile American conservative firebrand Candace Owens has launched season two of her controversial Becoming Brigitte docu-series. The first season drew lawsuit by Macron and his 'wife' Briggitte.

The series, which began in January 2025, is an investigative documentary focusing on Brigitte Macron, the First Lady of France, and her husband, President Macron. It explores the "murky, hidden background" of both Macron figures, including inconsistencies in Brigitte Macron's official biography, such as the lack of childhood photos and discrepancies in Emmanuel Macron's past.

Becoming Brigitte also delves into the claim that the Macrons' relationship is a carefully crafted public image, with Owens and her team alleging a pattern of coincidences and manipulated appearances. The series which has garnered millions of views, alleges that Brigitte Macron is transgender.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced a total arms embargo on Israel and formally labeled the military offensive in Gaza as genocide, marking a significant escalation in Spain's stance on the conflict. Spain has also recalled its ambassador from Israel.

The measures, which include a legal ban on arms sales, restrictions on ships and aircraft carrying military supplies to Israel, and a travel ban on individuals involved in the conflict, were announced in a televised address on Monday.

Sánchez announced a royal decree, to be approved by the Spanish Cabinet and ratified by Congress, that will legally enforce a total embargo on the purchase and sale of arms to Israel. This includes banning ships carrying weapons or fuel for the Israeli military from docking in Spanish ports and prohibiting state aircraft transporting defense equipment from flying through Spanish airspace.

For the first time, Sánchez explicitly used the term "genocide" to describe Israel's actions in Gaza, citing the deaths of approximately 60,000 people, the displacement of two million, and the starvation of civilians, which he stated violates international law. He emphasized the distinction between self-defense and bombing hospitals or starving children.

The government will ban entry into Spain for anyone directly participating in the alleged genocide, including Israeli government and military officials. Spain will also increase humanitarian aid to Gaza by $175 million by 2026, provide an additional $11.7 million to UNRWA, and prohibit the import of goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza.

Sánchez acknowledged Spain's limited power in the conflict but stated the country has a duty to act and stand on the "right side of history." He emphasized Spain's support for a two-state solution and rejected calls to sever diplomatic ties, arguing it would hinder peace efforts. The move follows Spain's earlier recognition of Palestine as a state.

Responding, Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Sánchez of antisemitism and corruption, and banning entry to Spanish ministers. Yolanda Díaz and Sira Rego Saar also criticized the timing, noting a separate attack by Palestinian militants in Israel occurred on the same day.

Spain recalled its ambassador from Israel hours after imposing the arms embargo and after Sa’ar's antisemitism remark

Elon Musk's SpaceX has agreed to purchase wireless spectrum licenses from EchoStar for $17 billion to bolster its Starlink direct-to-cell service, a move aimed at resolving an ongoing Federal Communications Commission (FCC) probe into EchoStar's underutilization of its 5G spectrum assets.

The deal, announced on Monday, includes $8.5 billion in cash, $8.5 billion in SpaceX stock, and a commitment to cover approximately $2 billion in interest payments on EchoStar’s debt through late 2027. This transaction, combined with EchoStar's prior $23 billion sale of spectrum to AT&T, is expected to resolve the FCC's inquiries.

The acquisition covers EchoStar’s AWS-4 and H-block spectrum licenses, providing SpaceX with exclusive rights to operate its next-generation Starlink direct-to-cell satellites on these frequencies. This allows SpaceX to move beyond relying solely on spectrum leased from mobile carriers like T-Mobile and enables the development of satellites with "more than 100 times" the capacity of its first-generation direct-to-cell satellites. The goal is to significantly enhance coverage and performance to end mobile dead zones globally.

SpaceX writes in a statement: "This agreement will enable us to develop and deploy our next generation Starlink Direct to Cell constellation which will be capable of providing broadband service to cell phones globally.

"Through the agreement with EchoStar, SpaceX will purchase EchoStar’s 50 MHz S-band spectrum in the US (bands known as AWS-4 and PCS-H) as well as its global MSS spectrum licenses. Exclusive access to this spectrum, along with use of optimized 5G protocols designed for satellite connectivity, will enable a step change in performance for Starlink Direct to Cell.

"The next generation of Starlink Direct to Cell satellites will be designed to fully utilize this spectrum. Driven by custom SpaceX-designed silicon and phased array antennas, the satellites will support thousands of spatial beams and higher bandwidth capability, enabling around 20x the throughput capability as compared to a first-generation satellite."

The deal was driven by intense regulatory scrutiny. The FCC launched an inquiry in May 2025 after SpaceX alleged that EchoStar’s valuable mid-band spectrum was being "chronically underused" and ripe for sharing with new satellite systems  President Donald Trump reportedly personally urged EchoStar CEO Charlie Ergen to reach a deal with the FCC  SpaceX had previously pressured the FCC to reallocate the spectrum, arguing that EchoStar was failing to meet its obligations to deploy 5G in the U.S. 

As part of the agreement, SpaceX and EchoStar have entered a long-term commercial partnership that will enable EchoStar’s Boost Mobile subscribers to access the next-generation Starlink direct-to-cell service. This marks a significant strategic shift for EchoStar, which had previously been developing its own direct-to-device satellite constellation, a project now canceled following this deal.

After the sale, EchoStar will continue operating its core businesses, including Dish TV, Sling, Hughes internet, and Boost Mobile, but will no longer have control over major spectrum for 5G deployment.

The FCC has acknowledged the potential of these deals to supercharge competition and extend innovative services to millions of Americans.