Germany: coalition finally passes 2025 budget
The German cabinet has at last approved its 2025 budget after months of wrangling, despite a €17 billion shortfall between projected spending and revenue. Finance minister Christian Lindner stated that innovative measures and stronger growth from a new economic package should generate an additional €6 billion next year. The budget includes record investments of €78 billion, net borrowing of €43.8 billion, and a total size of €481 billion. The country aims to boost its economy by over 0.5% in 2025. Lindner defended the budget's legality and fiscal prudence despite analysts’ concerns. Military aid to Ukraine will be reduced next year, as Ukraine is expected to secure $50 billion in loans from the G7. Germany was the worst performing major economy last year, with gross domestic product contracting by 0.3%. It pulled out of recession early this year, but growth has been slower than expected. Reaching agreement on the budget has been a major test for a coalition often accused of being hobbled by internal disagreements.
Gaza: at least fifty killed by Israeli airstrikes
At least fifty Palestinians have been killed and many wounded in a series of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The strikes targeted areas in south and central Gaza, including the humanitarian zone of al-Mawasi and a UN-run school in a refugee camp. The Israeli military (IDF) claimed the strikes targeted Hamas fighters, and it accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields. It also says that half of Hamas’s military leaders and approximately 14,000 ‘terrorists’ have been killed in the last nine months. Since October, over 38,000 people have died in Gaza, with 14,680 identified as children, women, and elderly. The violence has resulted in significant civilian suffering and displacement, with both sides continuing hostilities. In a recent BBC interview, a mother in Gaza has described how her adult son with Down’s Syndrome died after being attacked by an IDF dog: see
Gambia: MPs vote to uphold ban on FGM
Gambian lawmakers have upheld the 2015 ban on female genital mutilation (FGM), rejecting a bill which sought to decriminalise the practice, after months of heated debate and international pressure. The bill argued that female circumcision is a deep-rooted cultural and religious practice. Despite passing a second reading in March with minimal opposition, it faced a strong backlash from rights groups, who labeled FGM a harmful violation against women and girls. The 2015 ban penalises FGM, with up to three years in prison. On 15 July lawmakers overwhelmingly rejected each clause of the bill, and the Speaker halted its progress. FGM, which involves the removal or injury of female genitalia, can cause severe health issues, including infections, bleeding, and psychological problems. The Gambia has one of the highest FGM rates, with 73% of women aged 15 to 49 affected.
Kenya: is this man a multiple murderer?
Collins Jumaisi Khalusha has appeared in court after being charged with multiple murders following the discovery of nine dismembered bodies in a Nairobi quarry. Khalusha has supposedly confessed to killing 42 women: his lawyer has claimed he was tortured into confessing, which prosecutors deny. The case has intensified scrutiny on Kenya's police, already under pressure from anti-government protests and accusations of human rights abuses. The bodies, found in sacks, were mostly women aged 18-30. Police say they have found evidence linking Khalusha to the murders, including mobile phones and female clothing at his home. The case has sparked public outrage and renewed focus on femicide in the country: some 500 Kenyan women were murdered between 2017 and January 2024. An independent police authority is investigating potential police involvement. Protests demanding president William Ruto's resignation continue amid the scandal: police chief Japhet Koome has resigned, after pressure to provide answers about the police’s conduct during the protests.
Jamaica: UN meeting about seabed mining
The UN's International Seabed Authority (ISA) has met to discuss new rules for ocean floor mineral extraction, despite concerns over economic and environmental risks. Supporters argue that deep sea mining will provide essential materials like cobalt and nickel for the global energy transition, while critics fear it could devastate ecosystems and disrupt migratory routes. Twenty-seven countries are calling for a temporary halt. The ISA council will negotiate a ‘mining code’ for regulating ocean floor mining. Nations remain divided on the draft, with many urging a slower process for proper scrutiny. The urgency stems from an expected application by Nauru for a mining licence. Critics argue that deep sea mining's economic viability remains unproven, with rising costs and significant environmental trade-offs.
USA: Trump survives assassination attempt, names running mate
Two days after Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt, he was formally adopted by the Republican party as its nominee for the US presidential election in November. He has chosen JD Vance, a 39-year-old former venture capitalist and Ohio senator, as his running mate. Vance, who came to prominence in 2016 when he published an autobiography entitled ‘Hillbilly Elegy’, at that time compared Trump to Hitler and called him an ‘idiot’. However, since then he has become a steadfast supporter, even attending court to support Trump at his hush money trial. He has blamed Joe Biden for the assassination attempt, citing Biden’s rhetoric against Trump as a contributing factor.