Terrorist or Unstable?

Hi Global Recap readers,

Did you know the US is in the middle of a government shutdown? And not just any shutdown, but the longest one in American history?

Many Americans may not have even felt it up to now.

• Maybe you’re an investor who hasn’t felt it yet, with key jobs reports frozen by the shutdown.

• Or maybe you just haven’t had to deal with any of the services or people directly affected.

But that’s starting to change.👇🏼

🇫🇷 FRANCE
Driver Rams Crowd

A 35-year-old man reportedly drove into pedestrians and cyclists on France's Ile d'Oléron, injuring at least 5 people during a 35-minute rampage before police arrested him. Officials say he shouted "Allahu Akbar" at the time of arrest, but investigators have not officially confirmed a motive.

• Timeline: The attacks began around 8:45 a.m. local time on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, along the road between Dolus-d'Oléron and Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron.

• Casualties: Accounts differ regarding the number of people injured or struck. According to CNN, five were run over and ten bystanders were injured, while other sources mention only five injuries in total. Nonetheless, at least two people were seriously hurt, including a 22-year-old woman suffering multiple traumas, and three others sustained minor injuries.

• Suspect: Police detained a 35-year-old island resident, described by Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron mayor Christophe Sueur as known for erratic behavior and alcohol issues. Officers subdued him with a stun gun.

• Vehicle: Witnesses and officials say he intentionally set his car on fire after the collisions. Police later found gas cylinders inside the partially burned vehicle.

• Investigation: Interior minister Laurent Nunez reported the case as attempted murder. Anti-terror prosecutors are monitoring the case pending determination of motive, though they have not formally taken over the investigation. Authorities are also assessing possible mental health factors too.

🇪🇺 EUROPE
EU Softens Climate Goals

On Nov. 5 in Brussels, EU environment ministers locked in a watered-down 2040 target that cuts domestic emissions 85% and tops it up with "carbon credits" sold by other countries. The bloc heads into COP30 in Belém, Brazil claiming leadership while quietly lowering the throttle at home.

• Target: Ministers endorsed 85% cuts in domestic emissions by 2040 versus 1990 levels, then aim to buy the final 5% through carbon markets to hit 90 percent in practice.

• 2035: Instead of one number, capitals offered a non-binding range of 66.25 to 72.5% under the Paris Agreement update due ahead of COP30.

• Tradeoffs: To win holdouts, they delayed the ETS2 fuel-and-heating carbon price (see below) by one year and signaled more biofuels and low-carbon fuels in transport, which could blunt the 2035 ban on new combustion cars.

• Politics: Italy, backed by Poland and Romania, forced concessions after an all-night meeting. France championed credits. Dutch commissioner Wopke Hoekstra pitched this as pragmatic. Former Green Deal architect Diederik Samsom called it "embarrassing and short sighted."

• Flex: The deal orders biennial reviews (every 2 years) that can revise the 2040 path based on energy prices, forest carbon absorption, or industrial strain, and it lets heavy industry pollute more than earlier drafts allowed.

🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
Launches Minuteman III

The US Air Force launched an unarmed Minuteman III ICBM from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, early Wednesday. The firing came days after President Trump urged the military to restart nuclear weapons tests.

🗒️ Note: People are calling out Trump for “escalating tensions” with these missile tests, but these launches are actually routine and happened under Biden too. Don’t fall for the rage bait.

• Timing: The launch occurred Nov. 5, 2025, in the early morning and only drew more attention than usual because of Trump’s public push last week to resume nuclear testing after decades of pause.

• Unit: Air Force Global Strike Command conducted the GT 254 test, the routine series used to check accuracy and reliability.

• Flight: The unarmed missile flew from California to an impact zone near the Army’s Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site in the Marshall Islands.

• Status: The Air Force noted the shot had been scheduled months in advance and was not a response to a specific geopolitical event.

• Triad: Minuteman III is the land leg of the US nuclear triad, alongside submarine-launched missiles and nuclear-capable bombers.

🇩🇪 GERMANY
Germany Pushes Deportations

Berlin’s new coalition is moving to expand deportations while branding the effort a “repatriation offensive.” The plan collides with legal roadblocks and a split inside the government over returns to Syria.

• Government: The CDU/CSU and SPD coalition, in office since May 2025, vows to raise removals of people ordered to leave and to grow capacity in detention for deportees.

• Split: Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul warns Syria returns are "only possible to a very limited extent at this point in time," while Chancellor Friedrich Merz insists the civil war is over and repatriations can begin.

• Interior: Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt says he will push deportations "in principle." Interesting fact—Germany has not deported anyone to Syria for 12 years.

• Law: Procedures are governed by national residency and constitutional law, EU directives and regulations, as well as international obligations. Courts can suspend removals, particularly when a person’s nationality is uncertain.

• Identification: Officials cite difficult cases where documents are missing and origin is disputed, such as among Kurdish populations from Turkey, Iran, or Syria.

• Incentives: The coalition agreement promises more counseling and benefits for voluntary return. Berlin counted about 6,000 voluntary departures versus 1,000 deportations in 2019, and projects 15,000 voluntary returnees and 1,700 deportations in 2025.

🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
US Orders
Flight Cuts

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy just ordered a 10% cut at 40 major US airports, citing air traffic control safety during a record 36-day shutdown. The Federal Aviation Administration will ramp reductions from 4% to 10% next week, with international flights exempted.

• Timing: Cuts start at 4% immediately, rise to 5% Saturday, 6% Sunday, and hit 10% next week. Officials said final details will appear in an FAA order on Thursday.

• Scope: Expect hits at the 30 busiest hubs serving New York City, Washington, Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Dallas, reducing up to 1,800 flights and 268,000 seats, per Cirium.

• Staffing: The shutdown has 13,000 controllers and 50,000 TSA agents working without pay. The FAA is already short about 3,500 controllers, with widespread overtime and six-day weeks.

• Escalation: The FAA warned of further restrictions after Friday if issues persist.