Merz Elected: Germany Ends Political Stalemate | JQJO

The UK government approved production from the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea, a decision that has sparked intense debate over environmental and economic impacts. Ministers said the first gas could be produced by the end of this month, helping heat millions of homes, and announced the creation of a new energy wealth fund. Environmental campaigners warned the decision would hamper efforts to tackle climate change and make no meaningful difference to UK energy security. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused the prime minister of dithering on Jackdaw and urged the repeal of a ban on new oil and gas licences. Andy Burnham defended the decision, saying the previous Tory government had messed up the original choice.

Australian independent MP Helen Haines, 65, had both legs amputated after being struck by a car on Monday near her Wangaratta office. The incident, described by police as a targeted attack, left her in a stable condition at a Melbourne hospital. Haines’ husband, Phil, said surgeons had to amputate her legs after days in intensive care. Brendan Nugent, 43, was charged with dangerous driving causing serious injury, intentionally causing serious injury, and the federal offence of harming a public official, carrying a maximum 10‑year sentence. Nugent also faces charges for cannabis cultivation and possession. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Haines as a “fighter” and called for respectful disagreement amid rising threats to elected officials.

The Supreme Court has ruled that the Trump administration cannot deny gender‑affirming care to transgender inmates while the policy is being implemented. The decision prevents the administration from withholding such medical treatment from incarcerated individuals who identify as transgender. The ruling applies to the policy currently under review by the Court.

A new attack ad from Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the Ohio governor’s race featured Amy Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, calling the candidate a liar. Acton’s campaign and her brother Philip Stearns called the ad a “despicable low.” Arthur said, “It’s not easy for a mother to say this, but Amy was a serious problem. She is a liar; she lies about her past.” Stearns accused Ramaswamy of exploiting the sexual abuse Acton endured at age twelve, noting that their stepfather, Cledith Arthur, was arrested and charged. Ramaswamy later confirmed the ad was from his campaign and defended its content. The Ohio Republican Party has not yet responded. Acton, who served as the state’s public health commissioner, has previously spoken publicly about abuse by her stepfather.

North Korea’s state media on Wednesday warned border troops to take prompt and resolute action if South Korean forces threaten their safety, raising the risk of a clash along the heavily armed frontier. The directive followed Seoul’s pledge to punish any further provocation by Pyongyang resolutely. North Korean Army Marshal Pak Jong Chon inspected fortifications on the border with South Korea on Tuesday, accompanied by Kim Yo Jong, the sister of leader Kim Jong Un. Kim Yo Jong said new firepower units had taken their firing positions at the border. Tensions have risen since Pyongyang began fortifying its border in April two thousand and twenty‑four. The two countries are separated by the Demilitarized Zone established when the Korean War ended in an armistice in nineteen‑fifty‑three.

Independent lawmaker Helen Haines had both legs amputated after a car rammed her outside her electoral office in Wangaratta on Monday. Doctors removed her left leg and failed to save the right. The 43‑year‑old suspect, Brendan Nugent, appeared in court on Wednesday and faces charges of dangerous driving, intentional injury and harming a public official. Police say no intelligence indicated a threat to Haines. She was elected in 2019 and re‑elected in 2022 and 2025.

Armed federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security have been knocking on doors in several states to ask residents about their immigration status and whether they are registered to vote. The operation aims to root out potential noncitizen voters ahead of the midterms. DHS alleges up to two hundred fifty thousand citizens may be illegally registered, a figure disputed by election experts. Since the beginning of the Trump administration, only one hundred fifty‑six people have been charged with voting‑fraud offenses. Critics say the door‑knocking could intimidate lawful voters. The Justice Department announced that Homeland Security agents in California arrested more than twenty people, all green‑card holders, on allegations of illegal registration or voting. A 72‑year‑old man from Belize was taken from his home in pajamas and charged with voting illegally in the past four elections.

Russia released retired American teacher Stephen Hubbard, 74, who had been detained in Ukraine in 2022. The move follows U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff’s meeting with President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, where Witkoff praised Putin for the release. President Donald Trump said he had personally requested Hubbard’s release and described the action as an unprecedented gesture of respect. Hubbard’s family thanked Trump and his team for opening dialogue with Russia, noting the release brings them “joyful blessings.” The release comes as Washington pressures Kyiv to agree to a deal to end Moscow’s war. The State Department had previously designated Hubbard as wrongfully detained in Russia.