The U.S. government has entered its first shutdown since 2019 after Congress failed to pass a budget, forcing hundreds of thousands of federal workers to go unpaid while essential services continue. Turning to Europe, at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Ukraine faces its longest blackout of the war, relying on diesel generators to prevent disaster as shelling hampers power restoration. This, while Russia has launched its autumn draft of 135,000 men. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has expanded arms sales to Estonia, adding long-range ATACMS missiles and more HIMARS launchers to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank. In the Middle East, Hamas is expected to reject President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan as Israel prepares further operations in Gaza. The U.S. is reinforcing its posture with tanker deployments and the USS Gerald R. Ford shifting toward the Mediterranean, signaling deterrence against Iran while retaining flexibility toward Europe. And Taiwan has rebuffed a U.S. proposal to relocate half its semiconductor output, defending its “silicon shield.” While a federal court has ruled that non-citizens lawfully present in America retain First Amendment rights.