French President Emmanuel Macron will name a new prime minister today after Sébastien Lecornu delivered a shock on Monday, resigning after failing to find consensus over the country's ballooning deficit. Lecornu is the third French PM to leave the job in less than a year.

Paris

France is in the process of selecting its sixth prime minister in less than two years, reflecting ongoing political instability and difficulties in securing a parliamentary majority. Several names are being discussed, including both technocrats and former political leaders, but no consensus has emerged.

The incoming prime minister will be tasked with passing a crucial budget and addressing France's deficit, which currently exceeds targets agreed with the European Union. Political divisions, particularly over pension reform and public spending, have made compromise difficult, contributing to investor uncertainty and economic challenges.

France searches for sixth prime minister in two years

Yes, we're all with our bingo cards trying to figure out who can be the next prime minister. As you were saying, the sixth prime minister in less than two years. Someone who has to find compromisers with different parties and, you know, succeed where some of its predecessors very recently failed, whether it was Beirut or Barnier or Le Corneuil, you know, they've really struggled to find any sort of majority to work with in Parliament. So, we hear some different names, names that came to the surface in previous nominations as well. Some people talk about potential technocratic government and names like Pierre Moscovici, of course, ex-European commissioner and now head of the Audit Court in France, Villot Roi de Gallo, the governor of the Banque de France. Other political names also floating around like Bernard Cazeneuve, the socialist who was prime minister at some point and was in government as a minister for interior with Emmanuel Macron when he was himself minister. So, some names going around. What we heard from Sébastien Le Corneuil on Wednesday evening when he spoke on television after holding the talks for two days with the different parties, he came with an interesting and surprising suggestion. He said whoever it is, they should be completely disconnected from the presidential ambitions from 2027. He had talked about and complained about some awakening of partisan appetite ahead of that all-important election in 18 months. And, you know, that was an interesting call there. But some say maybe he was actually pitching for himself. And that could be the big surprise. Apparently, he could be the front-runner to be prime minister again. So, that would be an interesting call. But, you know, then he would have to form his team. And then the report said the team would have to look very different, with potential names coming from civil society, et cetera, et cetera. So, we have to wait and see. But what we know is that the prime minister has to tackle, first and foremost, the budget. We are on a very tight deadline for the budget to be passed by December 31. First, of course, there is no shutdown in France. They can extend that date by a little bit. There's still ways to collect taxes if need be. But we know that public finances is something that needs to be tackled, controlling the deficit, bringing it back under 5 percent next year from 5.4 percent. You know, the debt is reaching 115 percent of GDP. So, all this is the all-important conversation. All the past few prime ministers have been toppled on the question of the budget and the cuts that need to be made. So, that is what needs to be happening now. So, again, we have to wait and see who will be leading that government. And then, over the next few days, who that team will be to do probably what is at the moment the toughest job in the country. Yeah. But, look, here's the problem, Charlotte, and you know this. There's many constituencies here and they all disagree. So, the French people and the French centre and centre-left may agree on one thing, but the markets are going to turn around and say, really? Is that the best you can do? You've already got Villers-de-Gallos today saying, well, it would be better if France's deficit did not exceed 4.8 percent in 2026. 4.8 percent, by the way, for all our viewers, is wildly higher than the amount agreed upon with the ECB and European Commission. But we'll ignore that for now. The chances of getting to 4.8 percent for 2026, if we do get a compromise between the left and the centre, they're very, very slim chances, aren't they? It will be really tough, especially that the left say they're happy to come around the table if there's a reopening of the question of the pension reform, you know, whether it's a freeze of the pension reform or, you know, some adjustment of some sort. So, the pension reform was passed a couple of years ago to bring the start of the retirement age from 62 to 64, and it has been gradually going up over the past few years. So there could be a freeze of that. So, of course, that would have a cost. The argument on the other side is, look, the political instability has a cost. People, you know, companies are not investing or hiring. A lot of households are saving money rather than spending it. Foreign investors are worried and not investing money. So, you know, political instability has a cost. So some compromise has to be done in order to maybe potentially provide some political stability. And if the review of the pension reform is a cost to pay, maybe it's one worth taking at the moment at least.

China dramatically expanded its rare earths export controls on Thursday (October 9), adding five new elements and extra scrutiny for semiconductor users as Beijing tightens control over the sector ahead of talks between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.

Beijing

China tightens rare earth export controls ahead of U.S. talks

A French court on Thursday (October 9) rejected the appeal of a former construction worker found guilty last year of the aggravated rape of Gisele Pelicot, and increased his prison sentence by a year to 10 years, his lawyer said

Sentence increased for man convicted of raping Gisele Pelicot

At least two people have died in a powerful 7.4 earthquake that struck the south east coast of the Philippines on Friday (October 10). Authorities had initially issued evacuation warnings following tsunami threats; however, these have now been lifted.

Davao Oriental

Philippines hit by 7.4 magnitude earthquake, at least two dead

Hundreds of Texas National Guard troops arrived in Chicago just as a federal judge issued a temporary order blocking further deployment. The ruling comes amid ongoing legal battles over President Trump’s efforts to send troops to U.S. cities to quell protests.

Chicago

Judge blocks National Guard deployment in Chicago

Peru’s Congress has voted to impeach President Dina Boluarte on grounds of moral incapacity, plunging the country into fresh political turmoil after months of unrest.

Quito

Peru's President Dina Boluarte impeached

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that his government has approved a plan to release all remaining hostages in Gaza. The move is part of President Trump’s peace plan and could bring an end to the two-year conflict in the region.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Israeli government approves framework to release hostages

New York Attorney General Letitia James has been indicted by a grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia. She faces two separate charges, one count of bank fraud and one count of false statements to a financial institution.

Alexandria

Federal grand jury indicts New York AG Letitia James

Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas signed an agreement on Thursday to cease fire and free Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, in the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's initiative to end the two-year war in Gaza.

Washington

Middle East Conflict

Trump says Israel hostages to be freed early next week

The U.S. Senate held its seventh round of votes Thursday on Democratic and Republican plans to fund and reopen the government, but once again the bills failed to pass.

Senate votes to reopen government fail again on 9th day of shutdown

The chemistry award is the third 2025 Nobel Prize to be announced this week. Three U.S. scientists won the award in chemistry for creating a new molecular structure.

Stockholm

U.S. scientist trio win Nobel Prize in chemistry

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of wanting to sow "chaos" in Ukraine by launching strikes on his country's energy grid and railway infrastructure, in comments published Thursday.

Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

Zelenskyy says Russia aims to sow 'chaos' with energy strikes

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday (October 8) that Hamas has agreed to release hostages and Israel will pull back its troops in Gaza in the "first phase" of a peace deal. CBS News' Debora Patta reports.

Jerusalem

Israel and Hamas agree to phase one of peace deal

Russia and China are sending high-level representatives to North Korea for celebrations honoring 80 years of the ruling party. CBS News' Ramy Inocencio reports.

Pyongyang

Russia, China send representatives to North Korea

The Toronto Blue Jays won Game 4 of their American League Division Series matchup against the New York Yankees to advance to the next round of the Major League Baseball playoffs.

New York

Blue Jays defeat Yankees to advance to ALCS

The ongoing U.S. government shutdown has led to major delays and staffing shortages at airports, raising safety concerns. The flight attendants’ union says reduced oversight and overworked crews are putting additional strain on the aviation system.

Aviation less safe during any government shutdown, union warns

Earlier this week, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said one of the reasons for staffing shortages at airports is that a growing number of air traffic controllers have been calling in sick. Those controllers don't know when they'll get their next paycheck amid the government shutdown.

Los Angeles International Airport

Why the government shutdown is playing into travel delays

President Trump says he might travel to the Middle East as soon as this weekend as Israel and Hamas continue indirect negotiations to end the war in Gaza. CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe has the details.

Cairo

Trump 'may' go to Egypt or Gaza amid Israel-Hamas peace

A 29-year-old Florida man has been arrested on suspicion of arson in connection with the deadly Palisades Fire that scorched parts of Los Angeles earlier this year, officials said Wednesday.

Los Angeles

Man arrested for allegedly starting Palisades Fire in California

Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty to two counts in federal court on Wednesday (October 8) after being indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice in September.

James Comey pleads not guilty to charges brought by Trump's DOJ

Some air traffic control staffing issues and bad weather are affecting flight delays as the government shutdown enters its eighth day. CBS News senior transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave has more details.

Government shutdown, staffing issues lead to flight delays

Hamas’ lead negotiator says the group needs guarantees of a lasting peace as indirect talks with Israel to reach an agreement over the implementation of the first phase of Trump’s peace plan for Gaza enter the third day.

Sharm El-Sheikh

Hamas says it is ready to reach Gaza deal but needs 'real' guarantees

Sebastien Lecornu to hold two days of talks to try to shore up cross-party support for his collapsed government.

Outgoing French PM launches last bid to quell political crisis

Israel is pressing forward with its attacks across the Gaza Strip. 
Its forces have targeted displaced families in Khan Younis, killing a mother and her children. Several Palestinians have also been killed in a strike on Al Shati refugee camp, in Gaza City.

Israeli strikes intensify in Gaza despite ceasefire talks

Palestinian solidarity demonstrators have marched through Mexico and Chile’s capitals, demanding their governments sever diplomatic ties with Israel. The protests mark the second anniversary of Israel's war on Gaza.

Mexico City

Palestinian solidarity protests sweep Latin America

National Guard troops are preparing to be deployed to Chicago. Members of the Texas National Guard arrived just outside the city on Tuesday. The move is being criticized as an abuse of presidential authority.

National Guard troops preparing to deploy in Chicago

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to the White House, where he promised to treat Canada fairly in trade talks, but was less committed to a continental trade deal that also includes Mexico.

Global Tariffs

Trump promises trade fairness for Canada during Carney's visit

From Tel Aviv to the Nova Music Festival site, Israelis gathered to remember those who were killed in the October 2023 Hamas attack.

Israelis remember victims two years after Hamas attack

Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Comedy Festival is attracting global stars including Dave Chappelle, Pete Davidson and Kevin Hart, with reports that some are being paid more than $1 million each. The event is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's push to rebrand the conservative kingdom through sports and entertainment.

Riyadh

Riyadh Comedy Festival draws top U.S. comedians amid controversy

Three U.S.-based scientists have won the Nobel Prize in physics for their work on quantum mechanics. The physics award is the second 2025 Nobel Prize to be announced this week.

Three U.S.-based scientists win Nobel Prize in physics

As the war in Gaza reaches its two-year mark, Israel and Hamas continue negotiations in Egypt. Talks are centered on a proposed ceasefire deal, which includes a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a hostage-prisoner exchange.

Breakdown