Author: Rachel Maddow

A violent storm ravaged Europe, killing three people and crippling major infrastructure across several countries.Irish police reported a man died in Letterkenny on Friday in a weather-related incident.French officials confirmed two men died as powerful winds hit northern France on Saturday.Storm Amy pounded the UK, Ireland, and Scandinavia with torrential rain and destructive gusts, halting travel across the region. Fierce Winds Devastate France and Belgium Northern France faced hurricane-level winds reaching 131 kilometres per hour as officials issued an orange alert.A man drowned near Étretat, while another died in Aisne when a tree branch crushed his car.Power outages struck 5,000…

Donald Trump praised Hamas after it partly accepted his peace plan to end the Gaza war.Trump said Hamas showed readiness for peace by offering to release hostages and share power with other Palestinians.He demanded Israel stop bombing Gaza immediately so hostages could be freed safely and quickly.The US president posted that discussions on details had already begun to move the process forward. Netanyahu and Mediators React to Ceasefire Effort Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel accepted the “first stage” of Trump’s plan, hinting at the hostage release.His office later stated Israel would end the war only under conditions it previously set.Trump released…

Elon Musk urged his followers on X to boycott Netflix, citing its “woke bias.”He criticized the show Dead End: Paranormal Park for featuring a transgender character named Barney.Musk reposted a meme portraying Netflix as a Trojan horse invading children’s lives. Social Media Posts Fuel the Dispute Musk declared, “Cancel Netflix for the health of your kids,” while amplifying the protest online.He reignited the row by reposting Libs of TikTok’s clip of the animated series.The billionaire repeated his stance across several posts, intensifying backlash against the streaming platform. Personal History and Broader Free Speech Fight Musk has clashed publicly over transgender…

SK Hynix and Samsung gained as OpenAI launched its $500bn global AI infrastructure expansion.Both companies secured roles in supplying high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for OpenAI’s massive Stargate data-centre project.Shares of SK Hynix jumped 10% while Samsung Electronics rose over 3% in Seoul trading. Samsung leads the world in DRAM and NAND flash production, powering everything from servers to smartphones.SK Hynix ranks second in global DRAM output but leads the market in high-bandwidth memory chips.Together, the two dominate over half of the global memory market, shaping pricing, capacity, and technology trends. AI Push Locks in HBM Demand High-bandwidth memory enables Nvidia processors…

Eurozone inflation climbed to 2.2% in September, the highest level since April, according to Eurostat.Services prices grew 3.2%, while food, alcohol and tobacco increased 3.0%, slightly easing from August.Core inflation held firm at 2.3% for the fifth month, signaling persistent underlying price pressures. Energy prices continued to contract, dropping 0.4% compared with a 2.0% fall in August.Estonia posted the highest inflation at 5.2%, with Croatia and Slovakia following at 4.6% each.Cyprus recorded no annual change, while France reported only a 1.1% rise. ECB Maintains Rate Strategy The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged at its September meeting, keeping the…

Zhimin Qian, 47, defrauded more than 128,000 people in China before attempting to launder the illegal cryptocurrency by purchasing property in Britain. Authorities in the UK convicted the Chinese woman for playing a central role in a Bitcoin fraud after the world’s largest cryptocurrency seizure, valued at over 5.5 billion pounds (€6.3 billion). Zhimin Qian, also known as Yadi Zhang, admitted guilt on Monday at London’s Southwark Crown Court for illegally acquiring and holding the cryptocurrency. Investigators from the Metropolitan Police said her guilty plea followed a seven-year investigation into worldwide money laundering. Between 2014 and 2017, Qian orchestrated extensive…

Researchers tested a new cannabis-derived treatment that significantly eased chronic lower back pain without causing dependency. Patients reported marked improvements in pain intensity, mobility, and sleep after using the experimental drug VER-01 for several months. Doctors see the therapy as a potential breakthrough for millions struggling with a condition that remains poorly treated worldwide. Clinical Trial Results Highlight Pain and Function Gains The large-scale study enrolled 820 adults who failed to respond adequately to non-opioid treatments. Participants either received VER-01, developed by the German firm Vertanical, or a placebo for direct comparison. They tracked pain intensity on a 0–10 scale,…

Germany plans to build Europe’s strongest conventional military, Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced in May. The government faces two challenges: addressing troop shortages with new service models and rapidly modernizing equipment. Officials drafted an €83 billion procurement program, Politico reported. Most contracts will go to European suppliers, with only eight percent reserved for the U.S. Between September 2025 and December 2026, Berlin expects 154 major defense purchases. Europe’s reliance on American arms soared since 2020. Imports from the U.S. to Europe, including Ukraine, tripled compared to the previous five years. American exports to Europe rose from 13 percent of the total…

Over 50,000 protesters filled Berlin’s streets on Saturday to support Palestinians in Gaza and demand peace. Demonstrators chanted “free, free Palestine” and condemned the humanitarian crisis caused by the Israel-Hamas war. Police reported 1,800 officers monitored the march, which stretched through central Berlin from Alexanderplatz to the Victory Column. Protesters demanded Germany stop arms sales to Israel and urged the EU to impose sanctions against Tel Aviv. Germany, a major supplier of weapons to Israel, suspended some exports in August following backlash over Netanyahu’s offensive. Multiple Groups Join Forces Around 50 organisations, including Amnesty International and the party Die Linke,…

Interpol, the world’s largest police network with 196 member states, coordinated a cybercrime crackdown across Africa.Authorities arrested 260 suspects in July and August for romance and extortion schemes run online. Victims Tricked Through Deception and Blackmail Scammers built false romantic ties to steal money or blackmail with explicit images, investigators confirmed.Over 1,400 victims lost nearly $2.8 million during the wave of online fraud operations.Ghanaian police detained 68 suspects using fake identities for extortion and secret recordings.Senegalese authorities arrested 22 suspects who posed as celebrities to swindle more than 100 victims of $34,000.In Côte d’Ivoire, police captured 24 suspects who exploited…