Author: Rachel Maddow

Storm Amy killed three people and toppled infrastructure, leaving tens of thousands without electricity across multiple countries.Irish authorities reported a man died in Letterkenny on Friday from weather-related causes.French officials confirmed two men died—one from a fallen tree, another while swimming near Étretat.Amy disrupted roads, railways, and ferries across the UK, Ireland, and Scandinavia with heavy rain and violent winds. France and Belgium Grapple with Severe Gusts Northern France issued an orange alert as winds reached 131 kph on the coast and 110 kph inland.Storms cut electricity for 5,000 Normandy homes, though some power was later restored.Belgium recorded gusts above…

Donald Trump welcomed Hamas’s statement and claimed they appear ready for lasting peace.He urged Israel to halt bombing Gaza to secure safe and rapid hostage releases.Trump highlighted ongoing discussions to finalize the peace plan’s details and called the day “a big day.”He thanked Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, and other Arab and Muslim countries for support. Leaders Respond to Peace Effort Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Israel’s readiness to implement the plan’s “first stage,” tied to hostage release.His office stressed Israel’s commitment to pre-set war principles, without addressing Hamas’s remaining demands.Egypt and Qatar welcomed the developments and pledged to continue detailed…

Elon Musk urged his 250 million followers on X to boycott Netflix over a transgender character.He claimed the move protects children from the streaming service’s “woke bias” and LGBTQ+ storylines.Musk reposted a meme showing Netflix as a Trojan horse entering a castle labeled “your kids.” Social Media Row Escalates Musk shared Libs of TikTok’s clip of Dead End: Paranormal Park, declaring, “this is not ok.”He previously clashed with transgender issues, including a public fallout with his daughter Vivian Wilson.In 2020, Musk expressed support for trans people but criticized modern pronoun usage as “an aesthetic nightmare.” Netflix Remains Silent Netflix has…

SK Hynix and Samsung will profit from surging demand for high-bandwidth memory as OpenAI launches its $500bn Stargate project.Investors pushed SK Hynix shares up 10% and lifted Samsung Electronics more than 3% after the announcement.Both companies will supply HBM for the supercomputer initiative, reinforcing their dominance in the global memory market. Samsung leads the world in DRAM and NAND flash production, powering servers, smartphones, and data centers.SK Hynix ranks second in DRAM output and dominates high-bandwidth memory for Nvidia’s AI chips.Together, they control over half of global memory sales, influencing prices, capacity, and technology direction. Stargate Drives Record Memory Demand…

Eurozone inflation climbed to 2.2% in September, up from 2.0% in August, Eurostat reported.Monthly prices rose 0.1%, matching August’s increase, while core inflation stayed steady at 2.3%.Services drove the rise with a 3.2% annual gain, and food, alcohol, and tobacco rose 3.0%. Energy prices fell 0.4%, a slower decline than August’s 2.0%, and non-energy industrial goods held at 0.8%.Estonia recorded the highest inflation at 5.2%, while Cyprus saw no change and France rose 1.1%.Italy and Portugal posted monthly gains of 1.3% and 1.0%, showing localized acceleration. ECB Maintains Rates Amid Steady Core Inflation The ECB kept interest rates at 2.00%…

Zhimin Qian, 47, tricked over 128,000 people in China and converted their money into Bitcoin.UK courts convicted her for a leading role in the world’s largest cryptocurrency seizure, worth £5.5 billion.Also called Yadi Zhang, Qian admitted at Southwark Crown Court to illegally acquiring and holding Bitcoin. Fraud and Escape Police said her guilty plea followed a seven-year investigation into global money laundering.Between 2014 and 2017, Qian orchestrated a large-scale fraud in China, targeting more than 128,000 victims.She fled China using false documents and entered the UK.Authorities reported she tried to launder her stolen funds by buying property in late 2018.The…

Researchers tested VER-01, a cannabis-based extract, on adults with persistent lower back pain. Patients reported meaningful improvements in pain scores within months. Unlike smoking cannabis, the extract delivers controlled doses without exposing patients to harmful combustion or recreational effects. Scientists designed VER-01 to reduce pain while avoiding addiction or serious side effects. Chronic lower back pain affects over 619 million people worldwide, making it the leading cause of disability. Existing treatments, including opioids and NSAIDs, often carry severe risks or fail to provide adequate relief. Many patients endure ongoing pain due to limited safe options. Clinical Trial Demonstrates Significant Benefits…

Germany aims to make the Bundeswehr Europe’s strongest conventional army, Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced in May. The government must fill personnel shortages and equip troops with modern weaponry quickly. Berlin plans €83 billion in defense procurements, prioritizing European manufacturers while limiting US purchases to eight percent. Officials intend to complete 154 major projects between September 2025 and December 2026. Europe tripled arms imports from the US between 2020 and 2024. Germany’s imports rose 334 percent, mostly from the United States. Berlin now emphasizes “Buy European” to reduce dependency on US systems and strengthen domestic arms production. US Dependence and the…

Around 50,000 people marched through Berlin to support Palestinians and condemn the Gaza conflict. Protesters chanted “free, free Palestine” and demanded an immediate end to Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. Police deployed 1,800 officers to monitor the march from Alexanderplatz to the Victory Column in Tiergarten. Demonstrators called on Germany to stop selling weapons to Israel and urged the EU to impose sanctions. Fifty organizations, including Amnesty International and Die Linke, coordinated the rallies, though some protests faced police intervention. Clashes and Counter-Protests In Kreuzberg, police broke up a pro-Palestine demonstration after participants shouted anti-Israel slogans. About 100 people gathered in Berlin…

Interpol, which includes 196 countries, coordinated a large-scale cybercrime crackdown across Africa.Authorities arrested 260 suspects linked to online romance scams and sextortion during July and August.Investigators targeted criminals who built fake romantic relationships to extort money or blackmail victims with explicit content.The scams reached over 1,400 victims, who collectively lost nearly $2.8 million (€2.4 million).Cyril Gout, Interpol’s acting executive director of police services, said digital crimes, especially sextortion and romance scams, are surging.He added that criminals exploit online platforms, causing severe financial and psychological harm to victims. Local Authorities Crack Down on Fraud Rings Ghanaian police arrested 68 suspects who…