Author: Rachel Maddow

A new international study found that artificial intelligence interprets Polish more effectively than any other tested language. English, often considered the global standard, landed only in sixth place. Researchers from the University of Maryland and Microsoft compared 26 languages to measure how well AI systems understand and respond to prompts. The results challenged expectations. “English did not perform at the top,” the research team noted. “It ranked sixth, while Polish delivered the highest accuracy across long-text evaluations.” Machines Excel Where Humans Struggle The researchers examined responses from several major AI systems, including OpenAI, Google Gemini, Qwen, Llama, and DeepSeek. Each…

Strong iPhone sales pushed Apple’s revenue higher in the July–September quarter, ending its fiscal year with record profits. Despite global trade tensions and lagging in the AI race, Apple delivered results that exceeded expectations. Robust early demand for the iPhone 17 lineup drove the strong performance. CEO Tim Cook announced, “Apple achieved a September quarter record of $102.5 billion in revenue, with record-breaking iPhone and Services results.” Boosted by iPhone success, Apple earned $27.5 billion (€23.8 billion), nearly twice last year’s profit. Shares climbed 2% in after-hours trading following the announcement. Although the iPhone 17 lacks the advanced AI tools…

Human Rights Watch urged Chancellor Friedrich Merz to denounce Turkey’s crackdown on opposition figures, including the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. On Thursday, during his first official visit to Ankara, Merz called for a deeper strategic alliance between Europe and Turkey to tackle global challenges. He praised Turkey’s role as a key mediator in the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. Standing beside President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Merz spoke just days after Turkey and the United Kingdom completed a multibillion-euro deal for 20 Eurofighter Typhoon jets. Germany, a member of the consortium that produces the aircraft, recently lifted its long-standing…

Hurricane Melissa struck eastern Cuba early Wednesday near Chivirico, Santiago de Cuba province, bringing winds of 193 kilometers per hour. The Category 3 storm, one of the Atlantic’s strongest on record, forced the evacuation of more than 700,000 people, according to President Miguel Díaz-Canel. Forecasters warned that Melissa would cause massive destruction across Santiago de Cuba and neighboring regions. The storm threatened storm surges up to 3.6 meters and rainfall exceeding 51 centimeters, raising fears of widespread flooding and landslides. Melissa is expected to cross Cuba through Wednesday morning before moving toward the Bahamas later in the day. The U.S.…

Switzerland is once again in the global spotlight — and not for its neutrality or banking precision. In a revealing interview with the Abu Dhabi Times, Dr. Gerhard Podovsovnik, Vice President of AEA Justinian Lawyers, accused the Swiss state and its banks of profiting from assets looted during the Holocaust and hiding them for over eighty years. “The Bergier Report proved this long ago,” Podovsovnik said in the interview. “Switzerland’s National Bank and private banks traded in stolen gold, enabled Nazi transactions, and denied Jewish refugees asylum. That’s not neutrality — that’s moral complicity.” A Demand for Full Disclosure Dr.…

Severe destruction across the Gaza Strip has made it difficult for Hamas to locate and recover the bodies of remaining Israeli hostages buried under rubble. On Saturday, an Egyptian convoy carrying bulldozers and excavators entered Gaza to assist with recovery operations. Under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal, Israel agreed to return 15 bodies of imprisoned Palestinians for every Israeli hostage’s body recovered. So far, Israel has handed back 195 Palestinian bodies, while Hamas has returned 18 Israeli bodies. Earlier this month, Hamas released all 20 living Israeli hostages. U.S. President Donald Trump said he is “watching very closely” to ensure all…

The Louvre transferred part of its jewelry collection to the Bank of France vaults on Friday after a shocking theft last week. French radio network RTL reported that the museum quietly moved several high-value pieces under heavy police escort. The transfer included the “Crown Jewels” displayed in the Apollo Gallery, along with other historic artifacts from different exhibits. Officials said the move was a precaution to safeguard the remaining treasures. The vault, located 27 meters below the Bank of France headquarters in central Paris, already stores about 90% of the nation’s gold reserves. Thieves Strike in Broad Daylight and Escape…

The Pentagon announced on Friday that the U.S. military will deploy the USS Gerald R. Ford near South America. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ordered the carrier and its strike group to join U.S. Southern Command operations. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said on social media that the move aims to detect and disrupt criminal networks threatening American safety and prosperity. The USS Gerald R. Ford currently operates in the Mediterranean Sea alongside five destroyers. Deploying an aircraft carrier represents a major escalation of military power in a region already experiencing an extensive U.S. buildup in the Caribbean and off Venezuela’s…

Two Russian military planes entered Lithuania’s airspace for 18 seconds on Thursday, the Lithuanian military reported. Officials identified the aircraft as an Su-30 fighter jet and an Il-78 refueling tanker, likely conducting a refueling exercise. The jets crossed into NATO territory from Russia’s Kaliningrad region around 1600 CET. Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon jets from NATO’s Baltic Air Police immediately scrambled and began patrolling the area. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda condemned the intrusion in a post on X, calling it a “blatant breach of international law and territorial integrity.” He strongly denounced the incursion, saying Russia’s actions demanded a firm response. Moscow…

Meta has eliminated 600 positions in its artificial intelligence division, US media reported. The company confirmed the layoffs on Wednesday while continuing to recruit new employees for its superintelligence lab. Axios revealed the cuts will hit Meta’s Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) team, product-focused AI, and AI infrastructure divisions. The newer TBD Lab will remain unaffected. Employees Urged to Seek Internal Roles Chief AI officer Alexandr Wang informed staff about the changes in a memo, encouraging affected workers to apply for other roles within Meta. Axios noted that most displaced employees are likely to secure new positions inside the company. Wang…