Author: Rachel Maddow

Sébastien Lecornu resigned as France’s prime minister on Monday, ending his brief and troubled time in office.He became the shortest-serving French prime minister since 1958.His resignation came only weeks after his appointment, deepening France’s ongoing political turmoil.President Emmanuel Macron accepted Lecornu’s resignation early Monday, shortly after the new cabinet’s unveiling. Cabinet Choices Ignite Political Backlash Lecornu revealed his government’s first lineup just hours before stepping down.He had served less than a month before facing intense criticism from both allies and rivals.Lawmakers from his own coalition condemned several ministerial appointments as misguided and uninspired.Opposition parties accused Lecornu of recycling old faces…

Storm Amy killed three people as it battered Ireland, France, and other parts of Europe with strong winds and heavy rain.Irish police confirmed a man died in Letterkenny in a weather-related incident on Friday.French authorities reported two men died in northern France, one drowning near Étretat, another crushed by a falling tree in Aisne. Travel Chaos and Power Outages Storm Amy disrupted road, rail, and sea travel across the UK, Ireland, and Scandinavia.London’s Royal Parks closed after Scotland recorded gusts of 154 kph on Tiree.Ireland and Northern Ireland lost power in more than 200,000 homes, while Scottish ferry services and…

Donald Trump welcomed Hamas’s statement, declaring, “I believe they are ready for a lasting peace.”On Friday, Trump demanded Israel stop bombing Gaza after Hamas partially accepted his peace initiative.Hamas agreed to release hostages and transfer power but requested further Palestinian consultations on remaining issues.Trump posted that Israel must halt strikes to secure hostage releases safely, calling current conditions too dangerous.He later released a video thanking Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, and others for their support. Israel and Mediators React to Proposal Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel’s readiness for the “first stage” of Trump’s plan, focused on freeing hostages.However, Netanyahu’s office…

Elon Musk urged his 250 million followers to boycott Netflix over its LGBTQ+ storylines.He accused the streaming service of pushing “woke bias” that harms children’s wellbeing.Musk specifically attacked the animated show Dead End: Paranormal Park, which features a transgender character named Barney. Social Media Posts Escalate Dispute Musk reposted a meme comparing Netflix to a Trojan horse entering children’s lives.He declared, “Cancel Netflix for the health of your kids,” in a widely shared post.He also reposted a clip from Libs of TikTok, adding the remark, “this is not ok.” Musk’s History With Trans Issues Musk has repeatedly voiced controversial views…

SK Hynix and Samsung gained sharply after OpenAI confirmed them as key suppliers for its $500bn Stargate project.SK Hynix shares soared about 10%, while Samsung Electronics climbed more than 3% in Thursday’s Seoul trading.Both firms will deliver high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips essential for powering the Stargate global AI supercomputing network. Samsung remains the world’s largest memory producer, dominating DRAM and NAND flash markets across devices and data centers.SK Hynix ranks second in DRAM output but leads in HBM, the ultra-fast chips critical for Nvidia’s AI processors.Together, the two Korean titans control over half the global memory market, influencing supply, pricing,…

Eurozone inflation increased to 2.2% in September, rising from 2.0% in August, Eurostat’s flash estimate confirmed.Prices rose 0.1% month-on-month, repeating August’s pace, and matched economists’ expectations.Core inflation, excluding food and energy, stayed firm at 2.3% for the fifth consecutive month. Services drove inflation higher with a 3.2% annual rise, edging up from 3.1% in August.Food, alcohol, and tobacco prices grew 3.0%, easing slightly from 3.2%.Non-energy industrial goods held steady at 0.8%, while energy prices fell 0.4%, a slower decline than August’s 2.0%. Estonia recorded the eurozone’s highest inflation at 5.2%, followed by Croatia and Slovakia at 4.6% each.Cyprus posted no…

Zhimin Qian, 47, deceived more than 128,000 people in China between 2014 and 2017. She stored the stolen wealth in Bitcoin after executing her large-scale fraud. Police confirmed she fled China using false documents before entering the UK. She then tried to launder the illicit cryptocurrency by purchasing property in late 2018. UK Authorities Secure Record-Breaking Seizure Officers seized 61,000 Bitcoins from Qian, valued at over £5.5 billion (€6.3 billion). A seven-year global money laundering investigation led to her guilty plea in London’s Southwark Crown Court. Police described the case as one of the UK’s largest money laundering prosecutions. They…

Researchers tested VER-01, an experimental cannabis extract, on patients with persistent lower back pain. Patients reported meaningful pain reductions after months of treatment. Unlike smoking cannabis, the extract delivers controlled doses without harmful combustion effects. Scientists designed VER-01 to target pain while minimizing risks of addiction or severe complications. Chronic back pain affects more than 619 million people globally, making it the most common cause of disability. Conventional painkillers like opioids carry high addiction potential, while NSAIDs raise cardiovascular and gastrointestinal risks. For many, treatment options remain limited and ineffective, highlighting the urgent need for safer alternatives. Clinical Trial Provides…

Germany plans to strengthen its military independence with a major procurement plan worth up to 83 billion euros. Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to build Europe’s strongest conventional force, addressing personnel shortages and upgrading equipment simultaneously. Officials aim to allocate most contracts to European firms, with only eight percent going to U.S. suppliers. Between September 2025 and December 2026, Berlin expects to launch 154 defence projects, signaling a shift in strategy. Transatlantic Dependence Faces Challenges US exports to Europe tripled from 2020 to 2024, making Washington the top arms supplier to NATO allies. Germany’s imports rose 334 percent, with 70 percent…

Around 50,000 people filled central Berlin on Saturday to show support for Palestinians in Gaza. Protesters marched from Alexanderplatz to the Victory Column while chanting “free, free Palestine” and urging peace. Police deployed about 1,800 officers to supervise the march and prevent disorder during the demonstration. The demonstrators demanded Germany stop supplying arms to Israel and called for European Union sanctions. Berlin remains one of Israel’s largest weapons suppliers, alongside the US and Italy, despite mounting criticism. In August, Germany temporarily suspended some arms exports for Gaza after opposition to Israel’s planned offensive. Protests Expand Across Europe Around 50 organisations,…