Author: Rachel Maddow

A delegation of Hong Kong business leaders and consular officials began a tour of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on October 10. The visit aims to explore new business opportunities and strengthen economic ties between Hong Kong and Xinjiang. Cui Jianchun, commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong, said at the launch ceremony that the tour will promote collaboration by combining Xinjiang’s advantages with Hong Kong’s strengths. “Xinjiang offers strategic location, rich resources, and diverse industries. Hong Kong brings expertise in funding, services, and innovation,” he noted. The delegation includes representatives from Hong Kong’s consular corps…

About 200 US troops began arriving in Israel to build a coordination centre supporting humanitarian, logistical, and security operations for Gaza.US officials confirmed that the troops will not enter Gaza but will oversee the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.US envoy Steve Witkoff and Central Command chief Brad Cooper visited Gaza on Saturday to verify Israel’s first phase of troop withdrawal.“This effort will proceed without US boots on the ground in Gaza,” Cooper said, confirming his command would lead the mission. Ceasefire Opens Path for Aid and Recovery Under the truce deal, Hamas will release 48 remaining hostages by Monday,…

Tech Giant Expands Data Power in Wallonia Google invests €5 billion to expand its Belgian data and AI infrastructure, marking its largest project in the country. The initiative creates 300 new jobs and enhances data capacity in Wallonia, reinforcing Europe’s shift toward sustainable digital growth. The company expands its Saint-Ghislain site to accelerate AI and cloud service access across the continent. “With today’s announcement, Google deepens its Belgian presence and opens new doors for AI-driven transformation,” said Bikash Koley, Vice President for Global Infrastructure at Google. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever welcomed the announcement as a milestone for both…

A 72-year-old Israeli rabbi says he possesses evidence of secret Nazi-era Swiss bank accounts untouched since World War II. His investigation is reviving uncomfortable questions about Swiss secrecy, wartime finance, and the unfulfilled promises of restitution. The Rabbi with the Evidence Rabbi Ephraim Meir, a soft-spoken German-Israeli scholar, carries with him a briefcase filled with what he says are copies of banking records and affidavits linking six numbered Swiss accounts to Nazi affiliates in the late 1930s. As first reported by Riva Pomerantz, an investigative journalist with Ami Magazine, Meir claims that the heirs of one account holder formally transferred…

The Canary Islands broke visitor records again this year despite mounting protests against overtourism.New data from August revealed the extent of overcrowding across the archipelago.The islands welcomed 1.23 million foreign tourists, the highest number ever recorded for that month.This total marked a 6% rise from August 2024, continuing Spain’s broader trend of record-breaking summers.From January to August 2025, more than 10 million international visitors arrived across the islands.The Canary Islands ranked as Spain’s third most visited region during that period.Nearly half a million visitors came from the United Kingdom, while German tourists also made up a large share.Tourism contributes around…

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,…