Author: Rachel Maddow

Sébastien Lecornu resigned as French prime minister on Monday after serving less than a month in office.His departure marked the shortest tenure for any French prime minister since 1958.President Emmanuel Macron accepted the resignation just hours after Lecornu presented his new cabinet.The move deepened the ongoing political instability surrounding Macron’s administration. Cabinet Choices Sparked Widespread Backlash Lecornu faced sharp criticism from both allies and opponents after revealing his government lineup.Members of his own party accused him of ignoring calls for change and diversity in leadership.Opposition figures condemned his appointments as unimaginative and politically tone-deaf.The conservative Republicans reacted angrily to the…

Storm Amy killed three people and disrupted power, transport, and daily life across northern Europe.Irish authorities confirmed a man died in Letterkenny in a weather-related accident on Friday.French officials reported two men died—one drowned near Étretat, and another crushed by a falling tree in Aisne. Infrastructure Struggles Across the UK and Belgium Storm Amy grounded ferries, blocked roads, and closed railway lines throughout the UK, Ireland, and Scotland.London’s Royal Parks shut gates as the Met Office recorded 154 kph gusts on Scotland’s Tiree island.Belgian authorities issued a nationwide Code Orange alert, closing Ostend’s breakwaters and activating emergency phone lines. Scandinavia…

Donald Trump urged Israel to halt strikes on Gaza after Hamas partly accepted his peace initiative.Hamas said it would free hostages and hand authority to other Palestinians while consulting on remaining terms.Trump welcomed Hamas’ response, declaring: “I believe they are ready for a lasting peace.”He insisted Israel must stop bombing Gaza immediately to allow hostages to leave safely and quickly.Trump announced ongoing talks and stressed that details must still be resolved. Leaders and Mediators React to Trump’s Proposal Trump later shared a celebratory video thanking Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey and other supporters.He called the development a “big day”…

Elon Musk urged his 250 million followers on X to boycott Netflix.He accused the streaming giant of pushing “woke bias” and LGBTQ+ themes.Musk claimed his campaign aimed to protect children’s well-being. Cartoon Sparks Social Media Clash Musk targeted Dead End: Paranormal Park, where a character identifies as transgender.He reposted a meme labeling Netflix a Trojan horse invading “your kids.”Earlier, he reacted to a Libs of TikTok clip by posting, “this is not ok.” Family Feud and Free Speech Debate Musk previously clashed with his daughter Vivian after she transitioned.He called her medical treatment “sterilization,” despite earlier voicing support for trans…

SK Hynix and Samsung gained after OpenAI tapped them for its $500bn AI data-centre project.Shares of SK Hynix jumped nearly 10%, while Samsung Electronics climbed over 3% in Thursday trading.OpenAI confirmed both firms will provide high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for its Stargate supercomputer initiative. Samsung dominates global memory production, leading in DRAM and NAND flash chips for servers and devices.SK Hynix, the second-largest DRAM maker, leads in high-bandwidth memory, powering Nvidia’s advanced AI processors.Together, the Korean giants control over half the global memory market, influencing pricing and technology shifts worldwide. Securing Demand for High-Bandwidth Memory AI computing relies heavily on HBM…

Eurozone inflation rose to 2.2% in September, reaching its highest level in five months.Core inflation held steady at 2.3%, showing underlying pressures remain firm despite rising headline figures.Eurostat reported that prices increased 0.1% month-on-month, matching August’s growth rate. Services and Energy Drive Price Growth Services prices increased 3.2% annually, slightly higher than August’s 3.1% rise.Food, alcohol and tobacco prices grew 3.0%, easing from 3.2%, while non-energy industrial goods held steady at 0.8%.Energy costs declined 0.4%, slowing from a 2.0% fall in August.Estonia recorded the highest inflation at 5.2%, followed by Croatia and Slovakia at 4.6% each.Cyprus posted no change, while…

Zhimin Qian, 47, deceived more than 128,000 victims in China. She converted the stolen funds into Bitcoin between 2014 and 2017. Police confirmed she orchestrated the fraud, storing the assets in cryptocurrency. Criminal Activities Reach the UK Qian, also known as Yadi Zhang, admitted guilt at Southwark Crown Court in London. She illegally obtained and held cryptocurrency worth billions. Her guilty plea followed a seven-year global money-laundering investigation led by the Metropolitan Police. She escaped China with false documents and entered the UK in 2018. Authorities stated she attempted to clean the illegal funds by buying property. Police seized 61,000…

Researchers tested VER-01, an experimental cannabis extract, on adults with chronic lower back pain. Patients recorded notable drops in pain levels within months. The extract differs entirely from smoking cannabis, offering controlled dosing and medical oversight. Lower back pain affects more than 619 million people globally, making it the most common cause of disability. Chronic pain recurs persistently, restricting mobility, damaging sleep, and eroding quality of life. Current treatments remain limited. Opioids risk addiction, while nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may cause long-term cardiovascular or gastrointestinal damage. VER-01 provides an alternative without those dangers. Study Details and Patient Results The late-stage…

Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to make the Bundeswehr the strongest conventional force in Europe. The government must address troop shortages with new military service while modernizing equipment quickly. Politico reported Berlin plans an €83 billion procurement program, with most orders going to European manufacturers. The plan includes 154 major purchases from September 2025 to December 2026. Only eight percent of deals involve the USA. Arms Imports Highlight Shifting Balance Sipri reported European imports of US weapons tripled between 2020 and 2024 compared to the prior five years. Europe received 35 percent of American arms exports, up from 13 percent in…

Over 50,000 demonstrators filled Berlin’s streets to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Protesters marched from Alexanderplatz to the Victory Column, chanting “free, free Palestine” and calling for an end to war. Police deployed 1,800 officers to supervise the rally and maintain order throughout the German capital. Organisers included Amnesty International, Die Linke, and nearly 50 associations that pushed for international solidarity with Gaza. Crowds demanded Germany stop sending arms to Israel and urged the EU to impose sanctions on the country. Germany, alongside the US and Italy, remains a major supplier of weapons to Israel despite mounting criticism. Counter-Protests…