Investors in AI Race Spooked after Google Value Drops $500bn | BBC News

Oct 30, 2026 | Google owner Alphabet lost just over $500bn (£374bn) in value after it revealed its artificial intelligence (AI) summaries on search were affecting ad revenue.

While their total revenue grew by 25% compared to last year, Google’s stock hit a six-month low on Thursday, falling by almost 13%.

Shares in Amazon and Microsoft also took a hit, but both tech giants joined Google in plans to continue investing in an ongoing AI race.

Das wäre das Ende von Russlands Kriegsmaschine | Marcus Keupp⁠

Oct 30, 2026 | Von der industriellen Revolution bis zur künstliche Intelligenz: Unser Bedarf an Energie wächst mit atemberaubender Geschwindigkeit. Im besten Fall führt das zu Innovationen und im schlimmsten Fall zu verheerenden Konflikten. Wie Petrostaaten Energie als Waffe einsetzen und wie der Krieg um Brennstoffe nach wie vor die Welt bestimmt und zerstört, darüber spricht Zsolt Wilhelm mit Marcus Keupp. Er ist Militärökonom bei der ETH Zürich. Und sie reden darüber, warum das Ende der fossilen Energie für globalen Frieden sorgen könnte.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines

October 30, 2026

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Binance Suspends Withdrawals After Crypto Hackers Steal $6.3 Billion

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The crypto exchange said it was compromised in what could be the biggest crypto heist ever. One research lab attributed the theft to “North Korea’s elite hacking unit.”

Changpeng Zhao, Binance’s founder, said the incident “does look like a hack.” Credit: Antonio Masiello/Getty Images
Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, said on Thursday that it had halted withdrawals after it was attacked by hackers who made off with more than $6 billion in digital coins, in what appears to be the biggest crypto heist in history.

The exact nature of the attack was not immediately clear. Binance’s founder, the crypto billionaire Changpeng Zhao, said it “does look like a hack.” The company said it had temporarily suspended all deposits and withdrawals and that its customers would be made whole.

Binance said that it would cover all losses, estimated at about $6.3 billion. The company said that it had coordinated with other crypto firms to freeze about $3 billion in assets that were swept up in the hack.

The attack appeared to be the work of “North Korea’s elite hacking unit,” according to TRM Labs, a crypto research firm. The firm had “high confidence” in its assessment, it said, based on features of the hack that resembled previous thefts. TRM Labs estimated that the hackers had shifted about $2.4 billion in crypto coins “beyond any issuer’s reach.” » | David Yaffe-Bellany and Ryan Mac | David Yaffe-Bellany covers the cryptocurrency industry. Ryan Mac writes about technology. | Published: Thursday, October 29, 2026. Updated: Friday, October 30, 2026

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines

October 29, 2026

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Une situation « très tendue » : la Suisse envisage d’abaisser la vitesse maximale sur ses autoroutes à 80km/h pour lutter contre les pénuries de carburant

LE FIGARO : Cette réduction temporaire de la vitesse viendrait « compléter les prélèvements déjà en cours dans les réserves obligatoires et renforcer leur effet d’économie supplémentaire », indique l’Office fédéral pour l’approvisionnement économique du pays.

Alerte rouge sur les stocks de carburant suisse. Depuis plusieurs semaines, la situation se dégrade chez nos voisins helvètes, au point que le recours aux réserves d’urgence de diesel a été autorisé vendredi dernier. Une situation jugée « très tendue » par l’Office fédéral pour l’approvisionnement économique du pays, chargé de veiller à ce que la Suisse ne connaisse aucune pénurie de biens essentiels. Selon le quotidien suisse Aargauer Zeitung, l’organisation réfléchit désormais à limiter la vitesse maximale sur les autoroutes suisses à 80 km/h. » | Par Ilian Valet | jeudi 29 octobre 2026

Christine Lagarde va quitter la présidence de la Banque centrale européenne le 7 février 2027, neuf mois avant le terme de son mandat

LE FIGARO : Christine Lagarde a informé le Conseil des gouverneurs de l’institut monétaire ainsi que le président du Conseil européen, António Costa, de sa décision de quitter son poste en février, selon un communiqué.

La présidente de la Banque centrale européenne (BCE), Christine Lagarde, quittera ses fonctions le 7 février 2027, soit près de neuf mois avant l’expiration de son mandat prévue fin octobre 2027, a annoncé la BCE jeudi. Christine Lagarde a informé le Conseil des gouverneurs de l’institut monétaire ainsi que le président du Conseil européen, António Costa, de sa décision de quitter son poste en février, selon un communiqué. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | jeudi 29 octobre 2026

Trump Embarrasses Himself in Russia Exchange

Trump puts his foot in his mouth, as usual.

How Turkish Workers Transformed Germany

Sixty-five years ago, a labor deal between Germany and Turkey was meant to solve a worker shortage. Instead, it transformed German society for generations.
Learn how here »

Why, Mr. President?

Oct 29, 2026 | Every answer Trump refuses to give leads back to the same place: Corruption.

Budget 2026: Andrew Neil Praises ‘Clever’ Politics of Energy Bills Relief

Oct 28, 2026 | “That's paid for by the banks … there's no love for the banks.”

Andrew Neil describes the help for energy bills being funded by raising taxes on banks in John Healey’s budget as “quite clever”.

Economist and Author Isabella Weber on "Anti-Fascist Economics"

Isabella Weber says inequality and the rising cost of living are fuel for fascism. Her book is [entitled] Anti-Fascist Economics.
Click here to hear her speak on the matter.

'Democracy Committing Suicide' | Historian Compares Trump's USA to Hitler's Rise to Power

Oct 28, 2026 | Historian and author of the book 53 Days: How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy. Tim Ryback has written about some seeming resonances between the Third Reich and the Trump White House when it comes to ostentatious building projects, an obsession with Greenland and a big focus on tariffs. He weighs in also on what the midterms in America may hold.

Timothy Ryback is an American historian. Born in Michigan, he now lives with his wife in Paris. — Mark

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines

October 27, 2026

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Steve Rosenberg: How Are Today's Russian Papers Reacting to the Defeat of a Key Moscow Ally in Serbia?

Oct 27, 2026 | In today's Russian papers, surprise at the defeat of Moscow ally Aleksander Vučić in Serbia. One paper: “Russia can expect nothing good from this.” Another: “The results benefit the EU.” But several point out: “The Serbs are dependant on Russian gas.”

Trois pétroliers transportant du diesel russe font route vers les États-Unis, affirme Moscou

LE FIGARO : La Russie a annoncé mardi l’acheminement de nouvelles cargaisons de carburant vers les États-Unis, un quatrième navire devant partir mercredi. Ces livraisons découlent de l’accord conclu entre Donald Trump et Vladimir Poutine pour assouplir les sanctions sur le diesel russe.

Trois pétroliers transportant du diesel russe se dirigent vers les États-Unis, a annoncé Moscou, après un accord qui avait suscité un vif rejet en Ukraine et en Europe. « Actuellement, trois pétroliers » transportant du carburant russe font route vers les États-Unis, a déclaré mardi aux journalistes le vice-Premier ministre russe Alexandre Novak. Un quatrième navire doit prendre la mer mercredi, a-t-il ajouté. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mardi 27 octobre 2026

EU Australia Deal Shocks Global Markets with Billions in Tariff Savings | World News

Oct 26, 2026 | European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced a landmark Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and Australia, marking a major breakthrough after nearly a decade of negotiations. The agreement is expected to boost economic growth, strengthen exports, reduce tariffs, and deepen strategic cooperation between the two partners.

The deal could add nearly $8 billion to Australia's GDP and save EU exporters approximately €1 billion in tariffs. Australian industrial goods will gain tariff-free access to the European market, while EU exports to Australia are projected to increase by 33% over the next decade. Beyond trade, both sides are strengthening cooperation on critical minerals, including lithium, rare earths, and tungsten, while launching a new security and defense partnership. The agreement also opens the way for negotiations on Australia's participation in the Horizon Europe research program. With shared commitments to democracy, international law, and climate neutrality by 2050, the EU-Australia partnership could reshape economic and strategic ties. Watch for the key details, major benefits, and global implications of this historic agreement.

Audi Boss Under Fire in Germany for Trump Rally Appearance

THE GUARDIAN: Gernot Döllner criticised for in-person announcement of major investment in US days before midterm elections

Donald Trump and the Audi CEO, Gernot Döllner, on stage at a rally in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday. Photograph: Edgar Su/Reuters
The head of the luxury carmaker Audi is under fire in Germany for appearing at a rally with Donald Trump just days before the US midterm elections, to announce billions of dollars of investment in battleground state Georgia.

Gernot Döllner joined Trump on stage after the US president gave a speech criticised by the head of an elected body of employees at Audi’s parent company, Volkswagen, as being full of “racism, sexism, transphobia [and] contempt for democracy”.

Daniela Cavallo, the head of the VW works council, added that anyone who heard Trump’s speech and then saw that Döllner had become an active participant in the event must “sink into the ground with shame”, according to internal company communications released to German media.

She said the investment deal and Döllner’s appearance showed VW’s management had allowed itself to be “turned into a puppet in the propaganda show of a highly dubious political figure”.

Isabel Cademartori, the transport spokesperson for Germany’s Social Democrats – part of the country’s ruling coalition – called Döllner’s actions a “disgrace”. She added this was particularly so “in view of the history of the Volkswagen Group”, in an apparent reference to VW’s founding as a showcase company under the Nazis. » | Deborah Cole in Berlin | Monday, October 26, 2026

Stiefelleckerei! Etwas Lukratives und Großzügiges, das dazu beiträgt, den Faschismus weltweit zu stärken! — © Mark Alexander

The Richest 12 People Own More Than Half the World - landscape

Ocober 26, 2026

We can blame that country across the Pond for this debacle! — © Mark Alexander

How Did Brazil Veteran-leader Lula Upset Bolsonaro? • FRANCE 24 English

Oct 26, 2026 | Two days shy of his 81st birthday… Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva emerging as the comeback kid. Coming from behind in the polls after a bitter campaign where he often showed his age, Lula becoming the first candidate since Brazil’s return to democracy in the 1980s to win the presidential runoff after trailing in the first round.

How did the Workers Party leader turn a 2-point-2 million vote deficit against the far-right's Flávio Bolsonaro into a 4-point-4 million vote win? Reminder that three short weeks ago, most races at the federal and state level broke the way of conservatives and the far-right? More broadly, how did Lula break the right’s winning streak in the Americas?

While blasting Meta and accusing the US and its tech titans of meddling, the incumbent managed to turn around his own digital campaign the time of a runoff campaign. We'll ask about Congressman André Janones who organized in a hurry on Meta-owned WhatsApp. How does the powerhouse of Latin America walk the line between the United States, its top trading partner China and the rest of the planet?

Speaking of the rest of the planet, it can be tempting to draw conclusions from Brazil's surprise result... this as the Middle East holds its breath over Tuesday’s general election in Israel, as the campaign gets nastier ahead of next week’s US midterms… with big elections coming up in Spain, Italy, Poland and here in France. Each case is of course different. So what can Lula's Brazil teach us?