Author: Rachel Maddow

Bitcoin plunged on Monday, falling below €75,000 as the cryptocurrency market extended October’s steep decline.Cryptocurrencies opened another month in the red, with Bitcoin dropping over 5% in European trading.After peaking near €110,000 in early October, Bitcoin entered a prolonged decline amid heavy liquidations and large-scale sell-offs.In November, Bitcoin lost more than 16% of its value, briefly touching €74,000.Ethereum and Solana also fell over 5%, continuing the downward trend that began in October.Bitcoin attempted short-lived recoveries last month, but rebounds failed, and prices resumed their fall. Risk Aversion Drives Market Behavior Investors sold other stocks recently as risk-averse behavior returned, and…

Researchers report over 237 cyber operations struck space infrastructure from 2023 through 2025.Cyber warfare now threatens satellites and communication networks, the study warns.The Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zürich collected social media posts, news articles, and cybercrime forum data to track attacks.Attackers focused on Israel’s space sector and international space agencies.June 2025 saw the sharpest spike: 72 operations occurred in a single month during the Israel-Iran conflict.Clémence Poirier, the report’s author, said these attacks represent nearly one-third of all recorded incidents.The study compares this pattern to cyber activity during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Researchers identified almost all attackers as…

Ukraine struck two sanctioned tankers only hours before drones hit Russia’s Novorossiysk terminal.The Caspian Pipeline Consortium’s marine terminal suspended all operations after sea drones struck around 4AM, local reports say.The strike intensifies the ongoing conflict and targets Russia’s critical oil infrastructure. Tanker Explosions Prompt Rescue Operations Coast guard and rescue teams saved the crews after the Black Sea attacks.The Gambia-flagged Kairos exploded and caught fire 28 nautical miles off Kocaeli while sailing empty to Novorossiysk.Officials reported that the Virat sustained damage 35 nautical miles off the Turkish coast shortly afterward.Authorities classify both vessels as part of Russia’s old fleet, used…

Measles deaths fell dramatically since 2000, but health experts warn the disease is resurging worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported a 47 per cent rise in measles cases in Europe and Central Asia last year, largely due to declining vaccination rates. Global gains in reducing infections and deaths now show early signs of reversal. In 2024, measles killed approximately 95,000 people, mostly children under five, down from 780,000 in 2000. The WHO stressed that every preventable death from measles remains unacceptable. Vaccination campaigns have saved nearly 59 million lives since 2000. Rising Cases Highlight Gaps Worldwide, measles infections rose…

A lack of rangers and flawed weather forecasts pushed tourists onto the dangerous O Circuit despite worsening conditions. Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park, tucked in wild, icy Patagonia, receives 250,000 to 300,000 visitors annually. Thousands of them hike the park’s famous routes. On 17 November, a violent, unexpected blizzard struck the remote O Circuit trail, killing five trekkers and leaving dozens trapped in near-zero visibility for hours. The disaster exposed weaknesses in Patagonia’s park safety measures, an issue that authorities and critics have repeatedly highlighted. The Day the Storm Hit Around 30 international trekkers departed the Los Perros campsite…

Protesters exposed gaps in France’s domestic violence response after alarming new statistics emerged.Dozens gathered in central Paris Tuesday night to condemn the rising gender-based violence and honour victims.Seventy-eight-year-old activist Marie-Josée said, “We are constantly overwhelmed by reality,” as the crowd remembered five women killed last week.The protest occurred hours before officials received a report urging major reforms in the justice system’s handling of domestic abuse.Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin received the report on Tuesday, which recommends testing magistrates dedicated solely to intrafamilial violence cases.Le Parisien revealed the report earlier this week before the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against…

Japan faces rising overtourism in Tokyo and Kyoto and has launched a new initiative to encourage regional travel. The Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) now offer free domestic flights across Japan’s regional network to UK and European travellers. The programme runs from 24 November to 31 January 2026 and aims to ease pressure on crowded destinations while highlighting lesser-known areas. The initiative operates under the “Stopover & Add-on Free Fare” plan, letting eligible economy passengers book up to two free domestic flights with any international booking by 31 January. Travellers can schedule these domestic departures…

The UN climate summit failed to deliver a clear roadmap to phase out fossil fuels, leaving the EU increasingly isolated. COP30 in Belém concluded with a final text that contained no phase-out plan, prompting critics to call it an empty deal and a moral failure. The United States withdrew from climate negotiations, creating a political and financial void, with President Donald Trump dismissing climate change as a “con job.” Countries reliant on fossil-fuel revenue, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, opposed any target or timeline for phasing out fossil fuels. One day before the summit ended, the EU threatened to…

Scientists long lacked direct chemical evidence to trace Theia, the Moon’s precursor planet.Astronomers in France, Germany, and the United States analysed ancient lunar and terrestrial rocks.They discovered that Theia likely formed much closer to the Sun than previously thought.Researchers propose that Theia struck early Earth about 4.5 billion years ago.The collision scattered debris that eventually coalesced into the Moon.Fragments from Theia mixed with Earth’s material, creating shared isotopic signatures.The giant impact theory has guided Moon formation research since the first Apollo samples.Theia’s disappearance billions of years ago prevented scientists from studying its original composition.Jake Foster from the Royal Observatory Greenwich…

US President Donald Trump met Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Friday in a cordial Oval Office session.Trump previously called Mamdani a “100% Communist Lunatic” and a “total nut job,” while Mamdani labeled Trump’s administration “authoritarian.”During the meeting, both leaders emphasized shared goals for improving New York instead of focusing on political conflict.Trump praised Mamdani’s approach, saying he might surprise conservative voters with his actions and policies.Mamdani stood beside the president, highlighting cooperation rather than confrontation in front of the press.The meeting gave Mamdani national exposure, allowing the relatively unknown state lawmaker to address one of the most powerful figures globally.Trump used…