Graphika finds China-linked Spamouflage accounts posing as US voters on X

The Independent - Oct 30, 2026

Analysts at Graphika report that the influence campaign known as Spamouflage is active ahead of the midterm elections

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Iran nói 3 tàu dầu lớn phát nổ ở Hormuz, tàu không người lái Mỹ bị phá hủy
Oct 30, 2026
Iran nói 3 tàu dầu lớn phát nổ ở Hormuz, tàu không người lái Mỹ bị phá hủy

Iran tuyên bố ba tàu chở dầu đã phát nổ, bốc cháy khi đi qua tuyến hàng hải không được phép tại eo Hormuz.

Oil jumps 2%, settles at 6-month highs on fears of escalation in Iran
Oct 30, 2026
Oil jumps 2%, settles at 6-month highs on fears of escalation in Iran

Oil prices jumped more than 2 percent on Friday and settled at their highest levels since the end of April, as traders braced for a potential escalation in the Iran war after the U.S. midterm elections, with an attack on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz highlighting supply risks. Brent crude futures for December, which expired on Friday, settled up $2.76, or 2.4 percent, at $117.64 a barrel, after touching a high of $118. The more active January contract gained $2.63 to $113.43. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures settled $2.12, or 2.08 percent, higher at $104.12. For the month, Brent finished 13.6 percent higher, while WTI rose 15.2 percent. "Traders will remain focused on oil flows out of the Middle East and the likely escalation by U.S. and allied forces," said Dennis Kissler, senior vice president of trading at BOK Financial. On Friday, a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was hit by explosive devices attached by a small boat, said the UKMTO, the British maritime security service. It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack in the strait, the key sea outlet for Gul

From horror icons to viral toys, Halloween costumes take quirky turn in US
Oct 30, 2026
From horror icons to viral toys, Halloween costumes take quirky turn in US

NEW YORK — Witches, vampires and superheroes may never go out of style, but Americans are looking to everything from horror movie characters to squishy stress toys for Halloween costume inspiration this year, as internet trends shape their choices. Topping Google's 2026 Frightgeist list of trending Halloween costume searches is Buddy the Unicorn, the seemingly cheerful but sinister character from the horror movie "Buddy." In second place is NeeDoh, a line of colorful, squishy stress toys that have gained popularity on social media. Nikki, a character from the horror film "Obsession," ranks third. Other trending choices include Agamemnon from "The Odyssey," Lily Love Braids from the video game "Poppy Playtime" and Verity from "Minecraft," according to Google. The rankings reflect the biggest increases in online searches rather than the most popular costumes overall, highlighting how quickly movies, games and viral products can influence Halloween costume trends. Traditional favorites, however, remain popular, particularly among children. Witches, superheroes and princesses continue to fe

$60 for a loaf? New York bakery has customers lining up
Oct 30, 2026
$60 for a loaf? New York bakery has customers lining up

NEW YORK — Korea may have its bread pilgrimages, but Manhattan has taken the bakery craze to another level: $60 for a single loaf of rye bread. RYE by Martin Auer, an Austrian bakery that opened in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood in September, has quickly become one of the city's most talked-about new food destinations, drawing crowds and widespread media attention for its unusually expensive sourdough rye bread. The 3.3 pound (1.5 kilogram) loaf costs $60 (80,000 won), while customers can purchase half a loaf for $30 or a quarter for $15. Located on Lafayette Street, the bakery specializes in just one type of bread. Its minimalist interior looks more like a high-end retail showroom than a traditional bakery, with customers able to watch the bread-making process. The bread contains just three ingredients: organic rye flour, water and salt. According to the bakery, the dough undergoes a fermentation process lasting up to 24 hours, using a sourdough starter more than 50 years old. But the price has raised eyebrows, particularly because a comparable loaf from the same bakery sells for roughl

Meta settles with teen in social media depression trial
Oct 30, 2026
Meta settles with teen in social media depression trial

Meta Platforms has settled with a teen plaintiff who accused the company of designing Instagram and Facebook to be addictive, causing her mental health problems and disordered eating, attorneys for the plaintiff said on Friday. The settlement came after jury selection began on Wednesday for a trial that was slated to test the claims of two teens, identified as S.J. and K.D.B., against Meta and Snapchat parent Snap Inc. Meta had settled with S.J. days before the trial, so Friday's settlement with K.D.B. means the trial is expected to proceed against Snap only. “We remain committed to improving safety for kids on social media apps and holding tech companies accountable, and we are pleased to have brought this matter to a just resolution on behalf of our client,” Emily Jeffcott, an attorney for K.D.B., said in a statement. A spokesperson for Meta said settlements, dismissals and trials are part of the process of testing cases like this. "We will continue to defend ourselves in court, and we stand by our record," the spokesperson said, noting that Meta has been building safety tools for

French authorities fear new street violence at Halloween protests
Oct 30, 2026
French authorities fear new street violence at Halloween protests

PARIS — Shops and other businesses in Paris on Friday were boarding up windows amid fears of fresh street violence, as France braced for a third consecutive weekend of protests that coincide with Halloween celebrations. The demonstrations come in an increasingly febrile political climate, with presidential elections just six months away and far-right leader Marine Le Pen leading opinion polls. President Emmanuel Macron this week said it was "not normal" for France to be in such a state of "turmoil" so close to a presidential election. Around 70,000 security personnel will be deployed on Saturday, matching the number mobilised a week ago, as authorities sought to prevent a repeat of the October 17 unrest when thousands of businesses were damaged or looted. An aide to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said street violence on a scale "comparable" to the unrest two weeks ago was expected, when images of clashes, looted shops and public buildings set ablaze were broadcast around the world. "There are concerns about acts of vandalism and attempted looting," the aide said. A police source pointed

Hanwha Defense USA wins $269 mil. US Navy shipbuilding contract
Oct 30, 2026
Hanwha Defense USA wins $269 mil. US Navy shipbuilding contract

WASHINGTON — Hanwha Defense USA (HDUSA), a subsidiary of South Korea's Hanwha Aerospace Co., has secured a $269 million contract to build a medium landing ship (LSM) for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, marking its first U.S. Navy shipbuilding contract, according to the company. The company said Thursday it was selected by U.S. maritime services firm Tote Services to build one LSM at Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, with options to construct three additional vessels. The selection was made through a competitive bidding process under Tote Services' vessel construction management program, which oversees shipbuilding contracts for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. "Since acquiring Philly Shipyard in 2024, Hanwha has made significant investments in its workforce and technology to pave the way to build ships for the U.S. Navy and other federal customers," HDUSA President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael Coulter said. Construction is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2027. Tote Services' $2.2 billion vessel construction manager contract supports the Navy and Marine Corp

The sell-off for tech stocks worsens and overwhelms Wall Street
Oct 30, 2026
The sell-off for tech stocks worsens and overwhelms Wall Street

NEW YORK — A sell-off for tech stocks is barreling into Friday and forcing the U.S. market down again, with Intel and Amazon helping to lead the way this time. The S&P 500 fell 1.6 percent and was on track to erase its gain for October, even though it set its all-time high during the month. The weakness for technology stocks dragged the Nasdaq composite down 2.5 percent, as of 11:48 a.m. Eastern time. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell a more modest 0.7 percent, or 380 points. Intel tumbled 28.6 percent and is flirting with its worst day since 1974, even though the chipmaker reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. It gave a forecast for profit in the final three months of this year that fell far short of analysts’ expectations. CEO Lip-Bu Tan said the personal-computer industry continues to feel pressure, which hurts demand for Intel’s CPUs. Amazon fell 1.9 percent after reporting a weaker profit for the summer than analysts expected. Potentially more concerning for investors was Amazon’s reporting that it burned through $42.4 billion of cash

US scraps G20 photo after European diplomats object to being pictured with Russia's Lavrov
Oct 30, 2026
US scraps G20 photo after European diplomats object to being pictured with Russia's Lavrov

ATLANTA — The U.S. scrapped plans for a photo of top diplomats of the Group of 20 largest world economies on the opening day of talks Friday as several Europeans objected to being photographed with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and threatened to walk out of the photo session. The cancellation of the photograph, a traditional opening event at such a diplomatic gathering, underscored the deep rifts in the G20 over global crises that threaten international security and trade. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio decided to cancel the photo after determining that the controversy would be a distraction, according to two U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. The meeting in Atlanta, which will otherwise go ahead as planned, is meant to set the stage for a G20 leaders’ summit hosted by President Donald Trump at his Miami golf club in December. The cancellation has added to concerns about the poor prospects for the G20 diplomats to reach consensus on many of the most contentious issues they face. Among them are the Russia-Ukraine co

Binance's $6.3 bil. hack: How crypto insurance works
Oct 30, 2026
Binance's $6.3 bil. hack: How crypto insurance works

Hackers stole $6.3 billion from Binance in the world's biggest crypto heist, putting a spotlight on how cryptocurrency exchanges insure their digital assets against theft and cyberattacks. But insurance protection is far from uniform. Coverage depends on how assets are stored, how hackers gain access and the specific terms of the policy. Limited regulation and volatile crypto prices have long made insurers wary of the sector, despite growing demand for protection against digital asset theft and claims against company executives. While both crime and demand for protection have tracked cryptocurrencies' meteoric rise, underwriting such risks remains a niche business offered largely by specialist insurers in the Lloyd's market and in Bermuda. What is digital asset insurance? Digital asset insurance is a range of policies designed to protect cryptocurrency exchanges, custodians and other companies operating in the sector against financial losses arising from the theft of digital assets, cyberattacks, technology failures and other business risks. Unlike traditional insurance, these policies are

As early voting surges, Trump reshuffles his schedule to add back rallies in Iowa and Kansas
Oct 30, 2026
As early voting surges, Trump reshuffles his schedule to add back rallies in Iowa and Kansas

WASHINGTON — As early voting surges across the country, President Donald Trump is reshuffling his weekend schedule to rally Republicans in two states with critical Senate races, underscoring his party’s push to drive turnout ahead of Election Day. The Republican president will now visit Iowa and Kansas for back-to-back campaign rallies on Sunday, according to a person familiar with his plans who insisted on anonymity to discuss his schedule. Both rallies had previously been canceled. The last-minute reversal comes amid a nationwide surge in early voting. Nearly 10 million more Americans had cast ballots five days before Election Day than at the same point in 2022, according to an Associated Press analysis of voting data. The increases have been particularly pronounced in states with competitive Senate races, including Iowa and Kansas, where early voting is up roughly 30%. Democrats and Republicans each hope that rise favors them as they fight for control of Congress in an election that has turned largely on affordability issues and the president's unpopularity. At the start of the m

Nasdaq faces $2 trillion wipeout in October as AI spending fears deepen
Oct 30, 2026
Nasdaq faces $2 trillion wipeout in October as AI spending fears deepen

More than $2 trillion in market value is set to be wiped from the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 this month, as Big Tech earnings intensified investor scrutiny of whether the billions being poured into artificial intelligence can generate returns quickly enough. The wipeout would amount to slightly more than SpaceX’s entire market value. The index has fallen over 5.8 percent so far in October as the AI trade ran into turbulence, with hyperscalers Meta Platforms, Alphabet and Amazon.com raising spending forecasts further as they race to expand AI infrastructure. The prospect of ever-bigger AI outlays has unnerved investors, particularly as rising borrowing costs threaten to make debt-funded investment more expensive and harder to justify. Here's a roundup of megacap earnings so far, with Apple set to report next week and AI bellwether Nvidia due mid-November. Tech wipeout Alphabet suffered its biggest one-day percentage drop on record on Thursday after disappointing results in the core business of search advertising and a massive acceleration in cash burn. Meta's plans for a record $97.5 billion f

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