EU's Von der Leyen urges European push on AI-driven cars

 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Friday for a continent-wide push to develop self-driving cars, saying artificial intelligence could help revive the region's struggling automotive sector and improve road safety.

Speaking at the Italian Tech Week in Turin, Italy's automotive hub, von der Leyen urged the European Union to adopt an "AI first" strategy across strategic industries, with a focus on mobility.

"Self-driving cars are already a reality in the United States and China. The same should be true here in Europe," she said, adding that "AI first" also meant "safety first".

Her remarks come as Brussels seeks to bolster industrial competitiveness, while local automakers struggle to keep up with foreign technology development, particularly by China and the United States.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Turin-based Ferrari and Stellantis Chairman John Elkann were also among the speakers at Italian Tech Week.

Von der Leyen proposed forming a network of European cities to pilot autonomous vehicles, saying 60 Italian mayors had already expressed interest.

"Let us make it happen," she added.

The EU chief also pledged the bloc's support for developing vehicles "made in Europe, and made for European streets".

The automotive industry, which employs millions across Europe, is transforming rapidly amid pressure to decarbonise and digitise. Von der Leyen said AI could help reduce congestion, link remote areas to public transport, and preserve jobs.

"The future of cars – and the cars of the future – must be made in Europe," she said.

https://tech.yahoo.com/ai/articles/eus-von-der-leyen-urges-104640658.html

'Hamas said to need more time to review Trump Gaza plan'

 A Hamas official said the group is still reviewing US President Donald Trump's proposal to end the Gaza war, AFP reported on Friday.

The official stated the group had not finalized its position on the plan, which includes a ceasefire, hostage release, Hamas disarmament, and an Israeli withdrawal. "Hamas is still continuing consultations regarding Trump's plan... and has informed mediators that the consultations are ongoing and need some time," the person said.

Trump's proposal, announced last Tuesday, sets a deadline of "three or four days" for Hamas to respond. It has received support from several world powers, including Arab and Muslim nations. The new report contradicts a previous one stating that the militant group had already sent "feedback" to the US administration.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Hamas-said-to-need-more-time-to-review-Trump-Gaza-plan/64921606

Axios: WH said to use companies to pressure Democrats

 White House officials made around 400 calls to various interest groups, seeking to put pressure on Democrats to end the government shutdown, Axios reported on Friday. Sources said that they spoke to the Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the Business Roundtable, an association of US CEOs.

The officials told Axios they are not "explicitly pressuring groups to oppose the shutdown" but that they suggested the groups should side with the administration if they want to "continue to engage" with it.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/WH-said-to-use-companies-to-pressure-Democrats/64922046

Fire at Chevron's El Segundo Refinery in Los Angeles Contained, Police Say

 A large fire erupted at the El Segundo Chevron refinery in Los Angeles County following an explosion on Thursday night. Officers and firefighters responded to the refinery in El Segundo after receiving multiple reports of an explosion, according to the El Segundo Police Department. A witness said the explosion felt like a small earthquake. 

Crews from the LA County Fire Department also responded to the area to help. The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services said it would coordinate with state and local officials.

The refinery has its own fire department. El Segundo Mayor Chris Pimentel said authorities have not received any reports of injuries. 

"We were able to respond with Chevron fire immediately, our station is about a .25 mile away from the gates of Chevron," Pimentel said. "Obviously, we are very concerned, and there is a lot of investigative work to be done to see what has happened."

LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell said crews contained the fire to one area of the refinery. She added that residents did not have to evacuate, but advised residents to stay inside and visitors to stay away from El Segundo for the time being.

"It has been contained and there is no cause for alarm for El Segundo or the surrounding areas," Mitchell said. 

Mitchell advised residents that the fire would most likely affect air quality in El Segundo and surrounding cities, but the South Coast Air Quality Management District said it had not noticed any elevated levels of toxins, though it noted conditions could change. 

"We're currently not seeing any elevated of particulate matter or air toxins," said Nahal Mogharabi, assistant deputy of communications for AQMD. "That may change as the smoke settles this evening."

Mogharabi recommended that residents close their doors and windows if they see or smell smoke. 

El Segundo Fire Department Division Chief Casey Snow also said there were no injuries reported at the refinery and no hazards to neighboring Manhattan Beach.  

Snow said gasoline and diesel were still burning, but the fire department believed the blaze would either burn itself out or be fully extinguished in a matter of time.

According to Chevron's website, the El Segundo refinery was constructed in 1911. The facility produces 276,000 barrels of crude oil every day and "is the largest producing oil refinery on the west coast," Chevron officials wrote on its website.

El Segundo is a few miles south of LAX. The airport stated that the fire has not impacted its operations. No flights have been cancelled, diverted or delayed immediately after the fire.

https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/large-fire-erupts-at-los-angeles-county-refinery/

Retail Traders Pile Into Shutdown Bets as Prediction Markets Boom

 

How long will the US government shutdown last? Retail traders are betting millions of dollars on their guesses.

The political fight in Washington this week has sparked a surge in trading volumes on prediction-market platforms including Polymarket, Kalshi and Predictit. It’s a continuation of the craze for betting on everything from election outcomes to celebrity weddings to the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-10-02/how-to-use-prediction-markets-responsibly-spike-in-bets-on-government-shutdown

Hungary's Orban From Copenhagen Summit: "The EU Has Decided To Go To War"

 Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is newly warning that EU leaders are preparing for war with Russia, soon after he participated in the European Political Community meeting in Copenhagen.

He has denounced this as "horrifying" that "the EU has decided to go to war" and that at Wednesday's informal EU summit, leaders pushed a war strategy on how to defeat the Russians.

Getty Images

This reportedly features plans for a 'drone shield' to counter Russian incursions into member states’ airspaces, as well as long-planned efforts to confiscate seized Russian assets held in Europe. Conformity is being demanded of all member states.

"The pressure is great. So I will suggest to the Fidesz presidency that we start a signature campaign in Hungary against the EU's war plans. Because we need all our strength to stay out of this war," Orbán said.

He summarized the situation on X in an English-language post:

"Copenhagen, day two. The situation is serious. Outright pro-war proposals are on the table. They want to hand over EU funds to Ukraine. They are trying to accelerate Ukraine’s accession with all kinds of legal tricks. They want to finance arms deliveries. I will stand firmly by the Hungarian position." 

The Hungarian prime minister additionally argued that full EU membership for Ukraine is a terrible and dangerous idea as it means "the war would enter the European Union". Instead, he suggested an arrangement which stops short at a strategic partnership as a "better idea".

Further in a fresh interview Orban highlighted that Europe is signing on to a climate of "endless war"...

Orban's foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, also sounded off, saying on X that "Brussels is preparing for war, and they want Europeans, including Hungarians, to pay the price. As part of this war preparation, the EU Commission has drafted a 7-year budget that is more about Ukraine than about the European Union."

"This is practically a Ukraine budget," he then emphasized. "Instead of tackling Europe’s real challenges, such as restoring competitiveness, ensuring energy security, and rebuilding economic growth, they focus on financing the Ukrainian army and the Ukrainian state."

More signs of hawkish voices dominating the discussion...

Alternately, stepping back in time a bit...

Meanwhile, European Council President Antonio Costa described at a press briefing, "Leaders broadly supported initial priority flagship projects that will strengthen Europe's security, including the European drone wall and the Eastern Flank Watch." A lot of noise has been made over last month's alleged several incursions of Russian aircraft, mostly drones, in European airspace.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/hungarys-orban-copenhagen-summit-eu-has-decided-go-war

Putin Blasts French 'Piracy' After 'Russia-Linked' Tanker Boarded, Captain Arrested

 "The tanker was seized in neutral waters without any justification, and they were apparently looking for some kind of military cargo, drones, or something else," Putin said Thursday at the Valdai Discussion Club meeting in Sochi, condemning the French takeover of an oil tanker suspected of being part of Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" which seeks to evade Western energy sanctions as an act of "piracy".

"There’s nothing there, there never was, and there can’t be anything," Putin asserted of the boarding action which took place earlier this week. The tanker was under the flag of a third country and the crew is international, Putin described, adding he doesn’t know "how much it’s related to Russia."

AFP via Getty Images

French authorities revealed details for the first time on Thursday, confirming that they arrested the captain, a Chinese national. He's accused of disobeying orders of the French navy.

Another crew member, the First Officer, was also arrested, as Reuters details of French statements:

French police have arrested the captain and first officer of a sanctioned tanker suspected of operating for Russia’s "shadow fleet," authorities said on Thursday, after the navy boarded the vessel, which may have been involved in recent drone incidents around Denmark.

The vessel, the Boracay, was approximately 50 nautical miles south of Copenhagen on September 22 when drone activity forced the closure of the city’s airport around 1830 GMT, according to data from MarineTraffic.

It was also observed heading south along Denmark’s western coast on the evening of September 24 when drones were reported flying north of Esbjerg and near several nearby airports.

The tanker appeared on on an EU sanctions list for transporting Russian oil, but the whole Denmark drone incursion linkage aspect to it seems highly coincidental, and a big stretch, assuming there's no further evidence and that no actual drones were found upon searching the vessel. 

French authorities would be presenting any such evidence very quickly, but instead they just issued ambiguous statements remotely suggesting the linkage to the Denmark drone sightings.

French authorities say that the Boracay has a history of changing names and flags, and is currently flying under Benin’s registry. It's believed this is part of intentional sanctions-dodging. The Boracay is now anchored off France's coast near Saint-Nazaire, south of Brest.

From "shaddow fleet" to "dark fleet". Imagine if journalists offered context instead of fuelling war propaganda. If the audience were informed about Nord Stream, NATO threats against Kaliningrad, threats of seizing Russian ships etc, then the public would favour de-escalation pic.twitter.com/Lbwy5sLQB9

— Glenn Diesen (@Glenn_Diesen) October 1, 2025

It had initially set sail from the Russian port of Primorsk outside Saint Petersburg on September 20 and had actually been at one point detained Estonian authorities earlier this year for sailing without a valid country flag. International law allows countries to intercept such vessels which are believed to be stateless, typically if there is suspicion of wrong-doing like smuggling.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/putin-blasts-french-piracy-after-russia-linked-tanker-boarded-captain-arrested