The historic Limoges Town Hall, built in 1883 and designated a landmark in 1975, was "largely lost" after masked protesters forced entry and set it ablaze on Saturday. The fire caused the roof and spire to collapse, destroying two-thirds of the exterior; the building had previously survived both World Wars and served briefly as the seat of the Belgian government-in-exile in 1940.

France’s nationwide unrest stems from weeks of student protests over deteriorating school conditions, which expanded into mass demonstrations against rising living costs and fuel prices. The country experienced some of the worst street violence it has seen in decades, drawing together a volatile mix of secondary school and university students, former "Yellow Vests," climate activists, farmers, and opportunistic groups.

On Saturday, an estimated 550,000 to 800,000 people took to the streets, with violence erupting in cities including Paris, Marseille, Lyon, and Lille.

About 1,200 to 2,000 people were arrested, over 150 police officers were injured, and widespread looting targeted shops and public buildings. In Saint-Étienne, a 17-year-old protester suffered severe injuries (losing a hand) after a police-deployed grenade detonated.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu blamed the violence on "ultra-left" groups and criminals, stating the government would not be intimidated, while Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported that rioters had the "sole objective to burn, break and loot." President Emmanuel Macron strongly condemned the violence, vandalism, and attacks on public buildings, vowing that perpetrators would be prosecuted.

Unrest also spread to other European nations, driven by similar economic grievances. While France saw the most catastrophic structural damage, smaller or parallel protests and riots broke out in several other European countries over economic pressures and localized grievances.

In Italy, Portugal, and Belgium, Student and public groups marched against household budget constraints, housing costs, and education affordability, though reports indicate these demonstrations were less violent than those in France and Albania.

In Italy, rallies over the cost of living in cities like Milan and Bologna turned violent. Demonstrators clashed with police, forcing the temporary closure of transit hubs like the Duomo metro station in Milan and causing dozens of injuries and detentions among law enforcement and protesters.

In Liège, Belgium, demonstrations over economic strains escalated into property damage and clashes, resulting in dozens of arrests—including minors.

In Portugal, thousands marched in Lisbon over low wages, skyrocketing rents, and a severe housing shortage, setting up protest tents in Rossio square.

Student-led protests in Tirana, Albania, took on an explicitly anti-government tone, entering their fifth consecutive day of fierce clashes. Beyond standard demands for education reform and jobs, protesters called for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama over corruption allegations. 35 people were wounded and 167 arrested.

The protests in Tirana, started with the controversy over a luxury coastal development project linked to an investment firm founded by Jared Kushner (son-in-law of US President Donald Trump). Police deployed water cannons and tear gas against crowds.

Across Western and Southern Europe, persistent inflation, high energy/fuel prices, and stagnant real wages have created deep financial anxiety among working-class families and the younger demographic.

Critics blame left-wing western leaders and their lax immigration and misguided energy policies. The convergence of students, union workers, and disparate political movements highlights a broader breakdown in trust regarding public institutions and the government.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 launched the classified USSF-481 mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, at 0001 UTC on Friday (Oct. 16), carrying a classified payload to a polar low-Earth orbit, for the United States Space Force. The rocket followed a southerly trajectory, reaching a low-Earth orbit inclined approximately 80 degrees to the Equator, a path necessary for polar coverage without overflying populated land.

Vandenberg SLC-4E is the only U.S. launch pad permitting southward polar departure azimuths, making it critical for national security satellites requiring global coverage.

About 8.5 minutes after launch, the first stage booster, B1081 landed on the autonomous droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean as scheduled. This recovery marked the 228th booster landing on a droneship and the 671st total Falcon booster landing. This marks the 28th flight for B1081 which has flown previous missions including Crew-7, CRS-29, PACE, Transporter-10, EarthCARE, NROL-186, Transporter-13, TRACERS, NROL-48, COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation FM3, and 16 Starlink deployments.

The USSF-481 mission cargo remains classified, but public notices identify the mission as TH-2 (Task Order 2) under the Space-Based Sensing and Targeting (SBST) contract.

USSF-481 is part of a roughly $1.6 billion Pentagon contract for 18 Falcon 9 launches through the end of 2027, supporting the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) and missile-defense initiatives.

Friday's mission wmarks the 114th Falcon 9 launch of 2026, highlighting SpaceX's high-frequency launch rate. The launch was preceded by a formal ceremony at Vandenberg, featuring the five o'clock bugle call "Retreat" and the U.S. National Anthem.

In a futuristic live demonstration at SpaceX McGregor, Texas test site Thursday night, Tesla unveiled its next-generation Roadster, nearly nine years since its initial 2017 prototype reveal. Developed in collaboration with SpaceX, the electric supercar utilizes cold-gas thrusters and advanced aerodynamics to achieve unprecedented performance metrics, including a demonstrated 0-60 miles per hour(mph) time in 0.81 seconds and the ability to perform mid-air flips and vertical ramp climbs.

The Roadster features SpaceX-inspired propulsion system which has tri-motor electric drive and 4 SpaceX cold-gas rear thrusters, and uses compressed air stored in ultra-high-pressure tanks rather than chemical propellants. The vehicle employs a fan-based multi-mode suction system capable of generating up to 2G active aero downforce to maximize ground grip, allowing it to drive upside down on vertical surfaces.

The supercar automatically adjusts ground clearance and underbody airflow to glue the chassis to the track regardless of speed. Traditional tires struggle with mechanical grip under instant electrical and rocket torque.

For aerial maneuvers, the car utilizes attitude-control and main thrusters to execute rolls and controlled landings. During the live demonstration the supercar successfully drove up a multi-story ramp, flipped in mid-air, and landed on its wheels, while also achieving the 0.81-second acceleration benchmark in a live test.

"When we started redesigning the Roadster, we didn't just want to build an incremental improvement over the original concept," Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen said during the live demonstration. "We wanted to delete the boundary between aerospace engineering and automotive design. Working directly with the SpaceX team allowed us to integrate hardware that has never existed on a street-legal vehicle before."

CEO Elon Musk said: "There will never be another car like this, if you could even call it a car. We radically increased the design goals... Combining Tesla electric powertrain technology with SpaceX rocket thrusters creates a vehicle that defies conventional physics. Achieving 0 to 60 in 0.81 seconds is incredible, but the maneuverability and active flight-assist capabilities are what really make this a true science fiction machine on the road."

Tesla Roadster will come in the following configurations and specifications.

A Performance mode with two-seater designed for road use, featuring active aerodynamics and a multi-mode suction system. It claims a 0-60 mph time of under 1.6 seconds and is available by reservation with a $50,000 deposit.

The Thrust mode is a two-seater race-ready variant that adds rear-mounted cold-gas thrusters to boost acceleration. It achieves 0-60 mph in under 0.9 seconds (demonstrated at 0.81s) and is offered as a limited release with a $250,000 deposit.

The third mode is Rocket, a single-seater "air-ready" configuration featuring perimeter-mounted thrusters for upward and rotational movement, enabling flight capabilities. It claims a 0-60 mph time of under 0.59 seconds, a top speed exceeding 230 mph, and a range of over 300 miles. Access is strictly "invite only," and it is not approved for public road use.

The next-generation Roadster prototype was initially revealed in late 2017 with base specs promising a 0–60 mph time of 1.9 seconds, a 200 kWh battery pack, and a 620-mile range.

Musk teased a "SpaceX package" featuring 10 small cold-gas thrusters, initially targeting a ~1.1-second 0–60 time. The project underwent multiple redesign cycles to integrate new powertrain components, advanced battery cell technologies, and specialized high-pressure air systems. The refined design moves from prototype concept to production engineering with 2028 release date.