Lottery hacked: Hackers took over the French website of the Euromillions lottery this week, branding it “the devil’s work” and posting Koranic verses in the place of information on how to play the numbers. A group calling itself “moroccanghosts” railed on the site against gambling and drinking, warning visitors that such un-Islamic vices would “turn you away from God and prayer.” In both French and Arabic, the site read: “Oh, you believers. Wine, games of chance, statues all augur impurity and are the devil’s work.” France has the largest Muslim population in Europe, and many of its Muslim citizens are of Moroccan or Algerian origin. ‘The devil’s work’
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Berlusconi convicted: Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was convicted of tax fraud last week, and he promptly threatened to bring down the government in revenge. A Milan court ruled that Berlusconi had evaded taxes on his broadcasting empire and sentenced him to four years in jail and a five-year ban from public office. He is unlikely to serve any time: Thanks to amnesty laws and statutes of limitations, he has never been jailed for his three prior convictions for perjury, corruption, and fraud. Still, Berlusconi, 76, called the verdict “political, incredible, and absolutely intolerable.” He vowed to decide soon whether to pull his party’s vital support for the government of Mario Monti, appointed last year after Berlusconi was forced out.
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
'E-bikes have made our lives more complicated'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump BLS nominee floats ending key jobs reportSpeed Read On Fox News, E.J. Antoni suggested scrapping the closely watched monthly jobs report
-
The news at a glance...Internationalfeature International
-
The bottom line
feature Youthful startup founders; High salaries for anesthesiologists; The myth of too much homework; More mothers stay a home; Audiences are down, but box office revenue rises
-
The week at a glance...Americas
feature Americas
-
The news at a glance
feature Comcast defends planned TWC merger; Toyota recalls 6.39 million vehicles; Takeda faces $6 billion in damages; American updates loyalty program; Regulators hike leverage ratio
-
The news at a glance...United States
feature United States
-
The bottom line
feature The rising cost of graduate degrees; NSA surveillance affects tech profits; A glass ceiling for female chefs?; Bonding to a brand name; Generous Wall Street bonuses
-
The news at a glance
feature GM chief faces Congress; FBI targets high-frequency trading; Yellen confirms continued low rates; BofA settles mortgage claims for $9.3B; Apple and Samsung duke it out
-
The week at a glance...International
feature International