Author: staff
Back in January, Radev met with the heads of various parliamentary groups, trying to task them with forming a government, but did not succeed. Radev then stepped down on Jan. 19 to start his own election campaign with Iotova, who had served as vice president, taking office shortly after. She appointed Andrey Gyurov, a former deputy governor of Bulgaria’s National Bank, as caretaker prime minister. Gyurov superseded the country’s last prime minister, Rosen Zhelyazkov, who resigned in December, following weeks of anti-corruption protests against his government. His Cabinet, which took office in January 2025, survived six no-confidence votes before collapsing.…
Europe doesn’t have an innovation problem, but a scale problem, says the latest report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), noting how the continent excels at research and pilot projects, but consistently fails to convert technological breakthroughs into large-scale industrial deployment. The hefty report was presented on Wednesday as energy ministers gather on the sidelines of the IEA’s ministerial meeting to take stock of the latest technological achievements in the energy sector. Among the technologies assessed are the development of small modular reactors (SMRs), fusion energy, or carbon capture and storage – all set to play a role in the…
Ukraine and Russia wrapped up the second day of the diplomatic talks in Geneva after just under two hours of talks on Wednesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the negotiations included two tracks: military and political. “All three sides were constructive on the military track”, he said, referring to the initial briefing by the Ukrainian delegation, adding that “the military basically understand how to monitor a ceasefire and the end of the war, if there is political will.” “They have basically agreed on pretty much everything there. Monitoring will definitely involve the American side. I consider this a constructive…
By Anna Desmarais & AP Published on 18/02/2026 – 15:22 GMT+1 An Indian university was reportedly asked to leave an artificial intelligence summit in New Delhi after one of its professors displayed a robotic dog made in China but claimed it was their own invention. Galgotias University was ordered to take down its stand at the India AI Impact Summit after Nehan Singh, a communications professor at the university, told a state-run broadcaster that the robotic dog at their display was from the university. The robot was identified by Internet users as the Unitree Go2, which is sold by China’s Unitree Robotics for…
Merz said in general that he is “very, very, very cautious when it comes to legal bans on something like this [social media],” but that the “consequences” of fake news, AI-generated images and platforms like TikTok “make things more challenging.” Protecting children at school “must come first,” the chancellor said, adding that the idea children must be introduced to digital tools early “doesn’t hold water” as otherwise “you would also have to serve alcohol in primary school so they get used to it.” Members of Merz’s Christian Democratic Union also expressed their support for a ban. Thorsten Frei, head of…
Syrians began tearing down images of Bashar al-Assad and removing his name from public buildings after opposition forces captured Damascus on 8 December 2024, ending more than 50 years of dynastic rule that permeated every aspect of public life. The Ba’ath Party regime had systematically inscribed the al-Assad name across Syria’s physical and symbolic landscape since Hafez al-Assad seized power in 1970. Schools, airports, hospitals and government institutions bore his name, while citizens carried currency emblazoned with images of both Hafez and his son Bashar. In Latakia, authorities renamed Basil al-Assad International Airport to its geographical designation following the regime’s…
By Laila Humairah & Sharifah Fadhilah Alshahab Published on 18/02/2026 – 14:51 GMT+1 For the second year, the 2026 Shell Eco-marathon kicked off in Qatar, with 78 teams competing in prototype and urban concept categories. It features futuristic capsules built purely for efficiency as well as vehicles designed for practical road use. Both categories have the same goal – to travel the furthest distance on a single sip of fuel or kilowatt-hour of electricity. The stakes are particularly high this year as winning teams qualify for the inaugural Global Championships in 2027. Also hosted in Qatar, regional winners will return to…
Published on 18/02/2026 – 14:17 GMT+1 The numbers are in and they don’t look good for Donald Trump. A recent poll conducted by Yahoo! and YouGov has found that more Americans believe that Puerto Rican superstar and recent Super Bowl headliner Bad Bunny “better represents” the country than the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. The survey asked 1,704 adults “Who better represents America?”, Bad Bunny or Donald Trump – who lashed out at the Super Bowl headliner, calling his performance “an affront to the Greatness of America”. It turns out that 42 per cent of participants voted in favour…
The pontiff, who has criticized the U.S. president, believes the United Nations should manage international crises, his top diplomat says. Listen AI generated Text-to-speech
Millions of Filipinos line up to receive an ash cross on their foreheads as they mark Ash Wednesday. A priest, minister or lay worker traces the sign of the cross with consecrated ash, beginning the 40 day Lenten season in the largely Christian country. The ritual is simple and public, often held in packed churches and even in open spaces. The ashes come from palm branches blessed on Palm Sunday the year before. They are burned, mixed with holy water and exposed to incense. The gesture serves as a reminder of repentance and the approach of Easter.