Author: staff
Rock band U2 have surprise released a “defiant”, politically-charged EP titled ‘Days Of Ash’. The new release features six tracks which the band have described as a response to current events. As per a press release, four of the five tracks “are about individuals – a mother, a father, a teenage girl – whose lives were brutally cut short. A soldier who’d rather be singing but is ready to die for the freedom of his country.” The opening track, ‘American Obituary’, references the tragedy that unfolded in Minnesota on 7 January, when Renee Good was fatally shot by a United…
Updated: 19/02/2026 – 8:05 GMT+1 Body camera footage shows New York police officers rescuing an injured bald eagle found stranded on drifting ice in the Hudson River and transporting it to a New Jersey animal sanctuary for recovery. … More
Contacted by POLITICO, a NATO official speaking on behalf of the organization said there is “no timeline associated with NATO Mission Iraq … or with KFOR,” adding: “These missions are based on need, undergo periodic review, and are adjusted as circumstances evolve.” For now, no decision has been taken on ending either operation. All 32 allies must approve the start and end of missions, a process that typically involves jockeying and pressure campaigns from multiple allies and not just the U.S. No extra allies The U.S. is also pressing allies not to invite Ukraine and the alliance’s four official Indo-Pacific…
Published on 19/02/2026 – 8:46 GMT+1 South Korea’s former President Yoon Suk-yeol was sentenced to life in prison after a court found him guilty of masterminding an insurrection by his brief imposition of martial law in 2024. Yoon fell from office after attempting to overcome an opposition-controlled legislature by declaring martial law on 3 December, 2024, and sending troops to surround the legislature. On Thursday, Judge Jee Kui-youn said he found Yoon guilty of rebellion for mobilising military and police forces in an illegal attempt to seize the liberal-led National Assembly, arrest politicians and establish unchecked power for a “considerable”…
NEW DELHI—United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called upon the world to keep the development of artificial intelligence open to all. “The future of AI can not be decided by a couple of countries, or left to the whims of a few billionaires,” Guterres said Thursday at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. The annual global artificial intelligence summit is taking place for the first time in a country of the Global South, a group of emerging economies in Asia, Africa and Latin America, after previous summits in the U.K., South Korea and France. “AI must belong to…
The EPSO AD5 competition that leads to administrator-level posts at the European institutions, is back after seven years. IT failures, the pandemic, a cancelled competition that had to be rerun at a cost of about €300,000, and criticism from the European Ombudsman over an outdated and opaque testing system all contributed. EPSO’s leadership has admitted the institution’s reputation has suffered. During this pause, private coaching companies continued to support candidates preparing. Firms like EU Training and ORSEU Concours continued to offer courses, webinars, practice exams, and one-on-one coaching. Now that the AD5 exam is back, candidates are turning to their…
Members of the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday called for the Gaza ceasefire deal to become permanent and berated Israeli efforts to expand control in the occupied West Bank as a threat to prospects of a two-state solution. The security council’s meeting came on the eve of US President Donald Trump’s first Board of Peace gathering to discuss the future of the Palestinian territories. The foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Indonesia also attended the Security Council’s monthly Mideast meeting after many Arab and Islamic countries requested last week that it discuss Gaza and the…
Many Europeans who do not own their home are not optimistic about buying one. Across 23 countries, almost half say they will never be able to purchase a home or are not interested in doing so, according to the RE/MAX European Housing Trend Report 2025. The picture varies widely from country to country. Where is the share of people most pessimistic about buying a home highest, and why? The survey, conducted in August 2025 asked a simple question: “When, if ever, do you think you will be able to purchase a property?” Three in ten think they will never buy…
By Theo Farrant & AFP Published on 19/02/2026 – 7:00 GMT+1 Thousands of French supermarkets are now using artificial intelligence (AI) to detect shoplifting, analysing customer movements in real time to flag suspicious behaviour. The technology has reportedly cut losses for many supermarkets, but it also raises questions about privacy and transparency. The software works by analysing real-time footage from in-store cameras. When the algorithm detects suspicious gestures or behaviour, like putting an item into a bag or repeated touching of products without scanning, it sends a short video clip to store staff. “So we get an alert; it might be a simple…
The EU is taking a careful seat at Donald Trump’s first meeting of the Board of Peace — sending Mediterranean Commissioner Dubravka Šuica, but not signing up to the initiative. What does that say about Brussels’ strategy toward Washington? POLITICO has also obtained a letter from nine EU countries urging the European Commission to explore the possibility of an EU fund to support cross-border abortion access — a move that could reopen one of Europe’s most sensitive debates. Finally, the Commission wants to accelerate trade deals by giving their English versions a head start — allowing political approval to move…