Bulgaria Surges in Wealth Rankings: Ahead of Romania, Czech Republic, and Poland
Bulgaria is no longer Europe’s poorest nation, according to the latest Global Wealth Report from Swiss bank UBS. The study shows that in terms of average wealth, Bulgaria has overtaken Romania and Turkey, while its median wealth places it ahead of some traditionally wealthier Eastern European count»»»
Maliki Says Has ‘Absolutely No Intention’ to Withdraw PM Candidacy as Barrack Visits Iraq
The leading candidate to become Iraq's next prime minister, former premier Nouri al-Maliki, told AFP on Monday that he will not withdraw his nomination after pressure from the US, while also seeking to allay Washington's concerns. Since the US-led invasion that overthrew former ruler Saddam Hussein»»»
QatarEnergy celebrates new group of graduates
Doha, Qatar: QatarEnergy celebrated the graduation of a new group of Qatari nationals who have successfully completed their academic studies and vocational programs and have joined QatarEnergy and other energy sector companies. The energy sector graduates have commenced working with QatarEnergy, Qa»»»
MoCI launches 36 e-services to accelerate digital transformation
Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) launched 36 new electronic services through its official website, as part of its ongoing efforts to advance digital transformation and enhance service efficiency, in line with the Ministry’s Strategy (2024–2030). In a post on its X platform,»»»
China targets Japanese companies over 'remilitarization'
TradeJapanChina targets Japanese companies over 'remilitarization' Mahima Kapoor with AFP and ReutersFirst seafood, then pandas and now Japan's heavyweights. China's commerce ministry has banned selling "dual-use" goods to a list of Japanese companies over worries of military use. https://p.dw.com/»»»
EU Diplomats Meet Board of Peace Director over Gaza's Future
The European Union's top diplomats met Monday in Brussels with the director of the Board of Peace after a shaky and controversial embrace of US President Donald Trump's efforts to secure and rebuild the war-ravaged Gaza Strip. Nikolay Mladenov, a former Bulgarian politician and UN diplomat chosen b»»»
U.S. Coast Guard investigating swastika found at training center - UPI.com
Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday held a mandatory meeting with all nearly 900 recruits and staff at Training Center Cape May about the recent discovery of a swastika on the premises. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Feb. 24 (UPI) -- The U.S. Coast Guard has launched an internal»»»
Legal training programmes launched to strengthen national workforce
Doha, Qatar: The Civil Service and Government Development Bureau (CGB) unveiled two major national initiatives aimed at reinforcing the country’s human capital in priority sectors, including legal professions and nuclear engineering. In a statement yesterday on X, CGB stated that it has launched th»»»
Qatar reaffirms support to UN work for refugees
Doha, Qatar: Minister of State for International Cooperation H E Dr. Mariam bint Ali bin Nasser Al-Misnad met yesterday with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees H E Dr. Barham Salih, on the sidelines of the High-Level Segment of the 61st session of the Human Rights Council held in Gen»»»
Russia soldiers tell BBC they saw fellow troops executed on commanders' orders
Warning: This story contains details of extreme violence and reference to suicide. Four Russian soldiers have exposed the horror and brutality of conditions on their side of the front lines in Ukraine, with two men telling the BBC they saw soldiers being executed on the spot for refusing orders. On»»»
Municipality Ministry delivers nearly one million services
Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Municipality has recorded a remarkable year in customer service performance, delivering a total of 984,787 services in 2025 through its Customer Service and Unified Call Center Department. The achievement reflects the Ministry’s ongoing commitment to faster response tim»»»
Bulgaria Has Supplied 13 Aid Packages to Ukraine Since War Started Four Years Ago
On the fourth anniversary of Russia's war on Ukraine, the Bulgarian government said that the Defence Ministry has provided 13 aid packages to Ukraine since the outbreak of the conflict. The information is available on the Council of Ministers’ Public Access to Information Platform. The Defence Mini»»»
New US tariffs take effect after Supreme Court ruling
Washington, United States: Fresh US tariffs on imported goods came into effect Tuesday, as President Donald Trump moved to rebuild his trade agenda after the Supreme Court ruled against a swath of his global duties. The new tariffs, initially set at 10 percent, are justified as a means "to deal wit»»»
Why this new Abu Dhabi guide could be a game-changer for mangrove conservation across the Arabian Gulf region
The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with the IUCN Mangrove Specialist Group, has launched a monitoring guide for mangrove ecosystems in the Arabian Gulf region—marking the first initiative of its kind in the region to advance scientific knowledge and conservation practices for mang»»»
Ukraine war reconstruction will cost $588 billion, World Bank says
Ukraine will need $588 billion to rebuild from the destruction caused by Russia's full-scale invasion, a World Bank report said on Monday – a figure almost three times the country's annual economic output. Russian strikes killed three people and wounded several others overnight, regional authoritie»»»
'Love doesn't die with death': How four years of war have reshaped relationships in Ukraine
As Ukraine prepares to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion, FRANCE 24 spoke to Maryna Kumeda, the Ukrainian author of “Love in Wartime”, about how the war is reshaping attitudes to love and relationships. How to love amid the uncertainty of war? It takes many forms in Maryna Kum»»»
Press Review - Russia's 'new secret agents' wage a war of sabotage in Europe
PRESS REVIEW – Monday, February 23, 2026: First, ahead of the four-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, papers discuss Russia's war plans, and their new agents. Next, the Guardian takes a closer look at "El Mencho". Also, as the Olympics come to an end, Olympians are celebrated in papers ar»»»
Scoop - What the Andrew-Epstein saga reveals about the press and the palace
Britain's royal family is facing its worst crisis in generations. As more information emerges about the relationship between Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Jeffrey Epstein, we take a look at the relationship between the palace and the press. Our guest this week on FRANCE 24’s media show Scoop is jo»»»
Tech 24 - First victim of AI agent harassment warns 'thousands' more could be next
Slandered by one AI robot and misquoted in a news article by another, US-based software engineer Scott Shambaugh has made it his mission to become the cautionary tale by which we start to take autonomous artificial intelligence seriously. If rogue AI agents pose as much of a threat to humanity»»»
Indonesia is open for business - at least on the surface
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto took to the stage at the headquarters of the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington last week. His message to American executives focused on how Indonesia is open for business, as it intends to remain stable, predictable, and strategically indispensable. As he wa»»»
Indonesia is open for business - at least on the surface
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto took to the stage at the headquarters of the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington last week. His message to American executives focused on how Indonesia is open for business, as it intends to remain stable, predictable, and strategically indispensable. As he wa»»»
Indonesia is open for business - at least on the surface
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto took to the stage at the headquarters of the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington last week. His message to American executives focused on how Indonesia is open for business, as it intends to remain stable, predictable, and strategically indispensable. As he wa»»»
Taiwan urges drivers to shift to electric vehicles
Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment has called on motorists to move away from petrol and diesel vehicles, as more than 120,000 fossil fuel vehicles have already been swapped for electric alternatives under a scheme launched in 2022, Taipei Times reports. The initiative helped cut more than 520,000 ton»»»
Indonesia is open for business - at least on the surface
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto took to the stage at the headquarters of the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington last week. His message to American executives focused on how Indonesia is open for business, as it intends to remain stable, predictable, and strategically indispensable. As he wa»»»
Brazil and India sign critical minerals pact as poultry deal stalls
Brazil and India signed a series of agreements during President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's three-day state visit to New Delhi covering critical minerals and pharmaceutical technology, but the trip fell short of one of its most commercially significant objectives after negotiations to open the Indi»»»
Indonesia is open for business - at least on the surface
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto took to the stage at the headquarters of the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington last week. His message to American executives focused on how Indonesia is open for business, as it intends to remain stable, predictable, and strategically indispensable. As he wa»»»
Indonesia is open for business - at least on the surface
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto took to the stage at the headquarters of the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington last week. His message to American executives focused on how Indonesia is open for business, as it intends to remain stable, predictable, and strategically indispensable. As he wa»»»
A Russian tanker is heading to Cuba. Will Trump let it through?
A tanker widely believed to be carrying Russian fuel is heading towards Cuba, potentially setting the stage for a fresh confrontation between Moscow and Washington as the island struggles under a de facto US fuel embargo that has crippled power generation, transport and basic services. »»»
Mexico hit by widespread unrest after cartel leader killed in army operation
For over a decade, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, "El Mencho", was the most wanted man in Mexico, a former police officer who built the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) into one of the country's most formidable criminal organisations. On February 22, a military operation in the quiet highland»»»
A Russian tanker is heading to Cuba. Will Trump let it through?
A tanker widely believed to be carrying Russian fuel is heading towards Cuba, potentially setting the stage for a fresh confrontation between Moscow and Washington as the island struggles under a de facto US fuel embargo that has crippled power generation, transport and basic services. »»»
Brazil stands to gain most from Trump's revised tariffs
Brazil is poised to be the biggest beneficiary of the new global tariff regime announced by US President Donald Trump in response to a landmark Supreme Court ruling which voided his blanket levies unveiled last year on "Liberation Day." But relief among Brazilian businesses remains guarded as »»»
Brazil and India sign critical minerals pact as poultry deal stalls
Brazil and India signed a series of agreements during President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's three-day state visit to New Delhi covering critical minerals and pharmaceutical technology, but the trip fell short of one of its most commercially significant objectives after negotiations to open the Indi»»»
Indonesia is open for business - at least on the surface
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto took to the stage at the headquarters of the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington last week. His message to American executives focused on how Indonesia is open for business, as it intends to remain stable, predictable, and strategically indispensable. As he wa»»»
Indonesia is open for business - at least on the surface
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto took to the stage at the headquarters of the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington last week. His message to American executives focused on how Indonesia is open for business, as it intends to remain stable, predictable, and strategically indispensable. As he wa»»»
CENTRAL ASIA BLOG: Role in attack on Iran or some golf course chitchat? Speculation in overdrive on Turkmen leader’s trip to US
Base permissions in Turkmenistan for US Air Force planes that could be involved in an attack on Iran? A US role in building a Caspian Sea pipeline that could enable exports of Turkmen gas to flow to Europe? Meetings with American experts who will build golf courses in the Central Asian country? »»»
Fitch Solutions forecasts 2.5% GDP growth for Azerbaijan in 2026, expects cautious monetary and fiscal stance
Azerbaijan’s economy is projected to expand by 2.5% in 2026, accelerating from an estimated 1.4% growth in 2025, according to a new forecast by Fitch Solutions. The firm expects growth to be driven primarily by domestic de»»»
Slovak PM Fico threatens to cut emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine over Druzhba disruption
Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico has threatened to ask the Slovak Electricity Transmission System company (SEPS) to cut emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine unless the oil flow via Russian Druzhba pipeline is renewed. »»»
Slovak PM Fico threatens to cut emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine over Druzhba disruption
Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico has threatened to ask the Slovak Electricity Transmission System company (SEPS) to cut emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine unless the oil flow via Russian Druzhba pipeline is renewed. »»»
Croatia unveils €1.68bn climate social plan targeting vulnerable households
Croatia’s government on February 20 presented a €1.68bn Social Plan for Climate Policy for 2026-2032 aimed primarily at vulnerable households, energy-poor citizens and small businesses facing higher costs from the green transition. »»»
Moldova’s industrial output up 5.5% in 2025, remains below 2021 level
Moldova’s industrial output (chart) increased by 5.5% year-on-year in 2025, but remained 4.5% below the average level recorded in 2021 — before the war in Ukraine and the surge in energy prices, according to data published by the National Bureau of Statistics (BNS). »»»
Slovak PM Fico threatens to cut emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine over Druzhba disruption
Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico has threatened to ask the Slovak Electricity Transmission System company (SEPS) to cut emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine unless the oil flow via Russian Druzhba pipeline is renewed. »»»
Slovak PM Fico threatens to cut emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine over Druzhba disruption
Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico has threatened to ask the Slovak Electricity Transmission System company (SEPS) to cut emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine unless the oil flow via Russian Druzhba pipeline is renewed. »»»
A Russian tanker is heading to Cuba. Will Trump let it through?
A tanker widely believed to be carrying Russian fuel is heading towards Cuba, potentially setting the stage for a fresh confrontation between Moscow and Washington as the island struggles under a de facto US fuel embargo that has crippled power generation, transport and basic services. »»»
Russia's Kaspersky fights Western sanctions
Major Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky is trying to push back against Western sanctions, threatening to sue Germany’s BSI for discouraging local users from using its products. The move may have been emboldened by the recent removal of a Kaspersky executive from a US sanctions list. »»»
White House Considering New Trade Tariffs Following Supreme Court's Ruling
The administration of US President Donald Trump is exploring new ways to impose tariffs after the US Supreme Court blocked many of the already imposed tariffs last week, The Wall Street Journal newspaper reported. The new tariffs could apply to industries such as large-format batteries, cast iron a»»»
Junk to high-tech: India bets on e-waste for critical minerals
By Arunabh Saikia and Uzmi AtharKARNAL, India — Hundreds of discarded batteries rattle along a conveyor belt into a crusher in a remote plant in northern India, fuelling a multi-billion-dollar industry that is bolstering the country's geopolitical ambitions.India is cashing in on the growing "e-was»»»
How Mexico killed powerful drug kingpin 'El Mencho' and what it means
Mexico’s security forces on Sunday killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the nation's most powerful cartel leader, who was wounded during an attempted arrest in Jalisco state and died while being transferred to Mexico City. His killing marks the highest-profile blow against cartels in a decade and spa»»»
Portrait of a drug lord: ‘El Mencho’, Mexico's most feared cartel kingpin
Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho", was the feared architect of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal organisations. Over decades, he expanded the group’s operations across multiple states and international markets, becoming a central figure in the »»»
Trump-appointed judge permanently blocks release of classified documents report
US District Judge Aileen Cannon permanently banned the Department of Justice on Monday from releasing a report by former special counsel Jack Smith about US President Donald Trump's alleged mishandling of classified government documents at the end of his first term. A federal judge on Mo»»»
Historic nor’easter paralyses US Northeast with record snowfall
A powerful nor’easter battered the northeastern United States on Monday, dumping record snowfall, grounding thousands of flights and forcing widespread closures from Maryland to Maine as officials warned of dangerous winds, power outages and further storms later in the week. A massive snowstorm pum»»»