World Economic Forum head Børge Brende said Thursday that he is stepping down after facing pressure over his contacts with the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Brende, a former Norwegian foreign minister, said in a statement that he had decided “after careful consideration” to step down as pre»»»

World Economic Forum CEO and President Børge Brende, pictured here in 2014, has resigned upon completion of an independent investigation of his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. File Photo by David Silpa/UPI | License Photo Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Børge Brende resigned his position as president and CEO of the Worl»»»

COPENHAGEN - Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic, who is on an official visit to Denmark, attended a reception hosted by King Frederik X of Denmark on Thursday. Earlier, Brnabic visited the Danish parliament for a discussion with members of the legislature's Presidium about Serbia's EU integrati»»»

A loaded oil tanker tanker enters Matanzas Bay off Havana, Cuba, on February 16 and docks near the city’s energy logistics port amid ongoing U.S. energy sanctions on the island. Russia has been sending fuel considered to be aid. Photo By EPA Feb. 26 (UPI) -- The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Contro»»»

Afghanistan attacked Pakistani forces at the border on Thursday in response to deadly air strikes, military and government officials said. "In response to repeated violations by the Pakistani military, large-scale offensive operations were launched against Pakistani military bases and military inst»»»

Tunis, Feb. 26 (TAP) - The sky will be clear to partly cloudy on Thursday night across most regions of the country, with the possibility of fog forming toward the end of the night, the National Institute of Meteorology reported in a follow-up...»»»

Russian missile defenses are becoming increasingly sophisticated and may render British and French nuclear weapons ineffective, states the UK-based defense think tank RUSI. "The nuclear forces of the UK and France consist of strategic submarines armed with intercontinental ballistic missiles that a»»»

Damascus, Feb.26 (SANA) Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani, received Thursday a diplomatic delegation from the European Union, headed by Rosa Maria Gheli, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Department at the European External Action Service.Talks during the meeting»»»

Parents using Instagram's child supervision tools will soon receive alerts if their teen repeatedly searches for suicide or self-harm related terms on the platform. It is the first time parent company Meta will proactively alert parents to searches by their child on Instagram for harmful material, »»»

WASHINGTON - Serbian FM Marko Djuric said on Thursday in Washington Serbia-US relations would be firm in the coming period and that the US would be a strong partner to Serbia in preservation of regional stability, in further economic development of Serbia and in safeguarding the position of Serbs l»»»

On Thursday, Parliament obliged caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov to participate in a hearing on the US military aircraft at Sofia Airport and on tensions in the Middle East. The proposal was made by There Is Such a People (TISP) Floor Leader Toshko Yordanov, who suggested that Gurov's particip»»»

Caretaker Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynsky said during her parliamentary hearing on Thursday, that the deployment of US military aircraft at Sofia airport is not related to current or planned military operations. The hearing is at the request of the Vazrazhdane parliamentary group. On February 19,»»»

Any attempt to link the presence of US aircraft on Bulgarian territory to operations outside NATO plans is speculation, caretaker Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov said during a parliamentary hearing on Thursday. The hearing concerned US military aircraft currently stationed at Sofia Airport, tensi»»»

1 of 2 | A pair of brothers who were prominent Brazilian politicians have been convicted in the 2018 murder of Rio de Janeiro councilor Marielle Franco. File Photo by Mario Vasconcellos/EPA-EFE Feb. 26 (UPI) -- A pair of brothers who were prominent Brazilian politicians have been convicted in the 2»»»

Moscow: Russia on Thursday denied setting any final timeline for settling with Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Moscow has specific objectives it is working to accomplish, stressing that Russia is not setting a deadline for settling with Ukraine, but rather focusing on ta»»»

Cuba said on Thursday that 10 gunmen on a Florida-registered speed boat who opened fire on the Caribbean nation's coastguard had "intended to carry out an infiltration for the purposes of terrorism". The Cuban coastguard on Thursday said it killed four people and wounded six more on the vessel, whi»»»

In our ongoing weekly digest, award-winning journalist Veronika Munk summarises and explains the most important political developments in Hungary. We guide readers on the route to the key April 2026 election — a poll without precedent in the region over the past 15 years. This week, we cover: The p»»»

In the Dnipro region of Ukraine, soldiers from the air assault forces are equipped with Ceasar self-propelled howitzers, the French defence industry's flagship weapon. But the work of Ukrainian gunners has changed since the first Caesers were delivered. With the proliferation of drones,&n»»»

NATO member Türkiye is investigating the still unknown cause of an F-16 fighter jet crash that killed its pilot shortly after takeoff on a mission toward the Bulgarian border region, the Defense Ministry said on Thursday. Two F-16s took off simultaneously early on Wednesday from the 9th Main Jet Ba»»»

Damascus, Feb. 26 (SANA) Defense Minister Major General Murhaf Abu Qasra received on Thursday a high-level delegation from the Turkish Defense Industries Agency in Damascus, and discussed with them prospects for bilateral cooperation in several fields. During the meeting, the importance of continui»»»

Dubai: Iran and the United States held another round of indirect nuclear talks in Geneva on Thursday, as rising military tensions and a significant American force buildup in the Middle East cast a long shadow over diplomatic efforts. The Oman-mediated discussions, hosted at the Omani ambassador’s r»»»

Aramco announced Thursday major progress in its ambitious gas expansion strategy, with the start of production at Jafurah, the Middle East’s largest unconventional gas field, and the commencement of operations at Tanajib Gas Plant, one of the largest gas plants in the world. This will contribute to»»»

AMMAN — The Innovative Start ups and SMEs Fund (ISSF) on Thursday, participated in the Investors Summit organised by the Middle East Venture Capital Association (MEVCA) at the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), according to an ISSF statement.ISSF CEO Mohammed Muhtaseb highlighted the pivotal role of s»»»

ASTANA - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke by phone on Thursday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to whom he extended best wishes for his 72nd birthday, and said he expected him to pay an exceptionally important visit to Belgrade and Serbia soon. In a post on his buducnostsrbijeav»»»

A complaint has been filed in Switzerland accusing Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi of crimes against humanity linked to anti-government protests in his country in recent years, lawyers said Thursday. The complaint, filed by an Iranian-Swiss citizen, said Gharibabadi "may have comm»»»

The Central Election Commission (CEC) has adopted the terms and procedure for the participation of observers in the parliamentary elections scheduled for April 19, 2026, the CEC said on Thursday. The CEC will accept applications for the registration of observers until 5:00 p.m. on April 17. Observe»»»

Feb. 25 (UPI) -- A Florida woman who became the world's oldest competitive pool player at the age of 94 is still going strong at 98 and is headed to a tournament in Las Vegas. Jensen Beach resident Maggie Kennedy was dubbed the world's oldest competitive pool player by Guinness World Records in 202»»»

Student and university associations staged and completed a rally in central Athens on Thursday afternoon ahead of the third anniversary of the Tempe railway disaster, organizers said. The groups organized the gathering to commemorate the victims of the February 28, 2023 train crash, Greece’s deadli»»»

The US military planes currently stationed at Sofia’s civil airport “Vasil Levski” are not assigned to participate in any ongoing or planned combat operations, officials clarified during a parliamentary hearing. Acting Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov, Acting Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynski, and»»»

Armenia’s prospective shift towards US-backed small modular reactor (SMR) technology could add as much as 30% of GDP to public debt in a worst-case scenario, even as it reduces the country’s long-standing strategic reliance on Russia, according to Ivan Tchakarov of GlobalSource Partners. »»»

1 of 5 | Secret service personnel and local law enforcement prepare to do a security sweep of the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center where Bill and Hillary Clinton are to be deposed by the House Oversight Committee regarding the Epstein probe in Chappaqua, N.Y., Thursday. Former Secretary of State Hi»»»

AMMAN — The Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC) is implementing a package of upgrades at Aqaba's King Hussein International Airport to enhance passenger comfort and streamline arrival and departure procedures in line with growing air traffic.The works include infrastructure and service-system upgra»»»

DOHA: The Cruise Terminal at Old Doha Port on Thursday welcomed the luxury cruise ship 'AROYA' on its maiden voyage to Qatar. Operated by Saudi-based AROYA Cruises, the vessel arrived carrying 1,023 passengers and 1,103 crew members. As one of the largest ships to dock at the terminal, AROYA is sch»»»

Student demonstrations erupted on Saturday (February 21) at several major universities in the capital Tehran, with campuses in other cities joining in the days that followed. Pro- and anti-government groups faced off during rallies on the university campuses.»»»

A French court on Thursday (February 26) sentenced Iranian national Mahdieh Esfandiari for justifying terrorism in a case linked to a possible prisoner swap with two French citizens held in Iran. FRANCE 24's Olivia Bizot tells us more.»»»

Tunis, Feb. 26 (TAP)- The stock market closed Thursday's session on a negative note with the benchmark index slipping 0.34 % to 15, 122.84 points in a sustained volume of TND 12.1 million, broker Tunisie Valeurs said. SOTRAPIL posted the best...»»»

Abu Dhabi: Global logistics firm DHL Express has signed a deal to explore using delivery aircraft built by an Abu Dhabi-based drone manufacturer in its regional operations. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.DHL Express and LODD Autonomous have signed a Memorandum of Unde»»»

Every day, Iranians go to stores and find prices rising. Some post photos on social media of the shrinking contents of their shopping carts as they struggle to buy enough basic staples for their families. The mounting cost of living is an extra weight bearing down as Iranians prepare for a possible»»»

Both China and Iran have asked to replicate the Belarus-Russia Union State's region-to-region cooperation model, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said at the Supreme State Council of the Union State in Moscow on February 26, as Russian President Vladimir Putin co-chaired the session, BelTA»»»

Both China and Iran have asked to replicate the Belarus-Russia Union State's region-to-region cooperation model, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said at the Supreme State Council of the Union State in Moscow on February 26, as Russian President Vladimir Putin co-chaired the session, BelTA»»»

A Tunisian court on Thursday rejected demands to suspend operations at a fertilizer factory, a lawyer told AFP, after thousands of protesters blamed the plant for a rise in health problems. The facility in the city of Gabes emits sulphur gases, nitrogen and fluorine, according to an audit last July»»»

Germany's government convened an emergency meeting of the organizers of the Berlin Film Festival on Thursday, saying it wanted to discuss the event's "direction" after debate and protests over Gaza dominated the programme. The Bild newspaper reported on Wednesday that the government's Commissioner »»»

Doha, Qatar: The National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) has received the Platinum rating under the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) Operations' sustainable green building certification system, further underscoring Qatar Museums' position as a global pioneer in sustainable cultural institutio»»»

Borge Brende, the president and CEO of the World Economic Forum, which organises the annual Davos summit, announced his resignation on Thursday, weeks after the forum launched an independent investigation into his links with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.  The president and CEO o»»»

Specific information on election candidates will be submitted upon their registration to the Communist-Era Secret Police Files Committee, according to legislative revisions that Bulgaria's Parliament passed conclusively on Thursday. The bill to amend the Act on Access to, and Disclosure of, Documen»»»

Bulgarian banks are 99% ready to implement the Instant Payments Regulation, which will take effect in Bulgaria on January 1, 2027, Radoslav Daskalov, Deputy Chair of the Payment Infrastructure Committee at the Association of Banks in Bulgaria (ABB), told BTA. "We can confidently say that the bankin»»»

For at least 34 years, Canada held an unbroken grip on the top spot in US trade. In 2025, Mexico ended it, and the timing could hardly be more consequential. According to reports from Bloomberg and Forbes, M»»»

Russia has accused the United States of irresponsibly stoking regional tensions over Iran, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova saying Moscow continues to see "unceasing threats" against Tehran on February 26. »»»