Hungary orders first Russian oil shipments via Croatia
Hungary’s state controlled energy company MOL has ordered its first seaborne deliveries of Russian crude to be routed through Croatia, marking a new phase in an energy supply dispute involving Kyiv, Budapest and Bratislava after damage to the Druzhba pipeline in late January. Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced......
Russian oil companies face bankruptcies as sanctions slash prices
Russia’s oil sector is entering its deepest crisis in decades as Western sanctions drive export prices sharply lower and push smaller producers toward insolvency, threatening a central pillar of the Kremlin’s wartime economy. State lender VTB is preparing to file for bankruptcy against First Oil, a company owned by former Sibur......
UK chairs first UN talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials since October 7
Foreign ministers gathered Wednesday at the United Nations for a Security Council ministerial session on the situation in Palestine, as international pressure mounts over recent Israeli measures expanding control in the occupied West Bank. The meeting, chaired by British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper in her capacity as president of the......
Climate change adds 47 harmful heat days to coffee regions
Rising temperatures and increasingly extreme weather linked to climate change are posing growing risks to global coffee and wheat production, according to two new studies published this week, with potential consequences for farmers and consumers alike. An analysis released Wednesday by Climate Central found that the world’s main coffee......
DP World survey shows 94 percent expect trade growth in 2026
DP World on Monday released new regional findings from its Global Trade Observatory Annual Outlook Report 2026, indicating that 94 percent of supply chain leaders surveyed expect global trade growth in 2026 to match or exceed 2025 levels. The outlook remains positive even as companies contend with customs delays, warehouse capacity constraints......
Ireland, India and UK move toward social media age limits
Governments across Europe and Asia are preparing to tighten restrictions on minors’ access to social media, drawing momentum from Australia’s landmark ban that has led to the removal of 4.7 million accounts belonging to users under 16 since December. Ireland’s Cabinet is expected to confirm plans for age based limits as......
Survey finds 86 percent of firms reducing VMware use after Broadcom deal
Two years after Broadcom completed its $61 billion acquisition of VMware, the large scale customer exodus many had predicted has not materialized. Instead, companies are gradually scaling back their reliance on VMware as they reassess long term infrastructure strategies. A new report released by CloudBolt Software shows that 86 percent of......
Geneva Ukraine Russia talks stall amid Medinsky stance
Peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Geneva have been overshadowed by renewed tensions following the Kremlin’s decision to reinstate Vladimir Medinsky as head of the Russian delegation. The appointment of the nationalist adviser to President Vladimir Putin and former culture minister, announced on February 13 by Kremlin spokesman......
Greenland dog sled champion faces first snowless January
In the Arctic town of Ilulissat, about 300 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, five time Greenland dog sled champion Jørgen Kristensen is witnessing something he says he has never seen before: a January without snow or sea ice in the bay. Instead of gliding over frozen ground, Kristensen’s sled now jolts across bare earth......
ION founder says investors misjudge AI threat to software industry
Andrea Pignataro, the Italian billionaire who built one of Europe’s largest financial software groups, has entered the heated debate over artificial intelligence and its impact on the software industry, arguing that markets are fixated on the wrong danger. In a commentary published on February 17, 2026, the founder of ION Group said......
Wildfires force evacuations in Woodward as flames threaten homes
A rapidly advancing wildfire pushed residents from their homes in and around Woodward, Oklahoma, as dry vegetation and strong winds fueled flames toward residential areas and key facilities. Authorities issued urgent evacuation guidance for parts of the city’s southwest, advising people living west of 13th Street and south of Oklahoma......
Gabon orders nationwide suspension of social networks over security concerns
Gabon’s High Authority for Communication has ordered the immediate suspension of access to all social media platforms across the country, citing threats to national security and institutional stability. The decision was announced on 17 February 2026 in Libreville following an ordinary plenary session of the media regulator. In a statement,......
Christine Lagarde expected to step down early from ECB, FT reports
Christine Lagarde is expected to leave the European Central Bank before the end of her eight year term as president, which is due to expire in October 2027, according to a report published by the Financial Times on February 18, 2026. The development would mark a reversal for Lagarde, who less than a year ago said she was determined to complete......
More than 80 filmmakers criticize Berlinale silence on Gaza
More than 80 figures from the international film community, including Oscar winning actors Javier Bardem and Tilda Swinton, have signed an open letter condemning what they describe as the Berlin International Film Festival’s institutional silence on the war in Gaza and the alleged censorship of artists who have spoken out against Israel’s......
Air pollution linked directly to Alzheimer disease in major US study
Long term exposure to fine particulate air pollution is directly associated with a higher risk of Alzheimer disease, independent of cardiovascular conditions such as stroke and high blood pressure, according to a large scale study of nearly 28 million older Americans published in PLOS Medicine. The research, led by Yanling Deng of Emory University......