“I guess that if there is an eruption, it will probably be the last one. That’s just my guess,” says volcanologist Þorvaldur Þórðarson about a possible eruption along the Sundhnúkagígar crater row.

Under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the EU response to the COVID-19 crisis, Bulgaria is set to receive €6 174.1 million in grants, including €479.3 million under REPowerEU and €6 million from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve. Any additional financing must be covered by national or private co-funding. Bulgaria's national recovery and resilience plan (NRRP) corresponds to 10.1 % of its 2019 gross domestic product (GDP) (the RRF amounts to 5.2 % of EU-27 2019 GDP), the eighth-highest share in the EU, and all RRF funds must be paid out by end-2026. The plan was updated twice in 2025: in July, to introduce the new REPowerEU chapter, and in November, to amend measures that were partially no longer achievable or to implement better alternatives. So far, Bulgaria has received three payments of €3 273.2 million. It has absorbed 53 % of available RRF funds, below the 61.1 % EU average, and completed 60.4 % of its milestones and targets. The Bulgarian plan aims to address the main challenges and systemic weaknesses of Bulgaria's economy and builds on the national development programme BULGARIA 2030. The latter proposes solutions for medium-term growth by setting strategic objectives (e.g. accelerated economic development, demographic upswing and reduced inequalities). The NRRP extends the scope of reforms and investment while ensuring coherence with measures under EU cohesion policy. Bulgaria is one of the main beneficiaries of EU funds (as a share of GDP) over the 2021 2027 financing period, and complementarity with RRF resources is relevant in several fields. The amended plan supports climate objectives with 49.9 % of the total RRF funds (and 99.5 % of the proposed REPowerEU measures), while 20.7 % goes to digital objectives. Both green and digital spending targets have thus been exceeded. The European Parliament participates in interinstitutional forums for cooperation and discussion on the implementation of the RRF, and scrutinises the European Commission's work. This briefing is one in a series covering all EU Member States. Fifth edition. Previous editions were drafted by Velina Lilyanova. The 'NGEU delivery' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the lifecycle of the plans. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP

sadness that I respond to the accusations made by two people who previously worked for me.'

Bleary-eyed locals were seen wandering through Plymouth town centre in dressing gowns heading for community centres to sleep in overnight.

Suzanne Cherry, a company director, beloved mother and stepmother, lived her life by the rules. She never broke the law and 'did everything by the book' her husband said after her death.

The defiant West Midlands Police leader may have just hours left in the post after the Government withdrew confidence in him, leaving his position virtually untenable.

Westminster is reeling from Kemi Badenoch's extraordinary pre-emptive strike on her former leadership rival yesterday, sacking him before he could defect to Reform.

As a result of attacks by two drones in the settlement of Malinovka, two people were injured, including the head of the Malinovsky rural settlement administration

Dmitry Peskov noted that it was necessary to talk to Russia

Alexander Stepanov warned that deploying European troops to Greenland would likely prompt the Pentagon to bolster its military foothold in the region

Polish Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk added that Warsaw would increase anti-tank mine production at the BELMA plant in Bydgoszcz 25 times

«Last night, the Ukrainian armed forces deliberately used multiple launch rocket systems to damage the Klintsovskaya thermal power plant and the Naitochovskaya electrical substation,» Alexander Bogomaz said

Eighty-eight people have been arrested in an island-wide anti-drug operation which began on Sunday (Jan 11), said the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) on Friday (Jan 16). A total of about 213g of cannabis, 170g of Ice, 1g of heroin, five Ecstasy tablets, 23 Erimin-5 tablets, vape-related products — including 37 pods believed to contain etomidate — and around $1,100 of cash was seized, said CNB in a press release. The street value of the drugs is estimated to be more than $23,000.The operation covered areas such as Bedok, Woodlands, Race Course Road and Telok Kurau. In one of the arrests involving a 34-year-old Singaporean woman in Edgedale Plains on Jan 12, CNB officers found about 160g of cannabis and 59g of Ice in a plastic box behind her children's bedroom door. The next day, officers arrested a 39-year-old Singaporean man at his home in Hougang Avenue 5, having found a small amount of Ice, five Ecstasy tablets, 2 Erimin-5 tablets and drug utensils.  

A man seen having a spat with a mother over her child's alleged misbehaviour on the MRT has sparked online debate about parenting in public spaces.In a video shared on Facebook on Tuesday (Jan 13), he can be seen confronting the woman for allowing her son to jump around on the train. Based on the MRT's next-station display, the incident is believed to have occurred on the purple line.He can be heard questioning the woman's parenting, saying, «What kind of mother are you? Everybody is looking at you.»Unhappy with the confrontation, the woman responded, «I did not ask him to jump around.» 

Two SBS Transit bus captains were presented the Singapore Civil Defence Force's (SCDF) Community First Responder Award on Friday (Jan 16) for putting out a car fire in Ang Mo Kio on Thursday morning. Lim Swee Shen, captain of service 133, and Liew Poh Chye, captain of service 71, told reporters at the presentation ceremony at Seletar Depot that they are extremely happy to receive the recognition.At about 7.45am on Thursday, 35-year-old Lim was plying his route along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 when he noticed smoke emitting from a black BMW ahead.Fearing that an explosion might occur, he immediately stopped the vehicle and grabbed a fire extinguisher, running towards the car without hesitation.«I saw the smoke and thought I needed to extinguish the fire quickly, else the situation might become more dangerous later,» said Lim, who has been a bus captain with SBS Transit for 10 years.«It's my duty as a bus captain, and also human nature,» he said on his decision to help.Video footage of the incident posted on social media showed the BMW driver opening the car's bonnet to reveal fiery flames.

President Emmanuel Macron has said France and other European countries will accelerate the development of new long-range weapons Read Full Article at RT.com

The Russian Foreign Ministry has moved to contain a diplomatic flare-up sparked by provocative remarks from journalist Vladimir Solovyov Read Full Article at RT.com

India is looking for new sources while it addresses China’s export curbs on rare-earth minerals Read Full Article at RT.com

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has rejected the idea that Western European nations should negotiate with Russia Read Full Article at RT.com

Nigeria’s finance minister has said inflation eased to 14.45% in November, down from 33.18% last year, and the naira has strengthened Read Full Article at RT.com

[Capital FM] Nairobi -- Uganda's main opposition presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has accused authorities of widespread electoral malpractice, including «massive ballot stuffing,» amid an internet shutdown.

[Shabelle] Mogadishu -- Somalia's disaster management chief and a senior United Nations official jointly chaired a high-level meeting in Mogadishu on Thursday to assess the country's worsening drought and review preparations for the 2026 humanitarian response plan.

[SAnews.gov.za] The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has deployed two helicopters to evacuate people stranded in Limpopo, due to the severe flooding and rising water levels in the province.

Having too little 'beige fat' can send blood pressure levels skyrocketing, increasing the risk of serious problems like heart attack and stroke, scientists say.

[Maka] The Office of the Attorney General of the Republic (PGR) has formally confirmed in writing that the alleged «terrorist conspiracy» connected to the Luanda taxi strike of 28-30 July 2025 never existed. There was no incitement, no violence, no material damage and no criminal plan orchestrated by the leaders of the taxi associations and cooperatives that called the strike. The accusation collapsed entirely, leading to the immediate release of those who had been detained.

[Maka] This report summarizes the case of Aisha Lopes and co-accused, originally published by Maka Angola in 2017. It demonstrates how the Angolan state fabricated terrorism allegations against innocent citizens -- using intimidation, torture, and legal manipulation -- in ways that mirror the recent cases of «terrorism» and «espionage» against journalists, youth leaders and association members. The Aisha Lopes case is included here so observers can understand the continuity of abusive investigative methods, the

[CPJ] Nairobi -- The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Burundian authorities to end the persecution of jailed journalist Sandra Muhoza who has been given a four-year sentence for comments she made on WhatsApp, after almost two years in detention.

Cabean Badal is carving a niche in wellness décor with Boho Botanics Jamaica, a brand built on sustainability, creativity and respect for nature. Known for naturally fragranced botanical arrangements, the brand reflects a philosophy shaped by...

Two Jamaican academics are working on a national strategy to equip women to thrive in the digital era, following their participation in the United Nations Development Programme’s (YNDP’s) Global Leadership Academy on Women Leading in the Digital...

WESTERN BUREAU: Dr Ricardo Bennett, principal of Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College (SSTC) in St James, says the institution’s ability to prepare teachers for modern classrooms has been significantly strengthened with the handover of a fully equipped...

This article is the first in a two-part feature. Back in the summer of last year, I published a four-part series on Bitcoin in The Gleaner (2/July/25). In that series, I tried to cut through the hype and explain what Bitcoin really is, not just...

Vitaly Kiselev assumed that these individuals were captured during the special military operation and tried for crimes committed since 2014

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said London needs «evidence» that Moscow «actually wants peace»

Polish Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said this requires a government decision, as well as Ukraine’s transfer of UAV production and countermeasure technologies to Poland

Disruptions to power supply in Kiev and the surrounding region began in late 2025 after serious damage to energy facilities in the capital area