EU

Diplomacy & Trade

Traikov Takes Over as Bulgaria’s Caretaker Energy Minister

Traicho Traikov assumed duties as Bulgaria's caretaker Energy Minister on Thursday, pledging to safeguard national interests through a stable, competitive and sustainable energy sector. He succeeds Zhecho Stankov after a handover ceremony at the Energy Ministry in Sofia.

WH News Feb 20, 2026

Diplomacy & Trade

Accelleran, Firecell Merge for EU-Sovereign Private 5G Networks

Belgian firm Accelleran and French vendor Firecell announced a merger Tuesday to create a pan-European leader in private 5G networks for industrial plants and enterprises. The deal, backed by a €7.9 million investment, aims to deliver fully EU-sovereign solutions.

WH News Feb 20, 2026

Diplomacy & Trade

Digital Euro Setup to Cost EU Banks €4B-€6B Over Four Years

European banks face setup costs of €4 billion to €6 billion over four years to implement a digital euro, according to an ECB official. The figure equals about 3% of their annual IT maintenance spending.

WH News Feb 20, 2026

Diplomacy & Trade

Pope Leo XIV to Visit Lampedusa Migrant Hub on July 4

Pope Leo XIV plans a visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa on July 4. The Vatican announced the trip to the key Mediterranean migrant arrival point as part of the pontiff's summer itinerary within Italy.

WH News Feb 20, 2026

Diplomacy & Trade

EU Schedules Oil Coordination Group for Feb. 25 Amid Russian Supply Fears

The European Commission called an emergency coordination group on oil supplies for Wednesday, February 25, to address disruptions in Russian crude flowing through the Druzhba pipeline. The meeting follows threats from Hungary and Slovakia to cut energy exports to Ukraine.

WH News Feb 20, 2026

Diplomacy & Trade

Greece Teams with Germany, Others on African Migrant Deportation Hubs

Greece is coordinating with Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Denmark to set up migrant deportation centers in Africa. The plan targets asylum seekers whose claims have been rejected, according to Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris.

WH News Feb 20, 2026

Public Health

EU Agencies: Low Risk of Cereulide Toxin in Baby Formula After Recalls

The risk to European infants from the cereulide toxin in baby formula has dropped to low levels after widespread recalls, EU food safety authorities said Thursday. Seven countries reported gastrointestinal illnesses in babies who consumed the affected products.

WH News Feb 20, 2026

Europe

Athens Airport Radar Fails, Leaving Controllers with One Screen

Air traffic controllers at Athens International Airport lost contact with a key radar on Thursday, dropping from three operational screens to just one. The Association of Greek Air Traffic Controllers blamed a data link failure to Merenta Hill for the breakdown.

WH News Feb 20, 2026

Märkte

Türkische Spielebranche knackt 2025 Milliardenmarke

Die Spielebranche in der Türkei erreichte 2025 ein Volumen von 1,01 Milliarden Dollar. Das sind 25 Prozent mehr als im Vorjahr, hieß es in einem Bericht der Gaming in Türkiye MENA EU.

WH News Feb 20, 2026

Mercados

Industria de videojuegos turca supera 1.000 millones de dólares en 2025

La industria de videojuegos de Turquía alcanzó 1.010 millones de dólares en 2025, un 25% más que el año anterior, según el informe Gaming in Türkiye MENA EU. Los jugadores activos suman 50 millones, con un 46% de mujeres.

WH News Feb 20, 2026

KI

Pennsylvania-Firma reicht 15 Patente in 13 Tagen für AI-Robotersicherheit ein

OpenCxMS Technologies hat 15 vorläufige Patentanmeldungen beim US-Patentamt eingereicht. Die Anträge in nur 13 Tagen decken 134 Ansprüche für den Standardized Autonomous Safety Module ab, einen Hardwarestandard gegen AI-Übersteuerung.

WH News Feb 20, 2026

Energy & Commodities

Italy Approves €3 Billion Package to Slash Wholesale Energy Prices

Italy's government approved measures worth about 3 billion euros ($3.54 billion) on Wednesday to lower wholesale energy prices. Officials said the package aims to shield families' buying power and bolster business competitiveness.

WH News Feb 20, 2026