Nov 13, 2026, 06:00 AM UTC

Global fossil fuel emissions are expected to decrease by 0.4% in 2026, marking the first decline since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to recent research. Analysts credit the projected drop to a rapid surge in renewable energy capacity and an oil price shock triggered by the conflict involving Iran, though experts caution the reduction may be temporary.

The findings arrive amid the ongoing COP31 summit in Antalya, Turkey, where newly published research highlights mounting environmental challenges. A study in Nature Climate Change reveals that regional warming has already crossed 2°C above pre-industrial levels across areas of Europe and Canada. Concurrently, UN reports warn that exceptional extreme temperatures will persist globally into next year, while scientists caution that melting in Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier may have reached an irreversible threshold.

Sources: France24, Sweden Herald, The Guardian, The Scotsman, United Nations News.

Former Nvidia chief executive officer Jensen Huang has resigned following personal scandals, including allegations of an extramarital affair with an individual accused of spying for China. The sudden departure has raised concerns regarding national security and executive leadership at the semiconductor giant.

US Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott announced that lawmakers are seeking testimony from both Huang and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The inquiry aims to evaluate potential vulnerabilities in the supply chain and assess risks to proprietary American technology.

The leadership vacuum comes as Nvidia attempts to manage an unexpected executive transition amid growing scrutiny from Washington officials regarding its safeguard protocols.

Sources: BBC News, Bloomberg, France24, Sweden Herald, The Guardian

Béla Merkely, rector of Semmelweis University, participated in a hunting trip in Uganda ahead of an official visit related to a hospital development initiative, according to reports by Hungarian news outlets. The 2021 trip involved a business figure associated with a company contracting with the university for the hospital project. Merkely stated that he covered his own expenses for the hunting activity.

Separately, investigative reports indicate that a company linked to Áron Orbán, brother of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, continued collecting payments from Vietnamese nationals by offering assistance with visa applications and employment promises after public scrutiny and official awareness of the operations had already begun.

Sources: 444, HVG, Telex.

Bulgarian authorities have released the Romanian heavy goods vehicle driver detained following the catastrophic pileup on the Trakia highway. The multi-vehicle crash, which occurred in conditions of dense fog along the major corridor connecting Sofia and Burgas, resulted in up to 12 deaths and dozens of injuries across more than 70 involved vehicles.

Prosecutors questioned the driver after initial reports suggested his vehicle decelerated sharply, potentially triggering the chain reaction. Authorities have interviewed 44 witnesses and analyzed vehicle telemetry to reconstruct the sequence of events. While emergency crews completed the removal of wreckage and restored traffic flow, forensic specialists continue their technical investigation. Medical personnel remain focused on treating injured survivors, including a second Romanian national recovering from severe injuries.

Sources: Digi24, HotNews, Moldova1, TV8, Ziarul de Gardă

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Peru on Wednesday for the final stop of his Latin American tour, receiving an enthusiastic welcome from local crowds. Millions of people lined the streets of Lima to greet the pontiff, who spent two decades in the country as a missionary and bishop before his election to the papacy. Returning to the nation he described as his second homeland, Pope Leo expressed deep personal emotion during his initial remarks, reflecting on his formative pastoral years in the region. The visit follows the conclusion of his itinerary in Argentina and marks a major homecoming event, with local communities holding celebrations and unveiling tributes to honor his decades of service in Peru.

Sources: ANSA, Corriere della Sera, France24, Il Messaggero, La Repubblica