The world's rules-based order "no longer exists," according to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who issued the warning at the Munich Security Conference. The conference, held against the backdrop of rising global tensions, saw Merz cautioning that Europeans must prepare to make "sacrifice" in an era of big power politics. The announcement came as several other significant developments unfolded, including changes to US climate policy and concerns about AI safety.
Merz's comments, made at the annual security summit, highlighted a growing divide between Europe and the United States, according to BBC World. The conference was also influenced by US President Donald Trump's actions, including threats to Denmark's sovereignty over Greenland and tariffs on European imports. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was present at the conference.
Meanwhile, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced changes to climate policy, reversing the "endangerment finding," a key Obama-era ruling. Experts predict this will lead to fewer restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions, though the decision is expected to face legal challenges from environmental groups, according to BBC World.
In Hungary, opposition leader Peter Magyar accused rivals of planning to blackmail him with a secretly recorded sex tape ahead of the upcoming election, as reported by BBC World. Magyar, who is ahead in the polls, said he would file a complaint with authorities. He claimed the tape, allegedly from August 2024, involved consensual sex with an ex-girlfriend.
In the technology sector, Amazon's Ring ended a deal with surveillance firm Flock Safety following public backlash over privacy concerns, according to BBC Technology. The partnership, announced in October, would have allowed agencies working with Flock to access Ring device video. The decision came after a Ring advertisement aired during the Super Bowl sparked criticism.
Also in technology, an AI safety researcher, Mrinank Sharma, resigned from US firm Anthropic with a warning that the "world is in peril," according to BBC Technology. Sharma, who shared his resignation letter on X, cited concerns about AI, bioweapons, and the state of the world. He stated he would pursue writing and poetry and move back to the UK. This announcement followed a similar resignation from an OpenAI researcher who expressed concerns about the deployment of advertisements in its chatbot.
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