News

Hard Numbers: Poland gets Norwegian gas, US-Venezuela swap prisoners, Bulgarians vote again, Thai PM stays

General view of a Baltic Pipe compressor station in Budno, Poland.
General view of a Baltic Pipe compressor station in Budno, Poland.
Agencja Wyborcza.pl via REUTERS

10 billion: On Saturday, natural gas from Norway began flowing to Poland through a pipeline that can pump 10 billion cubic meters per year through a new Baltic Sea route via Denmark. The new gas link, the first in decades, is a major milestone in Europe's efforts to diversify away from Russian gas.

7: Venezuela released seven American citizens in exchange for the freedom of two nephews of the Venezuelan first lady convicted of US drug charges. The Biden administration also cut a similar deal with Iran and is still waiting to hear back from Russia on trading arms dealer Viktor Bout for NBA star Brittney Griner and former US marine Paul Whelan.

4: Bulgaria held its fourth election in just 18 months on Sunday. The right-wing GERB Party of former PM Boyko Borissov is expected to win the most votes and seats in parliament, but if no one cobbles together a majority, Bulgarians might have to go to the polls again before the end of the year.

8: Thai PM Prayuth Chan-ocha will finally remain in office after Thailand's top court ruled that his term started in 2017, not when he took over in a coup three years before. Prayuth was suspended in August after pro-democracy activists accused him of violating the eight-year limit stipulated by the military-drafted charter.

This article comes to you from the Signal newsletter team of GZERO Media. Sign up today.

More For You

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with journalists to comment on new U.S. sanctions targeting two major Russia's oil producers, as well as other international issues, in Moscow, Russia, October 23, 2025.
Sputnik/Alexander Shcherbak/Pool via REUTERS

The US has paused Russian oil sanctions in a bid to stabilize energy markets rocked by the war with Iran. Administration officials stress that it’s a “tailored” measure, applying only to oil already loaded onto tankers, but it’s still a gift to Russia, which has already been clocking an extra $150 million daily in oil revenues since the war began.

A Boeing C-135 Stratotanker / Stratolifter military aircraft known as KC-135 of the United States Air Force USAF configured as Air Tanker Transport for aerial refueling, powered by 4x CFMI jet engines and tail number 63-8003. The military plane spotted flying over the Netherlands in the blue sky from Mainland USA to Tel Aviv TLV to support the Israel USA - Iran war known as Operation Epic Fury by the US Department of Defense. Venlo, the Netherlands on March 2, 2026
Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto

4: The number of crew members aboard a US refuelling plane – out of six total – who died after the aircraft crashed in neighboring Iraq on Thursday, US Central Command said this morning.