US signs 5G security deal with Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Kosovo

People on the autism spectrum often face discrimination and other challenges in everyday life. In Bulgaria, activists are working to raise awareness and reduce stigma.

As Bulgaria heads to the polls on November 14, foreign-educated nationals who have returned are trying to drive badly needed reforms and tackle the country’s dominant problem — corruption.

At least 45 people, including 12 children, died as a bus carrying mostly North Macedonian tourists crashed in flames on a highway in western Bulgaria on Tuesday, officials said.

Telecom operators in the US have been asked to delay the rollout of 5G technology for a second time. The aviation industry has expressed concern about possible issues with planes.

Airlines are concerned that the technology, which is planned to be rolled out as early as Wednesday, could have serious consequences. They warn if implemented near airports, 5G could interfere with gauging altitude.

The rollout of 5G service may seem like a great thing to device lovers, but for some international airlines it's a major worry. This week, American phone carriers AT&T and Verizon agreed to a partial delay in activating their 5G networks in the US over safety concerns. For more, we speak to technology policy expert Roslyn Layton.

The telecoms and aviation industries went head to head in the United States this week over 5G, a technology that's constantly finding itself the subject of controversy. Just as AT&T and Verizon began switching on their 5G masts, major US airlines warned of a "catastrophe" should the network interfere with planes' ability to land. FRANCE 24's Technology Editor Peter O'Brien explains the technical details, and casts an eye over the future of cellular communications worldwide.

For two years, Bulgaria has blocked North Macedonia's bid to open accession talks with the EU because of a historical row. But with new governments in Skopje and Sofia, there is hope that compromise can be reached.

Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Wednesday.⁣

Former Bulgarian prime minister Boyko Borissov has been detained on suspicion of misusing EU funds. Police made several arrests after investigations into 120 cases of fraud relating to EU aid.

The suspensions are the first since Russia insisted foreign buyers pay for gas in rubles. Both Poland and Bulgaria have said Gazprom are in breach of contact.

In the former Soviet satellite state, the Bulgarian government was so divided on providing military aid to Ukraine that it almost collapsed. A solution came from Ukraine itself. But will the compromise last?