At least eight dead and 18 missing after ferry sinks off northern Cyprus

Rescuers searched the Mediterranean off northern Cyprus on Monday after a passenger ferry carrying 267 people capsized and sank en route to Turkey, leaving at least eight people dead and 18 others missing, authorities said.

Minor magnitude 3.2 earthquake shakes Romania's Vrancea region

A magnitude 3.2 earthquake struck Romania's seismically active Vrancea region early on Monday, August 31, causing no reported damage or casualties, seismologists said.

Danube drought and extreme heat threaten Balkan fish farms

Extreme drought and heat are devastating aquatic ecosystems and commercial fish farms across Central and Eastern Europe, causing millions of euros in damage as major regional waterways dry up.

Melting Austrian glacier yields backpack lost by German in 1963

An 86-year-old German mountaineer has recovered his vintage backpack after it emerged from a melting Tyrolean glacier 63 years after he dropped it into a crevasse, Austrian police said.

Moldova issues China-Nepal border alert after deadly flood

Moldova’s embassy in Beijing issued an urgent travel warning on Wednesday after catastrophic flash floods and landslides triggered by a glacial collapse killed more than 270 people along the China-Nepal border.

Thieves steal Bronze Age gold hoard from Spanish museum

Thieves broke into the Archaeological Museum of Villena in eastern Spain before dawn on Thursday, stealing most of a 3,000-year-old Bronze Age gold treasure valued at €1.7 million.

US freezes worldwide visa slots for staff training

The Trump administration has suspended immigrant visa appointments at U.S. embassies and consulates across the globe, citing a mandatory training initiative for consular staff.

Zelensky awards Elon Musk Ukraine's Order of Liberty

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has awarded American billionaire and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk the Order of Liberty, according to a presidential decree signed on August 26, 2026.

Russian firms shun Ukraine war volunteers despite state push

Russian businesses are showing significant reluctance to hire veterans returning from the war in Ukraine, particularly those who volunteered for frontline service. The trend highlights a sharp divide between the Kremlin's public praise of returning soldiers and the reality of the domestic labor market.

Ex-Armenian president Kocharyan held in massive fraud probe

Six individuals, including former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and his son, have been detained in a high-profile criminal investigation. Armenia's Anti-Corruption Committee announced the arrests, linking them to the illegal acquisition of state assets and large-scale money laundering.

Six EU nations seek windfall tax on oil firms over Hormuz crisis

Six European Union member states have called for an EU-wide windfall tax on oil companies profiting from energy disruptions caused by Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The initiative could take effect as early as this autumn.

US delists Syria as terror sponsor, unblocking global investment

The United States has officially removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, dismantling a major barrier to foreign investment as Washington deepens diplomatic ties with Damascus's new administration. The decision, published by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, entered into force following the conclusion of a mandatory 45-day congressional review period.