Russia bypasses Western sanctions via Maldives cargo hub, records show

The Maldives has emerged as a key transit hub funneling hundreds of millions of dollars in restricted Western goods to Russia, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing flight records and logistics data.

Berlin ramps up Ukraine air defense following Leipzig drone incident

Germany will supply Ukraine with additional IRIS-T surface-to-air missile systems and thousands of strike drones, with deliveries scheduled to begin this September, German broadcaster N-tv reported, citing senior government sources.

Berlin links Russia to explosive drone found near Ukrainian aircraft

Germany has officially accused Russia of an attempted attack after police defused an explosives-laden drone found near a Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport, German officials said on Tuesday.

Russia issues record treason sentences in early 2026, legal group says

Russian courts handed down 273 sentences for high treason and espionage during the first half of 2026, surpassing the total number of convictions recorded over the entire 25-year pre-war period.

Riga blocks Russian print media and consumer imports over security

A sweeping ban on the import of several consumer goods from Russia and Belarus took effect in Latvia on September 1. The trade restrictions apply both to direct shipments and to goods routed through non-EU third countries, Latvian outlet Delfi and Meduza reported.

Fourteen detained as rescuers search for 18 missing in Cyprus ferry disaster

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.

Magnitude 3.2 tremor strikes eastern Romania at depth of 115 km

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.

Central Europe drought devastates fish farms as Danube shrinks

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.

German recovers backpack lost on Austrian glacier after six decades

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 alerts citizens near Gyirong after Nepal disaster

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.

Bronze Age gold treasure stolen in pre-dawn Spanish museum heist

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.

State Department halts global visa interviews for overhaul

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.