Author: staff
Tunnels have previously been found in Lithuania, according to Baltic media, but this is the first time one has been used to cross into Latvia. “This is the first case in which a tunnel has been used for illegal crossing of the state border into Latvia. No signs of violations had previously been detected in this exact location, and no detentions of persons illegally crossing the state border had occurred there,” Dombrava wrote on X. Authorities returned all 15 people to their “country of departure” and are continuing to inspect the area around the tunnel. Latvia launched an operation Tuesday…
Published on 11/08/2026 – 13:27 GMT+2 Latvia’s Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs announced on Tuesday the launch of a new security operation, dubbed “Vilkatis” — or “Werewolf” — aimed at strengthening border controls and improving coordination between Latvia’s security services, as the Baltic country is facing an influx of irregular migrants from Belarus. On the same day, Latvia’s border guards detected 15 people who illegally crossed the border through an underground tunnel dug from Belarus. The security operation will increase the involvement of Latvia’s armed forces in supporting border guards, including through additional personnel and logistical support. Authorities will also make…
In Kyiv, the State Emergency Service said a warehouse caught fire after a ballistic missile attack and one person was wounded. Footage released by the service showed firefighters tackling flames at the scene. The capital came under attack shortly after midnight, with Mayor Vitali Klitschko reporting a ballistic missile strike. The heaviest casualties were reported in Zaporizhzhia, where six people were killed and 19 wounded in what regional governor Ivan Fedorov described as a massive attack involving missiles and guided bombs. In Dnipropetrovsk, Russian drone and artillery strikes across five districts killed three people and wounded five, according to regional…
Published on 11/08/2026 – 13:25 GMT+2 Crude and US Treasury yields rose together as traders judged that the exchange of compensation demands between the US and Iran has pushed any potential deal further out of reach. The US president said on Monday he had told his negotiators to seek payment from Iran for Americans killed and wounded in attacks he attributes to Tehran going back decades, including the bombing of the USS Cole in the year 2000 and for Iranians killed in protest crackdowns. In a follow-up post on Truth Social he expanded on the demand, saying Iran should also…
By Laura Fleischmann Published on 08/08/2026 – 8:45 GMT+2•Updated 11/08/2026 – 12:23 GMT+2 The water level in the Danube has never been this low. The low water level is exposing what lay hidden on the riverbed for decades, including a Wehrmacht motorcycle of the DKW NZ 350-1 type from the Second World War. DKW is short for “Dampfkraftwagen”, a former German car and motorcycle brand from the Saxon motor city of Zschopau that was later taken over by Auto Union. The motorcycle was found on the riverbed in the centre of Hungary’s capital Budapest, level with the Hungarian Parliament building. For…
Published on 11/08/2026 – 12:50 GMT+2 Residents of several villages in northern Poland’s Ciechanów County have been warned to stay away from woodland areas after reports of a large cat in the area, which could be a puma. The warning applies to people in the villages of Osiek-Wólka, Osiek-Aleksandrowo, Osiek Górny and Stare Garnowo. Local authorities have called for people to exercise caution and advised particular supervision of children until the situation has been clarified. Head forester of the Ciechanów Forest District, Tomasz Dróżdż, told the PAP news agency that the big cat was reportedly spotted by an experienced hunter,…
Footage from 10 August shows collapsed buildings and ambulances as residents make their way through areas closed off by authorities. One of the side towers of the city’s neo-Gothic Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary was also brought down by the force of the tremor, sending debris into the surrounding streets. At least two people were killed in Manizales, while dozens of homes and commercial buildings were destroyed or severely damaged. The mayor said more than a dozen commercial properties and over 20 homes had been partially or completely destroyed. Engineers were inspecting cracked facades and weakened structures…
Hotels put a lot of effort into ensuring guests have a good night’s sleep, with luxury brands investing in seriously pricey mattresses and sheets, and even offering pillow menus. But that can’t stop the impact of what sleep specialists call the “first-night effect”. Sufferers find themselves taking longer to fall asleep and waking up more often during the night, and it can affect everyone from frequent travellers to those who rarely take a vacation. The phenomenon has been confirmed by dozens of studies and is believed to have evolutionary roots, said Anna Wick, a senior sleep researcher at the University…
Three Banksy artworks have cost the public purse almost £150,000 (€175,000) in removal, security and related costs. The single largest cost comes from a mural painted on the Royal Courts of Justice in London in September 2025. Removal and security work there has so far cost more than £85,000 (€100,000), according to the BBC. The removal process is still ongoing and costs are expected to rise. The mural depicted a helpless protester lying on the ground holding a blood-spattered placard, while a judge loomed over him wielding a gavel. It was largely seen as a response to the UK government’s…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that Russia fired North Korean missiles in an overnight attack that killed six and wounded 19 in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia. “The city was struck with North Korean ballistic missiles, Zircons, and guided aerial bombs,” he said, referring to Russia’s hypersonic cruise missile system, Zircon. Zelenskyy had warned on Monday evening that Russia was preparing to station more North Korean troops on its territory and had already received more ballistic missiles from Pyongyang. He has repeatedly sounded the alarm over deepening military ties between Moscow and Pyongyang, often while appealing for more…