Aug 13, 2026, 12:30 AM UTC

With three months remaining until the November 3 midterm elections, voters across the United States will decide all 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats, and 36 governorships. The vote represents a significant assessment of President Donald Trump’s second term, while former Vice President Kamala Harris is positioning herself for a political return after faulting former President Joe Biden's approach to congressional Republicans.

Simultaneously, the State Department is closing five diplomatic outposts—in Grenada, Canada, Japan, Indonesia, and Cameroon—as part of an operational restructuring. Furthermore, newly issued administrative guidelines require foreign journalists seeking US visas to set their social media accounts to public status for official review.

Sources: Avaz, CDM (Cafe del Montenegro), HRT Vijesti, Index, Klix.

Western Europe experienced its warmest June and July on record as global ocean surface temperatures hit a peak of 20.96°C. Unusually hot and dry conditions have fueled wildfires and elevated global air temperatures to 1.47°C above pre-industrial baselines.

The heatwave and severe drought have severely lowered water levels across European river systems, including the Danube. Decreased flow forced nuclear power facilities in Romania and Hungary to curtail operations or temporarily shut down due to cooling water shortages. Romanian naval units even executed controlled detonations on the Danube to clear riverbed obstacles and improve cooling water intake. Receding waters have also exposed historical artifacts, including World War II military equipment and mammoth fossils.

Analysts estimate that river transport bottlenecks and reduced power output could cost Central European economies up to two billion euros in the third quarter.

Sources: Diário de Notícias (DN), Expresso, Jornal Económico, RTP (Rádio e Televisão de Portugal)

The U.S. Secret Service executed a covert security operation to evacuate former U.S. President Donald Trump from Turkey following a NATO summit in July, according to reports citing American officials and documents.

Prompted by intelligence indicating a potential Iranian shoulder-fired missile attack against Air Force One, security teams arranged a last-minute diversion. Reports indicate Trump was secretly transferred to an alternative military aircraft, while press members and staff boarded the official presidential plane to maintain the ruse.

Separately, Iranian officials stated that Tehran would keep the Strait of Hormuz closed until Washington fulfills specific conditions, highlighting ongoing friction between the two nations following Trump's comparison of bilateral talks to a chess match.

Sources: Adevărul, Digi24, Flux24, HotNews, Moldova1

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally rejected a 15-point Gaza peace proposal backed by US President Donald Trump, reiterating that Israeli forces will not withdraw from the territory until Hamas fully disarms. Netanyahu made the announcement during televised remarks, confirming that military operations to eliminate security threats will persist despite a recent reduction in airstrikes requested by Washington.

The decision highlights growing diplomatic friction between Israel and the United States. Netanyahu faces significant political pressure at home ahead of the national election scheduled for October 27, balancing demands from far-right coalition partners against expectations from Washington. Simultaneously, regional instability continues to escalate following reports of separate Houthi strikes targeting key infrastructure in the Middle East.

Sources: Cyprus Mail, France24, STV News, The Guardian, The Herald.