Aug 14, 2026, 02:30 AM UTC

Former Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte delivered an extensive defence of his administration's pandemic management during an hours-long hearing before the parliamentary COVID-19 inquiry commission in Rome.

Conte, the leader of the Five Star Movement, rejected allegations of wrongdoing and warned against turning the inquiry into a political tribunal. During his testimony, he confirmed submitting an anonymous dossier to Rome prosecutors regarding a 100-million-euro contract with supplier JC Electronics, urging judicial authorities to investigate potential counterfeit protective equipment.

The former premier maintained that his cabinet's emergency decrees and procurement decisions strictly complied with the law during unprecedented crisis conditions. Conte also engaged in sharp exchanges with lawmakers from the ruling coalition, defending Italy's early health containment strategy against claims of procedural overreach.

Sources: ANSA, Corriere della Sera, Il Messaggero, La Repubblica.

Bulgarian defense officials have confirmed that an explosive-laden drone that crashed near a strategic gas pipeline along the Romanian border matches models widely operated by Ukrainian armed forces. Authorities in Sofia stated that preliminary findings show no indication Bulgarian territory was deliberately targeted.

Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded by affirming that it did not intentionally strike its neighbor and pledged full cooperation to clarify the incident. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Georgii Tykhyi stated that Kyiv remains in close communication with Bulgarian authorities to determine how the unmanned aircraft went off course. The crash resulted in no casualties or damage to the energy transit network, while technical evaluations into the flight trajectory remain underway.

Sources: Le Monde, Le Soir, Libération.