Aug 14, 2026, 08:30 AM UTC

Former Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte delivered a detailed defence of his administration's emergency health management during an extended hearing before the parliamentary COVID-19 inquiry commission in Rome.

The Five Star Movement leader dismissed accusations of misconduct, insisting his cabinet operated lawfully under unprecedented crisis conditions. Conte revealed he had submitted an anonymous document to Rome prosecutors concerning a 100-million-euro contract with supplier JC Electronics for protective masks, urging judicial authorities to examine potential irregularities. Addressing lawmakers from the governing coalition, Conte cautioned against turning the inquiry into a political tribunal and defended the early containment policies, emergency decrees, and medical procurement procedures established during his tenure.

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

Efforts to resolve the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz remain in motion as regional and international mediators seek to restore maritime navigation. Qatari-brokered contacts continue between Washington and Tehran, with United States officials voicing optimism that a deal to reopen the waterway could be reached within days, even as Iranian authorities deny holding direct bilateral talks.

In parallel, Iranian officials announced an agreement with Oman on specific coordinates for an alternate transit corridor, contingent on avoiding interference by external powers.

However, diplomatic progress faces significant headwinds following declarations by US President Donald Trump, who asserted that Washington will demand financial compensation from Iran over past attacks and domestic crackdowns. The conflicting developments have created uncertainty over whether maritime transit through the strategic corridor will resume promptly.

Sources: La Tribune, Le Figaro, Le Monde, Libération, RTBF Info.

Search and rescue operations are intensifying across western Colombia following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake centered near San José del Palmar, with emergency teams warning that the casualty toll could increase further. A national state of emergency remains in effect as military personnel and first responders search through the rubble of collapsed buildings for trapped survivors and coordinate relief for displaced residents.

Casualty figures continue to evolve as regional assessments progress. Moldova1 reports that the death toll has reached at least 164, while Digi24 and Ziarul de Gardă document at least 132 deaths and more than 500 injuries. Earlier dispatches from Adevărul and HotNews reflected preliminary tallies following the tremor, which also shook neighbouring Ecuador.

Sources: Adevărul, Digi24, HotNews, Moldova1, Ziarul de Gardă.

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.

Severe hydrological drought across the Czech Republic continues to strain water supplies and ecosystems, with precipitation dropping roughly 34 percent below historical averages. Groundwater and river flows have fallen significantly, leaving several smaller watercourses dry and prompting volunteers to relocate stranded fish and protected aquatic species to surviving pools.

River basin authorities on the Vltava cascade warned that if water levels at the Orlík reservoir decline by an additional 3.5 metres, emergency water releases will be drawn from the Slapy reservoir. Water authority Povodí Vltavy noted that tapping Slapy's backup volume is statistically expected only once every 50 years.

Meanwhile, environmental specialists caution that parts of southern Moravia and the Elbe basin face growing desertification risks without enhanced landscape water retention, as public concern over extreme temperatures and preparedness mounts.

Sources: Český rozhlas Plus, Deník N, Hospodářské noviny, iROZHLAS, Seznam Zprávy.