Aug 17, 2026, 05:00 AM UTC

Search and rescue operations are ongoing across western Colombia after a powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the region, leaving widespread destruction and prompting a national state of emergency. First responders and military personnel are working to clear debris and locate survivors trapped beneath collapsed structures.

Casualty counts have risen sharply as emergency teams access heavily damaged communities. While initial reports cited dozens of fatalities, Digi24 and Ziarul de Gardă placed the toll at at least 132 dead and over 500 injured, while Moldova1 later reported confirmed deaths had reached at least 164. Officials warn that casualties are likely to increase further as hundreds remain unaccounted for. Authorities are also coordinating temporary shelter and humanitarian aid for displaced residents across affected municipalities.

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

Spain and Morocco have ramped up border security around Ceuta following renewed social media campaigns urging coordinated mass crossings on August 15. The online mobilization follows late July attempts when tens of thousands rushed the Spanish enclave due to viral disinformation and fabricated legal claims circulating on platforms like TikTok.

Moroccan police have detained multiple individuals accused of instigating the crossings. In Ceuta, Spanish authorities reinforced barbed-wire fences, increased police presence, and recalled military personnel from leave to counter potential surges.

The previous influx resulted in significant casualties, with reports of dozens to over one hundred drownings. Hundreds of migrants remain stranded on local beaches under emergency conditions as regional tensions persist.

Sources: Correctiv, Der Standard, FAZ, ORF, Tagesschau.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is facing sustained criticism over military procurement strategy after Moritz Schularick, president of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, argued that planned defence expenditure prioritises outdated conventional equipment over modern technologies. Schularick stated that funding projected through 2030 allocates too much capital toward traditional platforms such as tanks and frigates rather than future-oriented capabilities.

The scrutiny over armed forces modernisation comes amid broader political challenges in Berlin. A recent Deutschlandtrend poll indicated that the Alternative for Germany has expanded its lead over the centre-right CDU/CSU alliance, alongside growing public acceptance of pragmatic, case-by-case parliamentary cooperation. At the same time, the ruling coalition continues to navigate internal friction over pensions and climate policy initiatives.

Sources: Der Spiegel, Die Zeit, DW, FAZ, Tagesschau

Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo report that fatalities from the ongoing Ebola epidemic have exceeded 2,000, with total confirmed cases rising past 4,300. First declared in mid-May, the crisis represents the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record and the highest caseload in the country's history.

Health agencies note that the disease continues to claim around 50 lives each day while generating nearly 100 new infections. Medical containment efforts, concentrated primarily in northeastern Ituri province, remain severely disrupted by persistent militia violence and large-scale population displacement. The response is further challenged by the Bundibugyo virus strain driving the crisis, for which there are no approved vaccines or targeted clinical treatments. Over 700 individuals currently remain in isolation facilities.

Sources: Canarias7, Expresso, Expresso das Ilhas, La Vanguardia, RTP (Rádio e Televisão de Portugal).

The Czech Republic is experiencing one of its driest periods since 1961, with precipitation levels running 34 percent below historical norms, according to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute. The acute deficit has triggered widespread hydrological drought, reducing river flows significantly across the country and leaving some regional streambeds completely dry.

In response to dwindling water levels, emergency protocols are being prepared along the Vltava river cascade. Authorities note that further declines at the Orlík reservoir will require drawing from storage reserves at Slapy, an operational measure expected only once every 50 years. Meanwhile, environmental researchers warn of long-term desertification risks in the Elbe basin and southern Moravia. The drought coincides with wider European heatwaves, driving domestic concern over rising temperatures and mounting calls for stronger landscape water retention.

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