Oct 9, 2026, 11:00 PM UTC

An investigation by The Wall Street Journal has detailed the involvement of US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle in helping Greek infrastructure firm Aktor secure a $6 billion natural gas agreement in Albania.

In March, Guilfoyle met with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in Tirana alongside company executives and energy lobbyist Christos Marafatsos, who simultaneously served as an advisor to the envoy. The formal energy supply agreement was finalized approximately one month later. The report has raised ethical concerns across Europe regarding potential conflicts of interest and the boundaries separating official American diplomatic activities from private commercial lobbying.

Sources: Gazeta Tema, Koha

Extreme weather continues across Western and Southern Europe as recurring summer heatwaves bring historic temperature spikes, health alerts, and thousands of excess deaths.

Italian health authorities issued red weather warnings for 27 major cities during the country's fourth heatwave of the season, advising residents to take precautions as temperatures reach 40 degrees Celsius. In Austria, a meteorological station near Vienna registered a new national record high of 40.8 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, French officials reported over 7,300 excess deaths across 52 heatwave days recorded between May and July. Meteorological services in France and the United Kingdom are now bracing for an additional surge of heat with temperatures again approaching 40 degrees Celsius, alongside ongoing drought conditions and elevated wildfire risks across the continent.

Sources: Aftenposten, Berlingske, DR, TV 2 Nyheter, VG (Verdens Gang)

Following the election for Berlin's Abgeordnetenhaus, analyses of demographic patterns indicate contrasting voter behaviors across the capital. Reports highlight strong youth support for Die Linke, alongside interest in the AfD among some young voters of Turkish origin citing concerns over public safety and economic stability. Meanwhile, voter turnout among residents with migrant backgrounds remains comparatively low.

In official developments, election authorities rectified a data transmission error in a Spandau voting district. The correction reassigned a direct mandate from the CDU's Bettina Meißner to the AfD's Tommy Tabor. As a result of the seat recalculation, the state parliament will shrink by five seats.

Sources: Correctiv, DW, FAZ, Tagesschau, Die Zeit

European law enforcement agencies are investigating a series of violent crimes across multiple countries, focusing on youth contract killings and domestic fatalities.

In Germany, police detained an armed 13-year-old Dutch minor allegedly recruited by a rival gang targeting Hells Angels members in Hamburg. The case underscores a growing trend in Sweden, where criminal networks use online advertisements offering large bounties to recruit minors for contract assassinations.

Meanwhile, Spanish authorities in Madrid are investigating two domestic homicides that occurred hours apart, alongside a non-fatal shooting targeting a known offender. In northeastern France, prosecutors opened an investigation after a father killed his wife and two young children before taking his own life.

Sources: Canarias7, El Día, El Mundo, La Vanguardia, Marca.

US President Donald Trump announced a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin for Russia to supply over 300,000 tonnes of diesel fuel to American and global markets, with an additional 500,000 tonnes planned for November. The announcement follows parallel reports detailing multi-billion-dollar commercial negotiations involving Russian energy firm Lukoil, Middle Eastern investors, and business associates of US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Concurrently, Moscow stated that conditions for strategic stability talks with Washington do not exist, citing planned US missile deployments in Europe.

Former diplomats and foreign policy analysts raised concerns regarding the administration's transactional approach. Former US diplomat Donald Jensen and columnist Fareed Zakaria warned that viewing negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin through a business framework misinterprets Kremlin strategy and creates false expectations of a mutually beneficial resolution.

Sources: Ekonomický deník, Hospodářské noviny, iROZHLAS, Respect, Seznam Zprávy.