Oct 27, 2026, 11:00 AM UTC

An investigation by Mediazona, reported on by The Insider, revealed that Russian streaming service Amediateka removed over 75 hours of footage across roughly 200 foreign television series to comply with censorship laws. Editors excised more than 7,300 scenes depicting forbidden topics such as LGBT themes, drug use, suicide, and incest, occasionally obscuring key narrative lines in popular shows.

In a related development, independent news outlet Verstka reported that a Russian court officially banned the hockey romance novel Heated Rivalry under laws prohibiting non-traditional sexual relationships.

Concurrently, NEXTA highlighted new educational materials distributed to schools in Novosibirsk. The curriculum frames military sacrifice as a solemn civic duty while criticizing Western values and non-traditional relationships.

Sources: Mediazona, NEXTA, The Insider, Verstka.

The Ministry of Environment is set to launch the Casa Verde Baterii program in October with a budget of up to 500 million lei to support home energy storage systems. Departing from the previous first-come, first-served allocation method, the updated initiative will score applications based on personal co-financing contributions and total installed capacity.

While beneficiary families have reported lower utility bills and efficient solar energy production, the program has drawn significant criticism. Prosumer representatives contend the new evaluation criteria unfairly favor wealthier applicants while excluding homeowners who already own battery storage. Additionally, applicants report administrative hurdles, including multi-month delays and contractor pricing offers exceeding market rates by over 100,000 lei.

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

Türkiye held its Teknofest Blue Homeland maritime defense festival from August 20 to 23 at the Gölcük Shipyard Command in Kocaeli province. Co-organized by the Ministry of National Defense and the T3 Foundation, the four-day event showcased the country’s naval capabilities, air defense systems, and uncrewed maritime technology.

Defense manufacturer FNSS introduced the İ-ZAHA, a modular uncrewed amphibious vehicle engineered for high-risk landing missions alongside crewed platforms. The Turkish Navy also displayed the TCG İmbat, a Kılıç-II class fast attack craft capable of reaching 40 knots with a reduced radar footprint. Alongside platform exhibits, the gathering featured engineering competitions focusing on uncrewed underwater and surface systems.

Sources: Anadolu Agency, Daily Sabah, Defence Turk, TRT Haber

Rights monitoring groups and news agencies in Turkey have released figures detailing gender-based violence for August. According to the We Will Stop Femicide Platform, 22 women were killed and 33 others died under suspicious circumstances during the month, with 55 percent of homicides occurring at home. Independent news portal Bianet separately reported that men killed at least 25 women and injured 71 others during the same period.

Meanwhile, a court in Siirt accepted an indictment against five suspects in connection with the murder of a mother of four who vanished in October 2024. Prosecutors solved the cold case using telecommunications records, digital footprints, and license plate tracking. The defendants include the victim's former husband, father-in-law, and brother-in-law.

Sources: Bianet, Cumhuriyet, TRT Haber

Yemen’s Houthi movement has warned commercial airlines and travelers to avoid Saudi Arabian airspace and most airports following consecutive strikes on the kingdom's aviation infrastructure. Military spokesperson Yahya Saree declared that Saudi facilities, excluding those in Mecca and Medina, "constitute a theatre of operations for our forces."

The statement follows a second attack in two days on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which triggered a terminal fire and suspended flight operations. Casualties from the assaults in the capital reached at least 12 dead and over 300 injured. Additionally, a drone strike on Dammam airport in eastern Saudi Arabia resulted in one death and eight injuries, with coalition air defenses intercepting four incoming drones.

US President Donald Trump condemned the attacks as "not acceptable," while the Saudi-led coalition vowed military retaliation against Houthi positions.

Sources: BBC News, France24, STV News, Sweden Herald, The Guardian.