Oct 28, 2026, 05:00 AM UTC

Voting in Israel's general election ended on Tuesday night with exit polls projecting a tight race and no immediate parliamentary majority for either major political bloc.

Initial figures from major broadcasters indicate that an opposition alliance led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot holds a slight lead over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition. However, neither side appears set to reach the 61-seat threshold required to form a government in the Knesset.

Eisenkot announced early Wednesday that he intends to assemble the next administration, asserting that "Israel has chosen change." Analysts suggest smaller factions, including Arab political parties, could hold significant leverage during upcoming coalition negotiations. Official results are expected later this week.

Sources: Bloomberg, Cyprus Mail, France24, Sweden Herald, The Guardian.

A fourth summer heatwave has swept across Western and Southern Europe, pushing temperatures toward 40 degrees Celsius and breaking regional records.

In Italy, health authorities extended red weather alerts to all 27 major cities, including Messina and Reggio Calabria, as extreme heat is expected to persist for another week. Public health officials advised residents to remain indoors during peak daylight hours. Meanwhile, Austria recorded its highest temperature on record at 40.8 degrees Celsius near Vienna.

In France, health authorities reported more than 7,300 excess deaths linked to 52 heatwave days logged since May. Elevated wildfire risks and severe drought conditions continue across the United Kingdom and France as global climate monitoring confirms that several regions recorded their warmest July on record.

Sources: Aftenposten, Berlingske, DR, TV 2 Nyheter, VG

Romania's Ministry of Environment has published the draft guide for the Casa Verde Baterii program, scheduled for launch in October with a budget reported between 400 million and 500 million lei. Moving away from the previous first-come, first-served model, the initiative will score applications based on personal financial contributions and installed capacity.

While some beneficiaries of residential green energy grants report substantial utility bill reductions, the program faces opposition. Prosumer representatives criticized the draft rules, calling criteria that disqualify existing storage owners "e de neînțeles" ("incomprehensible"). Beneficiaries also reported administrative delays, excessive bureaucracy, and contractor price quotes exceeding market rates by over 100,000 lei.

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

Pediatric vaccination coverage in Romania has dropped past critical safety thresholds, creating severe public health risks across the country. Dr. Gindrovel Dumitra, head of the vaccinology group at the National Society of Family Medicine, stated that public perception regarding vaccine safety has significantly distorted reality, resulting in preventable deaths among children.

Dumitra argued that Romania's Supreme Council for National Defence should formally address the vaccination decline. He emphasized that protecting public health is fundamentally linked to national security and population defense. Medical professionals are advocating for high-level state measures to counter anti-vaccine misinformation, restore public confidence, and elevate childhood immunization rates back to safe levels.

Sources: G4Media

Italian health authorities have issued extreme weather warnings across 27 major cities as the country experiences its fourth major heatwave of the season. In the capital city of Rome, temperatures climbed to approximately 37 degrees Celsius, forcing residents and visiting tourists to take refuge in shaded areas and utilize public water stations.

The Ministry of Health urged the public to avoid direct sunlight during peak hours and stay adequately hydrated to manage the high heat. Officials emphasized that the extreme conditions present health risks for vulnerable populations. The intense conditions in Italy reflect a wider trend of prolonged heatwaves across Southern Europe this summer.

Sources: DR, Berlingske