Oct 30, 2026, 04:30 AM UTC

Romania's Ministry of Environment is preparing to launch the Casa Verde Baterii program in October, allocating up to 500 million lei for residential energy storage systems. Moving away from the previous first-come, first-served mechanism, the updated framework will evaluate applicants using a scoring system based on co-financing levels and proposed storage capacity.

While state support has enabled some households to significantly cut electricity costs and supply surplus energy to the grid, the initiative faces ongoing scrutiny. Prosumer representatives strongly criticized draft criteria that exclude homeowners who already possess battery storage, describing the provisions as "e de neînțeles" ("incomprehensible"). Additionally, applicants continue to report lingering administrative delays, excessive bureaucracy, and installation quotes vastly exceeding standard market prices.

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

The death toll from severe flooding across northwestern Turkey and Antalya has risen to seven after emergency crews retrieved the body of a missing individual from the Golden Horn in Istanbul, local governorship officials confirmed.

Earlier official updates from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Environment Minister Murat Kurum cited three fatalities. Initial casualties included a child electrocuted in Fatih and a person swept away in Sarıyer. Minister Kurum stated that response units addressed over 7,800 emergency alerts across Istanbul, Sakarya, Kocaeli, and Antalya. Search operations remain active for several individuals reported missing in Ayazağa and Kocaeli. Weather authorities continue to maintain active rainfall advisories, focusing on Istanbul's Anatolian side.

Sources: Anadolu Ajansı, Bianet, Cumhuriyet, TRT Haber.

An Italian military CH-47 Chinook helicopter participating in the EU-led EUFOR Althea peacekeeping mission crashed near Brčko in northeastern Bosnia-Herzegovina. Four people were killed in the incident, including military personnel and Red Cross volunteers, while several others sustained injuries.

Preliminary reports indicate the aircraft experienced an abnormality during takeoff during a routine training exercise, causing it to rapidly descend before striking the ground. Italy's Ministry of Defence confirmed the crash and stated that the precise causes remain under investigation. EUFOR Althea, which has operated under a United Nations mandate since replacing NATO forces in 2004, maintains approximately 1,100 personnel in the country, including roughly 200 Italian troops focused on training and regional stability.

Sources: ANSA, Corriere della Sera, Il Messaggero, Il Sole 24 Ore, La Repubblica.

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has suspended transactions on select products and frozen over $2.5 billion in assets following a major cyberattack. Analysts and industry specialists suggest the security breach could rank among the most severe in the history of the digital asset market.

Former Binance chief executive Changpeng Zhao indicated on social media that the incident appears to be a cyberattack on the platform. In response, digital asset issuers, including stablecoin provider Tether, have taken precautionary steps as market concern grew. Binance has not yet disclosed the full extent of the intrusion, but certain operations remain paused while investigations proceed.

Sources: Le Figaro, Le Soir.

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned rising racism and antisemitism following a deadly terrorist attack in Trappes that left one dead and seven injured. The suspect, identified as Kévin T., was indicted and placed in pre-trial detention on terrorism charges.

During an interview, Macron targeted both La France Insoumise and Rassemblement National (RN) for driving political polarization. However, he drew criticism for initially asserting that the incident marked the first planned terrorist attack in France based on race or religion, a claim he later retracted.

Meanwhile, RN launched a defamation suit against Le Monde over false reports that party literature was found in the suspect's car, a detail refuted by prosecutors.

Sources: Le Figaro, Le Monde, Libération, RTBF Info, Le Soir