Russian drone strikes kill eight across Ukraine, hit fuel stations

Russian strikes killed at least eight people and wounded 30 others, including two three-year-old children, across Ukraine over the past 24 hours, local authorities reported on Monday.

Singapore pays citizens to read books instead of doomscrolling

Singapore has launched a five-year nationwide campaign paying citizens to read books, deploying gamified financial rewards to pull residents away from smartphone screens and counter declining attention spans.

Russian casualties in Ukraine top 1.5 million, UK and Kyiv report

Russian combat casualties in Ukraine have surpassed 1.5 million personnel killed and wounded since February 2022, according to reports released by the Ukrainian military and British defence intelligence.

War in Iran drives global fuel surge as Moldova pump prices hit record

Global fuel prices surged sharply as the escalating war in Iran rippled across international energy markets, straining non-belligerent nations and hitting record retail highs in vulnerable import-dependent economies like Moldova, Axios reported.

Moscow refinery catches fire in massive drone attack

A massive overnight Ukrainian drone strike ignited a major fire at the Moscow Oil Refinery and struck residential buildings in the capital region, local officials said on Sunday.

Romania's Iași tenders €113m Queen Marie sports arena

Iași municipal authorities have launched a 596 million RON (€113 million) tender to construct the “Queen Marie” sports arena, an architectural complex designed to mirror the historic Romanian royal crown.

Nobel Foundation raised the prize to 1.1 million euros: Maia Sandu nominated for the 2026 Peace Prize

The value of the Nobel Prize will be 12 million Swedish kronor in 2026, equivalent to approximately 1.1 million euros, for each category. The decision to increase it by one million kronor compared to previous years was announced by the Nobel Foundation and coincides with the 125th anniversary of the awards.

Romania is part of Zelenskyy’s new regional initiative

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy launched a new regional initiative on Friday, September 18, in Ivano-Frankivsk, involving eight Central and Eastern European states, including Romania, at a summit aimed at promoting cooperation in the areas of trade and security, Agerpres reports.

Russia holds parliamentary vote with no opposition on ballot

Russia began three days of tightly controlled parliamentary elections on Friday, staging a ballot without genuine opposition that the Kremlin treats as a test of public sentiment toward its ongoing war in Ukraine.

Russian missile hits Odesa high-rise, injuring three civilians

Russian forces struck a 19-story residential high-rise in Odessa shortly after midnight, injuring three civilians, including a three-year-old child, as strikes targeted several Ukrainian regions overnight.

US Congress passes major sanctions bill on Russian and Iran energy

The U.S. Congress passed sweeping legislation approving severe economic sanctions on Russia and Iran, authorizing punitive tariffs of up to 100% on countries importing Russian oil and natural gas.

Four European capitals rank in global top ten cities list

Four European cities have secured positions among the world's top ten urban centres, driven by superior quality of life and institutional governance, according to the latest Oxford Economics Global Cities Index.