UAE accuses Iran of tanker attacks in Hormuz Congo's Ebola outbreak reaches a sixth province as toll nears record Ukraine offers Black Sea truce as civilian deaths climb Colombia's quake toll passes 280 as the search window closes Romania shuts Cernavoda as record-low Danube throttles Europe's power US readies unprecedented Iran isolation package as crude slips Israeli troops empty besieged Qusra homes, settlers stay put Orsk refinery out for months as drone strikes hit Russian fuel and grain exports RSF drones strike Khartoum for a second day as paramilitaries claim border town UN says Yemen closest to full-scale war since 2022 as strikes widen At least 44 die as overloaded ferry capsizes on Lake Kariba Poland says it foiled plot to kill Ukrainian American in Warsaw Britain's hottest day of 2026 as fire empties Greek beaches Gaza City police chief killed in Israeli drone strike Taiwan confirms AI-agent attack on government systems Japan protests as Putin makes first visit to disputed Kuril island US imposes 100% tariff on larger drones and components Chinese chipmakers post record quarter as AI demand lifts mature nodes Salvage team boards grounded tanker as Oman oil spill widens UN says Taliban have erased Afghan women from public life in five years Turkey details Mecca pact and says it is no NATO rival OpenAI revenue run rate tops $40bn as senior executives depart Colombia opens its territory to US anti-cartel operations US producer prices flat as S&P 500 closes at record US accuses Chinese exporters of routing goods through more than 40 countries Mekong floods displace tens of thousands in Myanmar and Laos Torrential rain kills several near Tokyo and cuts power to thousands Taipei moves to dissolve pro-Beijing party as China expands joint drills AI data-centre build-out draws new financing and local resistance in the US DeepSeek raises prices with V4 Pro as Alibaba restricts Qwen US bill would let Trump impose 100 percent tariffs on buyers of Russian energy UK growth slows as Iran war pushes up energy prices Europe's gas stores lag before winter as Russian LNG ban nears Tokyo backs faster Bank of Japan rate rise after yen intervention Records show US spying on leftwing and anti-ICE groups Meta removes 756,000 Australian teen accounts under under-16 ban Venezuela's government opens first talks with part of the opposition Lebanon accuses Israel of systematic destruction in the south Zambians vote with economy and Lungu feud on the ballot Study says AI could unlock billions more barrels of oil US enlists private companies in cyber operations Kalshi ordered to halt most operations in Washington state Syria weighs justice for 3,500 regime figures after Assad death sentence Switzerland moves to tighten bank rules after Credit Suisse collapse India drives worldwide jump in planned coal production Erdogan receives DEM delegation in first meeting since framework law Flock adds privacy limits to its US car-tracking camera network US start-ups bet they can still catch China in humanoid robots Explosion and fire hit ammunition plant near Rome Databricks raises $5bn at a $190bn valuation US pressure in Panama widens from ports to AI infrastructure Mexico presses Washington to cut car tariffs as Canadian anger grows Some 5,000 migrants remain in Ceuta as Spain rules out sovereignty talks Greenland delays US oil venture as residents line up against drilling Early-onset El Niño takes a toll before its peak Trump orders US carriers back to steam catapults Tributes to Zhu Rongji become mourning for a more open China Three men executed on the same day in the US for the first time in 15 years Hundreds of flights cancelled in Sicily as Etna erupts Uber and Pony AI plan 2,000 robotaxis for Europe France's tax portal hit by cyberattack, ministry confirms Wall Street Journal details North Korean IT workers inside US companies Africa Finance Corporation leads $2.5bn Dangote refinery placement Lebanon abolishes the death penalty Turkey and Egypt hold second joint planning group meeting Bird flu spreads through Australian wildlife Russia rejects pro-war party's candidates after antiwar Yabloko is barred NNPC says deep offshore incentive order will speed investment China publishes new Unit 731 archives ahead of Japan's surrender anniversary UAE accuses Iran of tanker attacks in Hormuz Congo's Ebola outbreak reaches a sixth province as toll nears record Ukraine offers Black Sea truce as civilian deaths climb Colombia's quake toll passes 280 as the search window closes Romania shuts Cernavoda as record-low Danube throttles Europe's power US readies unprecedented Iran isolation package as crude slips Israeli troops empty besieged Qusra homes, settlers stay put Orsk refinery out for months as drone strikes hit Russian fuel and grain exports RSF drones strike Khartoum for a second day as paramilitaries claim border town UN says Yemen closest to full-scale war since 2022 as strikes widen At least 44 die as overloaded ferry capsizes on Lake Kariba Poland says it foiled plot to kill Ukrainian American in Warsaw Britain's hottest day of 2026 as fire empties Greek beaches Gaza City police chief killed in Israeli drone strike Taiwan confirms AI-agent attack on government systems Japan protests as Putin makes first visit to disputed Kuril island US imposes 100% tariff on larger drones and components Chinese chipmakers post record quarter as AI demand lifts mature nodes Salvage team boards grounded tanker as Oman oil spill widens UN says Taliban have erased Afghan women from public life in five years Turkey details Mecca pact and says it is no NATO rival OpenAI revenue run rate tops $40bn as senior executives depart Colombia opens its territory to US anti-cartel operations US producer prices flat as S&P 500 closes at record US accuses Chinese exporters of routing goods through more than 40 countries Mekong floods displace tens of thousands in Myanmar and Laos Torrential rain kills several near Tokyo and cuts power to thousands Taipei moves to dissolve pro-Beijing party as China expands joint drills AI data-centre build-out draws new financing and local resistance in the US DeepSeek raises prices with V4 Pro as Alibaba restricts Qwen US bill would let Trump impose 100 percent tariffs on buyers of Russian energy UK growth slows as Iran war pushes up energy prices Europe's gas stores lag before winter as Russian LNG ban nears Tokyo backs faster Bank of Japan rate rise after yen intervention Records show US spying on leftwing and anti-ICE groups Meta removes 756,000 Australian teen accounts under under-16 ban Venezuela's government opens first talks with part of the opposition Lebanon accuses Israel of systematic destruction in the south Zambians vote with economy and Lungu feud on the ballot Study says AI could unlock billions more barrels of oil US enlists private companies in cyber operations Kalshi ordered to halt most operations in Washington state Syria weighs justice for 3,500 regime figures after Assad death sentence Switzerland moves to tighten bank rules after Credit Suisse collapse India drives worldwide jump in planned coal production Erdogan receives DEM delegation in first meeting since framework law Flock adds privacy limits to its US car-tracking camera network US start-ups bet they can still catch China in humanoid robots Explosion and fire hit ammunition plant near Rome Databricks raises $5bn at a $190bn valuation US pressure in Panama widens from ports to AI infrastructure Mexico presses Washington to cut car tariffs as Canadian anger grows Some 5,000 migrants remain in Ceuta as Spain rules out sovereignty talks Greenland delays US oil venture as residents line up against drilling Early-onset El Niño takes a toll before its peak Trump orders US carriers back to steam catapults Tributes to Zhu Rongji become mourning for a more open China Three men executed on the same day in the US for the first time in 15 years Hundreds of flights cancelled in Sicily as Etna erupts Uber and Pony AI plan 2,000 robotaxis for Europe France's tax portal hit by cyberattack, ministry confirms Wall Street Journal details North Korean IT workers inside US companies Africa Finance Corporation leads $2.5bn Dangote refinery placement Lebanon abolishes the death penalty Turkey and Egypt hold second joint planning group meeting Bird flu spreads through Australian wildlife Russia rejects pro-war party's candidates after antiwar Yabloko is barred NNPC says deep offshore incentive order will speed investment China publishes new Unit 731 archives ahead of Japan's surrender anniversary

Symbolic image: Romania shuts Cernavoda as record-low Danube throttles Europe's power

Symbolic image

Romania shuts Cernavoda as record-low Danube throttles Europe's power

5 sources

Romania took its only nuclear plant off the grid on Thursday after drought pushed the Danube to record lows. Moldova, which leans on Romanian power, is exposed.

Nuclearelectrica disconnected Cernavoda's second 706-megawatt reactor on Thursday, 13 August, and sees no restart within ten days; the first of the two units, which together supply about a fifth of Romania's electricity, went offline in late July. Bucharest has declared an energy emergency for August and urged restraint at evening peaks. Moldova covers up to 60% of its shortfall with Romanian power and may need imports from Ukraine or the west, or rolling cuts.

Hungary dams the Danube for Paks

Hungary's military is damming the Danube near Paks with 150,000 cubic metres of rubble, about 16 million euros, to lift the river by up to a metre; the government ordered the work on Wednesday. Only two of eight turbines there still run.

Six French reactors idled

EDF had six reactors offline on Thursday, two at Chooz plus units at Cattenom, Golfech, Bugey and Saint-Alban; 13 of 57 were affected, a record deficit of over 20% of nuclear capacity.

Rhine split in two at Kaub

The Kaub gauge fell to 11 centimetres on Thursday, the lowest on record, splitting the Rhine into north and south; replacing a day's freight there would take 6,575 trucks or 2,740 wagons.

Other opinions

Daily Sabah's agency copy omits Moldova and closes on the ministry's assurance that wind and imports will cover demand; the Guardian leads on Moldova's exposure.