Sunken warships

Tuesday, August 11, 2026

Written by Eric Michael Johnson and Jane Gerster Copy Editors, Digital News

Good morning. Nazi warships sunk during the Second World War are resurfacing as drought deepens across Europe. More on the new charges faced by an investor already accused in the kidnapping of Ontario's self-proclaimed Crypto King. Plus, why a truck tied to the killing of two Mounties remains in storage 20 years later.

But first, a correction: the Taku River is near the Alaska border in B.C., not the Yukon. Our story on master carver Wayne Carlick has been updated.

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Sunken Nazi warships are resurfacing as Europe's drought deepens

German warships scuttled in the Danube River during the Second World War are resurfacing as record-low water levels expose the toll of Europe's extreme heat and drought.

What's happening: Historians estimate Nazi forces sank up to 200 warships near Prahovo, Serbia, in 1944 to slow advancing Soviet troops. Residents say one or two wrecks might normally be visible in summer, but about a dozen have emerged this year as the Danube drops to record seasonal lows. The shrinking river has also exposed a German military motorcycle in Hungary, an unexploded British bomb in Slovakia and what are believed to be mammoth remains in Bulgaria.

Why it matters: The discoveries come as western Europe faces its fifth heat wave since May. Romania has restricted water for crop irrigation and taken extraordinary steps to keep its only working nuclear power plant operating, while Hungary temporarily reduced output at its only nuclear station because the Danube was too low to provide enough cooling water. Climate scientists say fossil fuel-driven climate change is intensifying heat and drought. "If we keep emitting greenhouse gases at the rate we're doing now, then this is only going to get worse," one says.

Nick Logan reports

Investor charged with kidnapping 'Crypto King' accused of meddling in co-accused's case

Akil Heywood was already set to stand trial this fall for allegedly orchestrating the kidnapping of Ontario's so-called Crypto King, Aiden Pleterski.

What's happening: Pleterski was kidnapped at gunpoint in 2022 from what he thought was a meeting with a potential investor. The new charges stem from allegations that Heywood, who invested hundreds of thousands of dollars with Pleterski, attempted to dissuade Deren Akyeam-Pong — who pleaded guilty to the kidnapping — from giving evidence on the same day the Ontario Superior Court lifted a publication ban on the agreed statement of facts tied to Akyeam-Pong's plea.

Why it matters: According to those agreed-upon facts, the kidnapping spanned multiple locations in southern Ontario, and including waterboarding Pleterski and burning him with cigarettes and beating him with golf clubs. Heywood, who previously told CBC that he's innocent in connection to the kidnapping, goes on trial in November, alongside two other accused. Pleterski, meanwhile, is set for trial in October on charges of fraud and money laundering.

Nicole Brockbank reports

Curtis Dagenais's truck is still in RCMP cold storage. The Crown says it's time to destroy it

Twenty years after Curtis Dagenais murdered two Saskatchewan RCMP officers and injured a third, the truck at the centre of the case is still sitting in police storage.

What's happening: The Crown is asking a Saskatoon court to forfeit and destroy the 1986 GMC truck Dagenais was driving when officers tried to arrest him near Spiritwood in July 2006. Dagenais led police on a chase before Const. Marc Bourdages and Const. Robin Cameron rammed his truck against a tree. Dagenais shot both officers in the head and later shot and injured Const. Michelle Knopp. He was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and one of attempted murder.

Why it matters: Dagenais, who maintains he is innocent, argues the truck should be preserved because bullet holes in it could help support efforts to reopen his case. A judge previously delayed the Crown's forfeiture application to give Dagenais time to seek help from Innocence Canada, but the organization has since told the court it is not representing him. The forfeiture hearing is scheduled for Aug. 31.

Hannah Spray reports