World
Balkans battle wildfires from prolonged heatwave in Europe
Experts say it’s time to act to avoid more climate-based disasters across Europe and urge European leaders to address the concerning trends in weather across the continent.
Ongoing heat waves have triggered fires throughout the Balkans and southern Europe, with countries such as Bulgaria and Albania currently receiving international firefighting aid through an EU support system.
Serbia has sent helicopters to North Macedonia to help combat wildfires that continue to burn out of control in heatwave temperatures in the landlocked Balkan country.
Firefighting helicopters were also being used on the slopes of Mount Kozjak, near the Prohor Pcinjski monastery in South Serbia.
Large wildfires in parts of North Macedonia this week destroyed and damaged homes, forced evacuations and claimed the life of an elderly resident in a village some 60 kilometres east of the capital Skopje.
Strong winds accelerated the spread of wildfires in parts of eastern and central North Macedonia since Monday, officials said.
Wildfires continued to burn in Albania on Wednesday, coming close to homes in the southern village of Mashkullore, but causing no damage.
Hundreds of Albanian firefighters, military personnel and volunteers managed to get a major fire in the coastal town of Shengjin under control after it damaged a roof and two beach bars, sending visitors fleeing in panic.
An Albanian army Cougar helicopter and two Italian Canadair planes, part of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, helped spare the beach town from the flames.
In Croatia, fires that erupted in the Dalmation coast also forced residents to evacuate but no casualties were reported.
According to the Croatian emergency services, 755 firefighters were deployed to 122 different fires in Croatia, with the help of 10 Canadair planes.
The Croatian fire brigade confirmed that fires in all areas had been successfully contained as of Thursday.
Extreme heat continues to scorch other parts of Europe as well, with nine municipalities across Spain under orange warnings for high temperatures.
Experts say it’s time to act to avoid more climate-based disasters across Europe and urge European leaders to address the concerning trends in weather across the continent.
Israel and Iran traded fresh attacks on Tuesday after President Trump said a cease-fire proposal was “not good enough.” Mr. Trump has threatened to destroy Iran’s bridges and power plants if it does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 8 p.m. Eastern.
World
CENTCOM commander directed strike against an IRGC headquarters in underground facility: sources
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High-level sources have informed Fox News that during rescue efforts in Iran after a U.S. fighter jet was shot down, the commander of U.S. Central Command directed an attack against an underground Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps headquarters.
While the airman rescue was going on, CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper directed a strike on an IRGC headquarters in an underground facility near Tehran — it was done with B2 bombers, using Massive Ordnance Penetrators, the same weapon used last year in Operation Midnight Hammer, according to the sources. Fox News is told the headquarters was obliterated.
U.S. military B1 bombers (BONES) dropped a hundred 2,000-pound bombs during the rescue operations to keep Iranians away from the rescue area during the operation, according to a senior U.S. defense official.
A senior military source told Fox News, “we delivered the heat” on the IRGC.
RESCUE EXPERT SAYS MOST DANGEROUS MOMENT COMES AFTER ‘JACKPOT’ CALL IN RECOVERY BEHIND ENEMY LINES
Adm. Brad” Cooper, commander of Central Command, speaks during a joint press conference with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at CENTCOM headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, on March 5, 2026. (Octavio Jones/AFP via Getty Images)
CENTCOM noted in a press release that U.S. forces had rescued two service members after their F-15E was downed.
Fox News was told that the operation took place between the two rescues: Cooper ordered the B2s to fly round trip from Whiteman Air Force Base in the U.S. because they received time-sensitive intelligence about the location of a large number of IRGC commanders inside this underground bunker in Tehran, and the Massive Ordnance Penetrators, bunker buster bombs, were dropped by the B2 warplanes.
AIRMAN RESCUE SHOWS US CAN PENETRATE ENEMY TERRITORY ‘ANYWHERE’ IN IRAN, FORMER PENTAGON OFFICIAL WARNS
Wreckage is seen from what Iranian authorities say is a U.S. military helicopter that crashed during a mission to rescue the missing American pilot of an F-15E that was downed, in a handout image provided on April 5, 2026, in an unspecified location in Iran. (Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance/Handout via Getty Images)
Following the rescues, President Donald Trump declared in a Truth Social post, “We have rescued the seriously wounded, and really brave, F-15 Crew Member/Officer, from deep inside the mountains of Iran. The Iranian Military was looking hard, in big numbers, and getting close. He is a highly respected Colonel. This type of raid is seldom attempted because of the danger to ‘man and equipment.’ It just doesn’t happen!”
RETIRED F-16 PILOT SAYS RESCUED US AIRMAN’S SURVIVAL IN IRAN HIGHLIGHTS INTENSE EVASION TRAINING
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“The second raid came after the first one, where we rescued the pilot in broad daylight, also unusual, spending seven hours over Iran. An AMAZING show of bravery and talent by all!” he said.
The leader of Hungary’s opposition Tisza party has prioritised domestic campaigning over his parliamentary duties, at times defying his European Parliament group to appeal to voters while distancing himself from EU figures like Ursula von der Leyen.
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