Aug 16, 2026, 07:00 PM UTC

Emergency teams in southern Croatia have contained a major wildfire spreading from Lokva Rogoznica toward Omiš, shifting operations to extinguishing lingering hotspots. The blaze destroyed multiple houses, vehicles, and boats before ground crews and four Canadair aircraft halted its advance.

Hospital authorities in Split treated up to 40 individuals for fire-related injuries, admitting 14 patients. Between seven and eight victims remain in intensive care suffering from life-threatening burns. More than 500 locals and tourists fled into the Adriatic Sea during the peak of the blaze, requiring rescue by maritime authorities and private boat owners. Electricity is gradually returning as residents assess the destruction.

Conflicting casualty reports continue, with Danas reporting that a body was discovered in Omiš, while news agency Beta cited official records stating no deaths have been registered.

Sources: Avaz, Beta, Danas, N1, Vijesti.

Security officials conducted a covert operation to evacuate U.S. President Donald Trump from Turkey following a NATO summit in Ankara, responding to credible Iranian threats involving shoulder-fired missiles targeting Air Force One. According to intelligence disclosures reported by international media, the U.S. Secret Service executed a diversion by transferring Trump to an alternate military transport using a catering vehicle, while the official presidential aircraft took off with staff and journalists onboard to serve as a decoy.

The heightened security measures follow escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran. In related remarks, Trump announced intentions to declare the strategic Strait of Hormuz as United States territory once military conflicts with Iran conclude, seeking to secure the critical maritime corridor following months of disruption to global commercial shipping.

Sources: Adevărul, Digi24, Flux24, HotNews, Ziarul de Gardă

Western Europe has recorded its warmest combined June and July on record, as global sea surface temperatures reached an unprecedented 20.96 degrees Celsius in July. The intense heat and prolonged dry conditions continue to fuel wildfires across France, Belgium, and the Balkans. In southwestern France, a blaze in the Landes department has scorched over 1,500 hectares of forest, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of residences.

Simultaneously, plunging water levels in major European rivers have severely impacted energy production. In Romania, military divers conducted a controlled blast along the Danube to direct necessary cooling waters toward an active nuclear power reactor, following prior capacity curbs and shutdowns in Romania and Hungary. The widespread drought has also exposed prehistoric fossils and historical relics along dried riverbeds across the continent.

Sources: Diário de Notícias (DN), Expresso, Jornal Económico, RTP (Rádio e Televisão de Portugal)