Only Fire

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced sharp questioning on Capitol Hill from Democrats and some Republicans over the US military strikes on Iran and his dismissals of senior Pentagon officials. Lawmakers pressed him on the legal justification for the operation and the turnover in defense leadership, with Hegseth defending both the strikes and his personnel decisions during heated exchanges.

Russia bombed the Dobrobut Medical Center in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, this afternoon, setting the facility on fire. The strike on a medical facility in the middle of the capital is drawing strong reaction, with reports and images of the burning building circulating widely. There is no immediate word on casualties from the attack.

French police fired tear gas at a group of migrants on a beach in northern France as authorities moved in to stop them from attempting to cross the English Channel to Britain. Footage of the confrontation is drawing attention and renewed criticism of the ongoing efforts to block small-boat crossings.

A Russian drone strike hit the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, sparking a fire in the centre of Kyiv. The attack adds to a series of overnight drone assaults on Ukrainian cities, damaging key scientific and cultural institutions. Officials reported no immediate casualty details, while Ukrainian authorities continue to call for stronger air defences and international support.

An Israeli strike hit an apartment building west of Gaza City, wounding children among the residents, according to Middle East Eye reporting. The attack adds to the mounting civilian toll in Gaza, where densely populated residential areas have repeatedly come under fire. Casualty figures and further details from the scene remain limited as medics respond.

A Russian strike hit the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv, setting the building on fire. The attack damaged a major scientific institution, and reports of the strike circulated widely across international media as part of ongoing Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

A French woman confronted a rioter, reportedly a second or third-generation migrant, telling him not to vandalize her city, and he responded by trying to set her face on fire. The reported incident is circulating widely amid ongoing unrest in France, with many sharing it as evidence of escalating violence during the riots and sparking heated debate about migration, integration and public safety.

A group of Israeli settlers attacked Jalud village in the occupied West Bank, setting fire to two homes belonging to the Al-Tubasi family. The incident is being reported as part of a continuing wave of settler violence against Palestinian communities in the territory, drawing condemnation and calls for accountability.

Climate activists are turning their attention to the booming AI industry, protesting data centers and opposing Amazon's plan to build what would be the largest gas-fired power plant in the United States. Campaigners argue that the massive energy demands of artificial intelligence are driving new fossil fuel expansion, and reports of the Amazon project have intensified criticism that Big Tech's AI growth is colliding with climate goals.

Poland says a fire at a Starlink station was an act of sabotage aimed at disrupting military internet access for Ukraine. Warsaw described the incident as a deliberate attack rather than an accident, underscoring how critical satellite internet infrastructure has become to Ukraine's war effort and raising concerns about vulnerability of such systems to hostile action.

A police officer fired a tear gas grenade at point-blank range into the face of a high school student taking part in a blockade of the Château d'Épluches vocational high school in Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône, France, on Thursday morning. The incident, reported by the monitoring account AlertesInfos, is drawing outrage online, with many questioning the proportionate use of force against a minor during a student protest.

Schools in Bordeaux have been attacked and set on fire as unrest continues to spread across France, according to reports circulating on social media. The violence is being linked by some commentators to riots attributed to second and third-generation migrants. The extent of the damage and official confirmation of the attackers' identities remain unclear as French authorities respond to the escalating situation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia fired more than 2,200 attack drones, around 1,650 aerial bombs and 38 missiles, many ballistic, at Ukraine over the past week. He reported that people were killed in overnight attacks, underscoring the intensifying air campaign against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

Blockades and protests are continuing at high schools across France, with reports that Nelson Mandela High School in Nantes was set on fire in the morning. Demonstrators are blocking schools as part of a widening protest movement, and organisers say the action could now extend to universities.

A vast fire broke out at the Deroma factory in Malo, in the province of Vicenza, Italy. Explosions were reported inside the industrial warehouse, and a column of smoke was visible from kilometres away. Emergency crews responded to the blaze, which drew wide local attention due to the scale of the smoke and the explosions.

A multi-storey residential building caught fire in Volgograd after a drone attack, according to local media reports. Residents were alerted as emergency crews responded to the blaze. The incident adds to a series of Ukrainian drone strikes targeting Russian regions, keeping Volgograd residents on edge about attacks on the city.

A resident has died in a major house fire in Volkersheim, in the district neighbouring Goslar. Emergency services attended the burning residential building, but the person could not be rescued. Local media are covering the incident, and readers in the region are following updates as authorities work to establish how the deadly blaze started.

Wildfires driven by El Niño conditions are overwhelming Indonesia's orangutan population, with rescuers describing severely burned and dehydrated animals. One rescued mother, named Mama Abu, suffered peeling hands from walking on scorched ground while her eight-month-old baby clung to her, thin and dehydrated. Conservationists say the toll on the endangered great apes is enormous as habitat burns across their range.

Riots are spreading across France, with teenagers among those setting fire to schools and other public buildings. Reporting has focused on why young people are targeting their own schools, pointing to anger over policing, inequality and a lack of opportunity in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Authorities face pressure to restore order while debates continue over the underlying causes of the unrest.