Gerald William Richards, 79 Oct. 1, 1945 ~ June 13 Gerald William Richards, 79 Oct. 1, 1945 ~ June 13 Mr. Gerald William Richards, 79, of Cookeville, passed away at his residence surrounded by his family Friday, June 13, in Cookeville. Gerald was …

Nelda Sue Looper, 84 June 15, 1941 ~ June 12 Nelda Sue Looper, 84 June 15, 1941 ~ June 12 Ms. Nelda Sue Looper, 84, of Cookeville, passed away Thursday, June 12, at the Cookeville Regional Hospital in Cookeville. Nelda was born Sunday, June 15, …

Allie D Lois Neely, 82 March 2, 1943 ~ June 15 Allie D Lois Neely, 82 March 2, 1943 ~ June 15 Mrs. Allie D Lois Neely, 82, of Cookeville, passed away at Cookeville Regional Hospital in Cookeville Sunday, June 15. She was born Tuesday, March 2, …

Wanda Gene Oakley Boswell, 78 Jan. 27, 1949 ~ June 13 Wanda Gene Oakley Boswell, 78 Jan. 27, 1949 ~ June 13 Mrs. Wanda Gene Oakley Boswell, 78, of the Allred Community of Overton Co., passed away on Friday, June 13, at the Vanderbilt Medical Center in …

Firefighters are battling seven active wildfires as the country endures a punishing heatwave and increasingly strong northerly winds, which are complicating efforts to bring the blazes under control.

The National Meteorological Service has issued warnings that wind speeds have been steadily rising since midday and are expected to reach force six to seven in several regions.

In Kastoria, Western Macedonia, a forest fire is raging in the Flasata area. Authorities issued an emergency 112 alert to residents, urging them to remain on high alert as the situation evolves.

In Kilkis, Central Macedonia, another fire broke out southwest of the city just after 4 p.m., where two helicopters are aiding 60 firefighters on the ground in their efforts to contain the blaze. Residents have also been warned to be vigilant.

In Halkidiki, a fire erupted in farmland in the Municipality of Nea Propontida, where some 30 firefighters and a helicopter are working to suppress the flames.

In Ioannina, in Epirus, a fast-moving fire in the Pedini area that began in dry grass has advanced toward local businesses. One home was destroyed after LPG cylinders exploded. Ground and aerial units are currently engaged in the firefighting operation.

Nearby in Igoumenitsa, a wildfire broke out shortly after 1.30 p.m. in a wooded area in the Municipality of Souli. A short time later, residents in the nearby villages of Gardiki, Skandalo and Mandrotopos were instructed to evacuate toward Paramythia as a precaution. The fire, driven by strong winds, remains out of control. A team of 25 firefighters, 8 vehicles, 3 firefighting planes and a helicopter are on the scene.

In Ancient Olympia, in the Peloponnese, 58 firefighters with 14 vehicles are battling a blaze in the Agios Georgios area. They are being assisted by seven firefighting aircraft and one helicopter.

In Messinia, residents in the Neromylos area of the Municipality of Messina were ordered to evacuate to Kazarma as flames spread through nearby agricultural land. Thirty firefighters, two ground teams, six vehicles, and four firefighting planes are working to contain the fire.

Civil Protection authorities have issued an extreme fire risk warning for Saturday, placing several regions under a red Category 5 alert, the highest on the national scale, due to hot and dry conditions.

By ANDREW WILKS, Associated Press

ISTANBUL (AP) — New wildfires broke out on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast Friday, as the government declared two western provinces in the country to be disaster zones.

Images showed flames and smoke billowing into the sky close to high-rise apartment buildings in Antalya, where local and foreign visitors flock during the summer months.

Homes were evacuated in the city center and the outlying district of Aksu as the fire advanced, privately owned news agency DHA reported. Firefighters struggled to extinguish the blazes before strong winds could spread the fire, which closed a major coastal road.

People walk past a coffee bar as water is sprayed to cool the area on a hot summer day, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, July 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

People cool off at the Bosphorus as they shelter against the sun under Halic bridge during a hot summer day, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, July 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A man deliver plastic bottles of water to a popular restaurant on a hot summer day, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, July 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A man delivers plastic bottles of water to a local restaurant on a hot summer day at Eminonu district, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, July 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A wildfire rages across a forested area near Cavuslar village, in Karabuk district, northwest Turkey, Wednesday, July 23, 2025. (Ridvan Bostanci/IHA via AP) Show Caption 1 of 5 People walk past a coffee bar as water is sprayed to cool the area on a hot summer day, in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, July 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Expand

Further along the coast, homes in the city of Manavgat were also threatened.

Local residents with hoses and buckets rushed to assist firefighters as water-dropping helicopters and planes also battled the flames. Police water cannons and municipal water trucks were also enlisted in the firefighting efforts.

Gaining control

Antalya Gov. Hulusi Sahin said that the fires were under control apart from one in Aksu, which was “showing a tendency to grow,” and another in Gazipasa, east of Manavgat.

“The fires were truly disturbing and dangerous, because they occurred in city centers, among houses,” he said. “We evacuated some of our homes … There are no deaths or injuries.”

At 115 F, July temperatures in Antalya city were the highest for the month since records began in 1930.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, meanwhile, said Friday that Izmir and Bilecik provinces had been declared “disaster areas affecting public life,” one step below the most serious level of emergency.

Widespread evacuations

Between June 27 and Thursday, residents from 120 neighborhoods nationwide were evacuated, Yerlikaya added, and more than 12,000 workers under the ministry’s authority, such as police and rescue staff, had fought the fires.

In a social media post, the minister said 311 homes had been destroyed or seriously damaged during the monthlong blazes and 85 temporary housing units were set up across three western provinces for those made homeless.

Speaking after Friday prayers, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey was “faced with a truly great disaster.” He said that 25,000 personnel were fighting fires across the country, assisted by 27 planes, 105 helicopters and 6,000 ground vehicles.

Month of outbreaks

Turkey has faced widespread outbreaks of forest fires since late June. Thirteen people have died, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers killed Wednesday in a fire in Eskisehir, western Turkey. The funerals for the 10 were on Thursday.

Temperatures above seasonal norms have been exacerbated by strong winds and dry conditions, resulting in dozens of wildfires.

East of Antalya, fires broke out in Adana and Mersin on Friday. Elsewhere in the country, firefighters continued battling blazes in Eskisehir and nearby Karabuk that have been raging for several days.

Albania battles fires

The heat wave in the eastern Mediterranean region saw 1,000 firefighters and soldiers battle flames in Albania as temperatures reached 107 F.

In the Albanian city of Elbasan, firefighters have been combating a weeklong blaze in the country’s central mountain forests. Fires have also broke out near the southern border with Greece.

Cyprus aftermath

In the aftermath of one of Cyprus’ worst wildfires in living memory, it wasn’t lost on Cypriot officials that climate change may have been a significant contributing factor to the pace and ferocity of the flames.

Both government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis and Fire Chief Nicos Longinos referred to the arid conditions, with temperatures hitting 111 F and very strong winds that quickly overwhelmed fire crews.

Even 14 firefighting aircraft couldn’t douse the multiple, fast-moving fire fronts quickly enough.

Cyprus is in its third year of minimal winter rains on which it relies for drinking water and for agricultural purposes, even as the government is revving up additional desalination projects.

The fire that moved at breakneck speed left two dead, forced the evacuation of 16 communities, scorched dozens of homes and destroyed many orchards and farms.

Quizzed by a reporter about criticisms that the Fire Service didn’t move quickly enough, Longinos was on the verge of tears when he said that he and all his firefighters have taken an oath to “give their lives” if need be to save lives and property.

Llazar Semini in Tirana, Albania, and Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus, contributed to this report.

VIENNA (AP) — An Austrian court on Friday convicted an acquaintance of the main suspect in last year’s foiled plan to attack Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna on terrorism charges unrelated to the plot and sentenced him to two years in prison.

The state court in Wiener Neustadt convicted the 18-year-old defendant, whose name was given only as Luca K. in line with local privacy rules, of involvement with a terrorist organization and criminal organization, the Austria Press Agency reported. He largely admitted to the accusations, which included sharing propaganda of the Islamic State group and glorifying an IS sympathizer who killed four people in Vienna in 2020.

The suspect, who converted to Islam in 2022, was arrested shortly before the planned Swift concerts in August last year but was not charged with involvement in the plot. Defense lawyer Michael Dorn said he wasn’t the closest friend of Beran A., the 20-year-old main suspect, who remains under investigation.

The defendant said he now sees his actions as a mistake and is glad he was arrested, APA reported. “I have had a daughter, now I see life more seriously,” he added.

The time he has spent in custody will be deducted from the sentence. The verdict can be appealed.

Firefighters respond to a wildfire near Osmaneli in the western Bilecik province, Turkey, July 24, 2025. [Dilara Senkaya/Reuters]

New wildfires have broken out on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, as the government declared two western provinces in the country to be disaster zones.

Images showed flames and smoke billowing into the sky close to high-rise apartment buildings in Antalya, where local and foreign visitors flock during the summer months.

Homes were evacuated in the city center and the outlying district of Aksu as the fire advanced, privately owned news agency DHA reported. Firefighters struggled to extinguish the blazes before strong winds could spread the fire, which closed a major coastal road.

Further along the coast, homes in the city of Manavgat were also threatened.

Local residents with hoses and buckets rushed to assist firefighters as water-dropping helicopters and planes also battled the flames. Police water cannons and municipal water trucks were also enlisted in the firefighting efforts.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Friday that Izmir and Bilecik provinces had been declared “disaster areas affecting public life,” one step below the most serious level of emergency.

Between June 27 and Thursday, residents from 120 neighborhoods nationwide were evacuated, Yerlikaya added, and more than 12,000 workers under the ministry’s authority, such as police and rescue staff, had fought the fires.

In a social media post, the minister said 311 homes had been destroyed or seriously damaged during the monthlong blazes and 85 temporary housing units were set up across three western provinces for those made homeless.

Turkey has faced widespread outbreaks of forest fires since late June. Thirteen people have died, including 10 rescue volunteers and forestry workers killed Wednesday in a fire in Eskisehir, western Turkey. The funerals for the 10 were on Thursday.

Temperatures above seasonal norms have been exacerbated by strong winds and dry conditions, resulting in dozens of wildfires.

East of Antalya, fires broke out in Adana and Mersin on Friday. Elsewhere in the country, firefighters continued battling blazes in Eskisehir and nearby Karabuk that have been raging for several days.

The heat wave in the eastern Mediterranean region saw 1,000 firefighters and soldiers battle flames in Albania as temperatures reached 42 C.

In the Albanian city of Elbasan, firefighters have been combating a weeklong blaze in the country’s central mountain forests. Fires have also broke out near the southern border with Greece. [AP]