WASHINGTON -- U.S. officials confirmed Friday that two U.S. rescue helicopters involved in the search and rescue efforts for an F-15 fighter jet downed earlier on Friday were struck by Iranian fire, according to U.S. media reports.
Crew members aboard the helicopters were unharmed, said an NBC News report, citing a U.S. official. (US-Iran-Planes)
- - - -
TEHRAN -- The Iranian army confirmed that its air defense systems shot down a U.S. A-10 "Warthog" attack plane on Friday over Iran's southern waters near the Strait of Hormuz, with the aircraft crashing into the Persian Gulf.
The announcement, published on the army's website, came shortly after Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps said that it had downed a U.S. F-35 fighter jet in central Iranian airspace earlier in the day. (Iran-Plane-Downing)
- - - -
WASHINGTON -- The White House Office of Management and Budget on Friday released its 2027 budget proposal, featuring defense spending rising to 1.5 trillion U.S. dollars, alongside major cuts to domestic programs.
The budget plan builds upon the "historic 1 trillion dollars topline" provided for the national defense by requesting 1.5 trillion dollars for 2027, a 44-percent increase, wrote White House budget director Russell Vought. (US-White House-Budget-Defense)
- - - -
GENEVA -- World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday in a social media post that urgent support is needed for the health systems of five countries affected by the conflict in the Middle East - Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Jordan.
Health systems in the affected countries are "under severe strain" following weeks of intensified violence, Tedros said, adding that the WHO has launched a 30.3 million U.S. dollar flash appeal to support its health response to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, with a focus on the five countries. (WHO-Health-Middle East)
- - - -
SAO PAULO -- The death toll from a small aircraft crash in the seaside city of Capao da Canoa, Brazil's southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, on Friday has risen to four, authorities said.
Fire authorities said the victims were the pilot, the co-pilot and two businesspeople.(Brazil-Plane Crash) ■
