Thirty-six dead as Hawaii fires burn through resort town
Summary
- At least 36 people have died in wildfires sweeping through the Hawaiian island of Maui
- Authorities say it’s too early to know the extent of the damage, but at least 270 buildings have been destroyed
- The historic town of Lahaina, a famous tourism area on Maui, has suffered major damage
- The wildfires began on Tuesday and spread quickly, fuelled by strong winds generated by Hurricane Dora
- Thousands of tourists and residents have been evacuated to makeshift shelters
- US President Joe Biden sends his “deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in the wildfires”
We are not getting the help we need, says Lahaina resident
“We’re trying to save people’s lives, and I feel like we are not getting the help we need,” Lahaina resident Kekoa Lansford tells BBC News about the rescue efforts in Hawaii.
Soldiers have joined the search and recovery operation following the devastating wildfires that left at least 36 people dead.
“It’s going to take years to fix, years. This is not even the worst of it. We still get dead bodies in the water floating and on the seawall,” he says.
The disaster is the latest in a series of extreme weather events around the world which experts say have been intensified by climate change.
Owners of ‘LGBT’ Swatch watches could be jailed for three years in Malaysia
Sellers of timepieces with rainbow colours face same punishment as country says they could ‘harm morals’
Owners or sellers of rainbow-coloured timepieces made by the Swiss watchmaker Swatch face three years in prison in Malaysia, the interior ministry has said, as the Muslim-majority country rails against LGBTQ+ symbols it says could “harm morals”.
Homosexuality is outlawed in Malaysia and LGBTQ+ people face discrimination.
Malaysia’s law enforcement unit at the interior ministry raided Swatch stores at 11 shopping malls across the country in May, including in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, for timepieces bearing what it called “LGBT elements”.
Cats given anti-Covid pills for humans after thousands die from feline virus in Cyprus
Estimated 8,000 animals have died from Feline Infectious Peritonitis after outbreak on the island at start of year
Cats in Cyprus are being treated with anti-Covid pills meant for humans after a feline virus killed thousands of animals on the island.
An estimated 8,000 cats have died from Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), prompting the government to approve the use of stockpiled human coronavirus medication.
The disease is almost always lethal if left untreated, but medication is effective in around 85 per cent of cases.
However, the high price of the medication made it inaccessible to vets and pet owners in Cyprus, activists said.
Niger junta declares new government as ECOWAS mulls strategy
The leaders of a coup in Niger declared a new government, naming 21 ministers. The move comes as leaders of the West African bloc ECOWAS meet to consider steps against the junta.
The military junta that took control of Niger in a coup late last month declared the members of a new government Cabinet on Thursday.
Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, a civilian economist, will lead the 21-member government, with generals from the new military governing council heading the defense and interior ministries.
The announcement came as leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc met for an emergency summit on the situation in Niger. The meeting comes two weeks after a military coup overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum.
What are regional leaders discussing?
The bloc’s leaders said on Thursday that they will make talks with the Niger junta the “bedrock” of their attempts to defuse the crisis.
India’s Gandhi slams Modi’s government inaction on Manipur violence
India’s opposition leader Rahul Gandhi condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inaction over deadly ethnic conflict in the country’s northeast on Wednesday, in his first parliamentary speech since his defamation conviction was suspended.
Ukrainian navy announces new Black Sea corridors
From Olga Voitovych and Tim Lister
The Ukrainian navy has announced temporary corridors for civilian shipping in the Black Sea following the suspension of the Grain Initiative.
Russia withdrew from the arrangement last month.
The Ukrainian navy issued an order declaring “temporary corridors for merchant ships sailing to/from Ukrainian ports.”
“At the same time, it is reported that the military threat and mine danger from the Russian Federation remains along all routes,” it said.
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