Town ‘absolutely gone’ as Hawaii fires kill 55
Summary
- The number of people killed in the Hawaii wildfires has risen to 55, and hundreds more are said to be missing on the island of Maui
- State governor Josh Green has called the fires “catastrophic” and probably the largest natural disaster in Hawaii’s history
- Survivors have spoken of daring escapes, with one man telling the BBC the historic town of Lahaina is “absolutely gone”
- Firefighters continue to battle the flames, officials say, and nearly 15,000 tourists took flights away from Maui on Thursday
- Fires began on the island on Tuesday, fuelled by winds from a hurricane, later prompting a “major disaster” declaration from President Joe Biden
One resident said it’s just “ash and dust” in Lahaina after the deadly wildfires.
Another local was returning for the first time since evacuating and said nobody knows if their homes are still standing.
It’s just after 05:30 local time in Hawaii, and more residents will be waking up to see what news the day will bring.
Scout jamboree in South Korea closes with regrets and K-pop concert
Ceremony at Seoul’s World Cup stadium wraps up event beset by heatwave, unsanitary conditions and threat of typhoon
The 25th World Scout Jamboree has concluded with a concert in Seoul after a tumultuous 11-day journey across South Korea that was marred by a heatwave, unsanitary conditions and an evacuation owing to a typhoon threat.
“The last few days have not been easy, to say the least,” said Ahmad Alhendawi, the secretary general of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement during the closing ceremony on Friday at Seoul’s World Cup stadium.
“I am painfully aware that you had other expectations, that your dream of this jamboree was a different one. I know this wasn’t easy on you. No other event has faced this many challenges and extreme weather conditions. But also, no other jamboree in history showed the determination, creativity and resilience of you scouts.”
Scuffles break out outside Athens court as arrested Croatian soccer fans testify over deadly attack
Clashes have broken out in front of court buildings in Athens where scores of arrested Croatian soccer supporters were giving evidence following deadly fan violence this week
Clashes broke out in front of court buildings in Athens where scores of arrested Croatian soccer supporters were giving evidence Friday following deadly fan violence this week.
Some 200 fans of AEK Athens gathered outside the court complex, some hurling bottles of water and other objects at police and television crews.
No arrests or injuries were reported.
India proposes revamping colonial-era criminal laws
Since coming to power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has scrapped a number of obscure laws in an effort to modernize the legal system.
The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed legislation on Friday aimed at overhauling some colonial-era criminal laws, including the contentious sedition law, as well as protecting women and minors.
India‘s Home Minister Amit Shah presented the bills to the parliament to repeal and replace the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act.
Many of these statutes were introduced in the 19th century when the country was under British rule.
Shah said sweeping changes to the laws would remove archaic references to the British monarchy and other “signs of our slavery.”
‘Cruel and inhumane’: The US-Mexico floating border is equipped with ‘circular saws’
Videos shared on social media on August 8 provide a closer look at the floating border barrier installed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and aimed at keeping illegal migrants from entering the US. These controversial installations, near which a body was recently found, are equipped with spiky metal discs manufactured by Cochrane Global.
When Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced on June 6, 2023, the deployment of a “floating marine barrier” to deter illegal crossings over the US-Mexico border, an important detail was left out: the ball-shaped orange buoys are equipped with “circular saws” that make it almost impossible to cross without risking injuries.
Representatives of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) came to Eagle Pass, Texas at the southern borders on August 8, 2023 and shared many videos on their X (formerly Twitter) accounts providing a closer look at the installations and their equipment, which include sharp metal disks between orange floating buoys.
The Libyan militia illegally towing back vulnerable refugees
The Tareq Bin Zeyad has been pulling back migrants and refugees to Benghazi.
On the morning of July 7, a Friday, a blue-and-white fishing vessel that had departed from Libya carrying about 250 asylum seekers ran out of fuel amid the vastness of the Mediterranean, putting the lives of its passengers in peril.
At 10:47 CEST (08:47 GMT), an observation aircraft flown by the German NGO Sea Watch located the vessel in distress within Malta’s search and rescue area (SAR).
In this stretch of sea, Malta’s Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) is responsible for rescue operations.
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