Weather forecasters in California are warning fierce winds which fuelled the infernos around Los Angeles are expected to pick up again this week, as fire crews on the ground race to make progress controlling three wildfires.

Officials warned that after a weekend of relatively calm winds, the notoriously dry Santa Ana winds would pick up again from Sunday night until Wednesday, reaching speeds of up to 60mph (96km/h).

Ahead of the wind’s uptick, some progress has been made in stopping the spread of the deadly Palisades and Eaton fires, which are burning on opposite ends of the city. Local firefighters are being assisted by crews from eight other states, as well as Canada and Mexico, who continue to arrive.

The LA County medical examiner updated the death toll on Sunday to 24, while officials said earlier at least another 16 remain missing.

Sixteen of the dead were found in the Eaton fire zone, while eight were found in the Palisades area.

Three conflagrations continue to burn around Los Angeles.

The largest fire is the Palisades, which has now burnt through more than 23,000 acres and is 13% contained.

The Eaton fire is the second biggest and has burnt through more than 14,000 acres. It is 27% contained.

The Hurst fire has grown to 799 acres and has been almost fully contained.

The wildfires are on track to be among the costliest in US history.

On Sunday, private forecaster Accuweather increased its preliminary estimate of financial losses from the blazes to between $250bn-$275bn.

(BBC News)

The US has announced an increased $25m (£20.4m) reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on the day he was sworn in for a third six-year term in office.

The inauguration ceremony was overshadowed by recrimination from the international community and Venezuelan opposition leaders.

Rewards have also been offered for information leading to the arrest and or conviction of Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello. A new reward of up to $15m for Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino has also been offered.

The UK also issued sanctions on 15 top Venezuelan officials, including judges, members of the security forces and military officials.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said those sanctioned were responsible for “undermining democracy, the rule of law, and human rights violations”.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy went on to describe Maduro’s regime as “fraudulent”.

Also on Friday, the EU said it was extending “restrictive measures” against Venezuela because of “the lack of progress… leading to the restoration of democracy and the rule of law”. The bloc also sanctioned a further 15 Venezuelan officials.

Canada also imposed fresh sanctions in what Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly called Maduro’s “shameless actions”.

Joly said Canada “will not tolerate the erosion of the democratic process or the repression of citizens seeking to express their rights”.

Maduro and his government have repeatedly denounced many of the allegations made by Western countries and opposition leaders.

The reward from the US cites narcotics and corruption charges dating back to 2020.

In 2020, the US charged Maduro, and other senior officials in the country with “narco-terrorism”.

It accused them of flooding the US with cocaine and using drugs as a weapon to undermine the health of Americans.

Maduro has rejected the accusations. The US also re-imposed oil sanctions last year, after temporarily easing them in the hope Maduro could be incentivised to hold free and fair elections.

The Venezuelan president has blamed an economic collapse in his country on US-led sanctions he calls illegitimate and imperial. His critics blame corruption and economic mismanagement.

On Friday, President Maduro took the oath of office, vowing his third six-year term in office would be a “period of peace”.

“This new presidential term will be the period of peace, prosperity, equality, and the new democracy,” he said.

“I swear by history, I swear by my life, and I will fulfil it,” he added.

The 28 July election results were widely rejected by the international community, including by Brazil and Colombia, some of Venezuela’s left-wing neighbours.

The inauguration itself was a tightly controlled affair. Most accredited Venezuelan media were not allowed inside and foreign journalists were not allowed in the country.

Maduro has a few allies remaining including Iran, China and Russia but is increasingly isolated on the world stage.

The Cuban and Nicaraguan presidents were the only leaders present at the inauguration.

The 62-year-old was declared the winner of last July’s presidential election but the opposition and many countries, including the US, rejected the result and recognised the exiled opposition candidate Edmundo González as the legitimate president-elect.

González fled Venezuela in September and has been living in Spain, but this month he went on a tour of the Americas to rally international support.

The Maduro government has issued an arrest warrant for him, offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to his detention.

On Friday, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for the release of all who have been “arbitrarily detained” since the elections.

(BBC News)

Indian authorities say they have arrested a Canadian man at Delhi airport for carrying a crocodile skull in his luggage.

The 32-year-old man was at the airport on Monday to catch his flight to Canada when he was first stopped during security check.

“Upon examination, a skull with sharp teeth, resembling the jaw of a baby crocodile, weighing approximately 777g (1.71lb), was discovered wrapped in a cream-colored cloth,” Delhi customs said in a statement on Thursday.

The man was arrested and the skull was handed over to the Department of Forests and Wildlife, they said.

Officials said the possession of crocodile skull violated India’s wildlife protection law and its Customs Act.

An analysis of the skull by the Department of Forests and Wildlife found that it belonged to a species protected under India’s Wildlife Protection Act.

“The texture, tooth pattern, well-developed bony palate, and nostrils confirmed the item as the skull of a baby crocodile,” they said.

A forest official told the Times of India newspaper that the man had allegedly bought the skull from Thailand.

“The man did not possess the mandatory permission required to carry wildlife items,” forest officer Rajesh Tandon said.

The man also told officers he had not hunted or killed the crocodile, the Hindustan Times reports.

Further tests are being carried out to identify the exact sub-species of the animal.

Meanwhile, Delhi customs says a case has been registered against the man and an investigation is underway.

Last year, a 32-year-old Canadian woman was stopped at Delhi airport after she was found to have horns of an unidentified animal in her luggage. The woman told officials she had picked them up during a trek in the northern Ladakh region and decided to take them back as a souvenir.

(BBC News)