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Hawaii wildfires : Death toll, missing numbers rise

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The death toll from the Hawaii wildfires has risen to 53 and 1,000 people are estimated missing on the island of Maui.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green says the fires are the “largest natural disaster in Hawaii state history” and 80% of historic seaside town Lahaina is “gone”.

In Lahaina, tourists were forced to jump into the sea and tread water for hours when the flames surged through the town.

Tens of thousands of visitors have been evacuated so far while 11,000 people remain without power on the western side of the island.

Firefighters are still battling to contain Maui’s wildfires, which began on Tuesday and were fuelled by Hurricane Dora’s passing winds.

US President Joe Biden has issued a “major disaster declaration” which releases funds for recovery.

(BBC News)

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Cuba works to restore power after hurricane blackout

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Officials in Cuba have begun restoring power after the country suffered a nationwide blackout on Wednesday caused by Hurricane Rafael, the country’s president says.

Hurricane Rafael brought strong winds of up to 185km/h (115mph), causing a shutdown of the country’s electricity system for the second time in just weeks.

At least 70,000 people were evacuated from their homes before the storm made landfall on Wednesday with warnings of storm surges, flash flooding, and mudslides.

No fatalities have been reported.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel said the provinces of Artemisa and Mayabeque as well as the capital Havana were severely hit.

“Every step from this point forward is geared towards recovery. Together we will do it,” he added.

Th western parts of the country saw widespread flooding and damage to properties brought on by the hurricane. Most of the country’s 10 million population are still without power.

In Havana, residents used shovels, brooms and buckets to clear rubbish, mud and branches as they assessed the damage on Thursday.

Fallen electricity pylons lined the motorway from the capital’s west to Artemisa, and towns along the route were strewn with branches and debris from damaged homes.

One Artemisa resident said people were having to “improvise” to deal with the power cuts.

“If you don’t have gas, you have to improvise with coal,” Elias Perez said.

“Yesterday my wife and I got by with coal. It’s a mess, but we have to keep going.”

Last month, millions in Cuba were left without power for four days after issues with the country’s old energy infrastructure caused a blackout.

That blackout also coincided with Hurricane Oscar, a less powerful category one storm that left a trail of destruction along the island’s north-eastern coast.

Natalia Martinez, also from Artemisa, said: “We know how to survive, we’re in the dark all the time, you know.”

(BBC News)

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Snow back on Mount Fuji after longest absence

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Japan’s Mount Fuji has seen its first snowfall after going through the longest period without snow since records began 130 years ago.

Snow fell on Japan’s highest peak about a month later than expected, as the country recovers from one of its hottest summers on record.

It was met with celebration on social media, with locals sharing photos of the mountain.

Mount Fuji is one of Japan’s most popular tourist attractions and has inspired centuries of artwork.

The snow was spotted on Wednesday, 5 November, by the Japan Meteorological Agency’s branch in Shizuoka.

In 2023, snow was first seen on the summit on 5 October, according to AFP news agency. The previous record for the latest snowfall was 26 October, which was seen twice before in 1955 and 2016.

“Oh, I’ve been waiting for this,” one X user commented.

“I’ve never been so excited for the first snowfall this year,” another X user said.

“Finally … Makeup makes you look even more beautiful,” another X user said, referring to the snow-dusted peak.

The weather agency’s Kofu office is expected to make an official announcement on the exact date the snow fell. It said it could not see the peak clearly on Wednesday.

However, Japanese news agency Kyodo was able to take photos of the snowy peak on Wednesday from a helicopter.

Located south-west of Tokyo, Mount Fuji stands at 3,776m (12,460 ft). It last erupted just over 300 years ago and is visible from the capital on a clear day.

Japan had its joint hottest summer on record this year with temperatures between June and August being 1.76C (3.1F) higher than an average.

In September, temperatures continued to be warmer than expected as the sub-tropical jet stream’s more northerly position allowed a warmer southerly flow of air over Japan.

A jet stream is a fast-flowing current of air that travels around the planet. It occurs when warmer air from the south meets cooler air from the north.

(BBC News)

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Australia plans social media ban for under-16s

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Anthony Albanese says his government consulted with parents, social media platforms and experts about the age limit

Australia’s government says it will introduce “world-leading” legislation to ban children under 16 from social media.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the proposed laws, to be tabled in parliament next week, were aimed at mitigating the “harm” social media was inflicting on Australian children.

“This one is for the mums and dads… They, like me, are worried sick about the safety of our kids online. I want Australian families to know that the government has your back,” he said.

While many of the details are yet to be debated, the government said the ban will not apply to young people already on social media.

There will be no exemptions on the age limit for children who have consent from their parents. The government says that the onus will be on social media platforms to show they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access.

Albanese said there would be no penalties for users, and that it would be up to Australia’s online regulator – the eSafety Commissioner – to enforce the laws.

The legislation would come into force 12 months after it passes and be subject to a review after it’s in place.

While most experts agree that social media platforms can harm the mental health of adolescents, many are split over the efficacy of trying to outlaw them all together.

Some experts argue that bans only delay young people’s exposure to apps such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, instead of teaching them how to navigate complex online spaces.

Previous attempts at restricting access, including by the European Union, have largely failed or faced backlash from tech firms. And questions remain over how implementation would work given there are tools which can circumvent age-verification requirements.

One of Australia’s largest advocacy groups for child rights has criticised the proposed ban as “too blunt an instrument”.

In an open letter sent to the government in October, signed by over 100 academics and 20 civil society organisations, the Australian Child Rights Taskforce called on Albanese to instead look at imposing “safety standards” on social media platforms.

The group also pointed to UN advice that “national policies” designed to regulate online spaces “should be aimed at providing children with the opportunity to benefit from engaging with the digital environment and ensuring their safe access to it”.

But other grassroots campaigners have lobbied Australia’s government for the laws, saying bans are needed to protect children from harmful content, misinformation, bullying and other social pressures.

A petition by the 36Months initiative, which has over 125,000 signatures, argues children are “not yet ready to navigate online social networks safely” until at least 16, and that currently “excessive social media use is rewiring young brains within a critical window of psychological development, causing an epidemic of mental illness”.

When asked whether there should be broader efforts to educate children about how to navigate the benefits and risks of being online, Albanese said that such an approach would be insufficient because it “assumes an equal power relationship”.

“I don’t know about you, but I get things popping up on my system that I don’t want to see. Let alone a vulnerable 14-year-old,” he told reporters on Thursday.

“These tech companies are incredibly powerful. These apps have algorithms that drive people towards certain behaviour.”

(BBC News)

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