International News
Hawaii fire death toll hits 55, expected to rise
A terrifying wildfire that left a historic Hawaiian town in charred ruins has killed at least 55 people, authorities said Thursday, making it one of the deadliest disasters in the US state’s history.

An aerial image taken on August 10, 2023 shows destroyed homes and buildings burned to the ground in Lahaina in the aftermath of wildfires in western Maui, Hawaii. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP)
Brushfires on the west coast of Hawaii’s Maui island — fuelled by high winds from a nearby hurricane — broke out Tuesday and rapidly engulfed the seaside town of Lahaina.
The flames moved so quickly that many were caught off-guard, trapped in the streets or jumping into the ocean in a desperate bid to escape.
“It really looks like somebody came along and just bombed the whole town. It’s completely devastated,” said Canadian Brandon Wilson, who had travelled to Hawaii with his wife to celebrate their 25th anniversary, but was at the airport trying to get them a flight out.
“It was really hard to see,” he said, teary-eyed. “You feel so bad for people. They lost their homes, their lives, their livelihoods.”
The fires follow other extreme weather events in North America this summer, with record-breaking wildfires still burning across Canada and a major heat wave baking the US southwest.
Europe and parts of Asia have also endured soaring temperatures, with major fires and floods wreaking havoc.
“What we’ve seen today has been catastrophic… likely the largest natural disaster in Hawaii state history,” Governor Josh Green said.
“In 1960 we had 61 fatalities when a large wave came through Big Island,” he said earlier in the day, referring to a tragedy that struck a year after Hawaii became the 50th US state.
“This time, it’s very likely that our death totals will significantly exceed that.”
Maui County officials said just after 9:00 pm Thursday (0700 GMT Friday) that fatalities stood at 55, and firefighters were still battling the blaze in the town that served as the Hawaiian kingdom’s capital in the early 19th century.
Pictures taken by an AFP photographer who flew over Lahaina showed it had been reduced to blackened, smoking ruins.
The burned skeletons of trees still stand, rising above the ashes of the buildings to which they once offered shelter.
Green said 80 percent of the town was gone.
“Buildings that we’ve all enjoyed and celebrated together for decades, for generations, are completely destroyed,” he said.
Thousands have been left homeless and Green said a massive operation was swinging into action to find accommodation.
“We are going to need to house thousands of people,” he told a press conference.
“That will mean reaching out to all of our hotels and those in the community to ask people to rent extra rooms at their property.”
President Joe Biden on Thursday declared the fires a “major disaster” and unblocked federal aid for relief efforts, with rebuilding expected to take years.
– ‘Bodies in the water’ –
US Coast Guard commander Aja Kirksey told CNN around 100 people were believed to have jumped into the water in a desperate effort to flee the fast-moving flames as they tore through Lahaina.
Kirksey said helicopter pilots struggled to see because of dense smoke, but that a Coast Guard vessel had been able to rescue more than 50 people from the water.
“It was a really rapidly developing scene and pretty harrowing for the victims that had to jump into the water,” she added.
For resident Kekoa Lansford, the horror was far from over.
“We still get dead bodies in the water floating and on the seawall,” Lansford told CBS.
“We have been pulling people out… We’re trying to save people’s lives, and I feel like we are not getting the help we need.”
Green said around 1,700 buildings were believed to have been affected by the blaze.
“With lives lost and properties decimated, we are grieving with each other during this inconsolable time,” Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said.
“In the days ahead, we will be stronger as a… community,” he added, “as we rebuild with resilience and aloha.”
– Evacuations –
Thousands of people have already been evacuated from Maui, with 1,400 people waiting at the main airport in Kahului overnight, hoping to get out.
Maui County has asked visitors to leave “as soon as possible,” and organized buses to move evacuees from shelters to the airport.
The island hosts around a third of all the visitors who holiday in the state, and their dollars are vital for the local economy.
At the airport in Kahului, Lorraina Peterson said she had been stuck for days without food or power, and was now looking at a lengthy wait for a flight.
“I don’t know if we’ll be able to get a hotel room, or we’ll have to sleep here on the floor,” she said.
With a hurricane passing to the south of Hawaii, high winds fuelled flames that consumed dry vegetation.
Thomas Smith, a professor with the London School of Economics, said that while wildfires are not uncommon in Hawaii, the blazes this year “are burning a greater area than usual, and the fire behaviour is extreme, with fast spread rates and large flames.”
As global temperatures rise over time, heat waves are projected to become more frequent, with increased dryness due to changing rainfall patterns creating ideal conditions for bush or forest fires.
International News
JUST IN: Museveni Sworn In For 7th Term At 81 As President Of Ugand
Yoweri Museveni has been sworn in for his seventh term as President of Uganda on May 12, 2026, at the Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala, following his victory in the January 2026 elections.
Recall Museveni won with 71.65 percent of the vote, defeating his main challenger, 43-year-old Bobi Wine, who received 24.72 percent of the vote, according to the official results.

The 81-year-old leader took his oath for another five-year term, continuing his tenure as one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
Museveni, born 1944 in Mbarra district area of Uganda has served as president since 1986.
He started his education in 1953 at Kyamate Boys School, then joined Mbarara High School in 1959.

After his family’s migration from Ntungamo in 1960s, then within the British Protectorate of Uganda, he was admitted to Ntare School in 1961.
He studied political science from the University of Dar es Salaam where he initiated the University Students’ African Revolutionary Front.
International News
Tragedy as Nigerian Boy Drowns in Canadian Lake
The family of a 12-year-old Nigerian boy, Damilola Afolabi who drowned in a Canadian lake, has been thrown into mourning after the tragic incident occurred barely two months after they relocated abroad in search of a better life.
Damilola reportedly drowned at Mahogany Lake in Calgary on Sunday after jumping into the water while playing with friends
According to reports, the boy did not know how to swim and failed to resurface after entering the lake.
He was later pulled from the bottom of the lake and rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The deceased was buried on Wednesday at the Muslim Cemetery of Calgary as relatives and members of the community gathered to mourn him.
Speaking on the tragedy, family spokesperson Patrick Adda said the family had only recently moved from Ghana to Canada and were still trying to settle into their new environment.
“They came in here,” Adda said. “They have no one. And all of us here. We’re like angels that came in their lives to see how best we can help them migrating to the best place to live and work, which is in Calgary.”
According to the family, Damilola had been trying to make new friends and adapt to life in Canada. He was said to enjoy riding bicycles and spending time outdoors in his neighbourhood.
His grieving father, Jubreel Afolabi, said his son had returned from church on the day of the incident before asking to go outside and play.
“On Sunday, my son just came from the church, and he wanted to play a little at the front of the house,” he said.
“That’s the end. I would never see my son again, when I see my son, I saw his body lying there.”
The distraught father added that the family relocated abroad hoping to secure a brighter future for their children.
“When we were about to leave Ghana Dami said, ‘Daddy, thank you for the good life you are going to give us in Canada,’” Jubreel recalled emotionally.
“I didn’t know that my son would never be with me at this moment anymore.”
Damilola was one of four children in the family. Adda revealed that his younger sister has continued asking about him since his death.
“His little sister calls him Da,” Adda said. “And the little sister, who is just a few years old, had Da changing her diapers and everything, and she was asking,
‘Where is Da?’”
The incident has also reignited concerns over safety at Mahogany Lake, where several drowning cases have been recorded over the years.
Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas reacted to the tragedy, saying it raises serious questions about public safety infrastructure around the lake area.
“It does make a bigger question, though, in terms of the type of supports and infrastructure and equipment we provide for our Calgary police and county fire departments,” he said.
Still overwhelmed by grief, the boy’s father said burying his son was a painful experience no parent should endure.
“I wish my sons would be the ones to bury me and not the other way around,” Jubreel said.
Reports added that a crowdfunding campaign has since been launched to support the bereaved family.
International News
Arsene Wenger Tackles Rooney Over Arsenal Win Celebration Comment
Arsene Wenger made his feelings clear on Arsenal’s celebrations after the win over Atletico Madrid – and they were different to Wayne Rooney’s
Arsene Wenger has leapt to Arsenal’s defence over their Champions League celebrations, insisting they were ‘deserved’ and ‘normal’ after Wayne Rooney’s brutal criticism. The England icon immediately took aim at Mikel Arteta and the players by claiming the jubilant scenes at the end were over the top.
Bukayo Saka scored the decisive goal just before half-time to clinch a 2-1 aggregate win and set up a final against either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain.
The Gunners celebrated wildly after the final whistle, drawing criticism from Rooney, who was at the Emirates as a pundit for Prime Video. The Manchester United legend said: “They deserve to be in this position but they haven’t won it yet. I think the celebrations are a little bit too much. Celebrate when you win.”
Legendary former Gunners boss Wenger disagreed with that stance, insisting the Gunners had every right to enjoy the moment. Speaking on beIN Sports, the Frenchman said: “They celebrate well tonight, which is normal, but you want to focus already on the final and the next games.
“The celebration is deserved and happiness is normal – absolutely normal – but the next step is to go to the final and win in.”
Wenger felt that the Gunners were worthy winners, saying: “I think Arsenal wanted it a bit more than Atleti and they were more decisive in the duels.
“We said before the game that to go to the final, they needed to be strong defensively and they didn’t concede a goal tonight. They played a team who for 45 minutes absolutely needed to score a goal and they didn’t give them a chance.
“I believe it shows how strong Arsenal are defensively and how disciplined they are, as well as the limitations of Atletico, who were not good enough in the final third.
“In the end, it’s a well-deserved win for Arsenal, there’s no doubt they were the better team over the two legs.”
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