World
Fire evacuation order lifted for LA’s Hollywood Hills West

Published
3 months agoon

An evacuation order for Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills West neighbourhood has been lifted after authorities said a wildfire there had been brought under control.
The LA Fire Department (LAFD) urged people in a statement “to be careful while returning to your homes”.
Some 15,000 local residents had been earlier asked to leave because of the Sunset Fire, one of at least five large-scale wildfires which have caused widespread devastation across LA and neighbouring areas.
Five people have been confirmed killed.
The LAFD lifted the evacuation order for Hollywood Hills West at 07:30 local time (15:30 GMT) on Thursday.
The first blaze began on Tuesday in the city’s Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, near Malibu, with others subsequently breaking out across the north of the city.
The fire in Hollywood Hills, a residential neighbourhood overlooking the historic Hollywood area of the city, began at around 18:00 on Wednesday.
Less than two hours later, much of the heart of Hollywood was blanketed with thick smoke, and the tops of the palm trees that line its streets were barely visible.
People used sweatshirts to cover their faces to help them breathe, while others – clearly surprised by the fire – wore only pyjamas. Many carried bags and suitcases, talking on their phones as they made plans for where to go.
Many of the roads near the fire – including Hollywood Boulevard, home to the Hollywood Walk of Fame – were gridlocked with traffic. Some people even drove on the wrong side of the road as they tried to get out of the area.
Resident Anna Waldman told the BBC she had set out to walk her dog but smelled smoke almost instantly when she went outside.
She went back inside and, looking out her back windows, saw fire, and watched as it moved quickly through the Hollywood Hills, coming to within a block of her home.
She packed what she could: food, clothes, blankets, food for her three small dogs.
“I can’t believe this,” she said in exhaustion, pulling down her face mask.
Makayla Jackson, 26, and her two-year-old son, Ramari, had been evacuated from a homeless shelter that was in danger of burning, and now stood on the street waiting for a ride to a high school where help was being offered to people.
“They just told us to get out and go,” she said
—BBC
You may like
Sam George authorises dismissal of about 100 Ghana Post staff over irregular recruitment
High Commissioner of Barbados to Ghana pays courtesy call on Minister of Health
‘Last Stop’ premieres on Friday, March 28
VP Opoku-Agyemang chairs Armed Forces Council
Muntaka sworn in as Member of Armed Forces Council
Pitch Invader in Ghana-Chad Game Sentenced to 100 Days Imprisonment
World
Drug violence in Brussels: House shot at 23 times in Anderlecht

Published
1 month agoon
February 21, 2025
A house in the Brussels municipality of Anderlecht was shot at in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The shooting occurred at 1:40 a.m. on the facade of a building, composed of a professional room and a dwelling, near Place Lemmens in Anderlecht, the Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office has now confirmed.
Initial reports suggested that the shooting took place on the corner Place Clemenceau, but the scene was later confirmed to be about a ten minutes’ walk away.
The Brussels Public Prosecutor also confirmed that 23 bullet holes and two failed molotov cocktails had been found at the scene. Initial unconfirmed reports suggested 15 shots and one molotov cocktail had been found.
It is not yet known whether there is a link with the shootings that took place in the past few days on Saint-Guidon Square, or with previous shootings at the Clemenceau metro station and in the Peterbos neighbourhood in Anderlecht.
Since the beginning of February, those shootings, linked to the drug environment, have already left two dead and three wounded.
World
Passengers on crashed Toronto plane offered US$30,000 each

Published
1 month agoon
February 21, 2025
DELTA Air Lines is offering US$30,000 (£23,792) to each person on board a plane that crash-landed in Toronto on Monday – all of whom survived.
As it landed in the Canadian city, the plane skidded along the runway in flames before flipping over and coming to a halt upside down. Passengers described their amazement as most of them walked away without injuries.
It remains unclear what caused the incident, which is under investigation.
There were 76 passengers and four crew on the flight, which had travelled from the US city of Minneapolis before making its crash-landing in Canada.
A spokesperson for Delta said the money offer had no strings attached and did not affect customers’ rights.
The plane crew and emergency responders were praised for their quick work in removing people from the wrecked vehicle. The plane’s various safety features have also been credited for ensuring no loss of life.
All but one of the 21 passengers who were taken to hospital had been released by Wednesday morning, the airline said.
Delta’s chief told BBC’s US partner CBS News that the flight crew were experienced and trained for any condition.
The airline’s head Ed Bastian told CBS the plane crew had “performed heroically, but also as expected”, given that “safety is embedded into our system”. He said Delta was continuing to support those affected.
Several theories about what caused the crash have been suggested to the BBC by experts who reviewed footage, including that harsh winter weather and a rapid rate of descent played a role.
One passenger recalled “a very forceful event”, and the sound of “concrete and metal” at the moment of impact. Another said passengers were left hanging upside down in their seats “like bats”.
The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder have been recovered from the wreckage. The investigation is being led by Canada’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB), supported by US officials.
The accident was the fourth major air incident in North America in a space of three weeks – and was followed on Wednesday by a crash in Arizona in which two people lost their lives when their small planes collided.
Experts continue to insist that air travel is overwhelmingly safe – more so than other forms of transport, in fact.
That message was emphasised by US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, who told CBS on Wednesday there was no pattern behind the incidents, each of which he said was “very unique”. -BBC
World
Peru declares state of emergency ….following bomb attack against Public Ministry

Published
2 months agoon
January 22, 2025
Peru declared a state of emergency on Monday, following the detonation of explosives attacking the Public Ministry of Trujillo. Monday’s incident marks the second attack in Trujillo this year.
During the emergency state declared by President Boluarte to stop delinquency, the Presidency of Peru stated that “the Armed Forces and the police will take control of the city due to the state of emergency.” The Superior Court of Justice of La Libertad declared its commitment to “not succumb to any acts of violence.”
An unidentified individual posing as a delivery driver attacked the Public Ministry of Trujillo by leaving a package with explosive material that later detonated. Two explosions were detected, one originating from the package, which led to another car explosion.
Public Minister Delia Espinoza said in an interview that initial signs link the tragedy with illegal mining. Espinoza also revealed that days earlier, someone threatened a comptroller working on an organized crime case.
According to Espinoza, these events show that the Minister of Interior makes promises he cannot fulfil, stating, “Constitutionally, the labor of prevention is for the police, there is no police intelligence.” Recent research shows that the disapproval of the current Minister of Interior, Juan José Santiváñez, peaked at 80 per cent in December 2024.
Former minister of Interior Oscar Valdés criticised the low efficiency of the state of emergency because of the intelligence system, arguing that the government failed to address illegal mining and drug trafficking as the real threats to the country.
Illegal mining has been a controversial issue in Peru. On December 1, 2024, the Peruvian Congress extended temporary permits for “informal miners,” which critics argue are a part of systemic corruption that legitimised illegal mining and helped circumvent environmental regulations. In April 2024, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights also found that Peru’s failure to regulate mining activities violated inhabitants’ basic right to a healthy environment.

Sam George authorises dismissal of about 100 Ghana Post staff over irregular recruitment

High Commissioner of Barbados to Ghana pays courtesy call on Minister of Health

‘Last Stop’ premieres on Friday, March 28
Trending
- Politics7 months ago
Voter Register Discrepancies: NDC to stage nationwide protests against EC
- News8 months ago
Arise Royals Montessori School Marks 2nd Graduation.
- Entertainment9 months ago
Ghanaian musician Champions Gaza Peace with New Track
- News4 months ago
King of Igbo Community in Ghana congratulates Mahama as President-elect of Ghana.
- Entertainment9 months ago
Steps to receive an official GWR certificate – Details from mother of a Ghanaian record holder
- More7 months ago
Young people urged to develop their talents
- News9 months ago
Cancer Support Network Foundation holds gala
- News9 months ago
Dedicate a Portion of GDP for investment in AI to improve health and reduce poverty – Prof. Samuel Kojo Kwofie