List of All Articles with Tag 'am'

Local residents in Hawaii’s Maui are claiming they are being looted and robbed at gunpoint after catastrophic fires ravaged parts of the island. The wildfires in Maui have become the deadliest in modern US history and have so far led to the deaths of 93 people, apart from widespread devastation of property. And now locals have said they are growing increasingly desperate for effective local leadership to step up and take control of the emergency response amid accusations of an increase in crime. They are annoyed that the leadership has been lax and not really stepping up, leaving residents to rise to the occasion and take reigns into their own hands. As rescue teams traverse the island, delivering essential supplies such as water, food and first aid, reports said locals are now taking matters in their own hands to address the situation. “There’s some police presence. There’s some small military presence, but at night people are being robbed at gunpoint,” Matt Robb, co-owner of a Lahaina bar called The Dirty Monkey was quoted as saying by Business Insider. “I mean, they’re going through houses – and then by day it’s hunky dory. So where is the support? I don’t think our government and our leaders, at this point, know how to handle this or what to do.” People also told KITV4 that residents of West Maui were frequently falling victim to theft, with essential supplies such as food and clothing being targeted. They attributed this to insufficient resources reaching Lahaina. Jeremy Aganos, the owner of Coconut Caboose, a restaurant and food truck business in Lahaina, said he lost his home and barely made it out alive. He said looters attacked his business and that it was “utter chaos” for everyone to try and find the basic essentials like water, food and shelter. Another resident, Barrett Procell, said that he and his wife were now homeless and only wearing donated clothes. Mr Procell, however, added that looters right now were not the enemies. “They are in survival mode.” “When your children and are here starving after almost burning to death and the police won’t let people drive in to give you necessities, you may turn to desperate measures. It is unfortunate people are turning to looting right now, but it’s about helping them and not villainising them,” Mr Procell said. The Maui Police said that no official reports of looting have been filed. Amid calls for more support, a tense situation unfolded recently on 11 August after police officers blocked access to a key motorway leading to Lahaina, spurring a clash between the police and nearly 100 residents, according to a report by the Honolulu Star Register newspaper. Police action reportedly prevented individuals from returning to their homes to retrieve salvageable belongings, resulting in a near-riot scenario. Residents have complained of feeling abandoned by local leadership. “It’s just been really interesting to see how, when you have a full truck of a pallet of water or feminine products or whatever, and you’re trying to help people – that you’re being turned away,” Mr Robb said. “And I think there’s a better way to organise that to be done, I just don’t think it’s been done the correct way. I think it comes down to the lack of leadership and the lack of knowledge of how to handle this.” “I think it’s the mayor’s fault,” co-owner of the Dirty Monkey Alen Aivazian told Insider. “If he would’ve asked, they had Marines, Coast Guards sitting there waiting, ready to go, and he didn’t send them over. Why wouldn’t the feds send them over? The mayor didn’t ask and the governor didn’t push. I mean, what the hell are they doing over there? They’re just hanging out at the beach.” Residents said they are foregoing sleep and establishing neighbourhood patrols to ensure mutual safety and secure vital supplies like clean drinking water and medications. Another Maui resident, Kami Irwin, said, “I had to deal with a situation that wasn’t even part of who I am or what I do.” “I had to talk to pilots that got grounded with our medical supplies who were stuck on the Big Island because the Department of Health stopped them from transporting insulin. And we have people all over the island that need insulin.” “We literally have no idea because we are not hearing answers from anybody,” she said. “We are still left without knowing what to do. And we just got word that they stopped all air and ground transportation to drop more supplies to the west side of Lahaina today.” After visiting “ground zero” of the destruction in Lahaina, Hawaii governor Josh Green said it is clear “there is very little left there”. Read More Before and after satellite images show scale of ferocious Hawaii wildfires How to help victims of Hawaii wildfires Hawaii wildfires: A brief history of natural disasters blighting the tropical paradise

Actor Liam Cunningham has revealed he has a personal link to Dracula after starring in vampire movie The Last Voyage of the Demeter - because he lives down the road from the house where Bram Stoker was born

'The Nun 2' viewers have been warned to expect some extremely violent scenes.

Trading in European stocks was muted on Monday as investors weighed signs of trouble in the Chinese property

A grandfather is addicted to Lucozade despite having three heart attacks, and said it's harder to give up than class-A drugs. Garry Johnson, 65, began drinking coffee aged 12 and loved the caffeine buzz. The now-retired painter and decorator took cocaine and amphetamines in his teens, and after 15 years of on-off drug use went “cold turkey” when his son Sam was born in 1992. Keen to stay energised, he took up drinking 380ml bottle bottles of Lucozade Original, and now gets through eight a day. He's had the habit for 29 YEARS and it currently costs him around £150 a month. And at today's prices, his nearly three decade habit would have cost him more than £42,800. He had three heart attacks between 2012 and 2014 because of a hereditary heart condition, and doctors encouraged him to ditch caffeinated drinks. He gave up dairy and every other form of caffeine - but he still necks more than three litres of Lucozade a day. He said Lucozade is proving harder to give up than class-A drugs - because of the "after effect - like that lovely feeling in your mouth after you eat an expensive bit of chocolate." Garry, from Basildon, Essex, said: "I took cocaine every day but it was a piece of cake to give up - but I'd find it really hard to ever give up Lucozade. "I love it - not just the taste but the affect on my body makes me feel great. If I do go two or three hours without one, I fancy one... God knows how I'd be after two days.” He stopped using cocaine aged 30, when his son Sam, now 31, was born and went cold turkey because being a new dad was "stimulant enough". He started drinking Red Bull but found himself with migraines, and eventually moved onto Lucozade. He initially drank six a day, but has had eight a day for the last seven years. Now he goes to Tesco every day and buys one or two four-packs - depending how many bottles he already has stacked up in the fridge ready to drink. "I've always needed some kind of stimulant and eventually I realised Lucozade is perfect for me," he said. "After my heart attacks they told me to quit the energy drinks but I recently had new heart tests and my results are better than they've ever been. "I guess I've just found one that suits my body." But Garry said he doesn't even want to give up because it's a "part of his identity" - like a person's favourite shirt or their daily breakfast. He justifies the cost because he doesn't drink alcohol or smoke. He said: "£5 a day - that's less than a pint of beer today in some places." If you or someone you know is suffering from alcohol addiction, you can confidentially call the national alcohol helpline Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 or visit the NHS website here for information about the programmes available to you. If you or someone you know is suffering from drug addiction, you can seek confidential help and support 24-7 from Frank, by calling 0300 123 6600, texting 82111, sending an email or visiting their website here. SWNS Read More What I gained (and lost) by walking 10,000 steps each day for 5 months Husband ‘ruins’ dinner because of his wife’s typo: ‘The worst kind of control freak’ John Whaite says he ‘spent time apart’ from fiancé after ‘falling in love’ with Strictly pro

Niger’s self-declared military leadership vowed to prosecute deposed President Mohamed Bazoum, even as it said it’s prepared to

A Hong Kong court overturned one of two convictions for seven top democracy activists including media mogul Jimmy

Niger’s mutinous soldiers say they will prosecute deposed President Mohamed Bazoum for “high treason” and undermining state security, hours after they said they were open to dialogue with West African nations to resolve the mounting regional crisis. The announcement on state television on Sunday night, by spokesman Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane, said the military regime had “gathered the necessary evidence to prosecute before competent national and international authorities the ousted president and his local and foreign accomplices for high treason and for undermining the internal and external security of Niger.” Bazoum, Niger’s democratically elected president, was ousted by members of his presidential guard on July 26 and has since been under house arrest with his wife and son in the presidential compound in the capital, Niamey. People close to the president as well as those in his ruling party say their electricity and water have been cut off and they’re running out of food. The junta dismissed these reports Sunday night and accused West African politicians and international partners of fueling a disinformation campaign to discredit the junta. International pressure is growing on the junta to release and reinstate Bazoum. Immediately after the coup, the West African regional bloc ECOWAS gave the regime seven days to return him to power or threatened military force, but that deadline came and went with no action from either side. Last week, ECOWAS ordered the deployment of a “standby” force, but it’s still unclear when or if it would enter the country.

The ruble broke through the psychologically important level of 100 to the dollar for the first time since

Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta Platforms Inc., said it’s “time to move on” from speculation that

Yet another likely criminal indictment is looming over Donald Trump this week, which would deepen his already extreme legal quagmire and further divert an unparalleled election season from the campaign trail into multiple courtrooms.

A controversial lesson on sexual harassment at a middle school in southern China has stirred online debate about victim-blaming, with many criticizing both the school and what they say is an inadequate response from officials.