Author: Himalaya Post

CLEARLAKE OAKS, United States – Two blazes mercilessly charring northern California have grown so rapidly that they became the US state’s largest in recorded history Monday, authorities said. Collectively dubbed the Mendocino Complex, the wildfires have burned through 283,800 acres (114,850 hectares) — an area nearly the size of the sprawling city of Los Angeles — and are just 30 percent contained, according to state fire authority CalFire. Two people have died in the inferno. “Today a higher pressure system brought warmer weather, drying, and strong winds to the region,” CalFire said in an evening update. “Tonight fire crews will try to take advantage of the lower temperatures to increase suppression and hold current containment lines.” It was the second fire to break records in the fire-prone, most populous US state in as many years, following the Thomas Fire in December 2017, which stood at 281,893 acres. Further north in the state, the deadly Carr Fire has scorched more than 164,400 acres of land since July 23, and killed another seven people along the way. Its intensity was so great at one point, that it generated a tornado-like whirl of fire — as well as its own weather system. Authorities say it was triggered by the “mechanical failure of a vehicle” that caused sparks to fly in tinderbox-dry conditions. The fire has razed more than 1,600 buildings, including some...

SEOUL – South Korea is expected to resume a government-led humanitarian assistance program for North Korea, spurred by new related U.N. guidelines, an official said Tuesday. A year earlier, the government decided to provide the impoverished neighbor with $8 million worth of aid materials, such as nutritional products and vaccines through the World Food Program and UNICEF. But the move came to a halt amid increased tensions attributable to the North’s continued provocations. The budgets remain unused. The U.N. Security Council, however, approved a U.S. proposal on facilitating humanitarian assistance for the North reported to be suffering from a drop in food production and a hike in the number of malnourished people. Under the guidelines, endorsed by the panel in New York on Monday (local time), UN and other aid groups will be quickly granted a waiver of exemptions for operations in the North by the council committee that oversees the implementation of sanctions on the regime. “The provision of $8 million is what our government has promised,” the government official said, requesting anonymity. “It’s expected to pick up speed going forward.” The U.N.’s measure will also likely widen the room for Seoul to seek additional humanitarian aid for...

MINSK – Belarusian authorities on Tuesday detained at least three journalists during searches of the offices of two independent news websites over “unauthorised” access to the services of the country’s state news agency. The editors of Tut.by, Maria Zolotova and Anna Kaltygina, as well as BelaPAN journalist Tatiana Korovenkova were detained, the Belarusian Investigative Committee said in a statement. They are accused of “unauthorised access to computer information for reasons of personal gain,” it added. The statement said a criminal case was opened after state news agency BelTA complained of their failure to pay subscription fees. If found guilty, they face up to two years in prison. Tut.by said the editor of its “Society” section Ulyana Boboyed was also detained and added that “several other” employees were interrogated. Authorities said the websites made more than 15,000 “unauthorised connections” to BelTa, without the state news outlet’s “knowledge or consent.” “As a result of the committed crimes, BelTa suffered significant harm” and its “business reputation was harmed,” the Investigative Committee said. In July a Minsk court sentenced independent journalist Dzmitry Halko to four years in prison for allegedly assaulting a police officer. Belarus is ranked 155th out of 180 in this year’s Reporters Without Borders world press freedom index. President Alexander Lukashenko has ruled the ex-Soviet country, which shares borders with three EU member states, with an iron fist since...