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Demonstrators toss a trash bin during an anti-immigration protest, in Rotherham, Britain, August 4, 2024.
Hard Numbers: Far-right unrest in UK, Nikkei plunges, Tragedies & infrastructure woes in China, Hawaii fire settlement reached, al-Qaida affiliates stir trouble in Somalia & Niger, Olympic firsts
90: Police arrested 90 people as anti-immigration, far-right protesters took to the streets of UK cities this weekend, sowing chaos in Hull, Liverpool, Bristol, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent, Blackpool, and Belfast. Racial tensions spiked after the murders of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed party in Southport last week. The suspected killer was falsely rumored to have been a Muslim immigrant (he was, in fact, born in Wales to Rwandan Christian parents). This weekend’s violence and clashes with police led to scores of arrests, and PM Keir Starmer has vowed to tackle the “far-right hatred” sowing unrest on British streets.
12: Japan’s stock market had its worst day in 37 years on Monday, dropping 12% on news of a possible US recession. This followed the Nikkei’s 5.8% drop from Friday and is leading a global stock-market selloff today amid fears that the Federal Reserve may not have responded quickly enough to a slowing US economy by cutting interest rates.
2: Two people were killed in a tunnel collapse in southwestern China on Saturday. The tragedy occurred just two weeks after at least 38 people died after a bridge in northwestern China partially collapsed, plunging vehicles into a river. Two dozen people remain missing from that incident, and both accidents have raised concerns about the country’s infrastructure.
4B: Hawaii Gov. Josh Green’s office has announced that a deal in principle — for just over $4 billion — has been reached to settle roughly 450 legal cases linked to the August 2023 wildfires in the Aloha State. Seven defendants were named in the suit — including the State of Hawaii, County of Maui, Hawaiian Electric, Kamehameha Schools, West Maui Land Co, Hawaiian Telcom, and Spectrum/Charter Communications — over the blazes that destroyed the historic town of Lahaina and killed more than 100 people.
32: Somali authorities say al-Qaida affiliate al-Shabab killed 32 people and injured scores more Friday at a beach hotel in Mogadishu. Another seven people were reportedly killed by a roadside bomb in an attack just outside the capital on Saturday. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared a “total war” on the militants last year, but al-Shabab still controls parts of the country, and Friday’s violence notably followed Somalia’s third phase of a drawdown of peacekeeping troops under the African Union Transition Mission.
2: In a video released on Friday, two men claiming to be Russian nationals say they were taken captive by al-Qaida-linked militants in northeastern Niger. One man called himself Yury and said he was a geologist working for a Russian firm in the region when armed men detained him. This could be the first time jihadis have kidnapped Russians in the Sahel, but outlets have yet to confirm the identities of the men.
3: We’ve seen a lot of great footage from the Summer Games in Paris this past week — everything from Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky racking up their piles of gold to Snoop Dogg’s Greatest Hits (and a swim lesson with Michael Phelps). But three countries have celebrated some impressive Olympic firsts this past week. Julien Alfred won the first-ever Olympic medal for St. Lucia on Saturday, racing to gold in the women’s 100-meter dash. That same day, Thea LaFond did the same for Dominica, nabbing the Caribbean island nation its first medal — and the gold — in the women’s triple jump. And Kaylia Nemour won Algeria its first gold in gymnastics, beating the competition on the uneven bars on Sunday.Aftermath of the fires in Lahaina
Hard numbers: Hawaii protects homeowners, Pakistan mob destroys churches, another migrant tragedy, aliens question humans
129: In Pakistan, 129 people were arrested in eastern Punjab after a mob of more than a thousand Muslims set fire to four churches and desecrated the homes of Christians. The mob, which was incited by claims that two men desecrated the Quran, reflects the rising religious and social tensions that have Pakistan on edge.
60: At least 60 migrants are presumed dead after capsizing off the coast of Cape Verde. Their boat, which left Senegal for Europe on July 10, originally had more than 100 migrants on board. Only 38 were rescued. The number of migrants that have left Senegal this year has surged, with many making dangerous journeys in bids to escape political unrest, violence, climate change, and poor economic prospects.
46/47: Are aliens messing with us? That was the question many had after seeing the question-mark-shaped star formation captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. The photo shows a tightly bound pair of young stars known as Herbig-Haro 46/47, which are being studied by scientists to learn how young stars gather mass over time.
An aerial view of a wildfire in Kihei, Maui County, Hawaii.
Maui fires kill at least 36 people
Hawaii’s wildfires have claimed at least 36 lives. The historic, western coast town of Lahaina has been ripped apart, with 271 buildings destroyed by the blazes. Relatives of people living in the region are worried about missing family members, and thousands remain without power.
The fires broke out Tuesday afternoon, whipping through the island “like a blow torch,” fueled by dry conditions and accelerated by strong winds from Hurricane Dora passing to the south.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green says much of Lahaina “has been destroyed and hundreds of local families have been displaced.” Flights were only able to resume yesterday when the winds eased enough to allow for safe passage. Multiple people on the island jumped into the ocean to escape the flames and smoke.
Meanwhile, the fires are still burning on Maui and on Hawaii's Big Island. The US military has sent in helicopters to assist with firefighting and search and rescue missions. Meanwhile, the Maui Fire Department has requested 20 firefighters be sent in from elsewhere in Hawaii.