Headline

Hawaii Wildfire: Catholic Church Building Untouched As Death Toll Hits 80

Published

9 months ago

August 12, 2023

Editor

The death toll from wildfires that destroyed swathes of Hawaii this week has risen to 80. No fewer than 1,418 people were at emergency evacuation shelters. But a Catholic Church building sits untouched.

The Maria Lanakila Catholic Church was seemingly unscathed. It stands looming over the ashes of Waine’e Street, a small fire burning in front of it like some kind of perverse Eternal Flame.

The stone walls of the historic Hale Pa’ahao prison still stood. But the wooden building that was used to punish unruly sailors was no more — 170 years of history wiped out.

Blocks away, Front Street, where restaurants had jostled with clothing stores for a view of the ocean, was all but gone.

Boats that had been moored in the harbour days earlier were blackened, melted or sunk.

Among the ruins, the huge banyan tree still stood upright. It branches are now denuded of green and its sooty trunk transformed into an awkward skeleton.

The tree has dominated Lahaina for 150 years. It watched over an island that was an independent monarchy, then a US territory, and finally a full US state.

But the city it once guarded is now gone.

Resident mourns

When a resident, Anthony La Puente made it back to the place he had called home for the last 16 years, there was almost nothing left.

His house, like most in Lahaina, had been razed by the wildfire that swept through this slice of Hawaiian paradise.

“The only thing I can say is that it hurts. It takes a toll on you emotionally,” the 44-year old said.

“It sucks not being able to find the things you grew up with, or the things you remember.”

La Puente was one of dozens of people who were allowed back into what used to be Lahaina on Friday.

The 12,000-strong town, which has stood on the island of Maui for hundreds of years, was once the proud home of the Hawaiian royal family.

Thousands of tourists visit every year to soak up the atmosphere.They wander along the scenic harbor front, and to idle under a majestic banyan tree reputed to be the oldest in the United States. AFP

Headline

Mother Throws Disabled 6-year-old Son Into Crocodile Infested River [PHOTOS]

Published

13 hours ago

May 7, 2024

Editor

A mother has thrown her disabled six-year-old son into a crocodile-infested river where he has reportedly been mauled to death by reptiles.

Savitri Kumar, 26, from Uttara Kannada, a district in Karnataka, India, had a heated argument with the boy’s father, Ravi Kumar, 27, who repeatedly ordered her to “throw the child away,” the Times of India reports.

Police say her husband allegedly questioned her decision to give birth to a child with a disability.

When the parents fought about their son again on Saturday evening, May 4, Savitri was “distressed” and reportedly threw her son into a waste canal that flows into the Kali river, which is infested with crocodiles.

Father of the son

Neighbours who witnessed this called the police, who deployed divers to search for the boy in the water, but to no avail, as it was dark.

They returned on Sunday morning, May 5, and found the child’s body, which showed bite marks all over.

The boy suffered severe injuries and was missing a hand, which a police officer suggested indicated that the boy was mauled to death by one or more crocodiles.

A post mortem has been ordered to determine the six-year-old’s cause of death.

The couple also has another son aged two and is said to frequently fight about their older son’s speech impediment.

Officers have launched an investigation into the incident.

A police officer told local media that it was a “murder” case and that both the husband and wife have been arrested.

Headline

‘Shame On You’- Ugandan Senator Knocked For Showing Off Wooden Bridge He Constructed

Published

14 hours ago

May 7, 2024

Editor

A Ugandan Senator took to X to proudly show off the bridge he repaired for his constituents.

“People in Ndorwa East can now use the Rubira bridge which I recently repaired,” Hon. Protazio Begumisa, the MP Ndorwa East wrote on X as he proudly posed on a wooden bridge.

Read reactions below:

Headline

[ICYMI]Living-in-China: Meet Half-Nigerian, Half-Chinese Youth Who Speaks Igbo, English, Chinese Fluently [VIDEO]

Published

1 day ago

May 7, 2024

Editor

L-R: Emmanuel Chibike, and Real Mc Ezegetive Comedy

A half-Nigerian and half-Chinese man, Emmanuel Chibike, has left social media users in awe with his ability to speak Igbo, English, and Chinese fluently.

The discovery was made by content creator and social media influencer known as Real Mc Ezegetive Comedy during his visit to an estate in China.

“If you look around, you’ll see that I’m in an estate in China. I met our brother, and as I was looking at him, I was wondering if he was Chinese,” Real Mc Ezegetive Comedy said in a video interview posted on Monday.

“I noticed that as I was speaking (in Igbo language), he was laughing, and I was wondering if he could understand what I was speaking,” he added.

It was then that the comedian learned of Chibike’s unique background.

“After discussions with him, he explained who he was to me. Apparently, his father, who is from Ozubulu (a town in Anambra State), came to China and married a Chinese woman,” he explained.

Chibike’s ability to effortlessly switch between the three languages left a lasting impression on the influencer. “This boy here, he can speak English, Chinese, and Igbo languages,” he marvelled.

In the video, Chibike showcased his multilingual skills by introducing himself in English, Chinese, and then Igbo.

His fluency in all three languages show his knowledge of his cultural heritage.

Real Mc Ezegetive Comedy seized the opportunity to encourage Igbo parents to teach their children their native language.

“It is quite shameful that some Igbo children based in Igbo land can’t speak their native language,” he lamented, emphasising the importance of preserving linguistic and cultural identities.

Watch the video below courtesy The PUNCH:

𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐢𝐧-𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚: 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐟-𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧, 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐟-𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬 𝐈𝐠𝐛𝐨, 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡, 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲https://t.co/a0iM56ZKoL pic.twitter.com/gXCDUpObjZ
— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) May 6, 2024
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