SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico: Hurricane Maria caused devastation across Puerto Rico Wednesday as 150 mile-an-hour winds from the island’s worst storm in living memory flooded the capital and sent thousands scurrying to shelters.
After killing at least nine people on a string of small Caribbean islands, Maria slammed into Puerto Rico’s southeast coast at daybreak before churning across a territory which is home to 3.4 million.
As tens of thousands of people hunkered down in shelters in the capital San Juan, Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz broke down in tears as she spoke of the utter devastation she had witnessed.
“Many parts of San Juan are completely flooded,” Yulin Cruz told reporters in one of the shelters whose roof swayed as she spoke.
“Our life as we know it has changed... There is a lot of pain and a lot of devastation.”
Maria made landfall as a Category Four storm on the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale, initially packing winds of a little over 150 mph (240 kph) before easing slightly as it powered toward San Juan.
“The wind sounds like a woman screaming at the top of her lungs!” Mike Theiss wrote on Twitter, sheltering in a safe room in the eye of the storm.
“We are getting absolutely hammered right now.”
Imy Rigau, who was riding out the storm in her apartment in San Juan, said water had “cascaded” through her ceiling.
“We are taking refuge in the hallway as there is about a foot of water in my apartment,” she told AFP.
“I boarded up the windows but with all of this, it seems they are going to be blown away. One of them was smashed up, so we are here in the hallway where there are no windows.”
Many of the most vulnerable of Puerto Rico’s residents took cover in the 500 shelters set up around the island, with officials warning of life-threatening floods.
“As we anticipated, this is the most devastating storm in a century or in modern history,” Puerto Rico governor Ricardo Rossello said on CNN as he warned of the danger of flooding and mudslides.
Puerto Rico’s most catastrophic hurricane was back in 1928 when Hurricane Okeechobee — also known as San Felipe Segundo — killed 300 people.
Although engineers had managed to restore power to most of the island after the recent Hurricane Irma, Maria caused a new black-out across the island.
Brock Long, who heads the US federal government’s emergency agency FEMA, warned it could take days for power to be restored on Puerto Rico and the smaller US Virgin Islands which have also been badly hit by Maria.
“Because of the nature of the geography of the islands, it’s a logistical challenge so it will be a frustrating event to get the power back on,” said Long.
The US and British Virgin Islands — still struggling to recover from the devastation of Irma — are also on alert, along with the Turks and Caicos Islands and parts of the Dominican Republic.
Maria has already torn through several Caribbean islands, leaving at least seven people dead on the island of Dominica.
Communications to Dominica have been largely cut, and its airports and ports have been closed.
But an adviser to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, who spoke to the premier by satellite phone, painted a picture of devastation on an island that is home to around 73,000 people.
“It’s difficult to determine the level of fatalities but so far seven are confirmed, as a direct result of the hurricane,” Hartley Henry said in a statement.
Reports from rural communities spoke of a “total destruction of homes, some roadways and crops,” added Henry.
“The country is in a daze — no electricity, no running water — as a result of uprooted pipes in most communities and definitely no landline or cellphone services on island, and that will be for quite a while.”
In the French territory of Guadeloupe, one person was killed by a falling tree as Maria hit, while another died on the seafront.
At least two more are missing after their boat sank off the French territory, while some 40 percent of households were without power.
In the US Virgin Islands, locals reported horizontal rain and trees swirling in the wind.
“Very violent and intense right now as we have just begun to experience hurricane force winds,” said 31-year-old Coral Megahy, hunkered down on St. Croix island.
There had been fears that Maria could wreak fresh havoc on islands that were already flattened by Category Five hurricane Irma earlier in the month.
Reports suggested St. Martin, a French-Dutch island that was among the most severely hit by Irma with 14 dead, had escaped the worst this time around.
Britain, France and the Netherlands had boosted resources in their Caribbean territories ahead of Maria, after heavy criticism of poor preparations for Irma.
All three European countries have increased their troop deployments to the region after complaints of looting and lawlessness after Irma.
’Storm of the century’ Maria pummels Puerto Rico
’Storm of the century’ Maria pummels Puerto Rico
Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief sends supplies to Yemeni schools
RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has distributed supplies to educational facilities in Yemen, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
KSrelief’s support included chairs, computers and office furniture for 10 literacy schools and nine centers for people with disabilities in Yemen’s Hadhramaut governorate.
The project aims to provide quality and sustainable educational opportunities for communities in the governorates of Aden, Hadhramaut, Dhale, Lahj, Shabwa and Al-Mahra.
A total of 9,747 people will benefit from the initiative, including 6,527 people with special needs, 2,389 illiterate students, and 831 staff at the targeted centers and schools.
The initiative is a part of ongoing projects provided by Saudi Arabia through KSrelief to address the challenges facing Yemeni educational institutions that are providing literacy programs and support for children with disabilities.
Separately, KSrelief hosted an event at Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp for Syrians to mark International Day of Education, which included various competitions and drawing exercises.
The initiative is a part of KSrelief’s educational awareness programs in the camp.
The Year of the Snake is underway with the Lunar New Year in Asia and around the world
- The holiday is a major festival celebrated by diaspora communities around the world
- The snake is one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac and follows the just-ended Year of the Dragon
BEIJING: Lunar New Year festivals and prayers marked the start of the Year of the Snake around Asia and farther afield on Wednesday — including in Moscow.
Hundreds of people lined up in the hours before midnight at the Wong Tai Sin Taoist temple in Hong Kong in a bid to be among the first to put incense sticks in the stands in front of the temple’s main hall.
“I wish my family will be blessed. I hope my business will run well. I pray for my country and wish people peace. I hope this coming year is a better year,” said Ming So, who visits the temple annually on the eve of the Lunar New Year.
The holiday — known as the Spring Festival in China, Tet in Vietnam and Seollal in Korea — is a major festival celebrated by diaspora communities around the world. The snake, one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, follows the just-ended Year of the Dragon.
The pop-pop-pop of firecrackers greeted the new year outside Guan Di temple in Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, followed by lion dances to the rhythmic beat of drums and small cymbals.
Ethnic Chinese holding incense sticks in front of them bowed several times inside the temple before sticking the incense into elaborate gold-colored pots, the smoke rising from the burning tips.
Many Chinese who work in bigger cities return home during the eight-day national holiday in what is described as the world’s biggest annual movement of humanity. Beijing, China’s capital, has turned into a bit of a ghost town, with many shops closed and normally crowded roads and subways emptied out.
Traditionally, Chinese have a family dinner at home on New Year’s Eve and visit “temple fairs” on the Lunar New Year to watch performances and buy snacks, toys and other trinkets from booths.
Many Chinese take advantage of the extended holiday to travel both in the country and abroad. Ctrip, an online booking agency that operates Trip.com, said the most popular overseas destinations this year are Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, the United States, South Korea, Macao and Vietnam.
Russians cheered, waved and took smartphone photos of a colorful procession with drummers, costumed dancers and large dragon and snake figures held aloft that kicked off a 10-day Lunar New Year festival in Moscow on Tuesday night.
The Chinese and Russian governments have deepened ties since 2022, in part to push back against what they see as US dominance of the world order.
Visitors shouted “Happy New Year” in Russian and expressed delight at being able to experience Chinese food and culture in Moscow, including folk performances and booths selling snacks and artwork.
KSrelief continues aid work across Middle East
- The initiative is part of Saudi Arabia's projects aimed at ensuring food security
RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has continued to provide support for vulnerable communities across the Middle East, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
Food was sent to 187 families in Yemen’s Al-Dhale governorate, benefiting 1,309 people.
In Syria’s Al-Rastan city aid was sent to 48 families, benefitting 255 people, including bags of flour, winter kits, and personal care items.
The Kingdom also sent 125 tonnes of dates to Jordan, for distribution across various provinces and regions, starting from the Al-Qastal area south of the capital, Amman.
The aid was presented by Saudi Ambassador to Jordan Naif bin Bandar Al-Sudairi to Chief of the Royal Hashemite Court Yousef Issawi.
And 800 cartons of dates were delivered to families in Sudan’s Wad Madani locality of Gezira state, benefiting 5,111 people.
Passenger plane catches fire at South Korean airport. All 176 people on board are evacuated
- A passenger plane has caught fire before takeoff at an airport in South Korea, but all 176 people on board have been safely evacuated
- The National Fire Agency says that three people suffered minor injuries, likely bruises, during the evacuation
SEOUL: A passenger plane caught fire before takeoff at an airport in South Korea late Tuesday, but all 176 people on board were safely evacuated, authorities said.
The Airbus plane operated by South Korean airline Air Busan was preparing to leave for Hong Kong when its rear parts caught fire at Gimhae International Airport in the southeast, the Transport Ministry said in a statement.
The plane’s 169 passengers, six crewmembers and one engineer were evacuated using an escape slide, the ministry said.
The National Fire Agency said in a release that three people suffered minor injuries during the evacuation. The fire agency said the fire was completely put out at 11:31 p.m., about one hour after it deployed firefighters and fire trucks at the scene.
The cause of the fire wasn’t immediately known. The Transport Ministry said the plane is an A321 model.
Tuesday’s incident came a month after a Jeju Air passenger plane crashed at Muan International Airport in southern South Korea, killing all but two of the 181 people on board. It was one of the deadliest disasters in South Korea’s aviation history.
The Boeing 737-800 skidded off the airport’s runaway on Dec. 29 after its landing gear failed to deploy, slamming into a concrete structure and bursting into flames. The flight was returning from Bangkok and all of the victims were South Koreans except for two Thai nationals.
The first report on the crash released Monday said authorities have confirmed traces of bird strikes in the plane’s engines, though officials haven’t determined the cause of the accident.
North Korean leader Kim inspects nuclear facility as Pyongyang pressures Trump administration
- The visit comes as North Korea ramps up pressure on the US following the inauguration of US President Donald Trump earlier this month
- Kim’s moves suggest a continued emphasis on an expansion of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal
SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inspected a facility that produces nuclear material and called for bolstering the country’s nuclear capability, state media reported Wednesday, as the North looks to increase pressure on the United States following the inauguration of US President Donald Trump.
Kim’s visit suggests a continued emphasis on an expansion of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, though Trump has said he’s willing to talk to Kim again to revive diplomacy. Many analysts view North Korean weapons moves as part of a strategy to win diplomatic talks with Washington that could result in aid and political concessions.
The official Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim visited the nuclear-material production base and the Nuclear Weapons Institute. It didn’t say where those facilities are located, but North Korean photos of Kim’s visit indicated that he likely visited a uranium-enrichment facility that he went to last September. That visit was North Korea’s first disclosure of a uranium-enrichment facility since it showed one to visiting American scholars in 2010.
During the latest visit, Kim praised scientists and others for “producing weapons-grade nuclear materials and in strengthening the nuclear shield of the country.”
On Sunday, North Korea said it tested a cruise missile system, its third known weapons display this year, and vowed “the toughest” response to what it called the escalation of US-South Korean military drills.
North Korea views US military training with South Korea as invasion rehearsals, though Washington and Seoul have repeatedly said their drills are defensive in nature. In recent years, the United States and South Korea have expanded their military exercises in response to North Korea’s advancing nuclear program.
The start of Trump’s second term raises prospects for the revival of diplomacy between the United States and North Korea, as Trump met Kim three times during his first term. The Trump-Kim diplomacy in 2018-19 fell apart due to wrangling over US-led economic sanctions on North Korea.
During a Fox News interview broadcast Thursday, Trump called Kim “a smart guy” and “not a religious zealot.” Asked whether he will reach out to Kim again, Trump replied, “I will, yeah.”
Many experts say Kim likely thinks he has greater bargaining power than in his earlier round of diplomacy with Trump because of his country’s enlarged nuclear arsenal and deepening military ties with Russia.
