More than 100,000 people in Southern California have fled their homes to escape wind-fuelled wildfires that are tearing through Los Angeles neighbourhoods, causing at least five deaths.
Overnight, the situation became catastrophic when power was cut to more than 300,000 homes in the LA area. A fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills overnight, causing LA fire chief Kristin Crowley to abruptly leave a media conference she was giving on the unfolding situation.
Parts of Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Mulholland Drive down to Hollywood Boulevard, packed with celebrity homes, are now in the mandatory evacuation zone. Hotel heiress Paris Hilton and comedian Billy Crystal are among the famous residents to have lost their homes, reports said. The nominations announcement for the Academy Awards has been postponed from January 17 to 19, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said.
US President Joe Biden cancelled the final overseas trip of his presidency, hours before he was set to leave for Rome and the Vatican on Thursday.
It’s astounding what’s happening. It’s going to be a hell of a long way [to return to normal]
Joe Biden
"It’s astounding what’s happening," he said after being briefed by CalFire officials at a fire station in Santa Monica. “We’re doing anything and everything and as long as it takes to contain these fires … to make sure you get back to normal. It’s going to be a hell of a long way. It’s going to take time.”
President-elect Donald Trump appeared to blame California Governor Gavin Newsom for the fires in a social media post, claiming he should have approved plans to pump more water through California. Mr Trump said LA was "currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way".
The Palisades Fire, between the affluent beach towns of Santa Monica and Malibu, has burnt about 6,300 hectares. Many multi-million-dollar beachfront homes in Malibu were completely destroyed. Local officials said 1,000 structures homes and other buildings were burnt by the Palisades Fire, making it the most destructive in Los Angeles County's history.
Another large fire near Pasadena, called the Eaton Fire, has burnt through more than 4,200 hectares as of late Wednesday afternoon. It burnt only 800 hectares earlier in the day. The deaths were reported as a result of that blaze. Authorities also reported a “significant number” of injuries.
On Wednesday, LA Mayor Karen Bass said hundreds of firefighters had been working through the night and thanked them for “working tirelessly to respond and protect life and property”. Mr Biden was in LA for an event on Tuesday, which was affected by high winds. He spent Wednesday speaking to Mr Newsom and local officials before his departure.
Mr Newsom said the state received federal assistance to fight fires after he declared a state of emergency on Tuesday. Mr Biden said he ordered the Department of Defence to help.
Ms Bass announced that there are emergency shelters for those who have been evacuated. Two other smaller active fires are active in the Los Angeles area. The origins are currently under investigation.
Vice President Kamala Harris is a native of the coastal US state and called herself a “proud daughter of California”. Her representative said her neighbourhood in Los Angeles was "put under an evacuation order" but "no one was in her home at the time".
“My heart goes out to all those being impacted by the devastating wildfires in Southern California," Ms Harris said. "We are thinking of the families whose homes, businesses and schools remain in harm’s way. I know the damage that wildfires have on our neighbours and communities. I also know that the impact is often felt long after the fire is contained."
Television and film celebrities including Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore and James Woods shared news of fleeing for safety and unease over whether their homes are intact.
The fires began in the region at a time when as forecasters saw an incoming Santa Ana windstorm with sustained winds of 64kph. The region has also not received much rain for months, increasing fire risk. The National Weather Service called it a “life-threatening and destructive windstorm” in its forecast this week. Experts told CNN and AP that wildfire risks, fuelled by the winds, could be sustained through Thursday.
Southern California Edison said power cuts were affecting more than 3.1 million customers because of the wildfires. The regional electricity company's website says another 1.15 million people could be affected.
California's wildfire season usually begins in June and runs until October, making January wildfires quite rare. Conditions intensified by climate change, such as rising temperatures, drought and decreased rainfall, have led to the state's fire season to begin earlier and end later.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE SQUAD
Omar Abdulrahman (Al Hilal), Ali Khaseif, Ali Mabkhout, Salem Rashed, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Zayed Al Ameri, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Khalid Essa, Ahmed Barman, Ryan Yaslam, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmin (Al Wasl), Adel Al Hosani, Ali Hassan Saleh, Majed Suroor (Sharjah), Ahmed Khalil, Walid Abbas, Majed Hassan, Ismail Al Hammadi (Shabab Al Ahli), Hassan Al Muharrami, Fahad Al Dhahani (Bani Yas), Mohammed Al Shaker (Ajman)
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
The five pillars of Islam
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TEAMS
US Team
Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth
Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger
Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler
Kevin Kisner, Patrick Reed
Matt Kuchar, Kevin Chappell
Charley Hoffman*, Phil Mickelson*
International Team
Hideki Matsuyama, Jason Day
Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen
Marc Leishman, Charl Schwartzel
Branden Grace, Si Woo Kim
Jhonattan Vegas, Adam Hadwin
Emiliano Grillo*, Anirban Lahiri*
* denotes captain's picks
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Results
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group 1 (PA) US$75,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Ziyadd, Richard Mullen (jockey), Jean de Roualle (trainer).
7.05pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (Turf) 1,800m
Winner: Barney Roy, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm: Meydan Cup Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,810m
Winner: Secret Advisor, Tadhg O’Shea, Charlie Appleby.
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Plata O Plomo, Carlos Lopez, Susanne Berneklint.
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
9.25pm: Al Shindagha Sprint Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
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The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
WHAT%20MACRO%20FACTORS%20ARE%20IMPACTING%20META%20TECH%20MARKETS%3F
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UAE cricketers abroad
Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.
Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.
Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.
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Genesis G80 2020 5.0-litre Royal Specs
Engine: 5-litre V8
Gearbox: eight-speed automatic
Power: 420hp
Torque: 505Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L/100km
Price: Dh260,500
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
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- Highlands, Scotland
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- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
Zayed Sustainability Prize
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
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Tell Me Who I Am
Director: Ed Perkins
Stars: Alex and Marcus Lewis
Four stars
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What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4.0-litre%2C%20flat%20six-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eseven-speed%20PDK%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E510hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E470Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh634%2C200%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
