California gets more rain and snow, but dry days are ahead
More rain and snow fell during the weekend in storm-battered California, making travel dangerous and prompting new evacuation orders over flooding concerns along a swollen river near Sacramento. Bands of thunderstorms with gusty winds started Saturday in the north and spread south, with yet another atmospheric river storm following close behind Sunday. Up to two inches of rain were predicted for the saturated Sacramento Valley, where residents of semi-rural Wilton were ordered to evacuate as the Cosumnes River continued to rise. Another two feet of snow was expected in the Sierra Nevada. Dry days are in this week’s forecast for California starting Tuesday.
New Jersey home explodes with firefighters inside
Authorities say a New Jersey house where smoke had been reported exploded with volunteer firefighters inside, injuring five and sending two to a hospital for treatment of burns. The Pompton Lakes Volunteer Fire Department in Passaic County said on its Facebook page that crews were dispatched at about 2:15 a.m. Saturday and were using a thermal imaging camera when “the home literally exploded.” All were able to get out on their own. Two were sent to a hospital where they were treated for burns and released. Three others were treated for minor injuries at the scene. A state fire marshal and Public Service Electric &Gas are investigating.
WHO appeals to China to release more COVID-19 info
The World Health Organization has appealed to China to keep releasing information about its wave of COVID-19 infections. That comes after the government announced nearly 60,000 virus-related deaths since early December following weeks of complaints it was failing to tell the world what was happening. The announcement gave the first official numbers since the ruling Communist Party abruptly dropped anti-virus restrictions despite a surge in infections that flooded hospitals. A WHO statement says the information “allows for a better understanding” of the epidemic. The agency also asked China to continue sharing this type of detained information.
South Korean president travels to UAE, seeks arms sales
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has received an honor guard welcome on a trip to the United Arab Emirates. The UAE is where Seoul hopes to expand its military sales while finishing its construction of the Arabian Peninsula’s first nuclear power plant. Yoon’s visit, which began Saturday, comes as South Korea conducts business deals worth billions of dollars and stations special forces troops to defend the UAE, an arrangement that drew criticism under his liberal predecessor. Now, however, it appears the conservative leader wants to double down on those military links even as tensions with neighboring Iran already has seen Tehran seize a South Korean oil tanker in recent years.
Miss USA winds Miss Universe Competition
R’Bonney Gabriel, a fashion designer, model and sewing instructor from Texas, has been crowned Miss Universe. The 71st Miss Universe Competition was held Saturday night in New Orleans. At the moment of the dramatic reveal of the winner, Gabriel closed her eyes and clasped hands with runner-up Miss Venezuela, Amanda Dudamel. She beamed when her name was announced. Thumping music rang out, and Gabriel was handed a bouquet of flowers and crowned with a tiara. Competition representatives say Gabriel is the first Filipino American to win Miss USA. Rights to the pageant once partly owned by former President Donald Trump were bought last year by a Thai business tycoon and transgender activist for $20 million.
Clearance of German hamlet for mine said to be near-complete
Police say that a village in western Germany that is due to be demolished to allow the expansion of a coal mine has been cleared of activists, apart from a pair who remain holed up in a tunnel. The operation to evict climate activists who were holed up in the hamlet of Luetzerath kicked off on Wednesday morning and progressed steadily over the following days. Police cleared people out of farm buildings, the few remaining houses and a few dozen makeshift constructions such as tree houses. On Saturday, thousands of people demonstrated nearby against the eviction and the planned expansion of the Garzweiler coal mine. There were standoffs with police as some protesters tried to reach the village and the mine.
Ukraine building suffers deadliest civilian attack in months
The death toll from a Russian missile strike on an apartment building in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro has risen to 29, according to the regional governor. Emergency crews that worked through the frigid night scrambled on Sunday to pull survivors from the rubble of the wrecked multi-story building. The deaths reported there were the most civilians killed in one place since a Sept. 30 strike in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region. Russia also targeted the capital, Kyiv, and the northeastern city of Kharkiv on Saturday, ending a two-week lull in the widespread airstrikes it has launched since October. Russia on Sunday acknowledged the missile strikes but didn’t mention the Dnipro apartment building.
By wire sources