Foreign News
Boy survives 100ft Grand Canyon fall after dodging tourist photo
A 13-year-old boy has survived after slipping and falling nearly 100ft (30m) at the Grand Canyon in the US state of Arizona.
It took rescue crews two hours to pull Wyatt Kauffman to safety on Tuesday after falling off a ledge at the popular tourist site’s North Rim. He was flown to hospital with serious injuries but has since been discharged.
Wyatt told a local television station he had fallen while moving out of the way so people could take pictures. He said he had been squatting down and holding onto a rock with one hand when he lost his grip and started to fall back. “After the fall, I don’t remember anything after that,” he told Phoenix television station KPNX while in hospital. “I just remember somewhat waking up and being in the back of an ambulance and a helicopter and getting on a plane and getting here.”
Among his injuries were nine broken vertebrae, a ruptured spleen, broken hand and a collapsed lung.
Dozens of emergency workers were involved in the rescue. Wyatt was pulled to safety by a team from the Grand Canyon National Park, who rappelled down a cliff after deciding a helicopter rescue would not be possible due to the terrain.
“We’re extremely grateful for the work of everyone,” said Wyatt’s father, Brian Kauffman, who was home in North Dakota at the time of the accident. “We’re just lucky we’re bringing our kid home in a car in the front seat instead of in a box.”
Wyatt had been at the Grand Canyon on trip with other members of his family, who told KPNX they intended to take a road trip home to replace the memories of the fall.
(BBC)
Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani, known as Valentino, has died at the age of 93.
One of the giants of 20th Century fashion, Valentino’s creations were worn by celebrities and well-known figures including Elizabeth Taylor, Nancy Reagan, Sharon Stone, Julia Roberts and Gwyneth Paltrow.
He co-founded the Valentino fashion house in 1960 and ranked alongside Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld at the top of the profession.
In a statement posted on Instagram, the Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti Foundation said: “He passed away peacefully in his Roman home, surrounded by the love of his family.”
The foundation said Valentino will be lying in state at Rome’s Piazza Mignanelli between 21 and 22 January.
Valentino’s funeral service will be held the following day at the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels and Martyrs, the foundation said.
Born in Lombardy in May 1932, Valentino was known for his collections that displayed luxury, wealth and opulence.
He moved to Paris to study at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne when he was just 17, and went on to work with designers Jacques Fath, Balenciaga, Jean Dessès and Guy Laroche.
His adoption of his signature colour “Valentino red”, inspired by a trip to Spain, helped elevate the brand to global fame with the debut of the iconic fiesta dress.
It became so meaningful for the house that for Valentino’s last collection in 2008 all the models wore red dresses for the finale.
Valentino designed the wedding dress of Princess Madeleine of Sweden when she married British-American financier Christopher O’Neill in June 2013.
In December 2023, he was honoured with the outstanding achievement award at the British Fashion Awards which were held at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
(BBC)
At least six people have been killed and about 20 injured when a fire tore through a shopping mall in Karachi, Pakistani officials say, as firefighters try to bring the blaze under control.
The fire broke out on Saturday at the Gul Plaza shopping mall, a densely packed commercial complex, and continued to burn for hours. By early Sunday, authorities said crews had managed to control about 30 percent of the fire.
South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza told the Dawn newspaper that the death toll had risen from an initial three to five. The Edhi Foundation, a medical complex, later confirmed a sixth death in a statement.
Rescue officials said the mall contains roughly 1,200 shops, raising fears that people could still be trapped inside. The Edhi Foundation said part of the building collapsed due to the intensity of the fire, complicating rescue efforts.
Garden subdivision police officer Mohsin Raza said initial findings suggested the fire started due to a short circuit in one of the shops before rapidly spreading throughout the complex.
He said the exact cause must be determined through a detailed investigation and warned that the structure needs to be secured to prevent further damage.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed condolences over the loss of life.
In a statement carried by PTV, Sharif ordered authorities to take “all possible measures” to protect lives and property, provide assistance to affected traders and ensure medical care for the injured.
Zardari urged the government of Sindh province, whose capital is Karachi, to offer “immediate and every possible assistance” and said: “No stone should be left unturned in providing the best medical facilities to the injured.”
[Aljazeera]
Chilean President Gabriel Boric has declared a state of catastrophe in two regions where deadly wildfires are raging.
At least 16 people are confirmed dead in the Ñuble and Biobío regions, about 500km (300 miles) south of the capital Santiago. At least 20,000 have been evacuated.
The most dangerous fire has swept through dry forests bordering the coastal city of Concepción. About 250 homes have been destroyed, disaster officials said.
Local media show pictures of charred cars in the streets. Chile has experienced a series of devastating fires in recent years, worsened by long-term drought.
Chile’s forestry agency, Conaf, said firefighters were battling a total of 24 fires across the country on Sunday. The most threatening, it added, were in Ñuble and Biobío.
“In light of the serious ongoing wildfires, I have decided to declare a state of catastrophe” in the two regions, Boric said in a post on X. “All resources are available,” he added.
The fires have affected 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres) in the two regions so far, local media say.
The bulk of the evacuations were carried out in the cities of Penco and Lirquen, just north of Concepción, which have a combined population of 60,000.
Strong winds have fanned the flames amid summer temperatures, endangering communities and hampering firefighting efforts.
Much of Chile is under heat alerts, with temperatures expected to reach 38C between Santiago and Biobío in the next two days.
Two years ago, forest fires killed at least 120 people in the Valparaíso region near Santiago.
[BBC]
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