Im Katrina Perry in washington, this is bbc world news america. Dozens are dead and several missing as the wildfires in hawaii ray john rage on. New developments in iran as five americans are moved from prison to house arrest in what is being called an encouraging step. Ukraine is putting up a new test against russias blockades in the black sea. Hello and welcome to world news america. We begin with an ongoing tragedy in hawaii. At least 36 people have died in wildfires. Two more are missing. Some images of lahaina, which has borne the brunt of the fires. It is a popular tourist town of about 5000 residents. Large parts have burned to the ground. U. S. Soldiers joined search and Recovery Efforts has massive evacuations take place on the island. Visitors are being taken to the nearby airport. Residents are being sent to shelters. People on the island think more still needs to be done. Years to fix. This is not even the worst of it. Still got dead bodies in the water floating and on the seawall. They have been sitting there since last night. We have been pulling people out last night. Trying to save lives. I feel like we are not getting the help we need. President biden spoke to the hawaiian governor about the devastation earlier and made this announcement. We have just approved a major disaster declaration for hawaii, which will get aid in the hands of people who desperately need to help him out. Anyone who has lost a loved one, whose home has been damaged or destroyed, will get help immediately. Ive directed that we search support to the brave firefighters and First Responders and Emergency Personnel working around the clock, risking their lives. We want to also show some before and after pictures showing the extent of the damage. Entire neighborhoods and hotels have been demolished. The 270 buildings have been destroyed. Due to the strong winds, aircraft have only recently been allowed to fly over. The flames destroyed most of the buildings in front of the porch, including the courthouse. Earlier, i spoke to the director of the department of Business Economic development, and tourism in hawaii. Thank you for joining us. If i can begin by asking you to describe what the situation is like where you are at the moment . As you have seen photos of what has happened on west maui, especially in lahaina, it is devastating for the local families and businesses, people that are there. Weve had many natural disasters, many hurricanes that have gone through hawaii. You can never prepare for Something Like this. The winds were so high. As of yesterday, weve had 11,000 people who left maui on airplanes trying to either get back home to where they came from, or to change their trip from maui to hawaii island, oahu, or kawai. We understand people are going to lanai, a close shot from maui. Im understanding the hotel on maui still has room, so they are going back and forth there. The key thing is all the west maui is devastated, hawaii is still open. It has availability. Some people who may have been going to maui to stay at these resorts, we are hoping that they find other accommodations and continue their trip into hawaii. We want to make sure that your station and across the world people know that although devastating what happened on west maui, kawai is still open. We just want to get that message out for sure. Maui counts for about one third of the tourism spent for the whole state of hawaii. Notwithstanding what you are saying about hawaii being open for business, what is the longterm Economic Impact likely to be beside from the human cost . We are still assessing that. It is going to take a while. What is going to happen is we experienced it during the hurricane. A good portion of the economy on maui has been lost. Now what is going to happen is Insurance Companies and adjusters are going to the island contractors, all of these different agencies are going to the island to do their assessments. They will need places to stay. What is also devastating is many people lost their homes, local people lost their homes. We already had a housing shortage. This did not help at all, it made it a lot worse. To try and figure out what the economy is going to be like will take a little while. It is not going to be a shortterm fix, it will take years, if not, at least a decade, to get things to have some normalcy. In west maui, especially the lahaina area. What will you need to do that . We are going to need the help of everyone. The federal government, President Biden signed an emergency proclamation, governor green is on maui right now, doing this. Met with the general and his team. We are going to need as much information and support as we can. Avoiding hawaii or people across the world is not going to help. People who are listening, we ask you to consider if you were going to maui, consider going to kawai, oh wahoo. We have one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, waikiki. We hope from the tourism standpoint that people continue coming to hawaii. That is what it will take to keep business and the Tourism Industry vibrant in hawaii. You mentioned a number of local people lost their homes during the Convention Center in honolulu preparing to house people. How prepared are you to take care of your own citizens in the state there . We are very prepared. Although the Convention Center was set up to take displaced visitors, we are also taking displaced local people. Many of them right now, understandably so, want to stay near their homes. Some were not able to get back to their homes. Some know that their homes were burned down to the ground. Im sure it is very emotional and tragic and they will want to stay close to their properties. At some point, they will need a place to stay. We have this emergency set up here at the Convention Center. The people that have come or we have left them, because we thought it was a hot gym, it is a beautiful facility. We are set up, feeding them, we have cots. And we also have cots for the local people who lost their home. I know you are busy with this crisis and we appreciate you sparing your time. Thank you for joining us. Thank you for helping us get the message out about our situation in hawaii. Thank you very much. Turning to another developing story. The u. S. And iran reported to have reached an agreement between five americans in exchange for five jailed iranians. There are reports it would lead to 6 billion in iranian assets being unfrozen. On thursday, iran moved five americans out of the notorious prison to house arrest. The first step in the alleged deal. Sources tell the bbc the five americans will be released once irans assets, now in a restricted account, are deposited in qatars central bank. The american prisoners involved in the agreement include who has been held in iran for nearly eight years, a washington, d. C. Resident, and a u. S. And u. K. National. Two others wish to remain anonymous. Just before coming on air, i spoke to our chief international correspondent. Thank you for joining us. What do we know about the hostages who have been moved from prison to house arrest . The hostages is how the families of these five americans who have been imprisoned in irans notorious prison americans would say they have wrongly been detained. Iran does not describe them in that way. What we do know, it has not been confirmed in official statements, but sources have told us after two years of negotiations through third parties, the americans and iranians have reached a deal. Five iranian Americans Exchange for five iranians imprisoned on charges of evading sanctions in the united states. And in addition, access to 6 billion in iranian assets in south korea, which we transferred to an account in qatar to be used for humanitarian purposes. 55, as well as frozen iranian assets. It will take a long time to but the first step was taken with the transfer of five iranian americans from evin prison to house arrest, which means a hotel. Believe in the iranian capital. Under guard until that money reaches, goes through south korea, and is deposited into an account in the central bank of qatar. Some of the detainees have been there for many years. Do we know why now all of a sudden the deal has taken place . Some would say why has it taken so long . Take the case of he has been detained for nearly eight years. He went on a business trip to iran, was detained, accused of having relations with a hostile country. In other words, the united states. When his father went the next year to try and get him out of prison, he was detained. A very elderly man. He was only released last year. That is one of the families waiting, hoping against hope that their loved ones will soon come home. They have been expecting this to happen for some time. The deal was almost clenched earlier this year. Then it fell apart. Some of the prisoners he extraordinarily did an interview from prison with cnn. It has taken a long time. Because the iranians and americans dont have diplomatic relations, that made it more difficult. They needed third parties. It has involved qataris, omanis, and the swiss. Thank you for joining us. I spoke to the former u. S. National security on the developments in iran shortly after the news broke. Thanks for joining us. If we can start by getting your reaction to a story that has just been breaking. The news 5 american prisoners have been moved from prison to house arrest. The white house says negotiations for their eventual full release are ongoing and delicate. Not all of their identities have been released. Those that we do know, some of them would have been in detention. The nester and tell us what may have been going on behind the scenes. We are happy to get americans release, they never should have been detained by iranian authorities. Civilized nations dont do that. We dont know much about what the terms of the release are. I think that is potentially troubling. At least some reports indicate an exchange for the release of five americans, the ultimate result the u. S. Will unfreeze 6 billion of iranian funds, which would put the price per american at 1. 2 billion. That is part of the problem with exchanging unfairly kept hostages for assets for other criminals we have arrested, terrorists, for money. Nobody is unhappy people are being released to never should have been held. When you put a price on their heads to get them out, you are also putting a price on the heads of other americans. I think that is a legitimate concern. The New York Times is reporting the International Crisis group who is familiar says that money will be used for humanitarian purposes. Is it fair to make that sort of deal . That is a preposterous statement. Number one, money is fungible. To say it will only be applied for humanitarian goods, lets say inside iran, freeze the iranian government responsibility to do that, which it is, spend 5 billion on their nuclear program. How does one keep control of this type of situation . As you began by saying you want to see these american prisoners freed from detention. I think you have to keep in mind the larger american interests. Over 320 million americans. They travel overseas, they can be detained illegally, unlawfully by a rogue state or terrorist group. Are we going to have to pay 1. 2 billion to get all of them out . It is not a happy situation. Not for the families of the hostages. I understand that. I met with hostage families myself. I know what they go through. We have to think about them and the americans who can be captured in the future by people even less scrupulous than the government of. Iran. What should be done to guarantee their full release as soon as possible . The u. S. Should make it clear to iran or any rogue state or terrorist group, in a sense, the government of iran, that we dont accept this. And they dont get any participation in the community nations until they stop behaving like barbarians. If we can turn to the war in ukraine, conflict on Research Investigators say russia is replicating iranian drones used to attack ukraine. How should the u. S. And russia respond . I think irans participation in the war at all on russias side showing what kind of regime we are dealing with. That is another reason to exclude them from the community nations. Russia is already doing that to itself. Iranian assistance to the russians in this conflict is another reason to keep the pressure on both governments to stop their unacceptable behavior. We have seen attacks on both sides. Are you concerned about the pace of the counteroffensive . I think we would all like to see the pace improve. What worries me more is even if gridlock on the battlefield continues, what im really worried about is a russian diplomatic offensive in the fall when they say the war has gone on for a year and a half, lets call a ceasefire and have negotiations. Because russian success in this war has been limited, and putin may try and stanch the hemorrhaging he has experienced. Im very afraid in europe and the u. S. That there are people who will say lets have a ceasefire and negotiate. That will freeze a new russian border that unlike the situation in 2014, wont control 10 of ukraine. It will control 20 of ukraine. What should the International Community be doing then . We saw peace talks, russia was not invited to those. I dont think there was any willingness on either side to negotiate this point. I think the talks were helpful so the government of ukraine can get the position out to countries around the world that for their own good reasons, were not familiar with the nature of the russian attack, conduct of the war, and what is at stake. That was a good thing to do. I think ukraine wants to be in a stronger position before it except negotiations. I agree with it. We set our objective as a full restoration of ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity. We have to show we mean what we say. Looking at the blockade in the black sea and the grain deal is not in place anymore, a lot of food exports, millions depending on the food exports, what do you think should be done to try and stop that blockade and get the exports flowing again . I think last year, if not before, nato should have considered escorting the ships, the grain ships, from odessa and other ukrainian ports until they go through and get into the mediterranean. I think the russians would not attack nato ships. We are not threatening the russians by that kind of escort. This is the kind of timidity that has encouraged putin to think there is weakness in the west he could exploit. What do you think can be done . If there were nato escorts, we had done this before, the u. S. Escorted tinkers out of the persian gulf in the 1990s. I think we could do the same. The ships are not ukrainian warships. They are civilian cargo ships of many nationalities carrying humanitarian cargo. We just moved to other news developing today in a court in florida. Lawyers for the former president , donald trump, entered not guilty pleas to further charges relating to the allegations he was keeping classified documents at his property. What do you make of the latest charges . They strengthen the main case of the classified documents issue. I dont think the add much to the case. It is more evidence of trumps obstruction of justice, convincing evidence. The main issue is the timing of the trial and people speculating trumps lawyers will ask for a big delay until after the election. One new defended and three new charges against trump do not change the fundamentals of the case. It is a marginal addon. There is no reason to change the trial date. Dont know what the judge will do. We will have to leave it there for the moment. Thank you for joining us. Ukraine announced a humanitarian corridor in the black sea on thursday to release ships trapped in its ports. The newest test of russias blockade since moscow abandoned a deal last month to let kyiv export grain. Our ukraine correspondent has more. You wonder what the ukrainian tactic is. Since russias withdrawal last month, it has resumed blockading the ukrainian that it does not control. Not only that, it has been bombarding them with missile strikes. We have this announcement from the Ukrainian Navy that it is looking to establish a humanitarian corridor through the black sea. It is saying it is going to be open for vessels, commercial vessels, passenger ships trapped on the ukrainian coastline since the fullscale invasion last year. As things stand, these are just words without any obvious acknowledgment or agreement for russia. Because the naval fleet is still the dominant force in the black sea. We dont know how the ships could potentially make their move. Ukraine is saying they will be fitted with mounted cameras which will stream their paths as a demonstration that is humanitarian with no military focus. What it means in practice is interesting. Ukraine submitted this formally to the International Maritime organization. They also have to convince the International Shipping companies, the insurers, that it is a safe path. Not least, the russian navy itself. There are a lot of unanswered questions. I suspect this is a political, possibly a pr move to make the point russia is continuing to blockade ports. New details emerging on the investigation into the assassination of the ecuadorian president ial candidate. We have learned six people are under arrest and another suspect is dead. He was shot dead while leaving a Campaign Event on wednesday. He was a vocal critic of corruption and one of the few candidates to alleged links between organized crime and government officials in ecuador. All of the people arrested in connection to the killing are colombian nationals. Another suspect died after a shootout with police. The countrys president declared three days of National Mourning and said the president ial election will go forward as planned on august 20. Just two weeks after a coup in niger, leaders of the west African Regional block ecowas, ordered activation of its force to use against the junta. Leaders reiterating their condemnation for the coup and continued detention of mohammed by zoom. They called on the African Union to support ecowas in its efforts to restore democracy. The u. S. And un said they are concerned about the health and safety of the president. We still recognize president bazoum as the elected, democratically elected president of niger. And the conditions he is being held in right now are unacceptable. And we have called for his release, along with the secretarygeneral, as well as members of ecowas, who i understand will be meeting today on the situation. Before we go, and out of this world story. Galactic took three passengers to the edge of space for the first time. This mission represented a lot of firsts. Including the first motherdaughter duo to go to space, and the companys first paying customer who bought his ticket 18 years ago. The aircraft landed back to earth an hour later, where the crew was greeted with applause. Remember, narrator funding for this presentation of this program is provided by. Narrator Financial Services firm, raymond james. Narrator funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. And by judy and Peter Blum Kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for americas neglected needs. Introducing a technological achievement so advanced. It rivals the moon landing. Wow ok. Rude. Thats one small step for man. One giant leap for mankind. Amna good evening. Im amna nawaz. Geoff bennett is away. On the newshour tonight, dozens are killed and hundreds of buildings are destroyed as crews continue to battle the raging wildfires in hawaii. Iran moves several detained americans from prison to house arrest, a step toward potential release, in exchange for oil assets being unfrozen. And the family of a detained afghan engineer and american citizen speaks out about his unjustified incarceration by the taliban. He could live anywhere, but he preferred to live there to work for his country and to work for the future of afghanistan