Overcrowding. And spacecraft will search for water on the moon. To our viewers watching on pbs in the United States and around the world, welcome. In hawaii, records show no warning sirens were sounded before people began running for their lives, trying to get away from a wildflower. At least 55 people have been killed and many more missing off the island of maui. The governor of the state says the fires of the worst Natural Disaster ever in the history of hawaii. A coastal town on maui has been razed to the ground. Some are questioning whether the authorities did enough to warn people of the danger. Reporter this historic hawaiian town reduced to smoldering rubble almost overnight. As firefighters worked to exterior celeste of the flames, authorities have begun assessing the scale of the damage. We probably have well over 1000 buildings that have been destroyed, many hundreds of families displaced. We will rebuild, the president has already authorized and approved our request for emergency support, but it will be a long haul. Reporter from the air, the once vibrant town is a wasteland of ash and ruins. Rescue teams deployed from the u. S. Mainland, but with hundreds of people still missing, there are fears many never made it out alive. Some of those who did our returning home only to find they have lost everything. This is our first time coming back and actually knowing our house burned down. We havent known anything the last couple of days because theres no information coming through. Reporter tens of thousands of tourists have been evacuated from maui. For the majority of this towns residents, there is no home to flee to. Many will move to emergency shelters across the island as the Government Works to open hotels and holiday houses for those now left homeless. This is going to take years, years to recover. It breaks my heart that all the history from back in the wailing days in the 1800s, ash and dust. Reporter despite the challenge and cost, hawaiis authorities and people have vowed to rebuild. However long it takes. Anchor our correspondent has the latest in hawaii, where the rescue and Recovery Mission continues. Reporter precisely. The search for victims is ongoing. Residents continue to try to find missing loved ones. The maui county mayor told us today that the death toll has been outdoors, which means rescue teams have not searched the interior of the buildings for victims. 11,000 people remain without power on maui and Emergency Management records show that the warning sirens did not sound before people ran from the wildfires. Officials sent alerts on mobile phones, television and radio. But widespread Power Outages may have limited the reach of that. Anchor we know tens of thousands of people have been evacuated. Where are they saying . Reporter it seems it is people in the community who took the lead in organizing before emergency shelters were installed. Those with extra rooms offer shelter. We also know residents nearby work offering food, baby formula, clothes. Most of them posted online offering help. Now there are shelters mainly for residents. More than 14,000 visitors have already left maui on flights. According to hawaiis governor, residents will be able to go back to their homes today. Anchor he was quoted as saying residents should be prepared to see destruction theyve never seen in their lives. I know u. S. President biden has declared an emergency, which means it will free up some level of federal funding for the people. What else is the government doing to help these people who lost everything . Carolina we know President Biden spoke with governor josh green today after he completed a survey of the destruction across maui. According to the white house, the governor provided the president with a firsthand assessment of the latest needs. The u. S. Military also mobilized its emergency response, including 133 National Guard members on the ground and supporting efforts, and guard helicopters were the first to help. They have done they have dumped 100,000 gallons of water on wednesday. The wildfire created widespread damage and was contained as of yesterday, but none of the four fires on maui are contained yet. Anchor carolina, thank you. Lets look at some of the other stories making headlines around the world. Floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rains in myanmar have killed at least five people and forced the evacuation of about 40,000 others. The flooding began in late july and has affected nine states and regions. Authorities in moscow have cordoned off a park where they say they successfully intercepted a Ukrainian Drone. The Defense Ministry says the aircraft crashed when he was electronically jammed. Is the latest apparent Ukrainian Drone attack on russia this week. A german newsmagazine says the government is open to sending germanmade missiles to ukraine, with a range of about 500 kilometers and designed for High Precision strikes. Kyiv has been asking for missiles for months but chancellor olaf scholz has so far opposed sending longrange weapons to ukraine. A military defense analyst with at the university of oslo, i asked whether this is what ukraine needs most right now. Absolutely. Its another type of longrange strike weapons that ukraine has received. A bunch over the last couple of months, first from the united kingdom, which sent cruise missiles, and then from france, which sent the same missile, but none but known under a different name. These Missile Systems are very effective in targeting russian positions, perhaps transportation further behind the front line, which is important for ukraine. The big thing about taurus is it is another longrange strike been that can effectively target troops behind the frontline. Anchor wagner mercenaries in belarus reportedly returning to rush weeks after arriving according to a washingtonbased institute. Reports are that their leader has refused to finance the private army. Last month he offered them a new home after the groups brief revolt against the kremlin military leadership. Reporter mercenaries trading training personnel in belarus last month. The Belarus Ministry of defense showed footage that reportedly showed the group in the country. This as a result of a deal brokered in june that put an end to a revolt against Vladimir Putin by the mercenaries. It was launched by their leader. Lukashenko has appeared to welcome the mercenaries in his country. Wagner are helping us for free even though they were mercenaries who worked and fought everywhere for money. To be honest, i want to keep them as a unit. They are real fighters who have been through a war. Reporter the mercenaries appeared to be setting up a base in belarus. These satellite images from june purportedly show a military facility under construction not far from minsk. Just weeks later, there are unconfirmed reports that a majority of the mercenaries have been kicked out of belarus by the countrys leader, alexander lukashenko. Anchor a pressure analyst for the institute of the study of war reported on the latest moves by wagner forces. The information weve observed came from kremlin insider sources. Obviously we cannot verify their full legitimacy. However, these sources in the past have been credible when reporting on Russian Security forces. The evidence the insider sources stated that 400 to 500 wagner personnel are moving. I want to preface that recently obtained a satellite imagery shows an increase in military equipment at the base in delacruz, might suggest wagner is continuing their operations there at this time and might have increased their presence. Anchor what about the reports that the belarusian leader doesnt want to finance the group . Are we seeing a rift opening between him and Vladimir Putin . That was also a claim by one of the kremlin insider sources, who has been connected to Russian Security forces. It is interesting to the extent of which lukashenko has been integrated into solving the kremlins issues on the ground. Lukashenkos presence in this deal was an inherent slap to put in when it was first brokered. The dissolution of this negotiation, if that actually happens, might have implications on putins ability to assert power and decisively solve issues that happen internally within russia. Anchor wagner in russia, in belarus why is it so important to know why these mercenaries are stationed where these mercenaries are stationed and located . Its a demonstration of putins ability to resolve issues for his regime. Having 13,000 militants that have previously staged an armed rebellion is a threat for his regime. The whereabouts of this group of forces that is reportedly being deprived of some opportunities in africa and the middle east and upset with the kremlin could be a bad sign for putin. What we are observing now is putin continues efforts to prioritize the destruction of if any prigozhin as an individual more so than figuring out what wagner personnel will do next. Anchor wagners shortlived rebellion in june allegedly against the leadership of the russian military, what can we say the relationship is between wagner and russias various security interests around the world . There were reports in the past week or so that there will were maybe wagner forces in niger, which experienced another coup. I think there are two currents ongoing. The first is the defense minister, who has reportedly been trying to limit wagners operations abroad, his goal seems to be to replace wagner personnel and africa and the middle east with other personnel from other private military companies affiliated with the Russian Ministry of defense. Right now it is unclear. It looks like the kremlin doesnt have a set goal or strategy for integrating wagner personnel in domestic operations as well as international operations, and furthermore, in ukraine. Anchor we appreciate your time and insight tonight. Thank you. Thank you so much. Anchor lets look at some of the other stories making headlines. The u. S. Attorney general has appointed a special counsel to investigate u. S. President bidens son hunter for alleged illicit stills abroad. This gives the prosecutor more authority in the case. Prosecutor so far have been unable to tie President Biden to any of his sons reported wrongdoing. Hundreds of crew members have gathered at an area in niger. Ecoboss ecowas had said it would try to create stability in niger. South african president jacob zuma has returned from prison, he was set to begin a presence a sentence. He only served two months of a 15 month sentence in 2021 before being released on medical parole. The release was later found to be unlawful so he was ordered to jail. He did that but was there less than an hour after being sent home again under a new program to prevent prison overcrowding. Joining me is our correspondent following this story in johannesburg. It is good to cupd lets talk about the overcrowding program that allowed zuma to walk free from jail again. Diane i think the overcrowding program, we have heard about it before but the application this time around is what has left people with concerns. During the covid19 pandemic, the government had also done a Remission Program where they released a number of people due to overcrowding, partly because there was a need to free up space in correctional centers. This time we are seeing it happening and one of the most highprofile beneficiaries, former president jacob zuma. The fact that it was announced today, the same day he was meant to return to prison, makes it extremely suspicious, and has caused questions to arise, particularly amongst opposition parties in south africa and with some of his political detractors. Anchor they are saying it looks like he is receiving preferential treatment. Let me ask you this question, is that the case . Has anyone else been sent home from prison for the same reason that zuma got today . Dianne the Department Says they intend to send home the other 9500 people, but they also indicated there would still be a process they would undergo. In some instances, the people who work wronged by the crimes would be allowed to comment and give input on the process. In other instances they would be released if they only have short sentences however, as far as we know, jacob zuma was the first beneficiary because he only spent a very short time in the correctional center, was processed and released. Anchor he was released, but is he out of the woods . What legal headaches does he still face . Dianne he is out of the woods in one aspect, the contempt of court, but he is still facing a major issue, which is his criminal case. He is meant to return to Court Next Week where the case will be heard again, and this case has been going on since 2021. It has a much longer history because it relates to the arms deal that goes back over a decade. In terms of the criminal case, the trial was meant to begin in 2021 and his been delayed by all kinds of legal wrangling. A lot of the issues brought up i the former president himself. Hes taken issue with the prosecution, he says the lead prosecutor has a bias toward him. And hes gone through numerous eagle challenges to get numerous legal challenges to get the prosecutor removed. The substance of the case has not gotten underway although there have been numerous appearances. Anchor given the history of violence connected to jacob zumas arrest, i am wondering how reluctant do you think the authorities will be if they decide he should return to prison yet again . Will they may be pause before saying go back to jail . Dianne in this case, it wouldnt be up to the authorities, it would be in the hands of the court, particularly when it comes to the criminal case. If hes found guilty, there would be no other alternative but to send him to prison. We will have to wait and see what happens next week. Anchor all right, thank you. Dianne thank you. Anchor the government in kenya cracking down on protests led by the opposition against the high cost of living in a plan to raise taxes. The right to protest is enshrined in kenyas constitution. We met one young man who has fallen foul of the action by the authorities. Reporter victor shows us where he confronted the police not far from his home where his twoyearold daughter fainted after inhaling police teargassing two weeks ago. The policeman were here. They grabbed me. They grabbed my hand, and they took me. Reporter caught on camera, videos of his arrest made their way around kenya. , they kidnapped my child he said as he was taken into custody, and was kept for two days before released on bail. He says he still bears the scars made by batons and wires. I was taken to the cell after i was beaten. Some people were sleeping but i couldnt sleep. My whole body hurt and the floor was made of cement. The experience was bad. Reporter the most recent wave of protests against the high cost of living hit kenya hard. His neighborhood, the scene of running battles and teargas against protesters and nearby residential homes. Human Rights Groups have called out the government for what they say is disproportionate force. Its a low income areas like these where residents bear the brunt. This social Justice Center is advising him on his rights. We live in outcast nairobi the violence, if it is not recorded, nothing happened. Everything has to be recorded. If we have a record, we have something to show to the state. Reporter while numbers vary, Rights Groups say they have recorded over 30 deaths in connection to the protests across kenya. The government denied the claims as propaganda. There is too much of this. Calling media and telling people that these people were killed by police. The propaganda will not discourage us. They can continue threatening us. Reporter kenyas independent policing oversight authority, a government that investigate a Government Agency that investigates police misconduct, say many investigations. All fatalities from police action, we have to be notified within 24 hours or as soon as possible. We are not getting these notices. We dont get fatalities like we did here in kenya so we know there is something we need to do. Reporter his case is due back in court in a few weeks and while he is scared police could retaliate, he is still determined to speak up. Anchor russia has launched its First Moon Mission in nearly half a century. The craft will search for water and attempt to reach the lunar south for south pole. This is without cooperation from the European Space agency. Reporter nearly 50 years after the soviet union sent its final mission to the moon, russia has revived the lunar program. The lunar 25 mission has left the earths orbit and is expected to land on the moons south pole on august 21. It is an area that especially interests scientists, who believe the Lunar South Pole they contain water. Theres always been speculation there is water on the moon and that is important if you want to build permanent settlements on the moon. Theres been a lot of interest in the polar regions because they are in the shadow, permanently in the suns shadow and there is speculation that it might have subterranean eyes, which would be incredible. Reporter the mission has touched off a competition with india, which is also aiming to land a craft on the south pole later this month. No country has successfully touched down on this end of the moon yet. Weve had so many attempts. Israel tried and failed, japan has tried and failed. Japan also trying to get to the moon. There are all sorts of competitive elements. Reporter soviet russia embarked on two failed missions to the moon and mars. Both crash landed in the pacific ocean. Traveling to the moon without incident would be a success. Anchor you are watching dw news from berlin. I will be back to take you through the day. The question, why were people on maui not warned before deadly fires hit . We will be right back. Thousands of supporters of nigers coup leaders gathered in the capital. In hawaii, devastating fires have been contained, but the death toll is expected to rise as the flames meet reach more remote areas. At least 55 people have been killed. Fragments of missile crashed into a Childrens Hospital in kyiv, and an eightyearold boy was killed by a Russian Missile strike in western ukraine. Good evening and welcome to france 24. We begin with the growing tensions in niger and the possibility of military intervention there by the west african bloc known as ecowas. West African Military chiefs are set to meet this saturday. Meanwhile, thousands of supporters of nigers coup leaders have gathered near the French Embassy as well is near a French Military base on the outskirts of the capital. Down with friends, down with ecowas. Supporters of coup leaders, including children, came out in force to show their support. Some accuse friends, which has around 1500 troops in niger, of being behind the groups decision to intervene. We dont want ecowas here. We want peace and stability. Not war. Ecowas announcement came after their sevenday ultimatum for nigers new rulers to return the president to power was ignored and the meeting with the coup leaders ended with a stalemate. The move prompted warnings from neighboring algeria. Meanwhile, the west is increasingly concerned about reports the ousted president and his family have been deprived of electricity, water, and medical care. Credible reports i have received indicate that conditions of detention could amount to inhumane and degrading treatment in violation of International Human rights law. The people of niger, already one of the worlds poorest nations, are also facing shortages and power cuts as a result of economic sanctions imposed after the coup. Now to ukraine where the president on friday dismissed officials responsible for military conscription in each region of the country, citing corruption allegations that he said would amount to treason. Lets get more on that from our correspondent in kyiv. What else do we know about ukraines dismissal . This dismissal was announced this morning by president zelenskyy, that all chiefs of military enlistment, all regional chiefs would be dismissed. This comes after an investigation that revealed over 100 cases of irregularity, so corruption, abuses of power and the like, and as a response, Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a dismissal for the chiefs of those military recruitment offices, and instead of those people dismissed, there will be combat officers, people who have actual military experience who first will be probed by ukraine intelligence to make sure that they will not be tempted by corruption. President zelenskyy said that some people up to now had mistaken the benefit, advantage, as alluding to corruption, so this is a clear sign this government is still aiming at tackling corruption in all these institutions, and this is of course a sign that it is a job towards the European Union that ukraine is strongly wishing to join but can only do so once it will have proven that it has worked on eradicating corruption from the country. Can you bring us uptodate with what has happened in the capital . We heard explosions across the city . Yes, this morning around 10 00 a. M. Kyiv time, we heard several explosions in the sky over the city. Those were explosions from air defense. Missiles were sent by Russian Forces against the capital. They fell on a Childrens Hospital, damaging causing damage. We have not heard of any casualty, but in the west of ukraine, an eightyearold boy died in his house as 4 missiles were launched and fell on the region, so this eightyearold victim is the latest of a series of strikes. We have seen once again the hotel that has been used by the international community, by representatives of the united nations, by journalists, local and foreign, journalists the hotel had been targeting, so that was the Second Attack against zaporizhzhia in less than 24 hours, and those relentless attacks are deeply traumatizing for the population because they happen on a daily basis. Thank you. Lets go now next to the american state of hawaii where the grim task to identify victims continues for wildfires that have killed at least 55 people. The blazes have been contained, but a death is expected to rise as the security reach more remote areas. Lets get the latest. As access to the town of lahaina remains restricted, attention turns to the war memorial right here. For the past 48 hours, hundreds of people have been coming here to either donate things like food, clothing, medicine, canned goods, or volunteer some of their time to help some of those people who have lost everything. A lot of people are in need right now. I think anything anyone can do to help people is important, even if they feel like it is too small or is not important. Just trying to help anyone out in any way we can. They are going to anyone that needs clothes that has been affected by this tragedy, so anyone is welcome to come here that needs to get some clothes. So many people came to help. So many people came to donate. We want to try to get a system going to make it a little more organized, a little more efficient. Other than that, everyone is here to share our love for the community. The spirit of aloha, people coming together to share their love for the community. In china, they are dealing with a Natural Disaster of a different kind. Recordbreaking rains across the north of the country have triggered flash floods and claimed the lives of at least 78 people. Authorities are warning of a second more flooding from a second incoming typhoon. That is it for us. You are watching france 24. Stay with us for more news coming up. Hello from casablanca, moroccos frenetic commercial hub. Morocco is often hailed for its stability, its position as a regional leader in womens rights and for having a rich cultural history. Yet, it is still a largely male dominated society. I have always written the stories i wanted to write and shot in the way i felt like i wanted to do so. I would love some day to not be the exception. [speaking french] we are here to meet three women making space for themselves in film, fashion, and rap music. We are starting with a rubber rapper. I was like, ok, i need something smart, provocative, and gutsy. I used your sister to prove that your sister can wrap. She can force herself in a scene that is usually very manly. In a rap scene dominated by men, womens voices are making waves. Her plan is to do a phd in gender studies. Mental illness is also a big topic for her. In 2016, i got into a mental institute, the psych ward. I was writing lyrics. After that, when i started taking meds, working more on my mental health, i kept on writing. How big is the rap scene here in morocco . It is as big as it can get. It is everywhere. And there are lots of female rappers in morocco . Female rappers were always present on the scene, but i think before, it was like women were always in the place. You had rap and female rap. The model now is very inclusive. She flew to fame in 2020 when she collaborated with three moroccan rap stars. There video has been viewed 34 million times on youtube. I record a lot of my songs here. This is my g. This is my fan cut men. Hello. Hello. How are you . [rapping in french] i would say it is about everything that was frustrating in my life. Love, depression, everything related to it. For me, it was like an explosion. Shes one of the most intelligent people i know. She made her place very quickly and got a lot of respect very quickly. Do you feel free to sing about whatever you want, talk about any subjects you want to gapper now i think i have a lot of responsibility and a lot of impact, so i can say anything that comes to my mind. Freedom of speech in morocco, you want to grow, say whatever comes to your mind and think on it, but you cannot live here anymore because you are in eternal war with the system or stay here because you want to make music, make impact with your words in a smart and influential way. I chose the second path. Moroccos hiphop scene was a showcase at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021 with casablanca beats. It was cowritten by one of moroccos leading directors. [speaking french] you filmed part of your film here. Tell us where we are. You live here in casablanca. It is not as wellknown as other cities. Describe the city for people who dont know it. Casablanca is a city that is vibrant, that is big, that can be a little bit overwhelming, that at the same time is really authentic and has a very particular energy to it. It is a city that is full of contrast. Emotionally it is just a roller coaster. It is wonderful. Morocco is often considered one of the regional leaders when it comes to womens rights. What is your experience like . I have never felt that i had difficulty in doing things because i was a woman. I never felt that as a filmmaker i had a hard time because i was a woman here. Your work as a director, a filmmaker, screenwriter, and actress is acclaimed around the world. How is it received here . Some of the subjects you deal with are quite taboo. I feel very strongly that there is a real desire to debate, where there is a real desire to talk about things we dont necessarily talk about. Sometimes when a film comes speaking about the kinds of subjects that it opens, opens a window for discussion, that is something that is very beautiful as a filmmaker to feel, that i can contribute to a positive debate. [blue captain lblue keftan is a beautiful film about homosexuality. I wanted to talk about love and the freedom to love wherever you live in the world, and also the love of a craft, traditional making of captains of keftans. It is being forgotten because there is no more place for it in the modern world. Here is something that hurts me that i also wanted to talk about. You decided to set this film challenging old ideas in a place that is very traditional, very historic, in the center of most moroccan cities. Why did you decide on this place . There is something beautiful about tradition. There are certain traditions that are part of who we are, but there are also some traditions that i believe have to be shaken, have to be questioned. That is also what i wanted to do. I really do believe that both things can cohabit, the old ways and the new ways. I think there is space for both. You talked about traditional dress. Can women in morocco where what they want . Morocco is a very diverse and complex country. You can find freedom everywhere and the opposite everywhere as well. A little of the coast from casablanca is an ancient city. From here hails a designer with a clientele of princesses who has also dressed notable women such as Barbra Streisand and beyonce. Hello . Wow, this is incredible. Es, it is pretty. A jacket that can be worn with trousers and you can wear it in the evening over a long skirt. It makes a really nice outfit right away. How does morocco inspire your work . I was inspired by women working in embroidery and weaving. This area is well known for crafts and by the architecture. Everything around me is inspiring. Who are your customers . They come from all over africa, the United States, the middle east, and now, a lot are from morocco. A person who loved morocco very much and who is known for his role in the emancipation of women, tell us how he influence you. He is my mentor. I met him in 1999. He was one of the first fashion designers to use moroccan craftsmanship. We have the same sensitivity. Im obsessed with sensitivity, and by the need for clothing to be comfortable and to give confidence to women and their beauty. In morocco, less than a quarter of the workforce are women compared to half in france. Around 15 of moroccan businesses have female bosses. In her workshop, artisan embroiderers hard at work. I dont see myself as a businesswoman. I may crafts woman. My way of working is to impose myself. Im free. I do what i want. I dont think i would let anyone stop me because im a woman. Ive been doing embroidery since i was a child. When i started working here, i saw that she was imagining new patterns that were really aesthetically pleasing. I really enjoy working with her. It is important to preserve our craftsmanship, our traditional way of selling, making nuts and cutting. Making knots and cutting. Welcome to my embroidery school. Her Lasting Legacy may be the free school she opened in 2016, teaching underprivileged children the dying art of embroidery. We call this a Second Chance school for young girls and boys who are either failing in school or who have never been to school. The idea is to teach them the skill of embroidery. I have a girl here among the students who has now become a teacher. I come from the countryside. I came from there to this school and spent three years here learning lots of things. We are trying to preserve our heritage and culture which are under threat. Im teaching amin to tie the knot. Do as i taught you so we can see it properly. You can see in embroidery as part of what we do here. There are also other courses available. I have my breakfast here when i come in in the morning and then we work. For example, on selling technique, beating, embroidery. In the afternoons, we have classes in france, french, drawing, computer science, and arabic. I dream of becoming a famous embroiderer one day. Women in morocco decide they take things in hand. I believe morocco can only progress with this women. Three female pioneers using their art to protect and celebrate their heritage while at the same time creating constructive conversations about subjects sometimes considered sensitive in their kingdom. From north america to the southern tip of patagonia, join us for a look at the latest political, economic, cultural, and social news for the americas. Inside the americas on france 24 and france24. Com. The world is everchanging. The news doesnt wait. France 24 gives a global perspective that an educated, intelligent, and active viewer is going to want to have to understand the full news of the day. Thats why we will always be there to help make sense of world events. [speaking french] for the best International Coverage 24 hours a day no matter what, france 24 is with you everywhere all the time. Liberte, egalite, actualite. 08 11 23 08 11 23 [captioning made possible by democracy now ] amy from new york, this is democracy now what is going on this devastating. This is trauma on top of 100 plus years of colonial trauma that created a condition that is a type of tragedy to happen. We have so much loss of our ecosystem that created this condition that put us in this predicament