hello, i m john wilson, welcome to this cultural life, the radio 4 podcast in which i talk to leading creative figures about the key moments of their life and the most important cultural works that have fired their imagination and had a profound impact on their own art. my guest is carlos acosta, the cuban born ballet star who, over a 30 year career, is now regarded as one of the greatest dancers of all time, becoming the first black principal of the royal ballet and set new standards of grace and athleticism in theatres around the world. having retired from the classical stage, he set up his own cuban dance company, and is also a director of the berlin royal ballet. welcome. let s start in cuba, with your family, your upbringing. a happy childhood? very happy, i must say, although in the 80s in cuba, our family was i would say, it was poorer than most families but still there was a big big sense of community. it was a good time for cuba anybody could participate, do every
hawaii s attorney general has announced an investigation into why the island s warning siren didn t sound at the height of the emergency. questions are also being asked about whether power to the island should have been cut. for more, here s our correspondent in hawaii, sophie long. this is what remains of lahaina. cars abandoned as people ran and jumped into the sea to escape the flames. homes and businesses reduced to charred remains. president biden promised immediate help and said every available asset should be used to provide it, but, days later, people here say it s not yet reaching those most in need and people like felicia are desperately trying to get supplies into lahaina themselves. i m frustrated. people are. we re all together. we re one family, we need to take care of each other. no one s feeding everyone. they re traumatised. they re upset. no one s giving hugs. they need mental help. what do you need from me? to hear people in the same pants since the fire on
The british government is under renewed pressure to stop migrants crossing the sea in small boats after six people drowned in the channel. and we ll bring you all the latest from the pokemon world championships in japan! hello, i m anjana gadgil we start in hawaii, where the governor is warning of a significant rise in the death toll following devastating wildfires on the island of maui. 93 people are now confirmed dead, as recovery crews continue to comb through the charred ruins of burnt out homes and businesses. the historic town of lahaina, the worst hit part of the island, has been razed almost entirely to the ground. hundreds of people are still unaccounted for, days after the fires broke out. many people forced to flee at a moment s notice had to leave everything behind.