Maui's dreamy landscape turned into a nightmare on Aug. 8, 2023. What began as a brush fire, fueled by dangerous winds, quickly engulfed the historic town of Lahaina and damaged other parts of the island. The deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in more than a century claimed 102 lives, destroyed more than 2,200 structures, and caused an estimated $5.5 billion in damage.
The north-eastern town of 128,000 people is best known for its Naruko Onsen hot springs, autumn foliage and kokeshi cylindrical dolls carved from a single piece of wood. But this year it has made the headlines as a bear hotspot, as the country reels from a year of record ursine encounters and deaths, with warnings that winter will not bring immediate respite.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection filed a legal proposal today that will make it mandatory for many tourists to submit the last five years of their social media history as part of the application required to visit the country. The public has 60 days, until early February, to submit comments to this proposal. The social media requirement, if enacted, would apply to any visitor from the 42 different countries in the Visa Waiver Program.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference. A $100-per-person charge for foreigners entering Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and other popular national parks is stoking apprehension among some tourist-oriented businesses that
Millions of tiny, toxic plastic beads are thought to have escaped into the sea from Eastbourne sewage works in East Sussex about two weeks ago when a screen keeping them in broke. They began to wash up on Camber Sands beach last Thursday, with the situation worsening over the weekend. Environment Agency sources suspect this is one of England's worst ever plastic pollution events, with approximately 10 tonnes of beads spilled:
"The place still continues under the sway of some witching power that holds a spell over the minds of the good people, causing them to walk in a continual reverie. They are given to all kinds of marvelous beliefs, are subject to trances and visions, and frequently see strange sights, and hear music and voices in the air."
The surge in short-term rentals is altering the landscape of quiet neighborhoods, causing disruptions and raising concerns among long-term residents. Local governments, such as the town of Wells, ME, are grappling with the challenge of balancing the economic benefits of tourism with preserving the character and tranquility of residential areas affected by STRs. Maine's approach to regulating STRs primarily occurs at the local level, with varying requirements such as annual permits, adherence to safety standards, and zoning restrictions in different municipalities.
Three sources have confirmed to Guardian Australia that two officers have been killed and another wounded in the shooting at Porepunkah. None were authorised to comment on the incident and only one had been directly briefed on the incident by police. Victoria police has declined to comment on the active incident until it is operationally safe to do so.
The ambulance service on Ibiza is at risk of collapse due to frequent callouts to clubbers suffering bad experiences with recreational drugs, accounting for one third of emergency calls.
Mayo County Council official Tom Gilligan faced backlash for a proposal to boycott holiday-home owners, as community members express concern about the impact on local housing.
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