OVER 60 SQUARE MILES BURNT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

An electric company in Los Angeles is facing multiple lawsuits for its alleged role in starting one of the raging fires that has left at least 24 people dead and displaced tens of thousands.

One lawsuit filed Monday against Southern California Edison claims the utility’s equipment sparked the deadly Eaton Fire burning just outside LA.

Edison has acknowledged that fire agencies are investigating whether its equipment may have started a smaller LA fire.

Powerful winds are expected to trigger new wildfires that could set back the recent progress made in containing the blazes.

More than 92-thousand LA County residents are under evacuation orders while 89-thousand are under evacuation warnings.

The Eaton and Palisades fires are likely the second and fourth most destructive in California history.

The total area burnt by the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires is about 60 square miles.

EARTHQUAKE HITS JAPAN

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 hit southwestern Japan on Monday.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency says the quake, centred at a depth of 30 kilometers, shook a wide area in Kyushu, the southwestern main island.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The quake triggered a tsunami advisory and residents in some coastal areas were told to evacuate as a precautionary measure.

State television reported that waves estimated to be as high as one metre reached land within 30 minutes of the quake.

It said the waters detected at Miyazaki Port measured 20 centimeters.

The meteorological agency says aftershocks can strike over the next week, especially in the next two or three days.

It warns people to watch out for landslides as well as falling objects in homes.

APPLE FIGHTS TO KEEP ITS DEI PROGRAMME

The BBC is reporting that Apple’s board has asked its investors to vote against a proposal to end its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, DEI, programmes.

It comes after a conservative group, the National Center for Public Policy Research, NCPPR, called on the technology giant to abolish its DEI policies, saying they expose firms to “litigation, reputational and financial risks”.

Apple’s directors say the NCPPR’s proposal is unnecessary because the company has appropriate checks and balances in place.

Other major US firms, including Meta and Amazon, have rolled back DEI programmes ahead of the return to the White House this month of Donald Trump, who has been highly critical of DEI policies.

The firm’s filing to investors said the proposal is unnecessary as Apple already has a well-established compliance programme.

Apple’s board also said the DEI rollback plan inappropriately seeks to micromanage the company’s programmes and policies by suggesting a specific means of legal compliance.

NCPPR’s proposal is set to be put to a vote by shareholders at Apple’s annual general meeting on February 25.

International

$25M reward offered by the US for the arrest of Maduro

The US has announced an increased $25 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The announcement was made on the day Maduro was sworn in for a third six-year term in office.

The inauguration ceremony was overshadowed by recrimination from the international community and Venezuelan opposition leaders.

The reward from the US cites narcotics and corruption charges dating back to 2020.

A new reward of up to $15-million for Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino has also been offered.

The UK also issued sanctions on 15 top Venezuelan officials, including judges, members of the security forces and military officials.

Also on Friday, the EU said it was extending restrictive measures against Venezuela because of the lack of progress leading to the restoration of democracy.

The bloc also sanctioned 15 Venezuelan officials.

Maduro and his government have repeatedly denounced many of the allegations made by Western countries and opposition leaders.