Europe / Americas Sunday, July 7, 2019 09 Mexican authorities rescue 24 kidnapped migrants Pamplona bull-running festival gets under way CELAYA: Mexican authorities on Friday rescued 24 Central American migrants, including nine children, MADRID: The world-famous and controversial San Fermin festival with its legendary bull runs was News who had been held hostage for nearly three weeks in the crime-ridden state of Guanajuato, officials opened on Saturday in the northern Spanish town of Pamplona. In front of thousands of enthusiastic said. The migrants were held for 20 days in the town of Celaya, about 210 kilometres from Mexico City, people, traditionally all dressed in white and red, the opening El Chupinazo rocket was fired at noon in brief said Secretary of State Security Juan Jose Gonzalez. They told officials that their relatives had been (1000 GMT) from the balcony of the town hall. “Viva San Fermin (Long live San Permin)!” the cheering making payments to their captors during that time, Gonzalez said. The victims were receiving medical crowd shouted as they waved red scarves. The first of the eight bull runs takes place on Sunday morn- attention after their ordeal, he added. Separately, the security ministry announced the arrest of 59 ing. On Friday, dozens of demonstrators from animal welfare organisations Peta and Animal Naturalis migrants, including 55 Hondurans, around the northeastern town of Saltillo, near the US border. (AFP) protested the festival in front of the town hall. (DPA) Mass deportation S California hit by strongest raids coming ‘fairly earthquake in two decades soon’, says Trump REUTERS ICE said in a statement its WASHINGTON focus was arresting people with Emergency workers, criminal histories but any im- security forces assess US President Donald Trump migrant found in violation of said on Friday mass deporta- US laws was subject to arrest. damage, destruction tion roundups would begin Government documents “fairly soon” as US migrant ad- published this week by mi- AFP vocates vowed their communi- grant rights groups showed LOS ANGELES ties would be “ready” when im- some past ICE operations migration officers come. resulted in more so-called SOUTHERN California was hit Trump, who has made a “collateral” arrests of undocu- by its largest earthquake in two hardline immigration stance mented migrants agents hap- decades on Friday, a 7.1-mag- a key issue of his presidency pened to find, than apprehen- nitude tremor that rattled resi- and 2020 re-election bid, sions of targeted people. dents who were already reeling postponed the operation last Migrant rights groups from another strong quake a month after the date was said this generalised threat is day earlier. leaked, but on Monday he said harmful to communities, and Emergency workers and it would take place after July 4. the US economy, as it forces security forces were being dis- “They’ll be starting fairly adults to miss work and chil- patched early Saturday to the soon, we’re removing people, dren to skip school out of fear epicenter of the shallow earth- all of these people who have they may be picked up and quake in a remote and sparsely come in over the years ille- separated. populated area around 150 gally,” he told reporters at the “We have to be ready, not miles (240 kilometers) north- White House on Friday. just when Trump announces it, east of Los Angeles, where it US Immigration and Cus- because there are arrests every was also felt. toms Enforcement (ICE) last day,” said Elsa Lopez, an organ- No deaths or serious in- month said operations would izer for Somos Un Pueblo Uni- juries had been reported late target recently-arrived un- do, a New Mexico group which Friday evening, but there were documented migrants in a bid educates migrants on their civil reports of building collapses to discourage a surge of Cen- rights and creates phone net- and power outages in the town tral American families at the works to send alerts if ICE en- of Trona, California Office of southwest border. ters their neighbourhood. Emergency Services director Mark Ghilarducci said. There were “significant re- ports” of fires caused by gas Firefighters battle an electrical fire in a mobile home park following a magnitude 7.1 earthquake, in Ridgecrest, California, on Friday.(AFP) leaks, as well as breaks to pow- UK Conservative members er, water and communications ment spokesman Jeremy Kern week, she added. no fire department tweeted. lines in the region, he told a told CNN there were “no active No deaths or serious In Kern County, where the In Los Angeles, the fire de- sent more than one ballot in press conference. searches ongoing” for trapped injuries had been quake struck near the town of partment deployed vehicles California Governor Gavin casualties. reported, but there Ridgecrest, some 1,800 resi- and helicopters, and reported leadership vote: BBC probe Newsom said he had requested The earthquake was were reports of dents were without power, fire fallen power lines and localised emergency federal assistance 11 times stronger than the building collapses and department chief David Witt electricity outages. REUTERS emy Hunt, the current foreign from the White House, and 6.4-magnitude quake “fore- power outages in the said. “As for injuries reported, But Mayor Eric Garcetti LONDON minister. Voting is due to close state resources have been ac- shock” the previous day, ac- town of Trona nothing but minor injuries and said there were “no reports of on July 22, with the winner set tivated at their “highest level.” cording to the United States such as cuts and bruises, by the serious damage” reported in SOME members of Britain’s to be announced a day later. Newsom later declared a state Geological Survey. ● Numerous gas leaks grace of god,” he said. the city. “We are sending an Conservative Party have been The BBC said an investiga- of emergency for San Bernardi- The two major quakes, were reported near the At least two fires broke out Urban Search and Rescue Task issued with more than one bal- tion it had carried out found no County, expanding on an along with multiple after- epicentre, including the in the area, county supervisor Force Team to Kern County to lot paper to vote for the party’s some party members had re- earlier announcement covering shocks, have revived fears of the towns of Trona and Argus Mick Gleason said, with dozens help with the damage closer next leader, who will also be- ceived two ballot papers, citing Kern County, near the epicent- “Big One” – a powerful tremor of fire trucks dispatched. to the epicenter,” he wrote on come prime minister, the BBC one party insider as estimating er of both the quakes this week. along the San Andreas Fault ● In Kern County, some Numerous gas leaks were Twitter. reported on Saturday. that more than 1,000 people A joint task force including that could devastate major cit- 1,800 residents were reported near the epicentre, Visitors to Disneyland in Ballot papers have been could be affected. around 200 security personnel ies in Southern California. without powers including the towns of Trona Anaheim reported on Twitter sent to about 160,000 Conserv- It said that in some cases as well as helicopters and cargo “This is an earthquake se- and Argus. “Firefighters have that rides were shut for safety ative Party members across the this was because members live aircraft was being deployed, quence. These earthquakes are secured leaks where possible inspections after the quake. country, asking them to choose and work in different constitu- National Guard Major General related,” said Caltech seismolo- chance of Friday’s quake being and evacuated residents from Patrons at movie theatres in between frontrunner Boris encies and may have joined David Baldwin said. gist Lucy Jones. followed by another magnitude homes with leaks that cannot the Los Angeles area evacuated Johnson, a former London may- the local Conservative associa- San Bernardino fire depart- There was a 10 percent 7.0 or higher quake in the next be secured,” the San Bernardi- due to the quake. or and foreign minister, and Jer- tions in both areas.

HARRY & MEGHAN’S SON ARCHIE Second migrant rescue boat defies Salvini, docks in Italy CHRISTENED AT WINDSOR

AFP Mediterranea said in a tweet. been acting to save lives, a deci- ROME Italian populist Salvini sion which sparked Salvini’s ire. last month issued a decree Two other investigations, A CHARITY rescue vessel on on charges of helping people Saturday brought 41 ship- smugglers and resisting the wrecked migrants into port in The sailboat carrying 41 authorities are still underway Lampedusa, the second boat migrants has docked in the after she forced her way past to defy far-right Interior Min- Italian port despite a ban Italian customs vessels. ister Matteo Salvini’s bid to by Matteo Salvini, Italy’s A third rescue ship, Ger- close Italian ports to them. interior minister, who had man charity Sea-Eye’s vessel Mediterranea’s Italian- Alan Kurdi, carrying 65 ship- flagged Alex arrived in port vowed to block them wrecked migrants rescued off where a strong police pres- Libya on Saturday arrived and ence was waiting for them but that would bring fines of up held its position in interna- everyone remained on board to 50,000 euros ($57,000) for tional waters off Lampedusa. after waiting nearly two days the captain, owner and opera- “We are waiting in interna- THIS official handout Christening photograph released by the with the rescued migrants and tor of a vessel “entering Italian tional waters off the island of Duke and Duchess of Sussex shows Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke asylum-seekers on the small territorial waters without au- Lampedusa,” Sea-Eye tweeted of Sussex, and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex holding their sailboat’s deck. thorisation”. The Italian NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans’ Alex migrant rescue ship from the Alan Kurdi. baby son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor flanked by (L-R) “In view of the intolerable Salvini tweeted after the enters the port of Lampedusa, Sicily island, Italy, on Saturday. (EPA-EFE) German Interior Minister Britain’s Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Britain’s Prince Charles, hygiene conditions aboard, Alex docked that the charity Horst Seehofer tweeted that Prince of Wales, Ms Doria Ragland, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady the Alex has declared a state workers were “jackals... will cue ship belonging to German board and arrested its captain, was ready to take Sarah McCorquodale, Britain’s Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, of emergency and is sailing they go unpunished also?” aid group Sea-Watch after it Carola Rackete. in some of those rescued “as and Britain’s Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge in the Green Draw- towards Lampedusa, the only Authorities on Lampedusa forced its way into port with An Italian judge this week part of a European-solidarity ing Room at Windsor Castle, west of London on Saturday. (AFP) possible safe port for landing.” last week seized another res- dozens of rescued migrants on ordered her freed as she had solution.”

Water system of medieval German city gets world heritage status

AFP water and sanitation an “in- the city’s cultural affairs di- “the oldest in Germany and an early centre of textile and BERLIN tricate interplay between the rector, told AFP. also in central Europe”. paper production. innovative spirit and a techni- “ considered wa- The water flowed through With the Industrial Revo- THE German city of Augs- cal tour de force”. ter such a precious asset that hollowed pine logs connected lution in the 19th century, the burg was on Saturday granted The old town centre of it has always sought to pro- with metal casts to ornamen- city saw the creation of the World Heritage status by UN- Augsburg, located on Ger- tect it.” Augsburg’s resource- tal fountains in the city. first large hydroelectric power ESCO for its over 800-year- many’s Romantic Road, is ful engineers were European It also entered the city’s plant, at nearby Wolfzahnau. old water management system criss-crossed with canals forerunners in damming and butchers house, the Stadt- One of the waterways, boasting an aquaduct, water and boasts over 500 bridges, redirecting river water, from metzg, where the flowing wa- the Ice Canal, was designed towers, ornate fountains, ca- “more than in Venice”, ac- the Lech, Wertach and Sin- ter helped to cool the meat to keep free floating ice from nals and hundreds of bridges. cording to the city. gold streams. and dispose of the waste. Lat- entering the city, and in 1970 The 2,000-year-old city in “The history of water in Water flowed via an aqua- er water power was used for became the world’s first arti- state calls the system Augsburg is linked to the cul- duct and into water towers industry, with water wheels ficially created whitewater ca- which has since the Middle tural and artistic wealth of from 1416, making the water- driving mills and pumping noe course, used for the 1972 The power station in Langweid am Lech, north of Augsburg, Germany. Ages provided clean drinking this city,” Thomas Weitzel, works at the city’s Red Gate stations as Augsburg became Olympics.