California fire spurs 1,500-plus evacuations
GLENDORA, Calif. – One of several wildfires burning across California prompted widespread evacuations Monday in a central California foothill community near Yosemite National Park, authorities said.
More than 1,500 residents and guests at four hotels near the community of Oakhurst have been told to seek shelter in town, said Erica Stuart, a spokeswoman for the Madera County Sheriff’s Office. Oakhurst is about 16 miles away from an entrance to Yosemite National Park.
Nearly 3,000 residents were notified by phone of the fire, but not all of those people were told to leave their homes, Stuart said.
The fire has burned 200 acres, an area about one-third of a square mile, state fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said. There have been no reports of injuries or destroyed buildings, and the fire’s cause remains unknown, Berlant said.
Ukraine: Dozens killed in shelling of convoy
KIEV, Ukraine – Ukraine accused pro-Russia separatists of killing dozens of civilians in an attack early Monday on a convoy fleeing a besieged rebel-held city. The rebels denied any attack took place, while the U.S. confirmed the shelling of the convoy but said it did not know who was responsible.
The refugees were attacked with Grad rockets and other weapons imported from Russia as their convoy traveled on the main road leading from Russia to the rebel-held city of Luhansk, Col. Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for Ukraine’s National Security Council, told reporters.
Iraq regains control of dam, Obama says
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama hailed the recapture of Mosul Dam Monday as a “major step forward,” as a barrage of U.S. airstrikes helped Kurdish and Iraqi forces score the biggest victory of its counteroffensive against the Islamic State militants.
Obama also urged the badly fractured and largely dysfunctional Iraqi government to move quickly to forge a united front and give hope to Sunni tribes who’ve been marginalized. Obama noted last week’s decision by Nouri al-Maliki to step down as Iraq’s prime minister, a move that raised hopes a new government could roll back Iraq’s powerful Sunni insurgency and prevent the country from splitting apart.
“They’ve got to get this done because the wolf’s at the door,” the president said.
Speaking from the White House briefing room, Obama stressed the importance of political progress and said it is imperative that Iraq become a viable partner for the United States.
Associated Press
