Dogs rescued from flooded Alaska town by volunteers
Seattle, Oct 18: Alaska’s state officials are working tirelessly to evacuate over 1,000 people from flood-battered villages on the coast of the Bering Sea.
However, another rescue operation is underway: getting the dogs left behind to safety, in hopes of later reuniting them with their owners.
The pet shelters closest to the devastated villages are in Bethel, a regional hub around 90 miles away by boat or plane.
Bethel Friends of Canines, a nonprofit that helps rehome animals, learned that 50 to 100 dogs might be abandoned in one of the villages, Kipnuk, and scrambled to charter a plane to evacuate them.
The flooding caused by remnants of Typhoon Halong has damaged homes in 11 small rural communities, with no more than a few hundred residents.
Many homes cannot be repaired until next summer as winter temperatures and snow are forecast for this month. State officials began airlifting people to Anchorage on Wednesday, as local leaders in Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, near the Bering Sea, asked to evacuate residents and as shelters in Bethel neared capacity.
At least one resident of Kwigillingok was confirmed dead, and the search for two others was called off after their how was swept away.
Pets were not allowed on the military evacuation flights. State officials have said that the evacuation of people is the priority.
Bethel Friends of Canines received dogs throughout the week as people fleeing their homes arrived by boat and plane.
There are no roads connecting towns in the area. Many of the pets’ owners want them back soon, but need time to prepare temporary lodgings in cities like Anchorage and Nome, which are more than 250 miles (400 kilometers) away.
Bethel Friends of Canines typically held 15 to 20 dogs at any one time. Now as many as 15 dogs have arrived on a single flight.
Elliott expects most of the additional dogs to stay in Bethel temporarily before being reunited with their owners or extended family that can foster them. At least eight dogs had been reunited with owners in Anchorage as of Thursday morning.
Homes in affected villages are so damaged that they may not be livable in the winter, and emergency management officials said rain and snow could arrive this weekend.
Some of the last people to stay behind and serve the community are teachers, who have served as emergency shelters and meeting places through the relief effort. (AP)
From military coups to national leadership
JOHANNESBURG, Oct 18: Gen-Z-led protests in Madagascar recently triggered a military coup that forced President Andry Rajoelina into exile.
Colonel Michael Randrianirina, an army officer, has been sworn in as the country’s new leader, becoming the first military figure in Madagascar to rise directly from the barracks to the presidential palace.
This mirrors the paths of several prominent military leaders worldwide who transitioned from armed forces to political power.
In Myanmar, Min Aung Hlaing, after becoming commander-in-chief, launched a coup in February 2021, declared a state of emergency, and established military rule under the State Administration Council.
Uganda’s Idi Amin began his career as a cook in the British colonial army and quickly climbed the ranks.
He seized power in 1971, toppling President Milton Obote.
His brutal regime became infamous for widespread violence and human rights abuses.
In Ghana, Jerry Rawlings led two military coups before transitioning to democratic rule.
He was elected president and served two four-year terms, making him one of the few coup leaders to later govern democratically.
Chile’s Augusto Pinochet led a coup in 1973 and established a harsh military dictatorship that lasted 17 years.
In Turkey, General Kenan Evren led the 1980 coup, redrafted the constitution to secure military dominance, served as president until 1989, and was later sentenced to life for crimes against the state. (AP)
