KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent (AP) — Conditions worsened at a volcano on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent as loud rumbling, lightning and heavy ashfall were observed and residents reported power cuts.
The eruption of La Soufrière forced many residents to evacuate their homes, though some remained in place. The rumbling was heard in the capital of Kingstown, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south.
“I’m just here wondering when it’s going to calm down,” resident Kalique Sutherland said.
Lava has begun to flow from the volcano, said Prof. Richard Robertson, the lead scientist at the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Center.
“It’s likely that at some point it would quiet down and hopefully we would have a break so that we could recover a little bit more, but don’t be surprised if after the break it picks up like this again,” Robertson said.
About 16,000 people have had to flee their ash-covered communities with as many belongings as they could stuff into suitcases and backpacks. However, there have been no reports of anyone being killed or injured by the initial blast or those that followed.
Ralph Gonsalves, the prime minister of the 32 islands that make up the country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, has said people should remain calm and keep trying to protect themselves from the coronavirus. He said officials were trying to figure out the best way to collect and dispose of the ash, which covered an airport runway near Kingstown, and fell as far away as Barbados, about 120 miles (190 kilometers) to the east.
HONOLULU (AP) — An armed man who barricaded himself inside a hotel room at a resort in Honolulu and fired shots through the door was still in a standoff with police Sunday morning.
No one was hurt in the gunfire late Saturday at The Kahala Hotel & Resort, Honolulu police Capt. Brian Lynch told news outlets. The luxury resort said in a statement that hotel security and law enforcement evacuated the area around the room.
“Everybody is accounted for,” Lynch said. “We’re just waiting for the suspect to give up.”
Shots were fired at around 6 p.m., according to police. Hotel security staff went up to the room where the man was located and knocked on the door. He then fired through the door multiple times, police said.
Authorities have not released any details about the events leading up to the stand-off. Police believe the man is in the military.
Photos and videos shared by local media showed about 100 people locked down in the hotel’s ballroom. Displaced guests were provided with food, blankets and pillows. Hours after the standoff began, guests sheltering in place were allowed to leave.
Images from outside the resort showed a large police presence, including a SWAT team.
The standoff occurred during what had seemed to be a quiet evening at the resort. Visitors and locals were eating at beach-side restaurants and taking in the sights.
Honolulu resident Rex Jakobovits said he was strolling on the beach when he was told by police to get into the hotel’s ballroom. He told Hawaii News Now that when he got inside, people were frightened. Some were crying.
However, Jakobovits said the mood eventually calmed after officers were posted outside the doors.
Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” continued its tour of dominance through awards season Saturday night, when Zhao took top honors at the 73rd annual Directors Guild Association Awards.
She is the second woman to earn the honor and the first woman of color to do so. Kathryn Bigelow was the first for “The Hurt Locker.” And it all but solidifies her frontrunner status leading up to the Oscars on April 25.
The untelevised event was held virtually with nominees accepting over zoom calls from around the world, in lieu of the typical hotel ballroom ceremony in Beverly Hills.
Only seven times in history has the DGA winner ever not gone on to take the best director prize at the Academy Awards. Last year was a rare exception when the Guild honored “1917” director Sam Mendes and then the Oscar went to “Parasite” director Bong Joon Ho.
Zhao was up against Emerald Fennell for “Promising Young Woman,” Aaron Sorkin for “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Lee Isaac Chung for “Minari” and David Fincher for “Mank.” The only difference in the Oscars lineup is that Sorkin is not among the nominees — instead, Thomas Vinterberg is for “Another Round.”
Zhao’s lyrical film about transient workers in the American West starring Frances McDormand started its awards journey winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, the People’s Choice award at the Toronto International Film Festival, the Golden Globe for best drama and best director and the top honor from the Producer’s Guild.