World news in brief
Miss Michigan loses title over hijab and gun tweets
A beauty pageant contestant who was crowned Miss Michigan has had her title revoked over “offensive” tweets she previously posted regarding hijabs and the black community. On Friday, Kathy Zhu tweeted that the Miss World America (MWA) organisation had been in contact with her to inform her of their decision to strip her of her title.
“It has been brought to the attention of Miss World America (MWA) that your social media accounts contain offensive, insensitive and inappropriate content,” the email read in a screenshot posted on the 20year-old’s Twitter account. The organisation stated the removal of Zhu’s title would be enforced “effective immediately”, saying that the Republican supporter must remove any reference to herself being an MWA participant on all social media platforms. Zhu tweeted that the reason for the removal of her title was due to tweets she had shared in the past concerning her “refusal to try on a hijab” and “black on black gun
violence”. The tweets in question have reportedly since been deleted.
According to screenshots of the now-deleted tweets obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, Zhu had encountered and taken umbrage at a “’try a hijab on booth” at her university campus. “So you’re telling me that it’s now just a fashion accessory and not a religious thing? Or are you just trying to get women used to being oppressed under Islam?” one of the tweets read. In the second tweet posted by Zhu, the University of Michigan student wrote: “Did you know that the majority of black deaths are caused by other blacks? Fix problems within your own community first before blaming others.” The Independent contacted Kathy Zhu and Miss World America for comment.
Man arrested as massive wildfires ravage Portugal
A man has been arrested in a police investigation into three massive wildfires ravaging central Portugal. In a statement released yesterday, police said a 55-year-old man was detained on suspicion of starting a blaze that has injured 20 and scorched 8,000 hectares, an area equivalent to 10,000 football pitches.
“The suspect’s actions put people’s lives, houses and the forest at risk,” the police said, without explicitly saying that the detained man was responsible for the ongoing wildfire. Some 1,000 firefighters are using more than 200 vehicles, 13 aircraft and four bulldozers to battle flames in three different locations of central Portugal. The fires started on Saturday in the inner Castelo Branco district, some 225 kilometers (139 miles) northeast of Lisbon, and soon spread to the adjacent Santarem district. Internal administration minister Eduardo Cabrita told reporters that authorities launched an investigation because they found it strange that all the blazes started between 2.30pm and 3.30pm local time on Saturday around the same area.
Firefighters were able to extinguish two of the wildfires, but strong winds and sizzling temperatures were making it harder to put out the remaining blaze. “It will be an afternoon of intense work,” Belo Costa, a Civil Protection official, told reporters. The fires have already injured eight firefighters and 12 civilians, authorities said yesterday. One civilian was taken to hospital and was in a serious condition after suffering first and second degree burns.
Natalie Portman to play female Thor in Marvel sequel
Actor Natalie Portman will return to the Thor franchise with elevated status as a female version of the superhero. The news was announced as part of the star-studded panel that saw Marvel Studios reveal every new film it will release from 2020, including a solo outing for Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, a sequel to Doctor Strange (starring Benedict Cumberbatch) and The Eternals, which will star Angelina Jolie and Richard Madden.
Director Taika Waititi, who oversaw Thor: Ragnarok, will return for the next instalment, currently titled Thor: Love and Thunder. Portman will reprise the role of Jane Foster alongside Chris Hemsworth, but this time around she’ll lift the god of thunder’s hammer as a superhero in her own right. Tessa Thompson’s character Valkyrie will also appear in the film. Thor: Love and Thunder will be released in November 2021.
Man hurt as car ploughs through crowd at cemetery
A man was seriously injured when a car drove at high speed into crowds at a cemetery in the Republic of Ireland yesterday. The elderly man was among several people hurt in the “terrifying” incident in Co Louth, the parish priest said.
Thousands of people had gathered for an annual blessing of the graves service at St Patrick’s Cemetery in
Dundalk, near the Irish border, when the car sped into the graveyard and headed towards them. The driver was said to have been going erratically, and there were screams of horror as the car ploughed into the crowd.
Irish police said a pedestrian had been seriously injured while other people suffered minor injuries. Ambulances and police rushed to the scene and broadcaster RTE said the injured man was taken to hospital. A man in his twenties was later arrested