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In western Altadena, where 17 wildfire deaths were reported, residents say evacuation alerts came late or not at all

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By the time the flames from the deadly Eaton fire approached their western Altadena neighborhood, Mark Douglas and some of his neighbors had already given up on the Los Angeles County emergency evacuation system.

“None of us got a red (mandatory evacuation) alert before we felt ready to leave our houses,” he told CNN Wednesday. “You know, we felt heat and fire and that trumps any alert. So a lot of us gave up on the alert system at that point. These systems are really great when they work. In this case, I don’t think they work.”

Of the 28 deaths reported in the Los Angeles wildfires so far, 17 fatalities occurred in parts of western Altadena where residents said they either did not receive evacuation orders or — like Douglas — did so hours after the rapidly-spreading blaze started.

Los Angeles County officials are now calling for an independent investigation to review the emergency alert system used during the recent Eaton and Palisades Fires to warn residents to evacuate.

The Eaton Fire started at 6:18 p.m. on January 7, according to state officials. Some Altadena residents said they learned about the approaching fire only when they saw the flames near their homes.

The call for an investigation comes after a Los Angeles Times review found that residents in western Altadena did not receive electronic evacuation orders until several hours after the Eaton Fire erupted, raising the question of whether deaths could have been prevented

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International

Authorities investigate purported writings from teen accused of opening fire at a Nashville high school, killing a student

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Law enforcement officials seeking a motive for a shooting at Nashville’s Antioch High School on Wednesday morning are examining alarming social media posts and purported writings tied to a teenager police say shot and killed a 16-year-old girl.

The shooter, identified by Metro Nashville Police as 17-year-old Solomon Henderson, fired multiple rounds inside a cafeteria shortly after 11 a.m. –– killing Josselin Corea Escalante, who was described by her family as kind and loving, CNN affiliate WTVF reported.

Henderson killed himself after the attack, police said.

One student, a 17-year-old boy, suffered a graze wound to the arm and was treated and released, police said, while another male student sustained a facial injury but was not shot. Police did not name those victims.

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International

Six Trump executive orders to watch

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Donald Trump has signed sweeping executive orders on his return to the US presidency, vowing swift action on some of his top campaign issues.
Among the directives that have gained the most publicity are an immigration crackdown and rollbacks of some climate-friendly policies.
But even presidential powers have their limits – and in some cases, he faces hurdles before his plans can become reality.
Here are six of Trump’s eye-catching actions with analysis by BBC reporters, who give their verdict on whether each order could take effect.
What are executive orders?
Live updates on Trump’s second term

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S Korea to remove concrete barriers near runways after fatal crash

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South Korea will change the concrete barriers used for navigation at seven airports across the country following December’s plane crash that killed 179 people.
Seven airports will also have their runway safety areas adapted following a review of all South Korea’s airports that was carried out after the crash – the deadliest in the country’s history.
The Jeju Air flight was bringing passengers home from Thailand after Christmas when it made an emergency landing at Muan airport and exploded after slamming into a concrete barrier at the end of the runway.
The cause of the crash is still unknown but air safety experts had earlier said the number of casualties could have been much lower if not for the structure.
The concrete structure holds a navigation system that assists aircraft landings – known as a localiser. South Korea’s transport ministry had said this system could also be found in other airports in the country and even overseas.
Safety inspectors have now identified nine of these systems, which they say need to be altered. These include the systems at Muan and Jeju International Airport which is the country’s second-largest airport.
They are looking to either replace the concrete bases with more lightweight structures or bury them underground.
Officials added that Muan International Airport’s existing concrete mounds would be removed entirely and the localiser “reinstalled using breakable structures”.
Following the crash, it emerged that an operating manual from Muan International Airport, uploaded early in 2024, had said the concrete embankment was too close to the end of the runway.
The document, prepared by Korea Airports Corp, had recommended the location of the equipment be reviewed during a planned expansion.
Chris Kingswood, a pilot with 48 years’ experience who has flown the same type of aircraft involved in the crash, previously told the BBC that “obstacles within a certain range and distance of the runway are required to be frangible, which means that if an aircraft strikes them that they do break.

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