53 according to the latest Statement Released in the last hour from the maui county government. Joe biden has already issued a major disaster declaration and the governor has said it is the deadliest Natural Disaster for generations. Thousands have been forced to leave their homes and hospitals have been treating patients for burns and smoke inhalation. Nomia iqbal has this report. Much of the Hawaiian Island of maui is now scorched earth. A pilot can hardly believe what hes seeing. Oh, my gosh look at the harbour this looks like baghdad or something. The Historic Town of lahaina barely exists anymore. Since the fire began on tuesday, it has ripped through, fuelled by Hurricane Force winds, leaving burnt out cars on once busy streets and instead of historic buildings, there are Smoking Piles of rubble. Everybody still out here, its time to go for anyone still in the town, the message is clear get out. If anybody� s still here, the fire is on front street and it is time to go this Satellite Image from last month and yesterday lays bare the destruction. Its something youd see in a war zone. I was the last one off the dock when the firestorm came through the banyan trees and took everything with it. And ijust ran out to the beach and i ran south and ijust helped everybody i could along the way. Still got dead bodies in the water, floating, and on the sea wall. Theyve been sitting there since last night. Weve been pulling people out since last night, trying to save peoples lives, and i feel like were not getting the help we need. At 3am, we got. A call, get out that was our neighbour calling and the sky was red. So, i grabbed my three children and i have also the child of a friend staying with us grabbed all four kids, threw them in the car, drove past fire trucks, | Police Officers were doing| door to door evacuations and it was really scary. The president says help is on the way. We have just approved a major disaster declaration for hawaii, which will get aid into the hands of the people desperately needing help now. Anyone whos lost a loved one, whose home has been damaged or destroyed is going to get help immediately. The us military has now mobilised as it tries desperately to suppress the fires over the island. A state nicknamed � the paradise of the pacific� is now paradise lost. Nomia iqbal, bbc news. Megan moseley is a journalist whos covering the story for pacific media group. She told me how her friends and now we are coping. 0h, oh, yeah, everyone is completely devastated. Its a matter of, like, being with theirfamilies and being their families and being Surrounded Theirfamilies and being surrounded by people that love them and support them at this moment there are still some friends that i have not heard from. Yet. So. Friends that i have not heard from. Yet. So. Well, i hope ou from. Yet. So. Well, i hope you will from. Yet. So. Well, i hope you will hear from. Yet. So. Well, i hope you will hear from from. Yet. So. Well, i hope you will hear from them from. Yet. So. Well, i hope| you will hear from them soon. From. Yet. So. Well, i hope i you will hear from them soon. I also understand that you used to live in some of the areas which have been affected by the fires. Have you witnessed anything like this before . Ida. Anything like this before . No, actuall. Anything like this before . No, actually i anything like this before . No, actually. I used anything like this before . No, actually. I used to anything like this before . No, actually. I used to live anything like this before . Iifr, actually. I used to live there, i used to live in lahaina in the Big Island In Kona and net actually sitting my parents in ohio im actually. So when the news came out, and i am still reporting on big island issues, which they also experienced a fire and heard what happened in lahaina where i used to live, i immediately, like, started reaching out and contacting people and its definitely something thats never happened. Like, this has never happened. Like, this has never happened. Like, this has never happened before. To this, this scale, i guess you would. So, its a huge devastation. Would. So, its a huge devastation. , , devastation. Yes, so it must be really difficult devastation. Yes, so it must be really difficult for devastation. Yes, so it must be really difficult for you devastation. Yes, so it must be really difficult for you to devastation. Yes, so it must be really difficult for you to see. Really difficult for you to see all the pictures from there. Also, what does this mean for the community in maui . film. Also, what does this mean for the community in maui . Oh, what does this mean the community in maui . Oh, what does this mean for the community in maui . Oh, what does this mean for the does this mean for the community in maui . They are definitely having to grieve together. Lean on each other for support. And then, hopefully get support from, you know, those of us who arent there to help we can, whether it is like donations or volunteering. I know some people who are doing Search And Rescue at this moment. Those are always, like, we can help support that community. We heard in that support that community. We heard in that report a local resident saying that they are not getting the help that they need but also, as scientists have been warning that this kind of extreme weather event could happen again, is there anything that you want the authorities to do to prevent it from happening, as well as helping them right now . At from happening, as well as helping them right now . At this moment, helping them right now . At this moment. We helping them right now . At this moment, we need helping them right now . At this moment, we need to helping them right now . At this moment, we need to just helping them right now . At this moment, we need to just help i moment, we need tojust help these people anyway possible that we can. I dont know enough about, like, the City Accounting and Planning Efforts to prevent situations like this from happening in the future to speak on that but its something im sure we will be exploring here on a local level. But definitely need some assistance as soon as possible. Megan mosley speaking to me earlier, and we also have a live page on our website that is updating all the latest information as we get it moseley. As we said the death toll now 53 and weve heard from the governor of hawaii, saying this is the worst Natural Disaster in generations and he expects the death toll to rise, so do check out our live page and keep an eye on my colleagues as well. Sir richard branson� s space company, virgin galactic, has completed its first Space Tourism flight. The passengers included an 80 year old british former olympian and a mother and a daughter who made history as the First Caribbean people to embark on the journey. The flight lasted just over one hour. Sophie long reports from the spaceport in new mexico. Now to a coup in niger. West african nations have put a smalljoint Military Force on alert. Leaders of the Ecowas Regional Bloc countries met, trying to find a way to push niger back to democracy. The bloc� s current chairman, nigerian president bola tinubu, said the organisation was prioritising diplomacy. Earlier, there had been threats of Military Action if nigers ousted president Mohamed Bazoum was not reinstated, but the coup leaders didnt back down. Instead, they have named a 21 member cabinet to consolidate power. Our reporter chris ewokor is monitoring the situation from neighbouring nigeria. One of the major decisions reached by the ecowas leaders today is that, despite that all options are on the table and open, including the option of Military Force as a last resort, they have now ordered the activation of the Ecowas Standby force. When this is going to start, we dont know. One of the other things that the ecowas leaders have done is to reiterate their condemnation of the coup in niger, as well as the continued detention of president Mohamed Bazoum. They also condemned the condition in which they say the president and his family have been kept, and they are insisting that all the measures that have been put in place earlier, including the earlier resolution as well as Border Closure and restriction of movement, will remain in force while they explore every means to arrive at a very peaceful and agreeable resolution. Around the world and across the uk, barbenheimer means have been trending online after two Hollywood Films Barbie and oppenheimer were released on the same day. Injapan, the memes, some of mitch which made light of bombing, force the backlash. Of Atomic Bombing are generating a backlash, especially after the barbie movies official account replied positively to them. Distibutor Warner Brothers had to apologise. This morning, barbie makes its debut injapan but activists have launched a Petition Calling for the Barbenheimer Hashtag to be banned. Earlier, i spoke to one of them. Injapan, there are many people who are really upset. I havent talked to the survivors about this because its too shocking for them, i think, and there are many younger people who saw on the twitter what happened, and the memes, and we were really shocked and we learned that there is still a big gap of the perception of the Atomic Bombing betweenjapanese people and american people. Yes, i was trying to actually to read some of those survivors and, for them, it is a very difficult concept to understand, isnt it . Memes, twitter there is obviously a generational gap. But in terms of younger people speaking up, why did you decide to start this petition . Because for a long time, similar incidents have happened and none of these petitions started. Ok, so this time, it was really big news injapan, so we realise what happened, and once we realised what happened, we thought, we have to raise our voices because its not only about Atomic Bombing in i9lr5. We are surrounded by Nuclear Arsenals around the world, more than 12,000 of them, and downplaying what happened on the ground of Hiroshima And Nagasaki can make things happen again, so we want to raise our voice, to get awareness to really what happened on the ground on that day. Its a really good time to learn again, or learn for the first time for many people in the world, what really happened under the mushroom cloud. Oppenheimer still doesnt have a release date. Barbie gets released today. Do you think this scandal may have affected peoples appetite to watch these movies . I dont know, actually. There are various opinions of people who commented on our petition site. Some people really want to see the movie because this is onlyjust information for us now, or some people just say, we dont want to see the movie, but i think its peoples choice but i dont know if this petition had the impact but this news, these memes, have really impacted onjapanese people, im sure. This is bbc news. Bbc news, brinuain this is bbc news. Bbc news, bringing you this is bbc news. Bbc news, bringing you different this is bbc news. Bbc news, bringing you different stories| bringing you different stories from across the uk. Bringing you different stories from across the uk. Keeping it clean. From across the uk. Keeping it clean this from across the uk. Keeping it clean. This is from across the uk. Keeping it clean. This is the from across the uk. Keeping it clean. This is the eco from across the uk. Keeping it l clean. This is the eco museum, clean. This is the eco museum, a place to show off some of the Community Projects that have been going on in preparation for the estate had. The squares were knitted and crocheted by people in the area and decorated by local schools to celebrate place names, building excitement across the generations eisteddfod. It has been building for months. Everybody, you look around you, you see all of the artwork and the science and the banners, it is a massive event. The the science and the banners, it is a massive event. Is a massive event. The Welsh Government is a massive event. The Welsh Government says is a massive event. The Welsh Government says it is a massive event. The Welsh Government says it is is a massive event. The Welsh Government says it is doing i is a massive event. The welsh | government says it is doing its bit to support the eisteddfod with a grant of £1 million and one of grants of £1. 75 million towards making the festival more inclusive, with free admission for income families. The sun was shining for one of the eisteddfods ceremonies this morning and the weather is due to keep on improving and many of us here hoping the wellies can stay in the car for a few days. You with bbc news. Been three days since its been three days since the Police Service of Northern Ireland mistakenly made public the identities of 10,000 employees and its Chief Constable has apologised for what he called an industrial scale breach of data. Many of the Police Officers try not to reveal their occupation even to family because of security concerns, so their union says theyre shocked and fearful. The Chief Constable said they had not be able to verify a claim by dissident republicans that they had obtained the staff list. Heres sarah girvin. The Terrorism Threat Level in Northern Ireland is severe thats the highest in the uk and its because of that threat that some Police Officers keep their jobs secret from people in their community, theirfriends, even their children. Today, the forces most Senior Officer acknowledged claims that dissident republicans are in possession of information from the data breaches. This is a claim. We havent yet been able to verify what the substance is behind that claim, or see any of the information that dissident republicans assert that they have. But as you would imagine, were keeping this under review. I and the senior team apologise unreservedly for what has happened here. You can only imagine the sort of unconscionable horror as people start to realise that maybe a loved one is being Put Injeopardy but what they have seen. This mornings Emergency Meeting here at the Policing Board had been due to last for around two hours. The Chief Constable, simon byrne, had cut a holiday short to be here, but four hours later, he was still answering questions from politicians about the data breaches. Recent attacks will be fresh in the minds of officers here. Dissident republican terrorists shot and seriously injured this senior detective, john caldwell, just a few months ago. Daily routines for police in Northern Ireland involve checking for explosives under their vehicles and varying the way they travel. Some of them work in particularly sensitive areas for m15 and in covert operations. Today, policing Board Members said officers were anxious and fearful. I can only imagine the stress that this is causing some families. I think right across the organisation, but particularly for officers from nationalist backgrounds who have been subject to a higher level of threat over the years. A separate data breach happened injuly when documents, a police radio and a laptop with officers details were stolen from a car, but that wasnt made public until yesterday. We have means of wiping those devices remotely. You will also be aware that laptops are protected by passwords. The priority for the psni will be keeping its staff safe. After that, it will be working hard to rebuild trust in a police force where morale is at rock bottom. Sarah girvin, bbc news, belfast. Sir Richard Bransons space company, virgin galactic, has completed its first Space Tourism flight. The passengers included an 80 year old british former olympian and a mother and a daughter who made history as the First Caribbean people to embark on the journey. The flight lasted just over one hour. Sophie long reports from the spaceport in new mexico. Cheering making the final footsteps towards realising their dreams. How are you feeling . Feeling great jon goodwin and mother and daughter duo Keisha Schahaff and ana mayers make their way to the Spaceship Unity. Then at 8. 30 local time, lift off, on schedule and in perfect conditions. This is the Momentjon Goodwin has been waiting for a quarter of his life. He is now on his way to space on virgin galactic� s first private passenger flight. Three, two, one. Release, release, release. And this is what its all about, as the Spaceship Unity hit apogee more tha