Dubbed the &quot;Sunshine State&quot; for its sun-soaked climate, Florida is also ironically branded the &quot;<a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Gunshine-State" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/florida-the-gunshine-state-often-devastated-by-firearms/articleshow/62932876.cms~Gunshine State-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Gunshine-State">Gunshine State</a>,&quot; a place where firearms are easy to come by &mdash; especially for perpetrators of violence.

The state, home to 21 million people, has handed out more gun permits than any other state &mdash; around 1.9 million as of January, according to official statistics.

But this only makes up part of the total number of firearms, an unknown figure that cannot be estimated. 
 
Comparing the number of firearm permits with the number of inhabitants puts Florida at mid-range for gun ownership &mdash; trailing a number of mostly-white rural states. 
 
But the peninsula, located in the southeast of the country, has been the setting of several particularly deadly shootings in recent years. 
 
The worst remains an attack on an Orlando gay nightclub on June 12, 2016, which saw a heavily armed man &mdash; who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group -- kill 49 people. 
 
Six months later, a man opened fire at <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Fort-Lauderdale" pg="AS1_InlineMedia#AS1_https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/florida-the-gunshine-state-often-devastated-by-firearms/articleshow/62932876.cms~Fort Lauderdale-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Fort-Lauderdale">Fort Lauderdale</a> International Airport, killing five people on January 6, 2017.

On Wednesday, a 19-year-old man expelled from a high school for disciplinary reasons returned to the building in Parkland, Florida and killed 17 people. 
 
But despite the repeated tragedies, Floridians make no secret of their attachment to the right to bear arms.

Florida was the first US state to adopt controversial &quot;Stand Your Ground&quot; legislation in 2005, backed by the gun lobby. 
 
The law allows a person to use lethal force if they believe they are in serious danger &mdash; even if there is a possibility that they could escape or retreat from that threat. 
 
As a result, the concept of self-defence is particularly prominent in Florida, as illustrated in February 2012 with the death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed teenager killed by a neighbourhood watchman. 
 
The perpetrator, George Zimmerman, pleaded self-defense and was acquitted by a jury.

Comparing the number of firearm permits with the number of inhabitants puts Florida at mid-range for gun ownership -- trailing a number of mostly-white rural states

Dubbed the "Sunshine State" for its sun-soaked climate, Florida is also ironically branded the "Gunshine State," a place where firearms are easy to come by — especially for perpetrators of violence. The state, home to 21 million people, has handed out more gun permits than any other state — around 1.9 million as of January, according to official statistics. But this only makes up part of the total number of firearms, an unknown figure that cannot be estimated. Comparing the number of firearm permits with the number of inhabitants puts Florida at mid-range for gun ownership — trailing a number of mostly-white rural states. But the peninsula, located in the southeast of the country, has been the setting of several particularly deadly shootings in recent years. The worst remains an attack on an Orlando gay nightclub on June 12, 2016, which saw a heavily armed man — who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group -- kill 49 people. Six months later, a man opened fire at Fort Lauderdale International Airport, killing five people on January 6, 2017. On Wednesday, a 19-year-old man expelled from a high school for disciplinary reasons returned to the building in Parkland, Florida and killed 17 people. But despite the repeated tragedies, Floridians make no secret of their attachment to the right to bear arms. Florida was the first US state to adopt controversial "Stand Your Ground" legislation in 2005, backed by the gun lobby. The law allows a person to use lethal force if they believe they are in serious danger — even if there is a possibility that they could escape or retreat from that threat. As a result, the concept of self-defence is particularly prominent in Florida, as illustrated in February 2012 with the death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed teenager killed by a neighbourhood watchman. The perpetrator, George Zimmerman, pleaded self-defense and was acquitted by a jury.

Florida, the 'Gunshine State' often devastated by firearms

Florida saw one of its <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ex-student-opens-fire-in-florida-school-at-least-17-killed-32906">deadliest mass shooting</a> on Wednesday when a 19-year-old former student attacked the school, killing 17 children.&nbsp;

Heres a rundown of the last five deadliest attacks in US schools and universities:

1. Umpqua Community College Shooting&nbsp;

On October 1, 2015, a 26-year-old man identified as Christopher Harper-Mercer committed the deadliest mass shooting in Oregon history, killing nine people and injuring seven others at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon.&nbsp;

He only let one person go just so that he could inform the police about the incident. Mercer had suffered from long-term mental illness and was described as &quot;hate filled&quot; by those who knew him.

Some theories behind the mass shooting were Mercer falling below a C average, putting him at risk for suspension, as well as him not being able to pay the tuition bill due.

&nbsp;He ultimately committed suicide after the attack.

2. Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown

On December 14, 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.&nbsp;

Lanza killed his mother, before entering the school where he killed 26 people and injured two others; the majority of his victims were children aging from five to 10 years old.

He committed suicide upon completion of the attack. According to the media and news reports, this was one of the most bizarre shootings because Lanza never offered a motive or reasoning behind the murder of his mother nor the horrendous mass slaying of innocent children.

3. Oikos University Shooting

On April 2, 2012, 43-year-old One L. Goh committed California&#39;s deadliest mass killing on at the Korean Christian college Oikos University and killed seven people and wounded at least three more.&nbsp;

He was a former student of the school and opened fire early morning on April 2. Goh had been a nursing student at the college but was not enrolled at the time of the shooting.&nbsp;

Goh apparently targeted a school director he was angry at - but who no longer worked there.&nbsp;

Goh is at Napa State Hospital being treated for paranoid schizophrenia, with his lawyer saying he saw faces in mirrors and experienced delusions regarding &quot;the battle between God and Satan and his role in that battle.&quot;

4. Northern Illinois University

On &nbsp;February 14, 2008, Steven Kazmierczak, 27, &nbsp;dressed in black stepped from behind a curtain at the front of a large lecture hall at Northern Illinois University on Thursday and shot 21 people, five of them fatally, then shot and killed himself.&nbsp;

Four died at the scene, including the shooter, and two later died at the hospital. At least 22 people, including a graduate student who was teaching an ocean sciences class, were shot.&nbsp;

The shooter was a graduate student at NIU, he appeared to be a model student, earning a dean&rsquo;s award in 2006.

He also served as vice president of the Academic Criminal Justice Association, a student group focused on educating the community.

He was treated temporarily for mental illness at the Elk Grove Village Thresholds-Mary Hill House psychiatric center,[33] for being &quot;unruly&quot; at home. Reports said that his behavior seemed to become more erratic in the weeks leading up to the shooting and that it is believed he stopped taking medication beforehand.

5. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

On April 16, 2007, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia came under attack when senior student Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people and injured 17 more in two attacks &ndash; one in a co-ed dormitory, the other in the Engineering, Science and Mechanics building.

Cho ultimately committed suicide following the shooting.&nbsp;He is noted as committing the deadliest attack on a school in US history.

Cho was previously diagnosed with severe anxiety disorder; among the tapes he personally mailed to NBC news, Cho expressed his hatred for the wealthy, compared himself to Jesus Christ and explained that he was forced to commit the mass shooting due to voices in his head.

&nbsp;

Florida saw one of its deadliest mass shooting on Wednesday when a 19-year-old former student attacked the school, killing 17 children

Florida saw one of its deadliest mass shooting on Wednesday when a 19-year-old former student attacked the school, killing 17 children. Heres a rundown of the last five deadliest attacks in US schools and universities: 1. Umpqua Community College Shooting On October 1, 2015, a 26-year-old man identified as Christopher Harper-Mercer committed the deadliest mass shooting in Oregon history, killing nine people and injuring seven others at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. He only let one person go just so that he could inform the police about the incident. Mercer had suffered from long-term mental illness and was described as "hate filled" by those who knew him. Some theories behind the mass shooting were Mercer falling below a C average, putting him at risk for suspension, as well as him not being able to pay the tuition bill due. He ultimately committed suicide after the attack. 2. Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown On December 14, 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Lanza killed his mother, before entering the school where he killed 26 people and injured two others; the majority of his victims were children aging from five to 10 years old. He committed suicide upon completion of the attack. According to the media and news reports, this was one of the most bizarre shootings because Lanza never offered a motive or reasoning behind the murder of his mother nor the horrendous mass slaying of innocent children. 3. Oikos University Shooting On April 2, 2012, 43-year-old One L. Goh committed California's deadliest mass killing on at the Korean Christian college Oikos University and killed seven people and wounded at least three more. He was a former student of the school and opened fire early morning on April 2. Goh had been a nursing student at the college but was not enrolled at the time of the shooting. Goh apparently targeted a school director he was angry at - but who no longer worked there. Goh is at Napa State Hospital being treated for paranoid schizophrenia, with his lawyer saying he saw faces in mirrors and experienced delusions regarding "the battle between God and Satan and his role in that battle." 4. Northern Illinois University On February 14, 2008, Steven Kazmierczak, 27, dressed in black stepped from behind a curtain at the front of a large lecture hall at Northern Illinois University on Thursday and shot 21 people, five of them fatally, then shot and killed himself. Four died at the scene, including the shooter, and two later died at the hospital. At least 22 people, including a graduate student who was teaching an ocean sciences class, were shot. The shooter was a graduate student at NIU, he appeared to be a model student, earning a dean’s award in 2006. He also served as vice president of the Academic Criminal Justice Association, a student group focused on educating the community. He was treated temporarily for mental illness at the Elk Grove Village Thresholds-Mary Hill House psychiatric center,[33] for being "unruly" at home. Reports said that his behavior seemed to become more erratic in the weeks leading up to the shooting and that it is believed he stopped taking medication beforehand. 5. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University On April 16, 2007, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia came under attack when senior student Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people and injured 17 more in two attacks – one in a co-ed dormitory, the other in the Engineering, Science and Mechanics building. Cho ultimately committed suicide following the shooting. He is noted as committing the deadliest attack on a school in US history. Cho was previously diagnosed with severe anxiety disorder; among the tapes he personally mailed to NBC news, Cho expressed his hatred for the wealthy, compared himself to Jesus Christ and explained that he was forced to commit the mass shooting due to voices in his head.

US school shootings: Deadly attacks as 'model' students become killers

A rare winter storm hit the US Southeast on Wednesday, dumping snow on Florida&#39;s capital for the first time in three decades and snarling travel, while New England braced for a &quot;bombogenesis&quot; blizzard forecast to bring heavy accumulations on Thursday.

The governors of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia declared states of emergency, warning residents to expect icy roads and freezing temperatures. In the northeast, work crews loaded trucks with road salt in advance of the storm.

The New York City Department of Education said it would close public schools on Thursday because of severe weather. The National Weather Service predicted New York could see 5-8 inches of snow and wind gusts as high as 50 mph on Thursday.

Much of the eastern United States is in the grips of a sustained cold spell that has frozen parts of Niagara Falls on the American and Canadian sides, played havoc with public works causing pipes to freeze and water mains to burst, and impeded firefighting in places where temperatures barely broke 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

The cold has been blamed for at least nine deaths over the past few days, including two homeless people in Houston. Police in Roseville, Michigan, said on Wednesday that a 96-year-old woman, recently diagnosed with dementia, was found dead in a playground, apparently having frozen to death after wandering outside in a robe and slippers.

The National Weather Service had blizzard warnings in effect from Virginia to Maine, with areas around Boston expected to see about a foot (30 cm) of snow on Thursday.

Snow would fall quickly during the day, at a rate of several inches per hour, with the storm intensified by the &quot;bombogenesis&quot; effect, private forecaster Accuweather warned.

&quot;Bombogenesis,&quot; also known as a &quot;bomb cyclone,&quot; occurs when a storm&#39;s barometric pressure drops by 24 millibars in 24 hours, greatly strengthening the storm.

The effect is seen along the Northeastern coast every winter, but this storm will be particularly powerful, said Judah Cohen, a visiting scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

&quot;This one is unique in how quickly the pressure is going to fall,&quot; Cohen said. &quot;The pressures could rival a Category 1 or Category 2 hurricane.&quot;

An arctic air mass will remain entrenched over the eastern two-thirds of the United States through the end of the week.

NOT FIT FOR MAN NOR BEAST

&nbsp;

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<div class="media-description">
An emergency service vehicle exits the New York State Thruway, which was closed following a major traffic incident due to blizzard-like conditions, near Buffalo, New York. (Reuters)
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&nbsp;

At a news conference, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster warned people in the eastern part of the state to stay indoors if possible and to keep pets indoors.

&quot;If they can&#39;t get in the heat, they&#39;ll freeze to death and they&#39;ll be gone,&quot; McMaster said. &quot;And the same thing will happen to people. So you have to be careful about that.&quot;

In the state&#39;s historic city of Charleston, the winter storm shuttered carriage-horse tour companies after a horse slipped and fell on ice during a tour on Tuesday, city spokesman Jack O&#39;Toole said.

The wintry mix and low wind chills caused widespread power outages and icy roads, making commuting treacherous for millions of Americans from northern Florida to southern Virginia, the National Weather Service said.

The storm was starting to snarl air travel in the southern United States, with about 50 percent of flights canceled at airports in South Carolina&#39;s Charleston and Myrtle Beach and Savannah, Georgia, according to the FlightAware tracking service.

Two to 3 inches (5-8 cm) of snow were expected in northeastern Florida, coastal Georgia and South Carolina, weather service meteorologist Bob Oravec said. The weather service said its Tallahassee office had measured snow and sleet accumulation of 0.1 inch (2.5 mm) on its roof, the first snow in Florida&#39;s capital since 1989.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh ordered schools closed on Thursday, warning city residents that the peak of the storm would occur during the day, making travel extremely dangerous.

&quot;Both rush hours will be affected,&quot; Walsh told a news conference. &quot;Be patient. With the amount of snow we&#39;re getting here, we could be plowing your street and a half hour later it could look like we haven&#39;t been there.&quot;

The New York City Department of Education said it would close public schools on Thursday because of severe weather.

A rare winter storm hit the US Southeast on Wednesday, dumping snow on Florida's capital for the first time in three decades and snarling travel, while New England braced for a "bombogenesis" blizzard forecast to bring heavy accumulations on Thursday. The governors of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia declared states of emergency, warning residents to expect icy roads and freezing temperatures. In the northeast, work crews loaded trucks with road salt in advance of the storm. The New York City Department of Education said it would close public schools on Thursday because of severe weather. The National Weather Service predicted New York could see 5-8 inches of snow and wind gusts as high as 50 mph on Thursday. Much of the eastern United States is in the grips of a sustained cold spell that has frozen parts of Niagara Falls on the American and Canadian sides, played havoc with public works causing pipes to freeze and water mains to burst, and impeded firefighting in places where temperatures barely broke 20 degrees Fahrenheit. The cold has been blamed for at least nine deaths over the past few days, including two homeless people in Houston. Police in Roseville, Michigan, said on Wednesday that a 96-year-old woman, recently diagnosed with dementia, was found dead in a playground, apparently having frozen to death after wandering outside in a robe and slippers. The National Weather Service had blizzard warnings in effect from Virginia to Maine, with areas around Boston expected to see about a foot (30 cm) of snow on Thursday. Snow would fall quickly during the day, at a rate of several inches per hour, with the storm intensified by the "bombogenesis" effect, private forecaster Accuweather warned. "Bombogenesis," also known as a "bomb cyclone," occurs when a storm's barometric pressure drops by 24 millibars in 24 hours, greatly strengthening the storm. The effect is seen along the Northeastern coast every winter, but this storm will be particularly powerful, said Judah Cohen, a visiting scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "This one is unique in how quickly the pressure is going to fall," Cohen said. "The pressures could rival a Category 1 or Category 2 hurricane." An arctic air mass will remain entrenched over the eastern two-thirds of the United States through the end of the week. NOT FIT FOR MAN NOR BEAST An emergency service vehicle exits the New York State Thruway, which was closed following a major traffic incident due to blizzard-like conditions, near Buffalo, New York. (Reuters) × At a news conference, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster warned people in the eastern part of the state to stay indoors if possible and to keep pets indoors. "If they can't get in the heat, they'll freeze to death and they'll be gone," McMaster said. "And the same thing will happen to people. So you have to be careful about that." In the state's historic city of Charleston, the winter storm shuttered carriage-horse tour companies after a horse slipped and fell on ice during a tour on Tuesday, city spokesman Jack O'Toole said. The wintry mix and low wind chills caused widespread power outages and icy roads, making commuting treacherous for millions of Americans from northern Florida to southern Virginia, the National Weather Service said. The storm was starting to snarl air travel in the southern United States, with about 50 percent of flights canceled at airports in South Carolina's Charleston and Myrtle Beach and Savannah, Georgia, according to the FlightAware tracking service. Two to 3 inches (5-8 cm) of snow were expected in northeastern Florida, coastal Georgia and South Carolina, weather service meteorologist Bob Oravec said. The weather service said its Tallahassee office had measured snow and sleet accumulation of 0.1 inch (2.5 mm) on its roof, the first snow in Florida's capital since 1989. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh ordered schools closed on Thursday, warning city residents that the peak of the storm would occur during the day, making travel extremely dangerous. "Both rush hours will be affected," Walsh told a news conference. "Be patient. With the amount of snow we're getting here, we could be plowing your street and a half hour later it could look like we haven't been there."

'Bombogenesis' takes aim at US Northeast as snow sweeps South

As Hurricane Irma bore down on Florida, six million people were ordered to get out of its way.&nbsp;

It was one of the biggest evacuations in US history.&nbsp;

Another group that was evacauted was a flock of flamingoes from the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay adventure park.&nbsp;

The flamingoes were moved to shelters.&nbsp;

Reuters reported Busch Gardens as tweeting that they were moving their animals to shelters in advance of Irma hitting Tampa, and that &quot;Their safety is of most importance.&quot;

'Their safety is of most importance,' Busch Gardens Tampa Bay adventure park tweeted

As Hurricane Irma bore down on Florida, six million people were ordered to get out of its way. It was one of the biggest evacuations in US history. Another group that was evacauted was a flock of flamingoes from the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay adventure park. The flamingoes were moved to shelters. Reuters reported Busch Gardens as tweeting that they were moving their animals to shelters in advance of Irma hitting Tampa, and that "Their safety is of most importance."

WATCH: 6 mn people -- and flamingoes -- evacuated from Hurricane Irma's path

More than 6 million people have been ordered to evacuate as <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/hurricane-irma-hurls-towards-florida-costs-france-more-than-1-bn-euros-20026" target="_blank">Hurricane Irma</a> approaches the US state of Florida.

The authorities in Florida have put 6.3 million people under evacuation orders Saturday from the earlier 5.6 million, AFP reported.

The Hurricane which weakened to a Category Three storm is expected to regain strength as it heads for Florida, AFP quoted US forecasters as saying.

The National Hurricane Centre cautioned that Irma is &quot;forecast to restrengthen while heading for south Florida and the keys&quot;, according to AFP.

The storm, which has been rated as the worst Atlantic storm in recorded history, has <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/hurricane-irma-reduces-caribbean-island-barbuda-to-rubble-19946" target="_blank">caused massive damage in the Caribbean</a> killing 22 and devastated islands which would take a huge effort to rebuild.

Irma hit Cuba as a Category 4 storm.

Florida Governor Rick Scott has sounded warning that it would be difficult to evacuate people after the storm makes landfall.

Irma has been downgraded to a Category 3 storm but forecasters believed it would regain strength as it approaches Florida

More than 6 million people have been ordered to evacuate as Hurricane Irma approaches the US state of Florida. The authorities in Florida have put 6.3 million people under evacuation orders Saturday from the earlier 5.6 million, AFP reported. The Hurricane which weakened to a Category Three storm is expected to regain strength as it heads for Florida, AFP quoted US forecasters as saying. The National Hurricane Centre cautioned that Irma is "forecast to restrengthen while heading for south Florida and the keys", according to AFP. The storm, which has been rated as the worst Atlantic storm in recorded history, has caused massive damage in the Caribbean killing 22 and devastated islands which would take a huge effort to rebuild. Irma hit Cuba as a Category 4 storm. Florida Governor Rick Scott has sounded warning that it would be difficult to evacuate people after the storm makes landfall.

More than 6 million under evacuation orders in Florida as Hurricane Irma closes in

Hurricane Irma strengthened and made landfall in Cuba on Friday as a Category 5 storm, as millions of Florida residents were ordered to evacuate after the storm killed 21 people in the eastern Caribbean and left catastrophic destruction in its wake.

Irma struck Camaguey Archipelago with 160 mph (260 kph) winds late on Friday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in an advisory. Category 5 is the NHC&#39;s most powerful designation.

Irma, one of the fiercest Atlantic storms in a century, was expected to hit Florida on Sunday morning, bringing massive damage from wind and flooding to the fourth-largest state by population.

The scenes along Cuba&rsquo;s north central coast were gradually coming to resemble the horrors of those of other Caribbean islands over the last week as Irma barreled in for a direct hit at Ciego de Avila province around midnight.

Choppy seas, grey skies, sheets of rain, bending palm trees, huge waves crashing over sea walls and downed power lines filled state-run television&rsquo;s evening news cast.

Irma was forecast to bring dangerous storm surges of up to 10 feet (3 meters) on parts of Cuba&#39;s northern coast and the central and northwestern Bahamas.

Meteorologists warned that by Saturday morning scenes of far greater devastation were sure to emerge as Irma worked her way along the northern coast westward through Sancti Spiritus and Villa Clara provinces where it is forecast to turn northward toward Florida.

The area is home to pristine keys with more than 50 hotels and fine beaches, vital money makers for the cash-strapped government.

Residents in the central province of Camaguey hunkered down on Friday night.&quot;There are really strong gusts of wind. It is pouring off and on, and the lights are out,&quot; Anaida Gonzalez, a retired nurse, said by telephone.

Irma was about 300 miles (485 km) southeast of Miami, the NHC said in its latest advisory.

With the storm barreling toward the United States, officials ordered an historic evacuation in Florida that has been made more difficult by clogged highways, gasoline shortages and the challenge of moving older people.

The United States has been hit by only three Category 5 storms since 1851, and Irma is far larger than the last one in 1992, Hurricane Andrew, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

&quot;We are running out of time. If you are in an evacuation zone, you need to go now. This is a catastrophic storm like our state has never seen,&quot; Governor Rick Scott told reporters, adding the effects would be felt from coast to coast in the state.

A total of 5.6 million people, or 25 percent of the state&#39;s population, were ordered to evacuate Florida, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

U.S. President Donald Trump said in a videotaped statement that Irma was &quot;a storm of absolutely historic destructive potential&quot; and called on people to heed recommendations from government officials and law enforcement. In Palm Beach, Trump&#39;s waterfront Mar-a-Lago estate was ordered evacuated.

&#39;DON&#39;T BE COMPLACENT&#39;

Irma was set to hit the United States two weeks after Hurricane Harvey, a powerful Category 4 storm, struck Texas, killing about 60 people and causing property damage estimated at up to $180 billion in Texas and Louisiana. Officials were preparing a massive response, the head of FEMA said.

About 9 million people in Florida may lose power, some for weeks, said Florida Power &amp; Light Co, which serves almost half of the state&#39;s 20.6 million residents.

Amid the exodus, nearly one-third of all gas stations in Florida&#39;s metropolitan areas were out of gasoline, with scattered outages in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, according to Gasbuddy.com, a retail fuel price tracking service.

In Fort Lauderdale, most large grocery, hardware and supply stores were closed and do not plan to open until early next week, after the hurricane has passed.

A shelter in southwest Miami filled to capacity just hours after it opened its doors, with people there recalling Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the most destructive to ever hit the state.

&quot;I&#39;m scared because it is bigger than Andrew,&quot; said Ann Samuels, 49.

She said Andrew had forced her and her two young children and eight others into a closet. &quot;They say to not stress and not worry, but how can you not?&quot; she added.

Steve Ortega, 29, decided to go home after peeking into the packed shelter. He was 5 years old when Andrew damaged his home.

&quot;I will never forget the noise. That ... was the scariest thing I ever heard in my life,&quot; adding he was worried but optimistic his home would remain standing through Irma.

Mandatory evacuations on Georgia&#39;s Atlantic coast and some of South Carolina&#39;s barrier islands were due to begin on Saturday. Virginia and Alabama were under states of emergency.

The governors of North and South Carolina warned residents to remain on guard even as the storm took a more westward track, saying their states still could experience severe weather, including heavy rain and flash flooding, early next week.

On Wall Street, the S&amp;P 500 ended slightly lower as investors braced for potential damage and massive insurance claims from Irma. Many economists are predicting that third-quarter gross domestic product will take a hit due to the hurricanes.

HURRICANE JOSE REACHES CATEGORY 4

As it roared in from the east, Irma ravaged small islands in the northeastern Caribbean, including Barbuda, St. Martin and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, flattening homes and hospitals and ripping down trees.

But even as they came to grips with the massive destruction, residents of the islands faced the threat of another major storm, Hurricane Jose.

Jose, expected to reach the northeastern Caribbean on Saturday, was an extremely dangerous storm nearing Category 5 status, with winds of up to 155 mph (250 kph), the NHC said on Friday.

Irma set to make landfall in Florida on Sunday

Hurricane Irma strengthened and made landfall in Cuba on Friday as a Category 5 storm, as millions of Florida residents were ordered to evacuate after the storm killed 21 people in the eastern Caribbean and left catastrophic destruction in its wake. Irma struck Camaguey Archipelago with 160 mph (260 kph) winds late on Friday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in an advisory. Category 5 is the NHC's most powerful designation. Irma, one of the fiercest Atlantic storms in a century, was expected to hit Florida on Sunday morning, bringing massive damage from wind and flooding to the fourth-largest state by population. The scenes along Cuba’s north central coast were gradually coming to resemble the horrors of those of other Caribbean islands over the last week as Irma barreled in for a direct hit at Ciego de Avila province around midnight. Choppy seas, grey skies, sheets of rain, bending palm trees, huge waves crashing over sea walls and downed power lines filled state-run television’s evening news cast. Irma was forecast to bring dangerous storm surges of up to 10 feet (3 meters) on parts of Cuba's northern coast and the central and northwestern Bahamas. Meteorologists warned that by Saturday morning scenes of far greater devastation were sure to emerge as Irma worked her way along the northern coast westward through Sancti Spiritus and Villa Clara provinces where it is forecast to turn northward toward Florida. The area is home to pristine keys with more than 50 hotels and fine beaches, vital money makers for the cash-strapped government. Residents in the central province of Camaguey hunkered down on Friday night."There are really strong gusts of wind. It is pouring off and on, and the lights are out," Anaida Gonzalez, a retired nurse, said by telephone. Irma was about 300 miles (485 km) southeast of Miami, the NHC said in its latest advisory. With the storm barreling toward the United States, officials ordered an historic evacuation in Florida that has been made more difficult by clogged highways, gasoline shortages and the challenge of moving older people. The United States has been hit by only three Category 5 storms since 1851, and Irma is far larger than the last one in 1992, Hurricane Andrew, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). "We are running out of time. If you are in an evacuation zone, you need to go now. This is a catastrophic storm like our state has never seen," Governor Rick Scott told reporters, adding the effects would be felt from coast to coast in the state. A total of 5.6 million people, or 25 percent of the state's population, were ordered to evacuate Florida, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management. U.S. President Donald Trump said in a videotaped statement that Irma was "a storm of absolutely historic destructive potential" and called on people to heed recommendations from government officials and law enforcement. In Palm Beach, Trump's waterfront Mar-a-Lago estate was ordered evacuated. 'DON'T BE COMPLACENT' Irma was set to hit the United States two weeks after Hurricane Harvey, a powerful Category 4 storm, struck Texas, killing about 60 people and causing property damage estimated at up to $180 billion in Texas and Louisiana. Officials were preparing a massive response, the head of FEMA said. About 9 million people in Florida may lose power, some for weeks, said Florida Power & Light Co, which serves almost half of the state's 20.6 million residents. Amid the exodus, nearly one-third of all gas stations in Florida's metropolitan areas were out of gasoline, with scattered outages in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, according to Gasbuddy.com, a retail fuel price tracking service. In Fort Lauderdale, most large grocery, hardware and supply stores were closed and do not plan to open until early next week, after the hurricane has passed. A shelter in southwest Miami filled to capacity just hours after it opened its doors, with people there recalling Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the most destructive to ever hit the state. "I'm scared because it is bigger than Andrew," said Ann Samuels, 49. She said Andrew had forced her and her two young children and eight others into a closet. "They say to not stress and not worry, but how can you not?" she added. Steve Ortega, 29, decided to go home after peeking into the packed shelter. He was 5 years old when Andrew damaged his home. "I will never forget the noise. That ... was the scariest thing I ever heard in my life," adding he was worried but optimistic his home would remain standing through Irma. Mandatory evacuations on Georgia's Atlantic coast and some of South Carolina's barrier islands were due to begin on Saturday. Virginia and Alabama were under states of emergency. The governors of North and South Carolina warned residents to remain on guard even as the storm took a more westward track, saying their states still could experience severe weather, including heavy rain and flash flooding, early next week. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 ended slightly lower as investors braced for potential damage and massive insurance claims from Irma. Many economists are predicting that third-quarter gross domestic product will take a hit due to the hurricanes. HURRICANE JOSE REACHES CATEGORY 4 As it roared in from the east, Irma ravaged small islands in the northeastern Caribbean, including Barbuda, St. Martin and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, flattening homes and hospitals and ripping down trees. But even as they came to grips with the massive destruction, residents of the islands faced the threat of another major storm, Hurricane Jose. Jose, expected to reach the northeastern Caribbean on Saturday, was an extremely dangerous storm nearing Category 5 status, with winds of up to 155 mph (250 kph), the NHC said on Friday.

Irma lashes Cuba as Category 5 storm after killing 21 in Caribbean

Hurricane Irma unleashed its fury on a string of Caribbean islands killing at least 14 people.

The powerful category 5 storm packed winds of up to 185 miles per hour (290 km per hour). The storm has <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/hurricane-irma-reduces-caribbean-island-barbuda-to-rubble-19946" target="_blank">ravaged the islands of Barbuda</a>, St Martin, and the British and US Virgin Islands.

The Hurricane is expected to reach the Bahamas later Thursday before moving to Cuba.

It is expected to hit the US state of Florida on Sunday.

Florida governor Rick Scott has already declared a state of emergency.

The United States is still grappling with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey which caused heavy damage to the state of Texas and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/houston-struggles-with-massive-flooding-as-more-rain-forecast-19596" target="_blank">dumped heavy rains in Houston</a> leading to heavy flooding.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EVjxGC5zBV4" width="560"></iframe>

The powerful Category 5 storm will hit Florida on Sunday

Hurricane Irma unleashed its fury on a string of Caribbean islands killing at least 14 people. The powerful category 5 storm packed winds of up to 185 miles per hour (290 km per hour). The storm has ravaged the islands of Barbuda, St Martin, and the British and US Virgin Islands. The Hurricane is expected to reach the Bahamas later Thursday before moving to Cuba. It is expected to hit the US state of Florida on Sunday. Florida governor Rick Scott has already declared a state of emergency. The United States is still grappling with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey which caused heavy damage to the state of Texas and dumped heavy rains in Houston leading to heavy flooding.

14 killed as Hurricane Irma smashes through Caribbean

Former world number one golfer Tiger Woods had five different drugs in his system when he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in May, according to an ESPN report on Monday.

ESPN, which cited a copy of the toxicology report, said Woods had Hydrocodone, the generic form of a painkiller branded as Vicodin; Hydromorphone, a painkiller known as Dilaudid; Alprazolam, a mood and sleep drug known as Xanax; Zolpidem, a sleep drug known as Ambien; and Delta-9 carboxy THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, in his system.

It is not known if Woods had prescriptions for all of the medications. Medical marijuana is legal in Florida.

Woods, who is second on the all-time list with 14 major titles, checked into a clinic in June for treatment to help deal with prescription drugs.

He said last month he had completed treatment.

&quot;As I previously said, I received professional help to manage my medications,&quot; Woods said in a statement.

&quot;Recently, I had been trying on my own to treat my back pain and a sleep disorder, including insomnia, but I realise now it was a mistake to do this without medical assistance.

&quot;I am continuing to work with my doctors, and they feel I&#39;ve made significant progress. I remain grateful for the amazing support that I continue to receive and for the family and friends that are assisting me.&quot;

Police found Woods stopped on the side of a Palm Beach-area road in his Mercedes-Benz at about 3 a.m. (0700 GMT) on May 29.

He had &quot;extremely slow and slurred speech&quot; after being awakened by a police officer but was cooperative and told officers he takes several prescriptions, including Xanax, according to a police report.

Woods, who had been heading away from his home, could not remember where he was going and told police he was returning from Los Angeles.

A blood test showed he had the painkiller Vicodin and the antidepressant Xanax in his system but no alcohol. He was charged with driving under the influence and improperly stopping his vehicle.

In a statement after his arrest, Woods apologised to fans and blamed the incident on prescription medication he was taking to manage pain from a recent back surgery.

In a statement after his arrest, Woods apologised to fans and blamed the incident on prescription medication he was taking to manage pain from a recent back surgery

Former world number one golfer Tiger Woods had five different drugs in his system when he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in May, according to an ESPN report on Monday. ESPN, which cited a copy of the toxicology report, said Woods had Hydrocodone, the generic form of a painkiller branded as Vicodin; Hydromorphone, a painkiller known as Dilaudid; Alprazolam, a mood and sleep drug known as Xanax; Zolpidem, a sleep drug known as Ambien; and Delta-9 carboxy THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, in his system. It is not known if Woods had prescriptions for all of the medications. Medical marijuana is legal in Florida. Woods, who is second on the all-time list with 14 major titles, checked into a clinic in June for treatment to help deal with prescription drugs. He said last month he had completed treatment. "As I previously said, I received professional help to manage my medications," Woods said in a statement. "Recently, I had been trying on my own to treat my back pain and a sleep disorder, including insomnia, but I realise now it was a mistake to do this without medical assistance. "I am continuing to work with my doctors, and they feel I've made significant progress. I remain grateful for the amazing support that I continue to receive and for the family and friends that are assisting me." Police found Woods stopped on the side of a Palm Beach-area road in his Mercedes-Benz at about 3 a.m. (0700 GMT) on May 29. He had "extremely slow and slurred speech" after being awakened by a police officer but was cooperative and told officers he takes several prescriptions, including Xanax, according to a police report. Woods, who had been heading away from his home, could not remember where he was going and told police he was returning from Los Angeles. A blood test showed he had the painkiller Vicodin and the antidepressant Xanax in his system but no alcohol. He was charged with driving under the influence and improperly stopping his vehicle. In a statement after his arrest, Woods apologised to fans and blamed the incident on prescription medication he was taking to manage pain from a recent back surgery.

Woods had five drugs in system at time of DUI arrest: Report

A SpaceX Falcon rocket blasted off on Sunday from a Florida launch pad once used to send NASA astronauts to the moon, a step forward for billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and his company&#39;s goal of ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station.

The 229-foot tall (70-meter) Falcon 9 soared off a seaside launchpad at the Kennedy Space Center at 9.39 am&nbsp;ET (1439 GMT) carrying a Dragon cargo ship bound for the station.

Nine minutes after blastoff, the main section of the rocket flew back to a landing pad at nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the eighth successful touchdown for Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

&quot;Baby came back,&quot; Musk wrote on Twitter, celebrating the re-landing, which came a day after SpaceX decided to delay the mission 13 seconds before launch due to concerns about the steering system in the rocket`s upper stage, the company said.

Sunday&#39;s launch was the first for SpaceX from Launch Complex 39A, originally built for the 1960s-era Apollo moon program and later repurposed for the space shuttles.

The pad was last used for the final space shuttle launch in 2011. In 2014, SpaceX signed a 20-year lease to use pad and has spent millions remodeling it.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The launch was also SpaceX&#39;s first from Florida since an accident in September heavily damaged what had been the company&#39;s prime site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, located just south of the NASA spaceport.&nbsp;

Last month, SpaceX resumed flying its Falcon 9 rockets using a second launch pad in California, where the first stage of the rocket also nailed its re-landing.&nbsp;

The company plans to reuse the rockets, slashing costs and allowing it to offer reduced pricing.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which hired SpaceX to fly cargo to the station after the shuttle program ended, closely monitored the launch to learn more about the company`s operations before it clears the company to fly NASA astronauts on SpaceX rockets.

SpaceX and Boeing Co are scheduled to begin flying crew to the station by the end of 2018. A Government Accountability Office report last week said both companies face technical hurdles that likely will delay their programs.&nbsp;

SpaceX aims to have the Florida launchpad,&nbsp;damaged in last year&#39;s explosion, up and running by this summer.

(Reuters)

The 229-foot tall (70-meter) Falcon 9 soared off a seaside launchpad at the Kennedy Space Center at 9.39 am?ET

A SpaceX Falcon rocket blasted off on Sunday from a Florida launch pad once used to send NASA astronauts to the moon, a step forward for billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and his company's goal of ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station. The 229-foot tall (70-meter) Falcon 9 soared off a seaside launchpad at the Kennedy Space Center at 9.39 am ET (1439 GMT) carrying a Dragon cargo ship bound for the station. Nine minutes after blastoff, the main section of the rocket flew back to a landing pad at nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the eighth successful touchdown for Space Exploration Technologies Corp. "Baby came back," Musk wrote on Twitter, celebrating the re-landing, which came a day after SpaceX decided to delay the mission 13 seconds before launch due to concerns about the steering system in the rocket`s upper stage, the company said. Sunday's launch was the first for SpaceX from Launch Complex 39A, originally built for the 1960s-era Apollo moon program and later repurposed for the space shuttles. The pad was last used for the final space shuttle launch in 2011. In 2014, SpaceX signed a 20-year lease to use pad and has spent millions remodeling it. The launch was also SpaceX's first from Florida since an accident in September heavily damaged what had been the company's prime site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, located just south of the NASA spaceport. Last month, SpaceX resumed flying its Falcon 9 rockets using a second launch pad in California, where the first stage of the rocket also nailed its re-landing. The company plans to reuse the rockets, slashing costs and allowing it to offer reduced pricing. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which hired SpaceX to fly cargo to the station after the shuttle program ended, closely monitored the launch to learn more about the company`s operations before it clears the company to fly NASA astronauts on SpaceX rockets. SpaceX and Boeing Co are scheduled to begin flying crew to the station by the end of 2018. A Government Accountability Office report last week said both companies face technical hurdles that likely will delay their programs. SpaceX aims to have the Florida launchpad, damaged in last year's explosion, up and running by this summer. (Reuters)

SpaceX launches rocket from historic NASA pad in Florida

Florida is now home to a free health clinic for all. The American Muslim Community Centers Clinic was set up by leaders from the minority community. The clinic has been established with an aim to serve those who are uninsured and cannot afford expensive health treatments. It will offer general health care to people in Orange, Osceola or Seminole counties who either do not have insurance or are earning below 200% of the federal poverty line.&nbsp;

Patients can start taking appointments online, while the nearby Longwood Pharmacy will be providing common prescriptions of medicines for free. The clinic is run entirely by volunteers, including volunteer doctors.&nbsp;

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/199414978" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="970"></iframe>

<a href="https://vimeo.com/199414978">AMCC Clinic</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user61504576">AMCC</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.

Aimed at providing free health services, the community is hoping that the clinic will help in counter negative stereotypes around their faith. Initially, the health centre will be open only on Fridays, but there are plans of eventually growing to work three days a week. If successful, this would start to function as a regular five-day working center.&nbsp;

AMCC Chairman Atif Fareed told Orlando Sentinel that their goal is to serve humanity. &ldquo;Everyone is welcome. We have over 40 physicians who come to our mosque, and we have 11 of them signed up to volunteer here. So we are very, very blessed,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;

The clinic has so far been able to raise $250,000 for renovation work. They are currently operating out of a doctor&rsquo;s office.&nbsp;

Clinic address: 588 Wilma St.

Website: amssclinic.org

(Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

The Florida-based clinic aims at helping those who are poor and uninsured

Florida is now home to a free health clinic for all. The American Muslim Community Centers Clinic was set up by leaders from the minority community. The clinic has been established with an aim to serve those who are uninsured and cannot afford expensive health treatments. It will offer general health care to people in Orange, Osceola or Seminole counties who either do not have insurance or are earning below 200% of the federal poverty line. Patients can start taking appointments online, while the nearby Longwood Pharmacy will be providing common prescriptions of medicines for free. The clinic is run entirely by volunteers, including volunteer doctors. AMCC Clinic from AMCC on Vimeo. Aimed at providing free health services, the community is hoping that the clinic will help in counter negative stereotypes around their faith. Initially, the health centre will be open only on Fridays, but there are plans of eventually growing to work three days a week. If successful, this would start to function as a regular five-day working center. AMCC Chairman Atif Fareed told Orlando Sentinel that their goal is to serve humanity. “Everyone is welcome. We have over 40 physicians who come to our mosque, and we have 11 of them signed up to volunteer here. So we are very, very blessed,” he added. The clinic has so far been able to raise $250,000 for renovation work. They are currently operating out of a doctor’s office. Clinic address: 588 Wilma St. Website: amssclinic.org (Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

#BeTheChange: Free health clinic by a religious minority for all

Shooting broke out not long after the Martin Luther King Jr. parade at a Miami-Dade park that honours the late civil rights leader&#39;s legacy on Monday.&nbsp;Police said at least eight people were shot during the ordeal. There were no confirmed fatalities. Several others were reportedly injured when fleeing the park.

Authorities in Miami said events on Monday were otherwise peaceful. The police have&nbsp;detained two people who they believe may have links to the shooting. An investigation is ongoing.

Monday was a memorial holiday in the United States honouring the late Martin King&#39;s birthday, known as MLK Day. King championed racial justice until he was assassinated in 1968 at the age of 39.

(Reuters)

Authorities in Florida said eight people were shot at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park on the day that celebrates his legacy.

Shooting broke out not long after the Martin Luther King Jr. parade at a Miami-Dade park that honours the late civil rights leader's legacy on Monday. Police said at least eight people were shot during the ordeal. There were no confirmed fatalities. Several others were reportedly injured when fleeing the park. Authorities in Miami said events on Monday were otherwise peaceful. The police have detained two people who they believe may have links to the shooting. An investigation is ongoing. Monday was a memorial holiday in the United States honouring the late Martin King's birthday, known as MLK Day. King championed racial justice until he was assassinated in 1968 at the age of 39. (Reuters)

Florida: Eight injured in shooting at Martin Luther King Memorial Park

Jacksonville (Florida) police said that the 11 hostages in the bank robbery case have been released and robbery suspect/hostage taker is in police custody.

A bank robbery turned into a hostage situation earlier in the day with shots fired in Jacksonville, Florida, the Daily Mail reported.

The robbery at the Community First Credit Union on West Edgewood Avenue was reported on Wednesday.

The suspect had threatened the 11 hostages with a handgun, ABC News reported.

(WION)

The robbery at the Community First Credit Union on West Edgewood Avenue was reported on Wednesday

Jacksonville (Florida) police said that the 11 hostages in the bank robbery case have been released and robbery suspect/hostage taker is in police custody. A bank robbery turned into a hostage situation earlier in the day with shots fired in Jacksonville, Florida, the Daily Mail reported. The robbery at the Community First Credit Union on West Edgewood Avenue was reported on Wednesday. The suspect had threatened the 11 hostages with a handgun, ABC News reported. (WION)

11 hostages in Florida bank robbery case released: Police

Hurricane Matthew hit Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in the&nbsp;United States after killing almost 900 people in Haiti but was reduced to a category 1 storm on Saturday.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) downgraded the storm to a Category 1 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds subsiding to a still dangerous 75 miles (130 kilometers) per hour, AFP reported.

&quot;The combination of a dangerous storm surge, the tide, and large and destructive waves will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline,&quot; the NHC said.

The Matthew appeared to be diminishing after hitting the southern coast of South Carolina after causing power outages in Florida and claiming at least four lives.

In Florida, 775,000 were without power, according to state utilities, while in South Carolina 433,000 had no power, Governor Nikki Haley said, Reuters reported. Florida governor Rick Scott told Reuters that more than 6,000 people stayed in shelters on Friday night.

&quot;We&#39;re all blessed that Matthew stayed off our coast,&quot; he said, though he also described extensive flooding, damaged roads, downed trees and homes without electricity. He predicted most people would have power back by Sunday evening.

&quot;The weather experts have described Matthew as a once in a 100-year type of storm,&quot; said Mayor Lenny Curry in Jacksonville, Florida.

Matthew triggered mass evacuations and cities were under curfew as the storm accelerated along the US coast from Florida through Georgia and into South Carolina and North Carolina.

Cities including Savannah and Charleston in South Carolina were under dusk-to-dawn curfews to keep people off the streets and guard against looting.

Streets in Charleston were flooding up to the top of the tires. However, the officials did not report any deaths, injuries or significant structural damage.

President Barack Obama has declared federal states of emergency in Florida, Georgia, and North and South Carolina.

A US Navy ship transport dock ship was en route to Haiti to support relief efforts. The US government was also airlifting in blankets, hygiene kits, kitchen sets and plastic sheeting for emergency shelters, a statement by the United States Agency for International Development said.

The storm caused major flooding and left a trail of destruction across the Caribbean coast. Tens of thousands were left homeless in Haiti earlier this week before it skirted Florida&#39;s Atlantic coast on Friday.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Matthew triggered mass evacuations and cities were under curfew as the storm accelerated along the US coast from Florida through Georgia

Hurricane Matthew hit Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in the United States after killing almost 900 people in Haiti but was reduced to a category 1 storm on Saturday. The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) downgraded the storm to a Category 1 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds subsiding to a still dangerous 75 miles (130 kilometers) per hour, AFP reported. "The combination of a dangerous storm surge, the tide, and large and destructive waves will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline," the NHC said. The Matthew appeared to be diminishing after hitting the southern coast of South Carolina after causing power outages in Florida and claiming at least four lives. In Florida, 775,000 were without power, according to state utilities, while in South Carolina 433,000 had no power, Governor Nikki Haley said, Reuters reported. Florida governor Rick Scott told Reuters that more than 6,000 people stayed in shelters on Friday night. "We're all blessed that Matthew stayed off our coast," he said, though he also described extensive flooding, damaged roads, downed trees and homes without electricity. He predicted most people would have power back by Sunday evening. "The weather experts have described Matthew as a once in a 100-year type of storm," said Mayor Lenny Curry in Jacksonville, Florida. Matthew triggered mass evacuations and cities were under curfew as the storm accelerated along the US coast from Florida through Georgia and into South Carolina and North Carolina. Cities including Savannah and Charleston in South Carolina were under dusk-to-dawn curfews to keep people off the streets and guard against looting. Streets in Charleston were flooding up to the top of the tires. However, the officials did not report any deaths, injuries or significant structural damage. President Barack Obama has declared federal states of emergency in Florida, Georgia, and North and South Carolina. A US Navy ship transport dock ship was en route to Haiti to support relief efforts. The US government was also airlifting in blankets, hygiene kits, kitchen sets and plastic sheeting for emergency shelters, a statement by the United States Agency for International Development said. The storm caused major flooding and left a trail of destruction across the Caribbean coast. Tens of thousands were left homeless in Haiti earlier this week before it skirted Florida's Atlantic coast on Friday. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Hurricane Matthew downgraded to Category 1 storm as it hits southeastern US coast

Hurricane Matthew, the fiercest Caribbean storm in almost a decade, powered toward the Bahamas and Florida&#39;s eastern coast early on Wednesday after battering Haiti and Cuba with torrential rains and killing at least 17 people.

The hurricane, which the United Nations said created the worst humanitarian crisis to hit struggling Haiti since a devastating 2010 earthquake, whipped Cuba and Haiti with 140 mile-per-hour (230 kph) winds on Tuesday, pummeling towns, farmland and resorts.

In the United States, millions of people were urged to evacuate the southeastern coast and Florida Governor Rick Scott warned residents to prepare for a possible direct hit that could be catastrophic.

Hundreds of thousands of people had been evacuated from the path of the Matthew, which caused severe flooding and killed four people in the Dominican Republic as well as at least 13 in Haiti, the two countries that share the island of Hispaniola.

The storm carved a path of devastation through western Haiti, destroying houses, dumping boats and debris on coastal roads and heavily flooding residential areas.

Matthew was a Category Four hurricane through Tuesday but was downgraded to Category Three early on Wednesday, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

Maximum sustained winds eased to about 120 mph (193 kph) by late Wednesday morning but the NHC said the hurricane was likely to strengthen again slightly in the coming days.

The eye of the storm was about 105 miles (169 km) south of Long Island in the Bahamas on Wednesday morning and it was expected to be very near the east coast of Florida by Thursday evening, the NHC said.

&quot;Everyone in our state must prepare now for a direct hit,&quot; Scott said at a news conference in Tallahassee. &quot;If Matthew directly impacts Florida, the destruction could be catastrophic and you need to be prepared.&quot;

It was difficult to assess the severity of Matthew&#39;s impact in Haiti because it knocked out communications in many of the worst-affected areas, including the main bridge that links much of the country to the southwest peninsula.

Impoverished Haiti was a particular concern because tens of thousands of people still are living in tents and makeshift dwellings due to the 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people.

DEADLY TREES

Authorities said on Wednesday five people in Haiti were crushed by trees and six were swept away by swollen rivers.

&quot;More than 1,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed by the flood waters and violent winds,&quot; said Ernst Ais, the mayor of the town of Cavaillon, near Les Cayes. He said a mother and three children died in floodwaters in his town.

Three men were killed in Leogane, near Port-au-Prince, when a coconut palm fell on their home, the mayor there said.

Mourad Wahba, the UN&nbsp;secretary-general&#39;s deputy special representative for Haiti, said much of the population had been displaced by Matthew and at least 10,000 were in shelter.

&quot;Haiti is facing the largest humanitarian event witnessed since the earthquake six years ago,&quot; he said.

Heifer International, a nonprofit organization working with farming families in Haiti, said farmland and businesses caught in Matthew&#39;s path had been devastated.

The US&nbsp;government said it was ready to help the afflicted and about 300 U.S. Marines set off on the USS Mesa Verde to provide disaster relief in Haiti, the Marines said in a tweet.

There were no immediate reports of deaths, casualties or major damage in Cuba, where the government emphasized hurricane preparation. But Matthew did thrash the tourist town of Baracoa in the province of Guantanamo, gutting many houses and dumping hunks of cement, wooden beams, roof tiles and fallen electrical lines on the streets.

The storm passed close to the disputed U.S. Naval base and military prison, and was on track to mow over the central and northwestern Bahamas, the NHC forecasts showed.

Santiago de Cuba, the second-largest city, which lies in the southeast of Cuba, was not badly hit, state media said.

Officials in the Bahamas urged residents to evacuate to higher ground and the Ministry for Grand Bahama said on Facebook that government offices in New Providence and Grand Bahama were closed until further notice.

Hurricane and tropical storm warnings were extended along the east coast of Florida as the storm moved north.

South Carolina Governor Nikkei Haley on Tuesday declared a state of emergency&nbsp;and ordered the evacuation of more than 1 million people from Wednesday afternoon.

Tropical storm or hurricane conditions could affect parts of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina later this week, even if the center of Matthew remained offshore, the NHC said. Scott told residents to brace for tornadoes, strong winds, rip currents and flooding and urged those along the state&#39;s eastern coast to make plans to evacuate.

(Reuters)

The storm destroyed houses, dumping boats and debris on coastal roads and heavily flooding residential areas in western Haiti

Hurricane Matthew, the fiercest Caribbean storm in almost a decade, powered toward the Bahamas and Florida's eastern coast early on Wednesday after battering Haiti and Cuba with torrential rains and killing at least 17 people. The hurricane, which the United Nations said created the worst humanitarian crisis to hit struggling Haiti since a devastating 2010 earthquake, whipped Cuba and Haiti with 140 mile-per-hour (230 kph) winds on Tuesday, pummeling towns, farmland and resorts. In the United States, millions of people were urged to evacuate the southeastern coast and Florida Governor Rick Scott warned residents to prepare for a possible direct hit that could be catastrophic. Hundreds of thousands of people had been evacuated from the path of the Matthew, which caused severe flooding and killed four people in the Dominican Republic as well as at least 13 in Haiti, the two countries that share the island of Hispaniola. The storm carved a path of devastation through western Haiti, destroying houses, dumping boats and debris on coastal roads and heavily flooding residential areas. Matthew was a Category Four hurricane through Tuesday but was downgraded to Category Three early on Wednesday, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. Maximum sustained winds eased to about 120 mph (193 kph) by late Wednesday morning but the NHC said the hurricane was likely to strengthen again slightly in the coming days. The eye of the storm was about 105 miles (169 km) south of Long Island in the Bahamas on Wednesday morning and it was expected to be very near the east coast of Florida by Thursday evening, the NHC said. "Everyone in our state must prepare now for a direct hit," Scott said at a news conference in Tallahassee. "If Matthew directly impacts Florida, the destruction could be catastrophic and you need to be prepared." It was difficult to assess the severity of Matthew's impact in Haiti because it knocked out communications in many of the worst-affected areas, including the main bridge that links much of the country to the southwest peninsula. Impoverished Haiti was a particular concern because tens of thousands of people still are living in tents and makeshift dwellings due to the 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people. DEADLY TREES Authorities said on Wednesday five people in Haiti were crushed by trees and six were swept away by swollen rivers. "More than 1,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed by the flood waters and violent winds," said Ernst Ais, the mayor of the town of Cavaillon, near Les Cayes. He said a mother and three children died in floodwaters in his town. Three men were killed in Leogane, near Port-au-Prince, when a coconut palm fell on their home, the mayor there said. Mourad Wahba, the UN secretary-general's deputy special representative for Haiti, said much of the population had been displaced by Matthew and at least 10,000 were in shelter. "Haiti is facing the largest humanitarian event witnessed since the earthquake six years ago," he said. Heifer International, a nonprofit organization working with farming families in Haiti, said farmland and businesses caught in Matthew's path had been devastated. The US government said it was ready to help the afflicted and about 300 U.S. Marines set off on the USS Mesa Verde to provide disaster relief in Haiti, the Marines said in a tweet. There were no immediate reports of deaths, casualties or major damage in Cuba, where the government emphasized hurricane preparation. But Matthew did thrash the tourist town of Baracoa in the province of Guantanamo, gutting many houses and dumping hunks of cement, wooden beams, roof tiles and fallen electrical lines on the streets. The storm passed close to the disputed U.S. Naval base and military prison, and was on track to mow over the central and northwestern Bahamas, the NHC forecasts showed. Santiago de Cuba, the second-largest city, which lies in the southeast of Cuba, was not badly hit, state media said. Officials in the Bahamas urged residents to evacuate to higher ground and the Ministry for Grand Bahama said on Facebook that government offices in New Providence and Grand Bahama were closed until further notice. Hurricane and tropical storm warnings were extended along the east coast of Florida as the storm moved north. South Carolina Governor Nikkei Haley on Tuesday declared a state of emergency and ordered the evacuation of more than 1 million people from Wednesday afternoon. Tropical storm or hurricane conditions could affect parts of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina later this week, even if the center of Matthew remained offshore, the NHC said. Scott told residents to brace for tornadoes, strong winds, rip currents and flooding and urged those along the state's eastern coast to make plans to evacuate. (Reuters)

Hurricane Matthew kills at least 17

Winds and rain from Hurricane Hermine battered Florida&rsquo;s northern Gulf Coast on Friday morning. 
 
Florida governor Rick Scott&nbsp;has warned that Hermine, a category 1 hurricane, would bring in a potentially lethal storm. 
 
The hurricane hit Florida packing winds of 80 mph (130 km/h). 
 
Several areas in Florida have reported 5 inches (12 cm) of rain since the storm hit the coast at 1.30am (Eastern Time). 
 
The strong winds snapped power lines in the region, leaving more than 70,000 households in Tallahassee and thousands more along the coast in the dark&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
As of 3:00am Hurricane Hermine is 25 miles east of Tallahassee, moving North/Northeast at 14 mph.
&mdash; Rick Scott (@FLGovScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/FLGovScott/status/771609565104214017">September 2, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&quot;It is a mess...we have high water in numerous places,&quot; Virgil Sandlin, the police chief in Cedar Key, Florida, told the Weather Channel. &quot;I was here in 1985 for Hurricane Elena and I don&#39;t recall anything this bad.&quot; 
 
&quot;Hurricane Hermine is strengthening fast and it will impact the majority of our state,&quot; Governor Rick Scott told a Florida-based news channel. 
 
The National Weather Service has issued several tornado warnings for communities throughout northern Florida after&nbsp;the National Hurricane Center extended a tropical storm watch to Sandy Hook, New Jersey. 
 
Hermine is the fourth hurricane of the 2016 Atlantic storm season.&nbsp; 
 
The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) also advised people to remain indoors.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hermine?src=hash">Hermine</a> made landfall at 1:30 AM ET near St. Marks, FL. Severe weather conditions continue, stay indoors! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alert?src=hash">#alert</a> <a href="https://t.co/6S7GwLbHOQ">https://t.co/6S7GwLbHOQ</a>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">&mdash; Florida SERT (@FLSERT) <a href="https://twitter.com/FLSERT/status/771584285245530112">September 2, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Hermine is expected to dump as much as 20 inches (51 cm) of rain in some parts of the state. Ocean storm surge could swell as high as 12 feet (3.6 meters). 
 
After battering Florida, the hurricane would move across to Georgia and&nbsp;then towards the&nbsp;coastal regions on the Atlantic. 
 
The governors of Georgia and North Carolina on Thursday declared emergencies in the affected regions. 
 
In South Carolina, the low-lying coastal city of Charleston was handing out sandbags. 
 
Scott declared a state of emergency in 51 of Florida&#39;s 67 counties, and at least 20 counties closed schools. 
&nbsp;

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FL National Guard has more than 6,000 personnel ready. FWC has operations groups standing by with boats &amp; search and rescue equipment.
&mdash; Rick Scott (@FLGovScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/FLGovScott/status/771498046387474432">September 2, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Mandatory evacuations were ordered in parts of five counties in northwestern Florida, with voluntary evacuations in at least three more counties. Twenty emergency shelters were opened across the state for those displaced by the storm. 
 
&quot;This is life-threatening,&quot; Scott told reporters on Thursday. 
 
In coastal Franklin County, people were being evacuated from barrier islands and low-lying shore areas. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The strong winds and rain have snapped power lines in the region, leaving thousands of households in the dark

Winds and rain from Hurricane Hermine battered Florida’s northern Gulf Coast on Friday morning. Florida governor Rick Scott has warned that Hermine, a category 1 hurricane, would bring in a potentially lethal storm. The hurricane hit Florida packing winds of 80 mph (130 km/h). Several areas in Florida have reported 5 inches (12 cm) of rain since the storm hit the coast at 1.30am (Eastern Time). The strong winds snapped power lines in the region, leaving more than 70,000 households in Tallahassee and thousands more along the coast in the dark As of 3:00am Hurricane Hermine is 25 miles east of Tallahassee, moving North/Northeast at 14 mph. — Rick Scott (@FLGovScott) September 2, 2016 "It is a mess...we have high water in numerous places," Virgil Sandlin, the police chief in Cedar Key, Florida, told the Weather Channel. "I was here in 1985 for Hurricane Elena and I don't recall anything this bad." "Hurricane Hermine is strengthening fast and it will impact the majority of our state," Governor Rick Scott told a Florida-based news channel. The National Weather Service has issued several tornado warnings for communities throughout northern Florida after the National Hurricane Center extended a tropical storm watch to Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Hermine is the fourth hurricane of the 2016 Atlantic storm season. The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) also advised people to remain indoors. Hermine made landfall at 1:30 AM ET near St. Marks, FL. Severe weather conditions continue, stay indoors! #alert https://t.co/6S7GwLbHOQ — Florida SERT (@FLSERT) September 2, 2016 Hermine is expected to dump as much as 20 inches (51 cm) of rain in some parts of the state. Ocean storm surge could swell as high as 12 feet (3.6 meters). After battering Florida, the hurricane would move across to Georgia and then towards the coastal regions on the Atlantic. The governors of Georgia and North Carolina on Thursday declared emergencies in the affected regions. In South Carolina, the low-lying coastal city of Charleston was handing out sandbags. Scott declared a state of emergency in 51 of Florida's 67 counties, and at least 20 counties closed schools. FL National Guard has more than 6,000 personnel ready. FWC has operations groups standing by with boats & search and rescue equipment. — Rick Scott (@FLGovScott) September 2, 2016 Mandatory evacuations were ordered in parts of five counties in northwestern Florida, with voluntary evacuations in at least three more counties. Twenty emergency shelters were opened across the state for those displaced by the storm. "This is life-threatening," Scott told reporters on Thursday. In coastal Franklin County, people were being evacuated from barrier islands and low-lying shore areas. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Hurricane Hermine makes landfall in Florida

Leading Democrats are growing increasingly worried that the hackers who made public leaked documents this week were trying to sabotage the Democratic candidates in several central Florida congressional races, the first time such leaks have been targeted so directly. 
 
Two sources familiar with Democratic Party investigations of recent cyber attacks said documents made public this week by the hacker known as Guccifer2 contained information that could damage Democratic candidates in competitive Florida contests for the US House of Representatives. 
 
The documents, hacked from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), which raises funds for the party&#39;s House candidates, are detailed dossiers describing the Florida candidates&#39; backgrounds, including personal details, as well as political, economic and demographic profiles of the strategic congressional districts. 
 
Since 1996, the parties winning the counties in the Interstate 4 corridor between Orlando and Tampa, where several of the targeted districts are located, have won the presidency. 
 
Many of the state&#39;s moderate swing voters live in the I-4 corridor, and if Republican voters there turn out in force, it could cut into the vote for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. 
 
The DCCC was one of several Democratic Party organizations, including the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Hillary Clinton`s presidential campaign, that have been hacked, but the Democratic Party sources said they did not know who might have helped the hackers select the Florida races to target, or what the hackers were trying to accomplish. 
 
There is, though, a growing pattern of attacks on the data systems of US political organizations by hackers whom US intelligence officials and private cyber security firms have concluded are working for or with Russian intelligence agencies.&nbsp; 
 
Donald Trump&#39;s presidential campaign has hired consultants CrowdStrike to bolster its data security. But two people familiar with attempts to breach the campaign and other Republican organizations said that so far there was no indication of a penetration as serious as those of the Democratic organizations, and CrowdStrike is not investigating any successful hacking of Trump campaign data. 
 
(Reuters)

Leaked dossiers about Florida candidates' political profiles have left the Democrats at a disadvantage in the swing state

Leading Democrats are growing increasingly worried that the hackers who made public leaked documents this week were trying to sabotage the Democratic candidates in several central Florida congressional races, the first time such leaks have been targeted so directly. Two sources familiar with Democratic Party investigations of recent cyber attacks said documents made public this week by the hacker known as Guccifer2 contained information that could damage Democratic candidates in competitive Florida contests for the US House of Representatives. The documents, hacked from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), which raises funds for the party's House candidates, are detailed dossiers describing the Florida candidates' backgrounds, including personal details, as well as political, economic and demographic profiles of the strategic congressional districts. Since 1996, the parties winning the counties in the Interstate 4 corridor between Orlando and Tampa, where several of the targeted districts are located, have won the presidency. Many of the state's moderate swing voters live in the I-4 corridor, and if Republican voters there turn out in force, it could cut into the vote for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The DCCC was one of several Democratic Party organizations, including the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Hillary Clinton`s presidential campaign, that have been hacked, but the Democratic Party sources said they did not know who might have helped the hackers select the Florida races to target, or what the hackers were trying to accomplish. There is, though, a growing pattern of attacks on the data systems of US political organizations by hackers whom US intelligence officials and private cyber security firms have concluded are working for or with Russian intelligence agencies. Donald Trump's presidential campaign has hired consultants CrowdStrike to bolster its data security. But two people familiar with attempts to breach the campaign and other Republican organizations said that so far there was no indication of a penetration as serious as those of the Democratic organizations, and CrowdStrike is not investigating any successful hacking of Trump campaign data. (Reuters)

Democrats vexed about hackers sabotaging tight congressional race in Florida

Florida will conduct an aerial insecticide spraying campaign at dawn today in an effort to kill mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus, officials in Miami-Dade County said. 
 
The campaign will cover a 10-mile area that includes the one-mile-square area just north of downtown Miami that health officials have identified as the hub of Zika transmission in the state, the officials said on Tuesday. 
 
On Monday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an unprecedented travel warning, urging pregnant women to avoid travel to the Miami neighbourhood at the center of the investigation. 
 
The Zika outbreak was first detected last year in Brazil, where it has been linked to more than 1,700 cases of microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. The virus has spread rapidly through the Americas and Caribbean and its arrival in the continental United States has been widely anticipated. 
 
Florida health officials announced another non-travel related case of Zika on Tuesday, bringing the total to 15. 
 
The aerial spraying campaign was recommended by the CDC in conjunction with the Florida Health Department to reduce adult mosquito populations that might be capable of carrying the Zika virus. 
 
In a conference call on Tuesday, CDC director Dr Thomas Frieden expressed concern that vector control efforts so far have not been as effective as hoped. A CDC expert is currently conducting tests in Miami to see if mosquitoes in the area have developed insecticide resistance. 
 
Florida had been using two products in the pyrethroid class of insecticides. In its aerial campaign, the state will use a chemical called Naled that has been approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency, according to Joseph Conlon, a spokesman for the American Mosquito Control Association. 
 
Naled is from a different class of insecticides known as organophosphates. According to the CDC, the chemical has been widely used to control mosquito populations in the United States, including in Miami, Tampa and New Orleans. 
 
The CDC recommended the same chemical for aerial spraying in Puerto Rico, but the recommendation has been met with protests from residents concerned about its impact on health, bees, agriculture and the environment. 
 
Miami-Dade health officials said residents do not need to take special precautions during the aerial spraying activities, but it has recommended that people with known allergies remain indoors. 
 
(Reuters)

The aerial insecticide spraying campaign will cover a 10-mile area identified as the hub of Zika transmission by health officials

Florida will conduct an aerial insecticide spraying campaign at dawn today in an effort to kill mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus, officials in Miami-Dade County said. The campaign will cover a 10-mile area that includes the one-mile-square area just north of downtown Miami that health officials have identified as the hub of Zika transmission in the state, the officials said on Tuesday. On Monday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an unprecedented travel warning, urging pregnant women to avoid travel to the Miami neighbourhood at the center of the investigation. The Zika outbreak was first detected last year in Brazil, where it has been linked to more than 1,700 cases of microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. The virus has spread rapidly through the Americas and Caribbean and its arrival in the continental United States has been widely anticipated. Florida health officials announced another non-travel related case of Zika on Tuesday, bringing the total to 15. The aerial spraying campaign was recommended by the CDC in conjunction with the Florida Health Department to reduce adult mosquito populations that might be capable of carrying the Zika virus. In a conference call on Tuesday, CDC director Dr Thomas Frieden expressed concern that vector control efforts so far have not been as effective as hoped. A CDC expert is currently conducting tests in Miami to see if mosquitoes in the area have developed insecticide resistance. Florida had been using two products in the pyrethroid class of insecticides. In its aerial campaign, the state will use a chemical called Naled that has been approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency, according to Joseph Conlon, a spokesman for the American Mosquito Control Association. Naled is from a different class of insecticides known as organophosphates. According to the CDC, the chemical has been widely used to control mosquito populations in the United States, including in Miami, Tampa and New Orleans. The CDC recommended the same chemical for aerial spraying in Puerto Rico, but the recommendation has been met with protests from residents concerned about its impact on health, bees, agriculture and the environment. Miami-Dade health officials said residents do not need to take special precautions during the aerial spraying activities, but it has recommended that people with known allergies remain indoors. (Reuters)

Florida to spray insecticides in attempt to control Zika

Florida authorities on Friday reported the first sign of local Zika transmission in the continental United States, concluding that mosquitoes likely infected four people with the virus that can cause a rare but serious birth defect. 
 
Governor Rick Scott said the state believed active transmission of the virus was occurring within an area of Miami about the size of 2.6 square kilometres. Testing showed that one woman and three men had been infected, Scott said. 
 
While health officials have yet to identify mosquitoes carrying the virus, the state has ruled out other means of transmission, including travel to another country with a Zika outbreak, and sexual contact. 
 
&quot;This means Florida has become the first state in the nation to have local transmission of the Zika virus,&quot; Scott said at a press conference. 
 
Zika appears to pose the greatest risk when it infects pregnant women, given its ability to cause microcephaly in babies, a condition defined by small head size that can lead to developmental problems. The current outbreak was first detected in Brazil last year and has since spread rapidly through the Americas. 
 
Florida Surgeon General Celeste Philip said that health officials are not advising pregnant women to move out of the suspected transmission area. 
 
&quot;We do not believe there will be ongoing transmission,&quot; Philip said at a press conference in Orlando, citing daily efforts to control the mosquito population in the area. 
 
The local health department is searching for other potential infections, with more than 2,300 people tested so far in the state, is ramping up mosquito control programs and is distributing Zika protection kits to pregnant women at their doctors&#39; offices, Florida officials said. 
 
Federal authorities have already begun to treat the Florida cases as a sign of local transmission. On Wednesday, the US Food and Drug Administration ordered blood banks in Florida&#39;s densely populated Miami-Dade County and Broward County to stop collecting blood until they can test each unit or incorporate technologies that can kill blood pathogens. 
 
Residents in the trendy Miami neighbourhood thought to harbour Zika said the local spread of the virus had been inevitable, given the large numbers of tourists from other countries with outbreaks. 
 
Damian Jose Delgado, a 35-year-old father of two, said news of Zika&#39;s arrival would make him think twice about expanding his family. 
&quot;I think I might be done having kids,&quot; Delgado said. 
 
Federal scientists kept at arm&#39;s length 
 
The state of Florida is yet to invite a dedicated team of the federal government&#39;s disease hunters to assist with the investigation on the ground, health officials told Reuters. 
 
In its plans to fight Zika nationwide, CDC stressed that such teams would help local officials track and contain the virus. Similar teams were sent to Utah earlier this month to solve how a person may have become infected while caring for a Zika-infected patient, before local officials went public with the case, and quickly joined an effort to contain an Ebola case in Dallas in 2014. 
 
&quot;Should we need additional assistance, we will reach out,&quot; Gambineri said in an email. She did not reply to questions about why the state decided not to bring in a CDC team. 
 
Coordination with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since the state reported possible local Zika transmission on July 19 has been conducted largely at a distance, they said. That is surprising to some infectious disease experts, who say a less robust response could lead to a higher number of infections. 
 
CDC spokesman Tom Skinner said the agency has several teams ready for when states request help with Zika, including Florida. 
&quot;If invited, we&#39;ve got a team ready to go,&quot; he said. 
 
While Florida has a strong record of battling limited outbreaks of similar mosquito-borne viruses, including dengue and chikungunya, the risk of birth defects caused by Zika adds greater urgency to containing its spread with every available means, they say. Other states have quickly called in CDC teams to help track high-profile diseases. 
 
&quot;You only have a small window. This is the window&quot; to prevent a small-scale outbreak from spreading, said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, who expressed impatience with the pace of the Florida investigation. 
 
The current Zika outbreak was first detected last year in Brazil, where it has been linked to more than 1,700 cases of the birth defect microcephaly, and has since spread rapidly through the Americas. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Governor Rick Scott said the state believed active transmission of the virus was occurring within an area of Miami

Florida authorities on Friday reported the first sign of local Zika transmission in the continental United States, concluding that mosquitoes likely infected four people with the virus that can cause a rare but serious birth defect. Governor Rick Scott said the state believed active transmission of the virus was occurring within an area of Miami about the size of 2.6 square kilometres. Testing showed that one woman and three men had been infected, Scott said. While health officials have yet to identify mosquitoes carrying the virus, the state has ruled out other means of transmission, including travel to another country with a Zika outbreak, and sexual contact. "This means Florida has become the first state in the nation to have local transmission of the Zika virus," Scott said at a press conference. Zika appears to pose the greatest risk when it infects pregnant women, given its ability to cause microcephaly in babies, a condition defined by small head size that can lead to developmental problems. The current outbreak was first detected in Brazil last year and has since spread rapidly through the Americas. Florida Surgeon General Celeste Philip said that health officials are not advising pregnant women to move out of the suspected transmission area. "We do not believe there will be ongoing transmission," Philip said at a press conference in Orlando, citing daily efforts to control the mosquito population in the area. The local health department is searching for other potential infections, with more than 2,300 people tested so far in the state, is ramping up mosquito control programs and is distributing Zika protection kits to pregnant women at their doctors' offices, Florida officials said. Federal authorities have already begun to treat the Florida cases as a sign of local transmission. On Wednesday, the US Food and Drug Administration ordered blood banks in Florida's densely populated Miami-Dade County and Broward County to stop collecting blood until they can test each unit or incorporate technologies that can kill blood pathogens. Residents in the trendy Miami neighbourhood thought to harbour Zika said the local spread of the virus had been inevitable, given the large numbers of tourists from other countries with outbreaks. Damian Jose Delgado, a 35-year-old father of two, said news of Zika's arrival would make him think twice about expanding his family. "I think I might be done having kids," Delgado said. Federal scientists kept at arm's length The state of Florida is yet to invite a dedicated team of the federal government's disease hunters to assist with the investigation on the ground, health officials told Reuters. In its plans to fight Zika nationwide, CDC stressed that such teams would help local officials track and contain the virus. Similar teams were sent to Utah earlier this month to solve how a person may have become infected while caring for a Zika-infected patient, before local officials went public with the case, and quickly joined an effort to contain an Ebola case in Dallas in 2014. "Should we need additional assistance, we will reach out," Gambineri said in an email. She did not reply to questions about why the state decided not to bring in a CDC team. Coordination with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since the state reported possible local Zika transmission on July 19 has been conducted largely at a distance, they said. That is surprising to some infectious disease experts, who say a less robust response could lead to a higher number of infections. CDC spokesman Tom Skinner said the agency has several teams ready for when states request help with Zika, including Florida. "If invited, we've got a team ready to go," he said. While Florida has a strong record of battling limited outbreaks of similar mosquito-borne viruses, including dengue and chikungunya, the risk of birth defects caused by Zika adds greater urgency to containing its spread with every available means, they say. Other states have quickly called in CDC teams to help track high-profile diseases. "You only have a small window. This is the window" to prevent a small-scale outbreak from spreading, said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, who expressed impatience with the pace of the Florida investigation. The current Zika outbreak was first detected last year in Brazil, where it has been linked to more than 1,700 cases of the birth defect microcephaly, and has since spread rapidly through the Americas. (Reuters)

Florida cases seen as first sign of local Zika transmission in US

Health officials in Florida on Friday reported the first cases of local transmission of the mosquito-borne Zika virus in continental United States. 
 
The Florida department of health has concluded that the four reported cases of the virus are likely mosquito-borne, Florida Governor Rick Scott said. 
 
One of these cases involves a woman and the other three involve men, Scott said. 
 
(Reuters)

One of these cases involves a woman, the other three involve men, and are likely all mosquito-borne

Health officials in Florida on Friday reported the first cases of local transmission of the mosquito-borne Zika virus in continental United States. The Florida department of health has concluded that the four reported cases of the virus are likely mosquito-borne, Florida Governor Rick Scott said. One of these cases involves a woman and the other three involve men, Scott said. (Reuters)

Florida confirms first locally transmitted Zika case in continental United States

This is an interactive map detailing the rising number of gun violence incidents and casualties in the United States of America

Disclaimer: "The information on this map is derived from carto.com. WION cannot accept any responsibility for errors,omissions or positional accuracy. Any inaccuracy or errors in the display of geospatial information provided by carto.com may be directly communicated to carto.com"

The threat that lurks inside - growing gun menace in US

Snooty the manatee resident of South Florida museum in Bradenton turned 68 on July 21, NBC reported.&nbsp;Snooty was born on July 21st 1948 in Miami but now lives at the museum&#39;s Parker Manatee Aquarium and is thought to be the world&#39;s oldest known manatee born in captivity. 
 
The museum authorities every year mark Snooty&#39;s birthday with Bash and Wildlife festival, an event designed to &quot;promote wildlife awareness&quot;, according to museum&#39;s website.&nbsp;The aquarium also works as a rehabilitation facility for manatees treated from injuries before their release back into the wild, the museum said.&nbsp;Motorboat propellers and speedboats are a leading cause of death and injury to Florida&#39;s manatees. 
 
The manatee, a species long considered at risk of extinction, has recovered in sufficient numbers to move from endangered to threatened status, US wildlife officials said in early 2016.&nbsp;The US Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to reclassify the protection status of the West Indian manatee, including a Florida subspecies listed as endangered since 1967. 
 
The decision, announced at the Miami Seaquarium, reflects a finding that about 6,300 manatees live off the Florida coast today, compared with roughly 1,200 counted when aerial surveys began in the early 1990s.&nbsp;Federal and state officials described the likely reclassification as good news for the whiskered &quot;sea cow&quot; popular among Floridians. 
 
The West Indian manatee, related to the African and Amazon species and to the dugong of Australia, grows to ten feet and more than 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms). It has no natural predators, but is vulnerable to prolonged exposure to water temperatures below 20 degrees celsius. 
 
The range of the West Indian manatee extends into the US southeast, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central and South America. 
 
(Reuters)

Snooty was born on July 21,1948. He lives at the Parker Manatee Aquarium and is thought to be the oldest known manatee born in captivity

Snooty the manatee resident of South Florida museum in Bradenton turned 68 on July 21, NBC reported. Snooty was born on July 21st 1948 in Miami but now lives at the museum's Parker Manatee Aquarium and is thought to be the world's oldest known manatee born in captivity. The museum authorities every year mark Snooty's birthday with Bash and Wildlife festival, an event designed to "promote wildlife awareness", according to museum's website. The aquarium also works as a rehabilitation facility for manatees treated from injuries before their release back into the wild, the museum said. Motorboat propellers and speedboats are a leading cause of death and injury to Florida's manatees. The manatee, a species long considered at risk of extinction, has recovered in sufficient numbers to move from endangered to threatened status, US wildlife officials said in early 2016. The US Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to reclassify the protection status of the West Indian manatee, including a Florida subspecies listed as endangered since 1967. The decision, announced at the Miami Seaquarium, reflects a finding that about 6,300 manatees live off the Florida coast today, compared with roughly 1,200 counted when aerial surveys began in the early 1990s. Federal and state officials described the likely reclassification as good news for the whiskered "sea cow" popular among Floridians. The West Indian manatee, related to the African and Amazon species and to the dugong of Australia, grows to ten feet and more than 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms). It has no natural predators, but is vulnerable to prolonged exposure to water temperatures below 20 degrees celsius. The range of the West Indian manatee extends into the US southeast, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central and South America. (Reuters)

World's oldest manatee celebrates 68th birthday in Florida

Three Florida men were charged on Friday with attempting to support the Islamic State, the latest in a string of similar US prosecutions in recent years. 
 
US prosecutors said Gregory Hubbard, 52, was arrested on Thursday at Miami International Airport, where he was planning to fly to Germany on his way to Syria to join the militant group&#39;s fighting force. 
 
Darren Jackson, 50, and Dayne Christian, 31, provided Hubbard with weapons and firearms instruction and had themselves expressed a desire to join Islamic State, US prosecutors said in a statement. 
 
Since 2014, the Justice Department has brought Islamic State-related charges against more than 90 individuals, many of whom allegedly intended to travel to Syria to fight for the group. 
 
The Florida men repeatedly expressed support for Islamic State and for attacks carried out in its name, including the mass shootings in San Bernardino, California, and Orlando, US according to a criminal complaint filed on Friday. 
 
Earlier this week, Hubbard and Jackson told a confidential informant that they approved of the fatal shooting of police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to the criminal complaint. 
 
The men are due in federal court in Miami on Wednesday. All three face one count of conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State, while Jackson was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. 
 
(Reuters)

One of them was apprehended at the airport. He was planning to fly to Germany on his way to Syria, to join the terrorist organisation

Three Florida men were charged on Friday with attempting to support the Islamic State, the latest in a string of similar US prosecutions in recent years. US prosecutors said Gregory Hubbard, 52, was arrested on Thursday at Miami International Airport, where he was planning to fly to Germany on his way to Syria to join the militant group's fighting force. Darren Jackson, 50, and Dayne Christian, 31, provided Hubbard with weapons and firearms instruction and had themselves expressed a desire to join Islamic State, US prosecutors said in a statement. Since 2014, the Justice Department has brought Islamic State-related charges against more than 90 individuals, many of whom allegedly intended to travel to Syria to fight for the group. The Florida men repeatedly expressed support for Islamic State and for attacks carried out in its name, including the mass shootings in San Bernardino, California, and Orlando, US according to a criminal complaint filed on Friday. Earlier this week, Hubbard and Jackson told a confidential informant that they approved of the fatal shooting of police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to the criminal complaint. The men are due in federal court in Miami on Wednesday. All three face one count of conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State, while Jackson was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. (Reuters)

Three Florida men arrested for supporting Islamic State

Tesla&nbsp;Motors Inc&nbsp;said on Tuesday&nbsp;that its autosteer software was enabled during a crash involving a Model X in Montana at the weekend, according to a spokesperson for the California car maker.

In the Montana crash, which took place on Sunday, the driver said Autopilot was engaged when the car slammed into 13 guardrails, according to Montana State Troopers. The driver was issued an $85 ticket for careless driving.

Tesla&nbsp;said the data suggested &quot;the driver&#39;s hands were not on the steering wheel, as no force was detected on the steering wheel for over two minutes after autosteer was engaged&quot;.

Tesla&nbsp;said the driver was using the feature on an undivided mountain road,&nbsp;which the company advises against, and didn&#39;t respond to alerts to put his hands on the wheel.

The Montana crash came as US&nbsp;highway safety regulators demanded that&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;hand over detailed information about the design, operation and testing of its Autopilot technology following a May 7 fatal crash in which the system was in use.

The US&nbsp;National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), investigating an accident that has increased scrutiny of automated driving technology, also wants to know what&nbsp;Tesla investigators have learned about the crash.

Joshua Brown was killed when his vehicle, operating on Autopilot in Florida, drove under a tractor trailer. It was the first known fatality to involve a Model S operating on the Autopilot system that takes control of steering and braking in certain conditions. 
 
(Reuters)

The automaker?said the driver was using the feature on an undivided mountain road, which the company advises against

Tesla Motors Inc said on Tuesday that its autosteer software was enabled during a crash involving a Model X in Montana at the weekend, according to a spokesperson for the California car maker. In the Montana crash, which took place on Sunday, the driver said Autopilot was engaged when the car slammed into 13 guardrails, according to Montana State Troopers. The driver was issued an $85 ticket for careless driving. Tesla said the data suggested "the driver's hands were not on the steering wheel, as no force was detected on the steering wheel for over two minutes after autosteer was engaged". Tesla said the driver was using the feature on an undivided mountain road, which the company advises against, and didn't respond to alerts to put his hands on the wheel. The Montana crash came as US highway safety regulators demanded that Tesla hand over detailed information about the design, operation and testing of its Autopilot technology following a May 7 fatal crash in which the system was in use. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), investigating an accident that has increased scrutiny of automated driving technology, also wants to know what Tesla investigators have learned about the crash. Joshua Brown was killed when his vehicle, operating on Autopilot in Florida, drove under a tractor trailer. It was the first known fatality to involve a Model S operating on the Autopilot system that takes control of steering and braking in certain conditions. (Reuters)

Tesla under scrutiny after second autopilot crash

Every night Tim Robinson sleeps in his boat, which floats atop a blanket of foul-smelling bright green slime. 
 
For houseboat dwellers like Robinson, the toxic algae bloom spreading through Florida&#39;s Lake Okeechobee, the nations second-largest freshwater lake, &nbsp;is more than just unpleasant.&nbsp;Its alarming. 
 
&quot;We dont know if we should be breathing this,&quot; the 53-year-old Stuart resident told AFP. &quot;I sleep on top of it every night.&quot; 
 
Robinsons two teenage boys havent stayed with their father in two weeks for fear of the algaes effects. &quot;Its so depressing,&quot; he said. 
&quot;Everything we do is in the water and on the water.&quot; 
 
Stuart, a town on East Floridas Treasure Coast, is about 175 kilometres (110 miles) North of Miami. It&#39;s often cited as one of Americas best small tourist towns, particularly for its tropical climate and proximity to the St Lucie River. 
 
The turquoise canals, streams and lakes that zigzag among Stuarts islands make this small town a nirvana for beachcombers and water sport lovers. 
 
But the thick layer of slimy blue-green algae,also called cyanobacteria, coating the water and smelling of sewage has dampened the towns appeal. 
 
Robinsons leathery, weathered skin glistens with sweat as he cleans the driveway of one of the areas many marina hotels. &quot;I&#39;ve got to do something to get extra money,&quot; he said, to offset the plunge in boat rentals that are his main source of income. 
 
The putrid algal blooms, which appear mornings and evenings with the rising tide, are toxic and can cause rashes and respiratory problems. 
 
&quot;The economic consequences are grave and ongoing,&quot; said Sarah Heard, the commissioner of Martin County, the district that includes Stuart. 
 
This past weekend several beaches in the county closed during the Fourth of July celebrations. 
 
The bacterias proliferation has already started hurting businesses that rent kayaks, paddles and water skis, though its still too early to have hard figures. 
 
&quot;Marine-dependent businesses have failed, and more will collapse in this emergency,&quot; said the commissioner. 
 
US Senator Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that impacted small businesses will be eligible for disaster loan assistance until November 17 of this year. 
 
&quot;I have seen firsthand how this algae crisis has affected far too many people and their livelihoods,&quot; Rubio said in his statement. 
 
Last week the state&#39;s governor, Rick Scott, declared a state of emergency in the counties of St Lucie, Palm Beach and Martin in East Florida, and Lee on the states west coast, all counties with waterways that take excess drainwater from the central Lake Okeechobee. 
 
Much of the problem in area rivers stems from the fact that the lakes aging dike is too weak to manage high lake water levels. 
 
During the rainy summer season authorities must therefore pump water out of the lake into nearby rivers, ensuring that the algae will spread, as it has been doing since mid-May. 
 
Scott has also urged President Barack Obama to declare a federal emergency over the spread of the algae blooms, blaming federal authorities for the condition of the dike. 
 
According to studies by the states Department of Environmental Protection, some affected areas have 38 times the maximum limit of cyanobacteria accepted by the World Health Organization, 10 micrograms per litre. 
 
The organism occurs naturally, but its growth is exacerbated by an influx of nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, commonly found in agricultural fertilizers. 
 
&quot;When you supply phosphorus and nitrogen, algae grows and reproduces exponentially, causing a bloom,&quot; said Henry Briceno, a geologist at Florida International University. 
 
Briceno told AFP that the fertilizer used in the area for farming, gardens and golf courses are to blame for an excess of phosphorus in the lake. 
 
The toxic bacteria outbreak poses threats to human health and the area&#39;s economy, but for aquatic life, cyanobacteria can prove fatal. 
 
The thick sludge suffocates seagrasses by blocking sunlight from penetrating the water. 
 
Algae also kills sponges, oysters and other sea creatures integral to water filtration. 
 
&quot;There comes a time when the water can no longer sustain life,&quot; said Briceno. 
 
(AFP)

Once a paradise for beachcombers and water sports lovers, Florida's lakes succumb to algae

Every night Tim Robinson sleeps in his boat, which floats atop a blanket of foul-smelling bright green slime. For houseboat dwellers like Robinson, the toxic algae bloom spreading through Florida's Lake Okeechobee, the nations second-largest freshwater lake, is more than just unpleasant. Its alarming. "We dont know if we should be breathing this," the 53-year-old Stuart resident told AFP. "I sleep on top of it every night." Robinsons two teenage boys havent stayed with their father in two weeks for fear of the algaes effects. "Its so depressing," he said. "Everything we do is in the water and on the water." Stuart, a town on East Floridas Treasure Coast, is about 175 kilometres (110 miles) North of Miami. It's often cited as one of Americas best small tourist towns, particularly for its tropical climate and proximity to the St Lucie River. The turquoise canals, streams and lakes that zigzag among Stuarts islands make this small town a nirvana for beachcombers and water sport lovers. But the thick layer of slimy blue-green algae,also called cyanobacteria, coating the water and smelling of sewage has dampened the towns appeal. Robinsons leathery, weathered skin glistens with sweat as he cleans the driveway of one of the areas many marina hotels. "I've got to do something to get extra money," he said, to offset the plunge in boat rentals that are his main source of income. The putrid algal blooms, which appear mornings and evenings with the rising tide, are toxic and can cause rashes and respiratory problems. "The economic consequences are grave and ongoing," said Sarah Heard, the commissioner of Martin County, the district that includes Stuart. This past weekend several beaches in the county closed during the Fourth of July celebrations. The bacterias proliferation has already started hurting businesses that rent kayaks, paddles and water skis, though its still too early to have hard figures. "Marine-dependent businesses have failed, and more will collapse in this emergency," said the commissioner. US Senator Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that impacted small businesses will be eligible for disaster loan assistance until November 17 of this year. "I have seen firsthand how this algae crisis has affected far too many people and their livelihoods," Rubio said in his statement. Last week the state's governor, Rick Scott, declared a state of emergency in the counties of St Lucie, Palm Beach and Martin in East Florida, and Lee on the states west coast, all counties with waterways that take excess drainwater from the central Lake Okeechobee. Much of the problem in area rivers stems from the fact that the lakes aging dike is too weak to manage high lake water levels. During the rainy summer season authorities must therefore pump water out of the lake into nearby rivers, ensuring that the algae will spread, as it has been doing since mid-May. Scott has also urged President Barack Obama to declare a federal emergency over the spread of the algae blooms, blaming federal authorities for the condition of the dike. According to studies by the states Department of Environmental Protection, some affected areas have 38 times the maximum limit of cyanobacteria accepted by the World Health Organization, 10 micrograms per litre. The organism occurs naturally, but its growth is exacerbated by an influx of nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, commonly found in agricultural fertilizers. "When you supply phosphorus and nitrogen, algae grows and reproduces exponentially, causing a bloom," said Henry Briceno, a geologist at Florida International University. Briceno told AFP that the fertilizer used in the area for farming, gardens and golf courses are to blame for an excess of phosphorus in the lake. The toxic bacteria outbreak poses threats to human health and the area's economy, but for aquatic life, cyanobacteria can prove fatal. The thick sludge suffocates seagrasses by blocking sunlight from penetrating the water. Algae also kills sponges, oysters and other sea creatures integral to water filtration. "There comes a time when the water can no longer sustain life," said Briceno. (AFP)

Florida's putrid algae bloom afflicts economy, sea life

Florida on Tuesday reported its first case of a baby born with the birth defect microcephaly, after the child&#39;s mother was infected with the Zika virus while pregnant, officials said. 
 
The mother, a citizen of Haiti, contracted Zika in Haiti and came to Florida to deliver the baby, said a statement from Governor Rick Scotts office.&nbsp;The Florida Department of Health confirmed the case. 
 
Zika is primarily transmitted by mosquitoes but can also be spread by sexual contact. 
 
&quot;It is heartbreaking to learn that a baby has been born with Zika-related microcephaly in our state and my thoughts and prayers are with the mother and child,&quot; Scott said in a statement. 
 
The Florida governor said he has allocated $26.2 million in state funds for Zika preparedness, prevention and response, as federal funding has stalled in Washington. 
 
&quot;The Olympics will begin in less than 40 days and millions of Americans will travel through our state to and from Brazil, a country where the Zika virus is rapidly spreading, and we must be prepared,&quot; said Scott. 
 
Zika can cause microcephaly, an irreversible condition in which babies are born with unusually small heads and deformed brains. 
 
Four infants have been born with birth defects related to the Zika virus in the United States, including in Hawaii and New Jersey, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 
 
However, the CDC declined to give a state-by-state breakdown. 
 
There have been four US pregnancy losses involving Zika, and one in the US territory of Puerto Rico, the agency said, without offering details on whether the cases involved miscarriage or abortion. 
 
(AFP)

Florida's governor has said that he has allocated $26.2 million in state funds for Zika preparedness, prevention and response

Florida on Tuesday reported its first case of a baby born with the birth defect microcephaly, after the child's mother was infected with the Zika virus while pregnant, officials said. The mother, a citizen of Haiti, contracted Zika in Haiti and came to Florida to deliver the baby, said a statement from Governor Rick Scotts office. The Florida Department of Health confirmed the case. Zika is primarily transmitted by mosquitoes but can also be spread by sexual contact. "It is heartbreaking to learn that a baby has been born with Zika-related microcephaly in our state and my thoughts and prayers are with the mother and child," Scott said in a statement. The Florida governor said he has allocated $26.2 million in state funds for Zika preparedness, prevention and response, as federal funding has stalled in Washington. "The Olympics will begin in less than 40 days and millions of Americans will travel through our state to and from Brazil, a country where the Zika virus is rapidly spreading, and we must be prepared," said Scott. Zika can cause microcephaly, an irreversible condition in which babies are born with unusually small heads and deformed brains. Four infants have been born with birth defects related to the Zika virus in the United States, including in Hawaii and New Jersey, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, the CDC declined to give a state-by-state breakdown. There have been four US pregnancy losses involving Zika, and one in the US territory of Puerto Rico, the agency said, without offering details on whether the cases involved miscarriage or abortion. (AFP)

Florida reports first baby born with Zika virus defect

A top US lawmaker said today authorities were probing the Facebook activity of the Orlando nightclub shooter, after an investigation found Omar Mateen made extremist posts during the massacre and searched for news of his attack. 
 
Ron Johnson, the Republican chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, sent a letter to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg Wednesday asking the company to share specifics of five accounts apparently used by Mateen. 
 
Lawmakers are trying to determine if there are ways for intelligence and law enforcement communities to monitor social media platforms like Facebook &quot;so that we can prevent these tragedies,&quot; Johnson told CNN today. 
 
&quot;This is our job, to see what has happened in the past, what can we possibly do to prevent this from occurring in the future and how can we find bipartisan solutions,&quot; the Republican said. 
 
Mateen killed 49 people and wounded 53 in his shooting spree early Sunday at the Pulse gay nightclub in the Florida resort city of Orlando. Authorities have said he was apparently radicalized after watching jihadist propaganda online. 
 
In his letter to Zuckerberg, Johnson said Mateen apparently posted sometime during the attack that he was pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group&#39;s leader, and &quot;America and Russia stop bombing the Islamic state.&quot; 
 
He also allegedly posted: &quot;The real muslims will never accept the filthy ways of the west&quot; and &quot;In the next few days you will see attacks from the Islamic state in the USA.&quot; 
Mateen also allegedly searched for &quot;Pulse Orlando&quot; and &quot;Shooting,&quot; Johnson said. 
 
A Facebook spokeswoman confirmed the company has received the senator&#39;s letter, which asked Facebook to provide investigators with details of Mateen&#39;s Facebook accounts and activity. 
 
She said Facebook had not yet responded to the request but has been working with law enforcement from the outset of the investigation. 
Today, CNN reported that Mateen&#39;s wife suspected he was going to carry out an attack that night, even though he told her he was going out to see a friend. 
 
When the news of the shooting broke, 30-year-old Noor Mateen called him frantically, CNN said, citing unidentified sources. He didn&#39;t pick up, but texted her about 4am asking if she had seen the news. 
 
She responded: &quot;I love you,&quot; the report said. 
 
Authorities have refused to comment on reports that Mateen&#39;s wife would face charges over her alleged knowledge of Mateen&#39;s intentions to carry out an attack. 
(AFP)

He had made extremist posts during the attack. Also texted his wife asking if she had seen the news, she reportedly replied 'I love you'

A top US lawmaker said today authorities were probing the Facebook activity of the Orlando nightclub shooter, after an investigation found Omar Mateen made extremist posts during the massacre and searched for news of his attack. Ron Johnson, the Republican chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, sent a letter to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg Wednesday asking the company to share specifics of five accounts apparently used by Mateen. Lawmakers are trying to determine if there are ways for intelligence and law enforcement communities to monitor social media platforms like Facebook "so that we can prevent these tragedies," Johnson told CNN today. "This is our job, to see what has happened in the past, what can we possibly do to prevent this from occurring in the future and how can we find bipartisan solutions," the Republican said. Mateen killed 49 people and wounded 53 in his shooting spree early Sunday at the Pulse gay nightclub in the Florida resort city of Orlando. Authorities have said he was apparently radicalized after watching jihadist propaganda online. In his letter to Zuckerberg, Johnson said Mateen apparently posted sometime during the attack that he was pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group's leader, and "America and Russia stop bombing the Islamic state." He also allegedly posted: "The real muslims will never accept the filthy ways of the west" and "In the next few days you will see attacks from the Islamic state in the USA." Mateen also allegedly searched for "Pulse Orlando" and "Shooting," Johnson said. A Facebook spokeswoman confirmed the company has received the senator's letter, which asked Facebook to provide investigators with details of Mateen's Facebook accounts and activity. She said Facebook had not yet responded to the request but has been working with law enforcement from the outset of the investigation. Today, CNN reported that Mateen's wife suspected he was going to carry out an attack that night, even though he told her he was going out to see a friend. When the news of the shooting broke, 30-year-old Noor Mateen called him frantically, CNN said, citing unidentified sources. He didn't pick up, but texted her about 4am asking if she had seen the news. She responded: "I love you," the report said. Authorities have refused to comment on reports that Mateen's wife would face charges over her alleged knowledge of Mateen's intentions to carry out an attack. (AFP)

Authorities probe Mateen's Facebook activity

President Barack Obama travelled to grief-stricken Orlando today, meeting loved ones devastated by a shooting rampage and using his bully pulpit to demand that the Republican-controlled Congress pass gun control. 
 
Four days after the worst mass shooting in US history, Obama made a solemn pilgrimage to meet staff at the Pulse nightclub, emergency responders and some of the dozens of families shattered by gunman Omar Mateen. 
 
Forty-nine people were killed and 53 wounded when the 29-year-old Mateen -- a Muslim American of Afghan descent -- ran amok in a packed gay nightclub early Sunday, armed with a legally bought assault rifle. 
 
Mateen -- who pledged allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State group during the attack -- was killed in a police raid. 
 
But his assault has fueled America&#39;s poisonous partisan culture wars, prompting new salvos in bitter election-year rows over immigration, counterterrorism and guns. 
 
After meeting the victims&#39; families, Obama said &quot;our hearts are broken too&quot; and insisted the tone of the country&#39;s hyper-partisan debate on firearms &quot;needs to change.&quot; 
 
Relatives of the victims &quot;don&#39;t care about the politics. And neither do I,&quot; he said. 
 
The Republican-controlled Congress has steadfastly refused to pass any gun legislation, saying to do so would infringe on the constitutional rights of gun owners. 
 
Frustrated Democrats took to the Senate floor on Wednesday to launch a procedural obstruction, known as a filibuster, to pressure Republicans to accept so-called &quot;no-fly, no buy&quot; legislation that would bar those on watch lists or no-fly lists from purchasing firearms. 
 
The move was a success, and votes were set for next week. 
 
- Can&#39;t catch every &#39;deranged person&#39; - 
Understanding of the shooting has been muddied by witnesses who say Mateen was a regular at the gay club and used gay dating apps. Investigators were looking into Mateen&#39;s social media activity for more clues. 
 
Ron Johnson, the Republican chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, said in a letter to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg that his investigators had found Mateen apparently made a post sometime during the attack that he was pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group&#39;s leader, and &quot;America and Russia stop bombing the Islamic state.&quot; 
 
He also allegedly posted: &quot;The real muslims will never accept the filthy ways of the west&quot; and &quot;In the next few days you will see attacks from the Islamic state in the usa.&quot; 
 
Johnson was asking Zuckerberg to share details of five accounts apparently used by Mateen. 
 
&quot;The motives of this killer may have been different than the mass shooters in Aurora or Newtown,&quot; Obama said, listing two in the litany of mass shootings that have marked his presidency. 
 
&quot;But the instruments of death were so similar. And now another 49 innocent people are dead. Another 53 are injured. Some are still fighting for their lives. Some will have wounds that will last a lifetime.&quot; 
 
Obama insisted the military would tackle the Islamic State group, al-Qaeda and other extremist groups in their hideouts, and intelligence services would work to disrupt such networks. 
 
But, he warned, the government could not catch every &quot;deranged person.&quot; 
 
&quot;We can do something about the amount of damage that they do,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Unfortunately our politics have conspired to make it as easy as possible for a terrorist or just a disturbed individual like those in Aurora and Newtown to buy extraordinarily powerful weapons and they can do so legally.&quot; 
 
- Rare bipartisanship - 
The day was meant to be about unity. 
 
In a rare symbolic show of bipartisanship, Obama arrived with Republican one-time presidential hopeful Marco Rubio and was greeted on the tarmac by Republican Florida governor Rick Scott and Vice President Joe Biden. 
 
But any goodwill was blown apart when Senator John McCain said Obama -- his general election rival in 2008 -- was &quot;directly responsible&quot; for the massacre. 
 
McCain later said he had meant to suggest that Obama&#39;s policies in the Middle East were to blame, not the president personally. 
 
In response to the shooting, Republicans have called for tougher counterterrorism measures and for the Obama administration to do more to fight the Islamic State group. 
 
FBI agents believe that Mateen was radicalized by following extremist propaganda online. 
 
The White House says coalition forces and allies are making gains against the group&#39;s strongholds in Syria, Iraq and Libya. 
 
But Republican arguments were given credence by Obama&#39;s own CIA director John Brennan, who warned today that the group retains the ability to conduct attacks around the world. 
 
&quot;Unfortunately, despite all our progress against ISIL on the battlefield and in the financial realm, our efforts have not reduced the group&#39;s terrorism capability and global reach,&quot; he told US lawmakers at a hearing on Capitol Hill. 
(AFP)

Meets grief-stricken families, Pulse nightclub staff, says 'our hearts are broken too'

President Barack Obama travelled to grief-stricken Orlando today, meeting loved ones devastated by a shooting rampage and using his bully pulpit to demand that the Republican-controlled Congress pass gun control. Four days after the worst mass shooting in US history, Obama made a solemn pilgrimage to meet staff at the Pulse nightclub, emergency responders and some of the dozens of families shattered by gunman Omar Mateen. Forty-nine people were killed and 53 wounded when the 29-year-old Mateen -- a Muslim American of Afghan descent -- ran amok in a packed gay nightclub early Sunday, armed with a legally bought assault rifle. Mateen -- who pledged allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State group during the attack -- was killed in a police raid. But his assault has fueled America's poisonous partisan culture wars, prompting new salvos in bitter election-year rows over immigration, counterterrorism and guns. After meeting the victims' families, Obama said "our hearts are broken too" and insisted the tone of the country's hyper-partisan debate on firearms "needs to change." Relatives of the victims "don't care about the politics. And neither do I," he said. The Republican-controlled Congress has steadfastly refused to pass any gun legislation, saying to do so would infringe on the constitutional rights of gun owners. Frustrated Democrats took to the Senate floor on Wednesday to launch a procedural obstruction, known as a filibuster, to pressure Republicans to accept so-called "no-fly, no buy" legislation that would bar those on watch lists or no-fly lists from purchasing firearms. The move was a success, and votes were set for next week. - Can't catch every 'deranged person' - Understanding of the shooting has been muddied by witnesses who say Mateen was a regular at the gay club and used gay dating apps. Investigators were looking into Mateen's social media activity for more clues. Ron Johnson, the Republican chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, said in a letter to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg that his investigators had found Mateen apparently made a post sometime during the attack that he was pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group's leader, and "America and Russia stop bombing the Islamic state." He also allegedly posted: "The real muslims will never accept the filthy ways of the west" and "In the next few days you will see attacks from the Islamic state in the usa." Johnson was asking Zuckerberg to share details of five accounts apparently used by Mateen. "The motives of this killer may have been different than the mass shooters in Aurora or Newtown," Obama said, listing two in the litany of mass shootings that have marked his presidency. "But the instruments of death were so similar. And now another 49 innocent people are dead. Another 53 are injured. Some are still fighting for their lives. Some will have wounds that will last a lifetime." Obama insisted the military would tackle the Islamic State group, al-Qaeda and other extremist groups in their hideouts, and intelligence services would work to disrupt such networks. But, he warned, the government could not catch every "deranged person." "We can do something about the amount of damage that they do," he said. "Unfortunately our politics have conspired to make it as easy as possible for a terrorist or just a disturbed individual like those in Aurora and Newtown to buy extraordinarily powerful weapons and they can do so legally." - Rare bipartisanship - The day was meant to be about unity. In a rare symbolic show of bipartisanship, Obama arrived with Republican one-time presidential hopeful Marco Rubio and was greeted on the tarmac by Republican Florida governor Rick Scott and Vice President Joe Biden. But any goodwill was blown apart when Senator John McCain said Obama -- his general election rival in 2008 -- was "directly responsible" for the massacre. McCain later said he had meant to suggest that Obama's policies in the Middle East were to blame, not the president personally. In response to the shooting, Republicans have called for tougher counterterrorism measures and for the Obama administration to do more to fight the Islamic State group. FBI agents believe that Mateen was radicalized by following extremist propaganda online. The White House says coalition forces and allies are making gains against the group's strongholds in Syria, Iraq and Libya. But Republican arguments were given credence by Obama's own CIA director John Brennan, who warned today that the group retains the ability to conduct attacks around the world. "Unfortunately, despite all our progress against ISIL on the battlefield and in the financial realm, our efforts have not reduced the group's terrorism capability and global reach," he told US lawmakers at a hearing on Capitol Hill. (AFP)

Obama travels to Orlando, says gun debate 'needs to change'

The probe into the death of a two-year-old boy likely drowned by an alligator at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, is not criminal in nature, the local sheriff&#39;s office said on Thursday. 
 
Police divers recovered the body of Lane Graves on Wednesday from the man-made lake where he had been snatched by the alligator as he played at the water&#39;s edge the night before. 
 
The investigation is continuing, said Orange County Sheriff&#39;s Department spokeswoman Rose Silva, adding, &quot;It&#39;s not criminal in nature at this time.&quot; She did not provide further details. 
 
A Disney spokeswoman has said the company would review the posted signs that ban swimming in Seven Seas Lagoon but do not specifically warn about alligators. 
 
The boy was grabbed by the reptile at about 9:15 p.m. local time on Tuesday while his family, on vacation from Elkhorn, Nebraska, relaxed on the shore nearby, sheriffs officials have said. His parents, Matt and Melissa Graves, tried to save the child but were unable to free him from the alligator&#39;s grip. 
 
The boy&#39;s body was found intact underwater, and he was presumed to have been drowned by the alligator. 
 
The aquatic predators often roll their larger prey beneath the surface until their victim stops breathing, experts say, and then stash the body away to eat later. 
 
Disney said that Chief Executive Bob Iger spoke with the family by phone on Wednesday and expressed his sympathies. 
 
Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Wahler said on Thursday that resort beaches that were closed after the attack would be off-limits to guests until further notice. 
 
&quot;All of our beaches are currently closed, and we are conducting a swift and thorough review of all of our processes and protocols,&quot; Wahler said in a statement. &quot;This includes the number, placement and wording of our signage and warnings.&quot; 
 
SIXTH GATOR CAUGHT 
 
The alligator was believed to be between four and seven feet (1.2 and 2 meters) long. 
 
Trappers remained at the lagoon on Thursday after removing a sixth alligator from the water late on Wednesday in an effort to find the one that snatched the child, said Greg Workman, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They have not found it yet. 
 
The commission&#39;s executive director, Nick Wiley, has said there is a good chance they have already captured the alligator in question. But officials said the search would go on until that was proved by forensic tests such as DNA studies, teeth measurements and comparison of bite marks. 
 
Workman said the commission also has wildlife officers on the scene around the clock, including three last night. He said they are searching all day, but especially at night when alligators are more active because of cooler temperatures and less human activity. 
 
Walt Disney Co &lt;DIS.N&gt; shares were down about 0.5 per cent at $98.22 in afternoon trading on Thursday. Its Orlando resort is the most-visited theme park in the world, drawing more than 20 million visitors last year. 
 
The incident came ahead of Thursday&#39;s opening of the company&#39;s first theme park in China, a $5.5 billion project in Shanghai that boasts Disney&#39;s tallest castle. 
 
The attack happened on a beach by Disney&#39;s Grand Floridian Resort &amp; Spa, an upmarket property just one stop away from the Magic Kingdom on Walt Disney World&#39;s monorail. 
 
The hotel&#39;s website - rooms start at $569 a night before taxes - says guests can enjoy diversions such as &quot;bask on the white-sand beach.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The boy was grabbed by the reptile at about 9:15 p.m. on Tuesday while his family, on vacation from Elkhorn, Nebraska, relaxing nearby

The probe into the death of a two-year-old boy likely drowned by an alligator at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, is not criminal in nature, the local sheriff's office said on Thursday. Police divers recovered the body of Lane Graves on Wednesday from the man-made lake where he had been snatched by the alligator as he played at the water's edge the night before. The investigation is continuing, said Orange County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Rose Silva, adding, "It's not criminal in nature at this time." She did not provide further details. A Disney spokeswoman has said the company would review the posted signs that ban swimming in Seven Seas Lagoon but do not specifically warn about alligators. The boy was grabbed by the reptile at about 9:15 p.m. local time on Tuesday while his family, on vacation from Elkhorn, Nebraska, relaxed on the shore nearby, sheriffs officials have said. His parents, Matt and Melissa Graves, tried to save the child but were unable to free him from the alligator's grip. The boy's body was found intact underwater, and he was presumed to have been drowned by the alligator. The aquatic predators often roll their larger prey beneath the surface until their victim stops breathing, experts say, and then stash the body away to eat later. Disney said that Chief Executive Bob Iger spoke with the family by phone on Wednesday and expressed his sympathies. Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Wahler said on Thursday that resort beaches that were closed after the attack would be off-limits to guests until further notice. "All of our beaches are currently closed, and we are conducting a swift and thorough review of all of our processes and protocols," Wahler said in a statement. "This includes the number, placement and wording of our signage and warnings." SIXTH GATOR CAUGHT The alligator was believed to be between four and seven feet (1.2 and 2 meters) long. Trappers remained at the lagoon on Thursday after removing a sixth alligator from the water late on Wednesday in an effort to find the one that snatched the child, said Greg Workman, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They have not found it yet. The commission's executive director, Nick Wiley, has said there is a good chance they have already captured the alligator in question. But officials said the search would go on until that was proved by forensic tests such as DNA studies, teeth measurements and comparison of bite marks. Workman said the commission also has wildlife officers on the scene around the clock, including three last night. He said they are searching all day, but especially at night when alligators are more active because of cooler temperatures and less human activity. Walt Disney Co <DIS.N> shares were down about 0.5 per cent at $98.22 in afternoon trading on Thursday. Its Orlando resort is the most-visited theme park in the world, drawing more than 20 million visitors last year. The incident came ahead of Thursday's opening of the company's first theme park in China, a $5.5 billion project in Shanghai that boasts Disney's tallest castle. The attack happened on a beach by Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, an upmarket property just one stop away from the Magic Kingdom on Walt Disney World's monorail. The hotel's website - rooms start at $569 a night before taxes - says guests can enjoy diversions such as "bask on the white-sand beach." (Reuters)

Probe of Disney resort after alligator death not criminal - sheriff

Police divers today recovered the body of a 2-year-old boy who was grabbed by an alligator in front of his family during a vacation at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. 
 
The child was snatched by the alligator as he played at the water&#39;s edge on Tuesday night and dragged into a lagoon despite his parents&#39; effort to save him. 
 
Orange County sheriff Jerry Demings said he and a Catholic priest had informed the family that the boy&#39;s body had been recovered near where he vanished and was completely intact. 
 
An autopsy would be carried out, Demings added, but the presumption was that the child was drowned by the alligator. 
 
&quot;It was a tough message to deliver,&quot; Demings told a news conference. &quot;Of course the family was distraught, but also I believe somewhat relieved that we were able to find their son ... so that they can come to grips with what has happened.&quot; 
 
The alligator was believed to be between 4 and 7 feet (1.2 and 2 meters) long. 
 
Wildlife officials earlier captured and killed five of the reptiles from Seven Seas Lagoon and opened them up to look for traces of the boy. Nick Wiley, head of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said it was too early to say whether one of those five might be the culprit. 
 
&quot;There is a good chance we already have the alligator because we focused our efforts in that proximity, in that area where this incident occurred,&quot; he said, adding that the probe would focus on results of forensic tests and bite marks on the child&#39;s body. 
 
The resort closed its beaches and recreational marinas today while search teams scoured the lagoon, a man-made lake reaching 14 feet (4.2 meters) in depth. 
 
The family, on vacation from the Omaha, Nebraska suburb of Elkhorn, were named as Matt and Melissa Graves. Their son was named Lane. 
 
There are signs prohibiting swimming at the lagoon but the boy was grabbed as he was playing at the water&#39;s edge while his family relaxed nearby on the shore, authorities said. 
 
The signs did not specifically warn about alligators, a Disney spokeswoman said, adding that the company would review the situation. 
 
The boy&#39;s father rushed into the water and suffered minor cuts on his arm as he fought to wrestle his child from the alligator&#39;s grasp, said Jeff Williamson, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff&#39;s Office. 
 
Authorities said the boy&#39;s mother tried to rescue him too. A lifeguard on duty also was unable to reach the toddler in time. 
 
Alligators are not uncommon in the Seven Seas Lagoon, Wiley said. Alligators have killed five people in Florida in the last ten years, according to state data. 
 
Wiley said the wildlife commission works with the resort to remove &quot;nuisance alligators&quot; - classed as those which have lost their fear of humans - whenever they are reported. 
 
Disney has operated in the area for 45 years and never had this type of incident, Demings said. 
 
UPSCALE RESORT 
 
The Walt Disney World Resort is the world&#39;s most-visited theme park. About 20.5 million people visited the park&#39;s Magic Kingdom in 2015, according to the Themed Entertainment Association. 
 
Shares in Walt Disney Co appeared unaffected by the incident, closing down 13 cents at $98.27. 
 
A Walt Disney World Resort spokeswoman said everyone there was devastated by the accident. 
 
Disney chief executive Bob Iger issued a statement to express his sympathies &quot;as a parent and a grandparent.&quot; A Disney spokeswoman said Iger also talked with the family by telephone today. 
 
William Lopez, 41, an evangelical pastor from San Francisco, was on vacation with his wife and seven-year-old daughter. He said he thought a path around part of the lagoon should have been fenced off. 
 
&quot;If we have that kind of aggressive animals we should have been safeguarded,&quot; Lopez said. &quot;I hope they do something to correct this so that it never happens again. Because we love to come here.&quot; 
 
Disney&#39;s Grand Floridian Resort &amp; Spa is described by Disney as a lavish property combining Victorian elegance with modern sophistication. Rooms start at $569 per night, according to its website. 
 
Guests can rent motorized boats for cruising and fishing, or a private lakeside cabana. Children aged between 4 and 12 also can embark upon &quot;pirate adventures&quot; on the lagoon. 
 
Jim Hill, a theme park historian who runs a popular Disney fan blog, agreed with Demings the company has been &quot;aggressive&quot; about managing the risk from alligators. 
 
But he said that the attack, combined with other recent bad news in the area, could make people reconsider plans to visit Walt Disney World. 
 
The alligator incident came as Orlando reeled from a gunman killing 49 people at a gay nightclub in the city on Sunday before dying in a shoot-out with police. 
 
The night before that attack, singer Christina Grimmie was shot and killed in Orlando, apparently by a deranged fan. 
 
&quot;When people think &#39;the Happiest Place on Earth&#39;, right now that&#39;s not Orlando,&quot; Hill said, referring to a Disney catchphrase for Disneyland. 
 
Edward Jones analyst Robin Diedrich said there might be a slight decline in Walt Disney World attendance, but it would not be material to the company. 
 
&quot;I think most people would reasonably conclude they will get the issue under control and it&#39;s probably safe to go,&quot; she said. 
 
The alligator attack follows a May 28 incident when a 3-year-old boy fell into a gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo, causing zookeepers to kill a gorilla to protect the child. 
 
Animal rights activists criticized Disney for not explicitly warning about alligators in the water. 
 
&quot;A child and apparently five alligators, who were doing only what came naturally to them, have paid with their lives,&quot; Ingrid Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said in a statement.

Child had been vacationing with his family at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. He was taken from right in front of them

Police divers today recovered the body of a 2-year-old boy who was grabbed by an alligator in front of his family during a vacation at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The child was snatched by the alligator as he played at the water's edge on Tuesday night and dragged into a lagoon despite his parents' effort to save him. Orange County sheriff Jerry Demings said he and a Catholic priest had informed the family that the boy's body had been recovered near where he vanished and was completely intact. An autopsy would be carried out, Demings added, but the presumption was that the child was drowned by the alligator. "It was a tough message to deliver," Demings told a news conference. "Of course the family was distraught, but also I believe somewhat relieved that we were able to find their son ... so that they can come to grips with what has happened." The alligator was believed to be between 4 and 7 feet (1.2 and 2 meters) long. Wildlife officials earlier captured and killed five of the reptiles from Seven Seas Lagoon and opened them up to look for traces of the boy. Nick Wiley, head of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said it was too early to say whether one of those five might be the culprit. "There is a good chance we already have the alligator because we focused our efforts in that proximity, in that area where this incident occurred," he said, adding that the probe would focus on results of forensic tests and bite marks on the child's body. The resort closed its beaches and recreational marinas today while search teams scoured the lagoon, a man-made lake reaching 14 feet (4.2 meters) in depth. The family, on vacation from the Omaha, Nebraska suburb of Elkhorn, were named as Matt and Melissa Graves. Their son was named Lane. There are signs prohibiting swimming at the lagoon but the boy was grabbed as he was playing at the water's edge while his family relaxed nearby on the shore, authorities said. The signs did not specifically warn about alligators, a Disney spokeswoman said, adding that the company would review the situation. The boy's father rushed into the water and suffered minor cuts on his arm as he fought to wrestle his child from the alligator's grasp, said Jeff Williamson, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Authorities said the boy's mother tried to rescue him too. A lifeguard on duty also was unable to reach the toddler in time. Alligators are not uncommon in the Seven Seas Lagoon, Wiley said. Alligators have killed five people in Florida in the last ten years, according to state data. Wiley said the wildlife commission works with the resort to remove "nuisance alligators" - classed as those which have lost their fear of humans - whenever they are reported. Disney has operated in the area for 45 years and never had this type of incident, Demings said. UPSCALE RESORT The Walt Disney World Resort is the world's most-visited theme park. About 20.5 million people visited the park's Magic Kingdom in 2015, according to the Themed Entertainment Association. Shares in Walt Disney Co appeared unaffected by the incident, closing down 13 cents at $98.27. A Walt Disney World Resort spokeswoman said everyone there was devastated by the accident. Disney chief executive Bob Iger issued a statement to express his sympathies "as a parent and a grandparent." A Disney spokeswoman said Iger also talked with the family by telephone today. William Lopez, 41, an evangelical pastor from San Francisco, was on vacation with his wife and seven-year-old daughter. He said he thought a path around part of the lagoon should have been fenced off. "If we have that kind of aggressive animals we should have been safeguarded," Lopez said. "I hope they do something to correct this so that it never happens again. Because we love to come here." Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is described by Disney as a lavish property combining Victorian elegance with modern sophistication. Rooms start at $569 per night, according to its website. Guests can rent motorized boats for cruising and fishing, or a private lakeside cabana. Children aged between 4 and 12 also can embark upon "pirate adventures" on the lagoon. Jim Hill, a theme park historian who runs a popular Disney fan blog, agreed with Demings the company has been "aggressive" about managing the risk from alligators. But he said that the attack, combined with other recent bad news in the area, could make people reconsider plans to visit Walt Disney World. The alligator incident came as Orlando reeled from a gunman killing 49 people at a gay nightclub in the city on Sunday before dying in a shoot-out with police. The night before that attack, singer Christina Grimmie was shot and killed in Orlando, apparently by a deranged fan. "When people think 'the Happiest Place on Earth', right now that's not Orlando," Hill said, referring to a Disney catchphrase for Disneyland. Edward Jones analyst Robin Diedrich said there might be a slight decline in Walt Disney World attendance, but it would not be material to the company. "I think most people would reasonably conclude they will get the issue under control and it's probably safe to go," she said. The alligator attack follows a May 28 incident when a 3-year-old boy fell into a gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo, causing zookeepers to kill a gorilla to protect the child. Animal rights activists criticized Disney for not explicitly warning about alligators in the water. "A child and apparently five alligators, who were doing only what came naturally to them, have paid with their lives," Ingrid Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said in a statement.

Body of 2-year-old boy snatched by alligator in Florida recovered

An alligator dragged a small boy into a lagoon at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, defeating the father&#39;s efforts to wrestle his child away from the reptile, the sheriff&#39;s office said on Wednesday. 
 
Law enforcement officials were hunting for the unidentified 2-year-old, grabbed by an alligator at the Seven Seas Lagoon at 9:20 pm on the grounds of Disney&#39;s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, the Orange County Sheriff&#39;s Office said. 
 
The boy was playing in the water when he was seized by the animal, believed to be between 1.2 metres and 2 metres long, Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings told reporters. 
 
The family of five, vacationing from Nebraska, were relaxing on the edge of the lagoon, when the boy was seized. 
 
&quot;The father entered the water and tried to grab the child and was not successful,&quot; Demings told a news conference just after midnight. 
 
The mother also tried to rescue the boy and a nearby lifeguard was told of the attack, Demings said. 
 
Wildlife and marine officials have also been drafted into the search, which will run into the night. &quot;We are putting every effort forward,&quot; said Chad Weber, an officer of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 
(Reuters)

The father jumped in the water and wrestled the reptile to get his boy back, but couldn't save him. The search for the child is still on

An alligator dragged a small boy into a lagoon at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, defeating the father's efforts to wrestle his child away from the reptile, the sheriff's office said on Wednesday. Law enforcement officials were hunting for the unidentified 2-year-old, grabbed by an alligator at the Seven Seas Lagoon at 9:20 pm on the grounds of Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said. The boy was playing in the water when he was seized by the animal, believed to be between 1.2 metres and 2 metres long, Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings told reporters. The family of five, vacationing from Nebraska, were relaxing on the edge of the lagoon, when the boy was seized. "The father entered the water and tried to grab the child and was not successful," Demings told a news conference just after midnight. The mother also tried to rescue the boy and a nearby lifeguard was told of the attack, Demings said. Wildlife and marine officials have also been drafted into the search, which will run into the night. "We are putting every effort forward," said Chad Weber, an officer of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. (Reuters)

Alligator drags two-year-old into Florida lagoon

Walt Disney World resort in Florida closed its beaches on Wednesday as police hunted for a 2-year-old boy who was dragged by an alligator into a lagoon in front of his family despite an attempt by his father to rescue him.

Wildlife officials captured and euthanized four alligators from the lagoon to examine them for traces of the child after the attack on Tuesday night but found no evidence they were involved, said Nick Wiley, head of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

There are &quot;no swimming&quot; signs at the lagoon but the alligator grabbed the boy as he played at the water&#39;s edge while his family relaxed nearby on the shore, sheriff&#39;s spokesman Jeff Williamson told a news conference.

The boy&#39;s father rushed into the water after the alligator struck and fought to wrestle his child from the large reptile&#39;s grasp, Williamson said.

&quot;The father did his best,&quot; Williamson said. &quot;He tried to rescue the child, however, to no avail.&quot; 
 
Jerry Demings told reporters the reptile was thought to be between 4 and 7 feet (1.2 and 2 metres) long.

The father suffered minor cuts on his arm in the struggle with the gator, Williamson told reporters. Authorities had earlier said the boy&#39;s mother tried to rescue him too.

A lifeguard who was on duty by the lagoon also was unable to reach the boy in time. 
 
&quot;The gator swam away with the child,&quot; Williamson said.

The family, which was vacationing from Nebraska, was not named.

Disney has meanwhile closed its beaches and recreational marinas, a Disney representative said.

Dozens of sheriff&#39;s deputies and wildlife officials were searching for the boy on Wednesday and expected to use sonar technology, helicopters and a team of divers. 
&nbsp;

UPSCALE RESORT

Alligators are not uncommon in the Seven Seas Lagoon, a man-made lake reaching 14 feet in depth, Wiley said.&nbsp;The wildlife commission works with the resort to remove &quot;nuisance alligators&quot; when they are reported.

The upscale Grand Floridian Grand Resort and Spa is described by Disney as a lavish property where Victorian elegance meets modern sophistication, just one stop away from the Magic Kingdom on the resort&#39;s monorail.

A spokeswoman for Walt Disney World Resort said everyone there was&nbsp;devastated by the tragic accident. 
 
&quot;Our thoughts are with the family and we are helping the family,&quot; she said.

Despite the prevalence of alligators in fresh water around Florida, Wiley said it was very rare for humans to be attacked.

In May, a Florida man was hospitalized after an alligator bit off his hand and forearm as he sought to elude authorities by running into a lake, according to police.

Williamson said searchers had been hindered overnight by the dark and by the lagoon&#39;s murky waters. &quot;We&#39;re going to keep searching until we find something,&quot; he said.

The alligator incident comes as the Orlando area reels after a gunman killed 49 people at a gay nightclub there on Sunday before dying in a gun battle with police.

It also follows an incident on May 28 when a 3-year-old boy fell into a gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo, causing zookeepers to kill a gorilla to protect the child. 
(Reuters)

His father tried but couldn't rescue him, so sherriff's deputies and wildlife officials are on the search using sonar, helicopter and divers

Walt Disney World resort in Florida closed its beaches on Wednesday as police hunted for a 2-year-old boy who was dragged by an alligator into a lagoon in front of his family despite an attempt by his father to rescue him. Wildlife officials captured and euthanized four alligators from the lagoon to examine them for traces of the child after the attack on Tuesday night but found no evidence they were involved, said Nick Wiley, head of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. There are "no swimming" signs at the lagoon but the alligator grabbed the boy as he played at the water's edge while his family relaxed nearby on the shore, sheriff's spokesman Jeff Williamson told a news conference. The boy's father rushed into the water after the alligator struck and fought to wrestle his child from the large reptile's grasp, Williamson said. "The father did his best," Williamson said. "He tried to rescue the child, however, to no avail." Jerry Demings told reporters the reptile was thought to be between 4 and 7 feet (1.2 and 2 metres) long. The father suffered minor cuts on his arm in the struggle with the gator, Williamson told reporters. Authorities had earlier said the boy's mother tried to rescue him too. A lifeguard who was on duty by the lagoon also was unable to reach the boy in time. "The gator swam away with the child," Williamson said. The family, which was vacationing from Nebraska, was not named. Disney has meanwhile closed its beaches and recreational marinas, a Disney representative said. Dozens of sheriff's deputies and wildlife officials were searching for the boy on Wednesday and expected to use sonar technology, helicopters and a team of divers. UPSCALE RESORT Alligators are not uncommon in the Seven Seas Lagoon, a man-made lake reaching 14 feet in depth, Wiley said. The wildlife commission works with the resort to remove "nuisance alligators" when they are reported. The upscale Grand Floridian Grand Resort and Spa is described by Disney as a lavish property where Victorian elegance meets modern sophistication, just one stop away from the Magic Kingdom on the resort's monorail. A spokeswoman for Walt Disney World Resort said everyone there was devastated by the tragic accident. "Our thoughts are with the family and we are helping the family," she said. Despite the prevalence of alligators in fresh water around Florida, Wiley said it was very rare for humans to be attacked. In May, a Florida man was hospitalized after an alligator bit off his hand and forearm as he sought to elude authorities by running into a lake, according to police. Williamson said searchers had been hindered overnight by the dark and by the lagoon's murky waters. "We're going to keep searching until we find something," he said. The alligator incident comes as the Orlando area reels after a gunman killed 49 people at a gay nightclub there on Sunday before dying in a gun battle with police. It also follows an incident on May 28 when a 3-year-old boy fell into a gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo, causing zookeepers to kill a gorilla to protect the child. (Reuters)

Search for child attacked by alligator at Walt Disney World Resort continues

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