Videos of the Day: Migrant Caravan Tears Down Fence at Guatemala Border

Epoch Newsroom
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A migrant caravan that started in Honduras and reached the southern border of Mexico appeared to turn back after Mexican federal police arrived at the border to block migrants without proper papers, but then rushed the border fence on the Guatemala side of the border and tore it down.

On Thursday, Oct. 18, the migrants were seen standing at the shore of the Suchiate River, which separates Guatemala and Mexico, raising fists and waving Honduran and Guatemalan flags.

The caravan, full of some 3,000 migrants, had planned to try to enter Mexico around 11 a.m. local time (CST) on Friday, with some trying to get through main border entrances and others crossing the river on rafts.

They appeared to turn back after seeing the hundreds of Mexican federal police officers but soon had rushed the border and tore down a tall, yellow metal fence on the Guatemalan side of the border.

The caravan then began streaming toward a bridge that would take them to Mexico. The caravan then began streaming toward a bridge that would take them to Mexico. However, video footage from local UniNoticias reporter Alejandro showed the Mexican side being blocked off about 30 minutes before the rush.

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Wizard of Oz Ruby Slippers on Display After Renovation

Dorothy’s ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz” are headed back to their display case at the National Museum of American History in Washington D.C.

They’ve been in the museum’s conservation lab, receiving an expensive cleanup.

It was an expensive revamp—made possible by thousands of people who donated their own money to make it happen.

Humpback Whale Takes Swipes at Over-Eager Watchers

Whale watching on the Indian Ocean island of Réunion may be a victim of its own success after a series of run-ins between a female humpback and over-eager divers seizing a rare chance to swim with the creatures.

Since the start of the season in June this year, scientists have recorded some 230 humpback whales have been counted in the area and on Oct. 17, it was a mother and her calf that were attracting the attention of several tourist boats.

But according to local conservationists, too often the spotters do not respect guidelines, provoking one agitated female to take swipes with her fins, which can be up to 5.5 meters (18 feet) wide for some in the species.

“It’s a clear signal and coming from a 30-tonne (33 tons) animal, it can result in fatal accidents,” said Olivier Hoarau, a conservationist from the CEDTM research and protection center dubbed the “tranquility brigade” which is financed by local authorities.

He regularly participates in patrols that swoop in on tourists who break the rules, and he said that since June they have approached 500 boats and that only one in four follows the rules.

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