U.S. President Joe Biden has praised the “remarkable resiliency” of the people of Maui, after wildfires killed more than 114 people on the Hawaiian island two weeks ago, and said America would stand by them for as long as it takes.

“We’re focused on what’s next. That’s rebuilding for the long term …and doing it together,” said Biden, visibly moved after a tour of the blackened city of Lahaina. He added he would make sure “your voices are heard” and local traditions and wishes were respected.

“The American people stand with you,” he told survivors of the Aug. 8 wildfires, standing alongside Governor Josh Green, Hawaii’s senators and the representative for Maui in Congress. “For as long as it takes, we’re going to be with you.”

Biden, wearing an ornate lei, later told 400 people at a community event that featured traditional music and heartfelt speeches by local leaders: “Jill and I are here to grieve with you but also we want you to know the entire country is here for you.”

He emphasized repeatedly that the rebuilding would follow the wishes of the people of Lahaina and lauded the strong sense of community he had seen during his visit.

“It’s going to be a long road,” he said, noting the symbolism of an historic banyan tree where he spoke earlier that was damaged but survived the fires.

“I know it’s a metaphor, but that’s you. That’s who you are. There’s no quit in Hawaii, there’s no quit in America, there’s no quit in us.”

In both remarks, the president shared his own grief when a vehicle accident killed his first wife and young daughter, and said he recognized what Maui people were feeling — “that hollow feeling you have in your chest like you’re being sucked into a black hole.”

Green thanked Biden for his help and praised what he called the unprecedented speed of the federal response.

Japan said on Tuesday it will start releasing into the sea more than 1 million metric tons of treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant on Aug. 24, going ahead with a plan heavily criticised by China.

The plan, approved two years ago by the Japanese government as crucial to decommissioning the plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) (9501.T), has also faced criticism from local fishing groups fearing reputational damage.

“I expect the water release to start on August 24, weather conditions permitting,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said.

The announcement comes a day after the government said it had won “a degree of understanding” from the fishing industry over the release of the water into the Pacific Ocean, even as fishing groups said they still feared the reputational damage would ruin their livelihood.

The water will initially be released in smaller portions and with extra checks, with the first discharge totalling 7,800 cubic metres over about 17 days starting Thursday, Tepco said.

That water will contain about 190 becquerels of tritium per litre, below the World Health Organisation drinking water limit of 10,000 becquerels per litre, according to Tepco. A becquerel is a unit of radioactivity.

Japan has said that the water release is safe. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.N. nuclear watchdog, greenlighted the plan in July, saying that it met international standards and that the impact it would have on people and the environment was “negligible”.

About 56% of respondents to a survey conducted by Japanese broadcaster FNN over the weekend said they supported the release, while 37% opposed.

“The IAEA and many other countries have said it’s safe, so I believe it is. But fishermen are facing so many problems so the Japanese government needs to do something to convince them,” said 77-year-old NGO worker Hiroko Hashimoto.

Eighteen charred bodies were found in a remote village in northeastern Greece on Tuesday where wildfires have been raging for days, the fire brigade said, as a heatwave that has seen red alerts issued across southern Europe turned deadly.

Firefighters said they were investigating whether the bodies, found near a shack south of the village of Avantas, were migrants. The surrounding Evros region is a popular route for migrants from the Middle East and Asia crossing from Turkey.

In Spain, Italy and Portugal, firefighters were battling blazes as the region suffered hot, dry and windy conditions that scientists have linked to climate change.

Temperatures in many parts of the region were expected to reach or exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), forecasters said. Italy and France declared red alerts in a number of areas.

The latest heatwave comes after a July that was the hottest month on record. Some 20,000 people were evacuated on the Greek island of Rhodes in mid-July and a severe fire hit Spain’s La Palma.

Blazes on Hawaii’s Maui island earlier this month killed more than 110 people, while Canada this week deployed the military in British Columbia to tackle fast-spreading fires.

In Greece, gale-force winds complicated the efforts to control the fires.

“Weather conditions are extreme and will remain extreme for the coming days,” Fire Service spokesman Vassilis Varthakogiannis told ERT TV.

Fifty-six firefighters arrived in Greece from Romania on Tuesday and Athens was expecting further assistance from the Czech Republic, Croatia, Germany and Sweden.

The 18 bodies were found south of the village of Avantas near the vast Dadia forest, authorities said. Another body thought to belong to a migrant was found on Monday, in a rural area some 40 km (25 miles) away.

“Given that there have been no reports of disappearances or missing residents from the surrounding areas, the possibility that these are people who entered the country illegally is being investigated,” the fire brigade said. It said searches were ongoing.

In the Greek port town of Alexandroupolis, not far from Avantas, wildfires forced the evacuation of dozens of hospital patients, including newborn babies. A ferry was turned into a makeshift hospital after 65 patients were evacuated from the University Hospital.

Elderly patients lay on mattresses strewn across the cafeteria floor, paramedics attended to others on stretchers and a woman held a man resting on a sofa, an IV drip attached to his hand.

 Fires also broke out on Tuesday near the capital Athens, where a blaze on the city’s outskirts, on the foothills of Mount Parnitha, burned homes and forced residents to flee.

The Octávio Frias de Oliveira Bridge is an iconic bridge that serves also as a landmark which is located in the city of São Paulo, within the coastal southern part of the Federative Republic of Brazil.

This unique cable-stayed bridge stands tall at a height of 138 m (453 ft) and has a length of 1,600 m (5,249 ft), making it the longest cable-stayed bridge in Brazil and interestingly enough the only one to have two curved tracks.

What makes the Octávio Frias de Oliveira Bridge so special is not just its impressive size, which certainly is very captivating, but also its striking design, due to its two curved tracks that intersect in the middle, creating a unique ‘X’ shape that has become an emblematic symbol of São Paulo’s skyline.

Additionally, the bridge is illuminated with LED lights at night, making it a breathtaking sight to behold every night and quite the attraction for bridge lovers and architecture enthusiasts.

The bridge was officially completed in 2008, after three years of construction, and it was officially opened on 10 May.

Commissioned by the Octávio Frias de Oliveira Group, a prominent Brazilian real estate company, as part of a broader project aimed at revitalizing the Marginal Pinheiros highway, it is considered to be one of the busiest highways in the city, and probably in the country.

The bridge’s unique design was the brainchild of Swiss architect Jean Nouvel, who won an international competition for the bridge’s design, where the architecture of the bridge is a blend of form and function, with its unique shape allowing for greater stability and resistance to wind and earthquakes.

The construction of the Octávio Frias de Oliveira Bridge was a massive undertaking that required the expertise of engineers, architects, and construction workers from around the world, and its building required using over 2,000 tons of steel and use of advanced construction techniques, including the use of hydraulic jacks to lift and install the massive concrete pillars that support the bridge.

Nevertheless, the Octávio Frias de Oliveira Bridge is an important landmark in São Paulo and a symbol of the city’s growth and modernization, becoming a popular tourist attraction, drawing visitors from around the world who are coming to admire its striking design and breathtaking views of the city.

Additionally, it should always be mentioned that it was the first cable-stayed bridge in the world to have two curved tracks intersecting at a single point, and this has brought it numerous awards for its innovative design and construction, including the 2009 Gustav Lindenthal Medal, one of the most prestigious awards in the field of bridge engineering.

In conclusion, the Octávio Frias de Oliveira Bridge is a testament to human ingenuity and creativity, a towering symbol of modernity and progress that stands tall in the heart of São Paulo, Brazil, alluring people with its striking design, innovative construction, and breathtaking views capturing the hearts and imaginations of people from around the world, making it one of the most important cultural landmarks and symbols of Brazil’s vibrant spirit and rich cultural heritage.