Morning Update: Yeah, Okay, Fine, The New Royal Baby Is Really Cute

Hawaii's volcano destruction, mass arrests in Russia, and Adele's 30th birthday party. Your BuzzFeed News newsletter, May 7.

A volcano eruption in Hawaii has destroyed 26 homes

Since Hawaii's Kilauea volcano on the Big Island erupted Thursday, a total of 10 fissures have so far broken through the ground, spewing lava into residential neighborhoods.

Lava burst through the ground near homes in the nearby Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens communities, closing roads. Those communities — more than 1,800 people — have been ordered to evacuate.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige has declared a state of emergency and deployed the National Guard to help with evacuation efforts.

The volcanic activity has triggered hundreds of earthquakes in the area — the largest occurred Friday when a magnitude 6.9 struck. It was the strongest to hit the state in decades.

The photos are absolutely surreal — beautiful, lush green trees juxtaposed with the lava’s carnage. Here’s a photo of one of the fissures:

A former US Army officer is now a general for a country accused of war crimes

Stephen Toumajan spent most of his career as a US Army officer. Now, he’s a major general for the United Arab Emirates’ military, commanding an Emirati military helicopter branch.

A UAE government website says he is responsible for training, combat readiness, and “execution of all aviation missions.”

The UAE’s forces are involved in the deadly war in Yemen, which has left 8 million people at risk of starvation and 5,000 children dead or wounded. The UAE and its partners in the war have been accused of atrocities. Toumajan says he is not involved in that war.

But working as an officer for a foreign army represents a new evolution in the role that US private military contractors play in foreign conflicts. Traditionally, they advise, train, and supply foreign armies, but don’t actually serve in them — that’s the difference between a contractor and a mercenary.

Quick brief:

PSST

Have you seen our new series, Future History 1968? It lets you relive one of the wildest years in news the way you consume news now — through your phone.

The newest episode is about François Truffaut, one of the most prolific directors of his time. He hired a detective agency to find his biological father at the same time that he shot a film about that same agency. He also walked out on his wedding to one of his stars. Watch it all play out.

Russian police have arrested more than 1,000 protesters ahead of Putin’s inauguration

Thousands turned out across Russia on Saturday to demonstrate ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inauguration, set to take place today. The inauguration will see Putin take up another six-year term.

In the aftermath of the protests, a group that monitors political repression in Russia reported that, by the evening, more than 1,300 people had been detained in 21 cities across the country.

Among those arrested was Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who had called for the mass demonstrations under the banner “He is not our czar.”

The first official photos of Prince Louis of Cambridge are now out

Kensington Palace released two new photos of the new royal baby and they are so sweet.

One of the photos is just so precious — here’s Princess Charlotte holding her little baby brother on her third birthday:

In a 2018 Democratic primary, it’s good to be a woman

A new turn in the era of Trump: In Democratic primaries, women are seeing unprecedented success.

In addition to running for office in record numbers, women are winning crowded primaries against male rivals who are better known and have spent more money.

Democratic operatives we’ve talked to say that women represent “change” in the eyes of voters. Certainly #MeToo has influenced this view, but a significant factor has also been a nontraditional cohort of first-time candidates who are veterans, doctors, lawyers, and mothers.

Here’s how one expert put it: “You used to have to say, ‘Despite the fact that I'm a woman, I'm qualified.’ Now you have to explain why you're not a woman.”

People are dying laughing at this dad who picked up the wrong dog from Petsmart

The most precious thing on the internet today.

Two teens shared the story of how their dad, who always picks up their dog, Nieves, when she goes to the groomer, picked up the wrong pup and didn’t realize it until they told him so.

Their dad’s response? He said he knew something was off.

The right Nieves has been picked up now, but the internet can’t handle how funny the whole thing was.

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