North America

Harvard library removes human skin from book binding

Prestigious Harvard University said Wednesday it had removed human skin from the binding of a book held for over 90 years at one of its libraries. A copy of the 19th-century book “Des Destinées de l’Ame” — or Destinies of the Soul, a meditation on life after death — was found in 2014 to be bound in the skin of a deceased woman. Harvard said it had removed the binding and noted “past failures in […]

Latin America, Caribbean set for record dengue season

WASHINGTON, March 29, 2024 (AFP) – Latin America and the Caribbean should prepare for their worst dengue season ever, as global warming and the El Nino climate phenomenon fuel the mosquito-borne epidemic, a UN health agency warned Thursday. In less than three months in 2024, regional health authorities have already tallied more than 3.5 million cases and a thousand deaths due to the virus, which is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. “Probably […]

What is the economic impact of the Baltimore bridge collapse?

By Beiyi SEOW with Elodie MAZEIN in New York WASHINGTON, March 27, 2024 (AFP) – Diverted cargo and supply chain disruptions have left businesses rushing to avoid an economic hit following the collapse of a major bridge in Baltimore after it was hit by a cargo ship. With vessel traffic at the Port of Baltimore suspended until further notice since Tuesday’s accident, experts warn of knock-on effects but say these should be manageable in the […]

US will continue aiddrops into Gaza, White House says

(AFP) — The United States will continue dropping essential aid from the air into the Gaza Strip, the White House said Tuesday, after Palestinian militant group Hamas called for them to end following fatal drownings and stampedes. “Air drops are one of the many ways that we are helping to provide desperately needed aid to Palestinians in Gaza, and we will continue to do so,” the National Security Council said in a statement, after Hamas […]

Dali, the ship that brought down Baltimore bridge

PARIS, March 26, 2024 (AFP) – The Dali container ship that caused the collapse of a key bridge in Baltimore is recently built and flies under Singapore’s flag. It was constructed by the Korean Hyundai shipyard in 2015 and is 300 metres long (985 feet), 48 metres wide and 24.8 metres tall, with gross tonnage of 95,000 tonnes, making it an average-sized container ship. It had left Baltimore port at 1 am local time Tuesday […]

Port blocked by Baltimore bridge collapse is key hub for US shipping

BALTIMORE, March 26, 2024 (AFP) – Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, named after the poet who penned the lyrics to the US national anthem, used to carry an average of around 31,000 passengers a day across one of the busiest harbors in the United States. Its nighttime collapse, within seconds of being struck by a container ship, is likely to cause substantial economic damage for as long as it continues to force the closure of […]

Major US bridge collapses as cargo ship plows into pylon

By Aziz EL MASSASSI BALTIMORE, March 26, 2024 (AFP) – A major bridge in the US city of Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday after being struck by a container ship, sending multiple vehicles and people plunging into the frigid harbor below. Dramatic nighttime footage showed a 300-meter vessel hitting a pylon of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, bringing most of the steel-built structure crashing into the Patapsco River within seconds. Vehicles could be seen on the […]

Baltimore bridge collapses after ship collision

WASHINGTON, March 26, 2024 (AFP) – The Francis Scott Key Bridge in the US city of Baltimore collapsed after a ship collided with it, the Maryland Transportation Authority said early Tuesday. “I-695 Key Bridge collapse due to ship strike,” the MTA posted on social media platform X, referring to the interstate highway. It urged drivers to avoid the route over the Patapsco River, which it called an “active scene”. Earlier, the MTA had said interstate […]

US teen fatally shoots self with officer’s gun at sheriff station

LOS ANGELES, March 26, 2024 (AFP) – A teenage girl shot herself dead with a deputy’s gun in the lobby of a sheriff’s station in California, authorities said Monday. The girl, who has not been named, began hammering on the door of the station in City of Industry, near Los Angeles, on Sunday evening. As officers went to open the door, the girl managed to grab a service weapon from one of them. “The juvenile […]

Mexican forces search for 24 possible kidnapping victims

CULIACÁN, Mexico, March 24, 2024 (AFP) – Mexican authorities were searching Saturday for two dozen people in Sinaloa state reported to have been kidnapped along with more than 40 others who have since been found alive. The governor of the coastal state in northwest Mexico — home to the notorious Sinaloa drug cartel — had said earlier Saturday that 18 people had been found out of 25 missing, and did not explain the significant jump […]

Under pressure, Trump goes on attack as $454 mn deadline looms

NEW YORK, March 22, 2024 (AFP) – Donald Trump lashed out at prosecutors Friday as the clock ticked down on the possible seizure of his assets and threatened bankruptcy if he fails to come up with cash to pay a half-billion dollar bond. The former president, who is running again in this year’s election, is under pressure after a New York court ruled that he, his sons and his family company lied about the value […]

US lawmakers race to avert weekend government shutdown

By Frankie TAGGART WASHINGTON, March 21, 2024 (AFP) – US lawmakers released a $1.2 trillion package in the early hours of Thursday to complete the 2024 federal budget — teeing off a sprint to sign it into law before a government shutdown looming at the weekend. The six-bill, 1,012-page package represents the largest and most contentious section of federal funding, with cash running out at midnight on Friday night for three-quarters of the government, including […]