North America

Trudeau expected to call Canada snap elections Sunday

by Michel COMTE / with Anne-Sophie THILL in Montreal OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to pull the plug on his minority Liberal government and call snap elections on Sunday despite a nationwide uptick in Covid infections that is worrying voters. Trudeau is to visit the governor general to ask her to dissolve parliament and announce voting will be held on September 20, according to public broadcaster CBC and other […]

US health authorities urge pregnant women to get Covid vaccine

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US health authorities urged pregnant women on Wednesday to get inoculated against Covid-19, arguing that the data demonstrates they do not increase the risk of miscarriage. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the agency “encourages all pregnant people or people who are thinking about becoming pregnant and those breastfeeding to get vaccinated to protect themselves from Covid-19.” “The vaccines are safe and effective, […]

California mandates Covid vaccines for all teachers

by Huw GRIFFITH LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — All teachers in California will have to be vaccinated against Covid-19 or submit to weekly virus tests, the state’s governor announced Wednesday, as authorities grapple with exploding infection rates. The number of people testing positive for the disease has surged across the United States in recent weeks, with the highly infectious Delta variant blamed for the bulk of new cases. That has worried parents and educators […]

The accusations against Andrew Cuomo, and how he responded

  NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — The damning report released by the New York attorney general which forced the resignation of state governor Andrew Cuomo detailed “credible” allegations of sexual harassment against him by 11 women. What have they said, and how has he responded? Here are some of the most serious accusations. – Brittany Commisso – Commisso, named in the attorney general’s report as “Executive Assistant #1,” alleged that Cuomo touched her inappropriately […]

New York governor resigns over harassment claims

  by Andréa BAMBINO Agence France Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, facing possible impeachment over sexual harassment claims from 11 women and mounting pressure from fellow Democrats, announced his resignation on Tuesday. It was a stunning downfall for the 63-year-old Cuomo, who a year ago earned praise for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic before being engulfed in sexual harassment allegations and accusations that he covered up the […]

Trudeau condemns ‘unacceptable and unjust’ jailing of Canadian Spavor in China

OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the jailing of Canadian businessman Michael Spavor in China on Wednesday as “unacceptable and unjust.” “China’s conviction and sentencing of Michael Spavor is absolutely unacceptable and unjust,” Trudeau said in a statement after a Chinese court sentenced Spavor to 11 years in prison. “The verdict for Mr Spavor comes after more than two-and-a-half years of arbitrary detention, a lack of transparency in the legal process, and […]

Mexico says US to send 8.5 million Covid vaccines

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — The United States has promised to send 8.5 million more coronavirus vaccines to Mexico as the Latin American country battles a third wave of infections, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said Tuesday. The offer came during a phone call between Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and US Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday, when they also discussed migrant flows and prospects of reopening the border. “The United States is […]

Canadian Michael Spavor jailed for 11 years in China on spying charges

by Beiyi SEOW DANDONG, China (AFP) — A Chinese court on Wednesday jailed Canadian businessman Michael Spavor for 11 years after finding him guilty of spying in a case his country has condemned as politically motivated. Spavor was detained in 2018 along with compatriot Michael Kovrig on what Ottawa has said are trumped-up charges after Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada on a US extradition warrant. Relations between the two countries have hit rock […]

Delta variant reignites US mask debate

by Lucie AUBOURG WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The recent surge of Covid-19, driven by the Delta variant, has reignited political controversy around mask-wearing in the United States, with some governors opposing all measures to make masks mandatory despite advice from health authorities. The dispute feels familiar, harkening back to the early days of the pandemic when masks became a symbol of political affiliation in the US — the clash led by then-president Donald Trump, […]

US drug maker Moderna opening vaccine plant in Canada

MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) — US biotech company Moderna will build a plant in Canada to produce vaccines for Covid-19 and other respiratory infections, the Canadian government and the company announced Tuesday. Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne made the announcement with the head of Moderna, saying the plant would fulfill orders for its messenger RNA vaccines, with manufacturers struggling to meet soaring demand for Covid-19 shots worldwide. “The collaboration aims to provide Canadians with access to a […]

Quebec to roll out Canada’s first vaccine passport

MONTREAL,Canada (AFP) — Canadians wanting to eat at a restaurant, go to a bar or gym, or attend a festival in Quebec will have to present a vaccine passport starting September 1, officials announced Tuesday. The province will be the first in Canada to require such passes, which are increasingly being used across the world to limit entry to public places to those who have been vaccinated, recovered from Covid-19 or tested negative. They are […]

‘Incinerated’: Before and after California’s monster wildfire

GREENVILLE, United States (AFP) — Before one of California’s worst-ever wildfires hit Greenville, the sky turned dark red like a warning. After the flames tore through the tiny town, all that remained was charred walls, ash and smoke. The horrific consequence of the Dixie Fire was captured by AFP in a series of before and after photos from the monster blaze that has consumed hundreds of structures and forced thousands to flee. “I watched in […]