by Brian KNOWLTON WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump will try to recover momentum in his uphill re-election struggle at this week’s Republican Party convention, telling Americans that he has answers to the coronavirus pandemic, economic turmoil and racial unrest. Trump and his top aides strived over the weekend to put an optimistic spin on what will be a mostly online convention as he prepares to head Monday to North Carolina to formally […]
North America
Twin storms threaten US as 12 killed in Haiti, D.Republic
by Amelie BARON PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP) — Two hurricanes are expected to slam into the US Gulf Coast in the coming days, forecasters said Sunday, as Tropical Storm Laura killed at least 12 people when it struck Haiti and the Dominican Republic. US media said twin hurricanes were unprecedented in the Gulf of Mexico since records began 150 years ago. Tropical Storm Marco strengthened into a hurricane with winds of 75 miles (120 kilometers) per […]
US announces approval of plasma treatment against virus
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — American authorities announced on Sunday an emergency approval of blood plasma from recovered coronavirus patients as a treatment against the disease that has killed over 176,000 in the US. The Food and Drug Administration’s authorization comes as President Donald Trump faces intense pressure to curb the contagion that has hobbled the world’s largest economy and clouded his once-promising prospects for re-election in November. The plasma is believed to contain powerful […]
Canada conservatives electing new leader to take on Trudeau
by Michel COMTE Agence France Presse OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — Canadian conservatives will reveal their pick for a new leader and main contender to challenge liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in possible snap elections. Four candidates vied to replace outgoing Andrew Scheer, including two former ministers, the first Seventh-day Adventist ever to be elected to parliament, and an outsider seeking to become the first black woman to lead a major federal political party in […]
Haiti warns residents to prepare as tropical storm Laura nears
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP) — Haitian authorities on Saturday urged residents to prepare for tropical storm Laura, which is expected to bring torrential rains, flooding and landslides before possibly building up to hurricane force as it churns toward the US. The Atlantic storm season, which runs through November, could be one of the busiest ever this year, with the US National Hurricane Center predicting as many as 25 named storms. Laura is the 12th so […]
California fires spread, fouling air and spurring evacuations
by Jocelyne ZABLIT Agence France Presse LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Thick smoke blanketed large areas of central and northern California on Friday as more people fled some of the biggest fires in the state’s history which have raged largely uncontrolled through the week. The largest group of fires, dubbed the LNU Lightning Complex, had scorched nearly 220,000 acres (89,000 hectares) and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents. By midday, […]
Meghan Markle calls for ‘change’ in upcoming US election
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Meghan Markle, the wife of Prince Harry, on Thursday broke from protocol normally followed by British royals in calling for a “change” in the upcoming US presidential election. Her comments came during a virtual “voter registration couch party” organized by When We All Vote, an outreach group co-chaired by former first lady Michelle Obama, actor Tom Hanks and others to increase participation at the polls. “We all know what’s […]
Thousands flee as fast-moving wildfires spread in California
by Jocelyne ZABLIT Agence France Presse LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Thousands of people fled their homes in northern California on Wednesday as hundreds of fast-moving wildfires spread across the region, burning houses and leading to the death of a helicopter pilot. In Vacaville — a city of about 100,000 people located between the state capital Sacramento and San Francisco — residents were urged to evacuate during the night as the wind-whipped flames […]
COVID-19 vaccine won’t be mandatory in US, says Fauci
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Anthony Fauci, the United States’ top infectious diseases official, said Wednesday the government wouldn’t make any future COVID-19 vaccine obligatory for the general public — though local jurisdictions could make it mandatory for some groups, like children. “You don’t want to mandate and try and force anyone to take a vaccine. We’ve never done that,” said Fauci, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, during a video […]
Hurricane Genevieve loses strength off Mexico
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — Hurricane Genevieve weakened Wednesday to a Category 1 storm off Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, US forecasters said, after bringing rain and high waves to the country’s northwest coast. On Tuesday two people, including a lifeguard, drowned in the resort of Los Cabos after a teenager ignored warning flags and was swept away, Mexican authorities said. The storm, which turned into a Category 4 on Tuesday, was expected to skirt Baja […]
Thousands evacuated as fast-moving fires spread in California
by Jocelyne ZABLIT LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Thousands of residents fled a city in northern California on Wednesday as a series of fast-moving wildfires spread across the state, burning dozens of homes and structures. The fire outside Vacaville — a city of about 100,000 residents located between the state capital Sacramento and San Francisco — is part of a series of blazes that have scorched nearly 50,000 acres (20,200 hectares) in the region […]
Hurricane Genevieve barrels towards Mexico’s Baja California
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — Authorities in Mexico’s Baja California closed ports and beaches on Tuesday as Hurricane Genevieve barrelled towards the peninsula packing winds of nearly 195 kilometers (120 miles) per hour. At 0300 GMT Genevieve, a Category 3 hurricane, was located some 390 kilometers south of the southern tip of Baja California moving towards the northwest at around 17 kilometers per hour, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center reported. The storm — which had […]





