By Beiyi SEOW BEIJING, April 7, 2024 (AFP) – US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Chinese Premier Li Qiang sounded a hopeful tone on US-China cooperation on Sunday, though the American policymaker noted both sides cannot shy away from tough conversations. The US-China relationship can only move forward with direct and open communication, Yellen told Li, after arriving in the Chinese capital from the southern city of Guangzhou. Li, in welcoming Yellen, said “China sincerely […]
Tag: US
US, Russian, Belarus ISS colleagues return to Earth
A NASA astronaut, a Russian cosmonaut and Belarus’s first ever space traveller on Saturday returned to Earth safely after a fortnight aboard the International Space Station, Russia’s Roscosmos agency reported. “Today, at 10:17am Moscow time (0717 GMT), the descent vehicle of Sozuz MS-24 manned spacecraft landed near the Kazakh city of Jezkazgan,” Roscosmos reported. “The (vessel’s) deorbit and its descent to Earth went off normally,” the agency added. Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky and the first […]
Philippines, US, Australia, Japan to hold joint drills in disputed sea
MANILA, April 6, 2024 (AFP) – The United States, Australia, Japan and the Philippines will hold joint naval and air drills in the disputed South China Sea on Sunday, their defence chiefs said in a statement, as they deepen ties to counter China’s growing assertiveness in the region. The exercise will take place in the disputed waterway — which Beijing claims almost entirely — days before US President Joe Biden is due to hold the […]
Muhammad Ali’s ‘Thrilla in Manila’ shorts up for auction
The shorts worn by Muhammad Ali in his legendary “Thrilla in Manila” boxing match are up for grabs at Sotheby’s in New York, part of a growing sports memorabilia market eyed by auction houses. Bids — including the latest for $3.8 million — have been rolling in since late March for the Everlast-brand shorts, which are white with black stripes and are signed by Ali. The auction is open until April 12. The sale comes […]
Workers remove first chunk of destroyed Baltimore bridge
BALTIMORE, March 31, 2024 (AFP) – Workers have lifted out the first, 200-ton chunk of Baltimore’s collapsed bridge, officials said Sunday, as efforts get underway to clear the harbor of the steel structure destroyed by an out-of-control ship. Demolition crews using blow torches sliced through the upper part of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which crumbled when the Dali cargo vessel lost power and struck it on Tuesday, killing six people. Authorities hope that removing […]
Baltimore bridge being cut up after ship collision
The crumpled Baltimore bridge was being cut up in preparation for its removal, Maryland’s governor said Sunday, promising “progress” was being made after it was destroyed by an out-of-control ship. Demolition crews using blow torches sliced through the top part of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed when the Dali cargo vessel lost power and struck it on Tuesday, killing six people. “Progress is beginning to happen despite the fact that it’s an incredibly […]
Maintenance staff shortage could clip aviation industry’s wings
By Elodie MAZEIN The United States is grappling with a shortage of maintenance workers in the aviation industry, with baby boomers retiring and others changing jobs during the pandemic. This comes as the global fleet of commercial aircraft is set to balloon a third by 2034, involving more than 36,400 vessels, according to a recent study by consulting firm Oliver Wyman. In its wake, spending in the maintenance, repair and overhaul market is projected to […]
Climate change is slowing heat waves, prolonging misery
Climate change is causing heat waves to slow to a crawl, exposing humans to extreme temperatures for longer than ever before, a study published in Science Advances said Friday. While previous research has found climate change is causing heat waves to become longer, more frequent and more intense, the new paper differed by treating heat waves as distinct weather patterns that move along air currents, just as storms do. For every decade between 1979 to […]
Sticky-fingered journalists on Air Force One put on notice
WASHINGTON, March 29, 2024 (AFP) – Normally they’re the ones grilling Washington power players. But the tables have been turned on the White House press corps. A news report made waves Friday in the US capital with its humorous — but detailed — investigation into rampant theft from the press section of Air Force One, the president’s official plane. “For years, scores of journalists — and others — have quietly stuffed everything from engraved whiskey […]
Israel’s Netanyahu approves new Gaza ceasefire talks
By Adel Zaanoun with Joshua Melvin in Jerusalem GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories, March 29, 2024 (AFP) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved Friday new talks on a Gaza ceasefire, a day after the world’s top court ordered Israel to ensure urgent humanitarian aid reaches people in the Palestinian territory. But despite a binding United Nations Security Council resolution this week demanding an “immediate ceasefire”, fighting continued Friday, including around hospitals. Regional fallout from the […]
Impact of Baltimore port closure on global supply chains
By Marie-Morgane LE MOEL PARIS, March 29, 2024 (AFP) – The bridge collapse that closed the Port of Baltimore has raised concerns about the disaster’s potential impact on the global supply chain. Authorities have warned that extensive work is needed before the major port can reopen following Tuesday’s catastrophic cargo ship collision, which has blocked the harbour’s entrance. Here is a look at what it could mean for global trade: – A major car terminal […]
Cleanup begins in ‘very long road’ to recovery for Baltimore bridge, port
By Amel SEMMACHE BALTIMORE, March 29, 2024 (AFP) – Cranes began arriving Thursday at the scene of the catastrophic bridge collapse over Baltimore harbor, as authorities shifted to a clean-up phase of the recovery and warned of extensive work before the major US port can reopen. The machinery will be deployed in a tricky operation to clear the twisted steel remnants of the Francis Scott Key Bridge from where it fell into the Patapsco River […]





