Remains of 30th victim of Los Angeles fires found
The death toll from the fires that ravaged Los Angeles in January has risen to at least 30 after the remains of another victim were discovered, local authorities said.The fires around the United States’ second-largest city burned for three weeks, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate their homes.The blazes destroyed thousands of structures, devastating the affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, as well as Malibu and Altadena in the wider county.The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office said a team went to Altadena on Wednesday to “investigate possible human remains found there” and “determined the remains were human,” according to a statement.”The death toll related to the wildfires is now 30 – 18 in the Eaton Fire and 12 in the Palisades,” it said.The Palisades and Eaton fires were the most destructive in the history of Los Angeles, burning more than 37,000 acres (150 square kilometers) and over 10,000 homes, causing damage estimated to cost hundreds of billions of dollars.Both blazes started on January 7 and their exact cause is under investigation.But human-driven climate change set the stage for the infernos by reducing rainfall, parching vegetation, and extending the dangerous overlap between flammable drought conditions and powerful winds, according to an analysis published in January.Almost three months after the fires, authorities in California are still cleaning up the debris, some of it toxic, from the thousands of buildings destroyed in the region.
How Trump’s ‘liberation day’ tariffs will impact China
US President Donald Trump has slapped punishing new tariffs on imports of Chinese goods, deepening a trade war between the world’s two largest economies.Beijing has vowed countermeasures in response and warned the new tariffs will cripple global supply chains — and Washington’s own interests.AFP looks at how so-called “liberation day” tariffs — which bring levies on Chinese goods to 54 percent — will hit China:- Why is China so vulnerable? – China’s export-driven economy is particularly sensitive to vicissitudes in international trade.Trade between it and the United States, the world’s two largest economies, is vast.According to Beijing’s customs data, sales of Chinese goods to the United States last year totalled more than $500 billion — 16.4 percent of the country’s exports.US duties also threaten to harm China’s fragile economic recovery as it struggles with a long-running debt crisis in the property sector and persistently low consumption — a downturn Beijing had sought to slow with broad fiscal stimulus last year.But an intensified trade war will likely mean China cannot peg its hopes for strong economic growth this year on its exports, which reached record highs in 2024.”The US tariffs on Chinese imports announced so far this year could fully negate the lift from the fiscal stimulus measures announced so far,” Frederic Neumann, Chief Asia Economist at HSBC, told AFP.And while he said the impact on export competition may be slightly mitigated by the fact that all countries are hit by the levies, he stressed “the drag on Chinese growth is nevertheless significant”.- What impact will the new tariffs have? -The new tariffs slap 10 percent levies on imports from around the world.But China — whose yawning trade deficit with the United States of $270.4 billion has long drawn Trump’s ire — faces much higher levies. The latest salvo adds 34 percent to a 20 percent rate imposed last month, bringing the total additional tariffs on imports from the Asian economic powerhouse imposed by the Trump administration to 54 percent.The tariffs come into effect in stages — a ten percentage point bump on Thursday, followed by the full levy on April 9. China is also under sector-specific tariffs on steel, aluminium and car imports. Analysts expect the new levies to take a significant chunk out of the country’s GDP, which Beijing’s leadership hope will grow five percent this year.Julian Evans-Pritchard, Head of China Economics at Capital Economics, said in a note he said he expected the economic hit to range from 0.5 percent to one percent of GDP.Likely to be hit hardest are China’s top exports to the United States — the country is the dominant supplier of goods from electronics and electrical machinery to textiles and clothing, according to the Peterson Institute of International Economics.But analysts also warn that because of the crucial role Chinese goods play in supplying US firms, the tariffs may also have major knock-on effects. “US imports from China are dominated by capital goods and industrial materials instead of consumer goods,” Gene Ma, Head of China Research at the Institute of International Finance, told AFP.”The tariff will hurt US manufacturers as well as consumers.””This trade war not only has a destructive impact on China but also on the global trade system,” Chen Wenling, Chief Economist at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges in Beijing, said.- How might Beijing respond? -Beijing has yet to specify what exactly its “countermeasures” will involve.But the retaliation could see Beijing hike pre-existing tariffs imposed in response to previous measures.”China’s countermeasures should be reasonable, beneficial and measured,” Mei Xinyu, an economist at the state-affiliated Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing, told AFP.”They need to be strong and precise, while also avoiding turning the countermeasures into a decoupling of China and the United States,” Mei added.China last month slapped tariffs of 15 percent in imports of coal and liquefied natural gas from the United States. Crude oil, agricultural machinery, big-engined vehicles and pickup trucks also face 10 percent duties.Analysts say those moves are designed to hit Trump’s support base — those in America’s rural heartlands that voted him into office last year.Beijing has called for dialogue to resolve the dispute, but any deal will take time.”There are still chances for the two parties to resume talks in the following months,” Betty Wang at Oxford Economics told AFP.”But historical experience suggests that tariffs are typically quick to rise and slow to fall.”
How Trump’s ‘liberation day’ tariffs will impact China
US President Donald Trump has slapped punishing new tariffs on imports of Chinese goods, deepening a trade war between the world’s two largest economies.Beijing has vowed countermeasures in response and warned the new tariffs will cripple global supply chains — and Washington’s own interests.AFP looks at how so-called “liberation day” tariffs — which bring levies on Chinese goods to 54 percent — will hit China:- Why is China so vulnerable? – China’s export-driven economy is particularly sensitive to vicissitudes in international trade.Trade between it and the United States, the world’s two largest economies, is vast.According to Beijing’s customs data, sales of Chinese goods to the United States last year totalled more than $500 billion — 16.4 percent of the country’s exports.US duties also threaten to harm China’s fragile economic recovery as it struggles with a long-running debt crisis in the property sector and persistently low consumption — a downturn Beijing had sought to slow with broad fiscal stimulus last year.But an intensified trade war will likely mean China cannot peg its hopes for strong economic growth this year on its exports, which reached record highs in 2024.”The US tariffs on Chinese imports announced so far this year could fully negate the lift from the fiscal stimulus measures announced so far,” Frederic Neumann, Chief Asia Economist at HSBC, told AFP.And while he said the impact on export competition may be slightly mitigated by the fact that all countries are hit by the levies, he stressed “the drag on Chinese growth is nevertheless significant”.- What impact will the new tariffs have? -The new tariffs slap 10 percent levies on imports from around the world.But China — whose yawning trade deficit with the United States of $270.4 billion has long drawn Trump’s ire — faces much higher levies. The latest salvo adds 34 percent to a 20 percent rate imposed last month, bringing the total additional tariffs on imports from the Asian economic powerhouse imposed by the Trump administration to 54 percent.The tariffs come into effect in stages — a ten percentage point bump on Thursday, followed by the full levy on April 9. China is also under sector-specific tariffs on steel, aluminium and car imports. Analysts expect the new levies to take a significant chunk out of the country’s GDP, which Beijing’s leadership hope will grow five percent this year.Julian Evans-Pritchard, Head of China Economics at Capital Economics, said in a note he said he expected the economic hit to range from 0.5 percent to one percent of GDP.Likely to be hit hardest are China’s top exports to the United States — the country is the dominant supplier of goods from electronics and electrical machinery to textiles and clothing, according to the Peterson Institute of International Economics.But analysts also warn that because of the crucial role Chinese goods play in supplying US firms, the tariffs may also have major knock-on effects. “US imports from China are dominated by capital goods and industrial materials instead of consumer goods,” Gene Ma, Head of China Research at the Institute of International Finance, told AFP.”The tariff will hurt US manufacturers as well as consumers.””This trade war not only has a destructive impact on China but also on the global trade system,” Chen Wenling, Chief Economist at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges in Beijing, said.- How might Beijing respond? -Beijing has yet to specify what exactly its “countermeasures” will involve.But the retaliation could see Beijing hike pre-existing tariffs imposed in response to previous measures.”China’s countermeasures should be reasonable, beneficial and measured,” Mei Xinyu, an economist at the state-affiliated Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing, told AFP.”They need to be strong and precise, while also avoiding turning the countermeasures into a decoupling of China and the United States,” Mei added.China last month slapped tariffs of 15 percent in imports of coal and liquefied natural gas from the United States. Crude oil, agricultural machinery, big-engined vehicles and pickup trucks also face 10 percent duties.Analysts say those moves are designed to hit Trump’s support base — those in America’s rural heartlands that voted him into office last year.Beijing has called for dialogue to resolve the dispute, but any deal will take time.”There are still chances for the two parties to resume talks in the following months,” Betty Wang at Oxford Economics told AFP.”But historical experience suggests that tariffs are typically quick to rise and slow to fall.”
Bolivie: des tonnes d’ordures envahissent les rues de la quatrième ville du pays
Des tonnes d’ordures s’accumulent depuis une dizaine de jours dans les rues de Cochabamba, quatrième ville de Bolivie, en raison du blocage de la principale décharge par des riverains dénonçant sa saturation, ce qui fait craindre aux autorités une crise sanitaire.”Ce pourrait être le début” de cette crise de santé publique, a averti mercredi auprès de l’AFP Rubén Castillo, épidémiologiste au sein du service départemental de santé. Les cas de diarrhées ont augmenté de 7% la semaine dernière et les cas d’hépatite A de 55%, selon les données du service.  Les autorités suspectent un lien avec les ordures qui jonchent depuis 12 jours les trottoirs de la ville de quelque 600.000 habitants où flotte une odeur nauséabonde, a constaté l’AFP. “Toute la rue est dégueulasse. Il n’y a nulle part où jeter” les ordures, se plaint Carmen Condori, une femme au foyer de 53 ans. A l’origine du problème, la saturation de la principale décharge de la ville, qui a conduit les riverains à en bloquer l’accès afin de réclamer sa fermeture définitive.”Nous revendiquons notre droit à la santé, la mairie ne nous écoute pas”, explique à l’AFP Alcira Estrada, une commerçante de 38 ans qui vit près de la décharge et participe au blocage.La ville génère entre 600 et 800 tonnes de déchets par jour, a indiqué à l’AFP le porte-parole de la municipalité, Juan José Ayaviri, assurant qu’une solution allait être proposée dans les 48 heures, à savoir l’utilisation d’un autre terrain habilité.Il a reconnu que la montagne de déchets s’accumulant dans la décharge risquait de s’effondrer, ce qui pourrait contaminer les rivières avoisinantes et contraindre les riverains à quitter les lieux. L’accès à la décharge publique, située à une dizaine de kilomètres du centre de Cochabamba, est régulièrement bloqué par les riverains.  En septembre, ces derniers avaient conclu un accord avec la municipalité pour sa fermeture définitive dans un délai de six mois, mais ce délai est désormais dépassé.Â
Droits de douane: l’UE prévoit “d’attaquer” les services numériques américains
L’Union européenne, “prête à la guerre commerciale” avec les États-Unis, prévoit dans sa riposte aux droits de douane annoncés par Donald Trump “d’attaquer les services numériques”, a indiqué jeudi la porte-parole du gouvernement français Sophie Primas.”Nous sommes à peu près sûr qu’effectivement nous allons avoir des effets récessifs sur la production”, a-t-elle ajouté sur RTL, s’inquiétant notamment de l’impact “marqué” sur la filière vins et spiritueux.Le président américain Donald Trump a signé mercredi un décret généralisant des droits de douane de 10% minimum sur toutes les importations arrivant aux États-Unis et de 20% pour les produits arrivant de l’UE.Après la décision américaine, l’UE prépare une riposte en deux temps: “une première riposte qui sera efficiente à peu près à la mi avril, qui va correspondre à sa première attaque sur l’aluminium et l’acier”.”Et puis il y a un deuxième jeu de riposte qui sera probablement prêt à la fin du mois d’avril sur l’ensemble des produits et des services”, a ajouté Sophie Primas.Pour l’instant, cette deuxième riposte est en “cours de négociation entre les pays membres de l’Union européenne”.”Mais on va attaquer aussi les services. C’est par exemple les services numériques qui aujourd’hui ne sont pas taxés et qui pourraient l’être”, a insisté la porte-parole. La riposte pourrait aussi concerner “l’accès à nos marchés publics”, a-t-elle indiqué.”Nous avons aujourd’hui toute une batterie d’outils et nous sommes prêts à cette guerre commerciale”, a-t-elle assuré. Dans l’immédiat, Emmanuel Macron va réunir à l’Élysée jeudi après-midi les représentants des filières impactées par les mesures tarifaires.”La première chose, c’est que nous fassions un bilan et prévisionnel de ce que seront les attaques et leurs effets sur l’ensemble des filières. Ensuite, nous regarderons comment nous pouvons soutenir nos industries de production”, a-t-elle dit.”On voit bien que tous les marchés d’exportation, notamment des vins et spiritueux, sont en train de se fermer. Il va falloir donc supporter notre production européenne”, a-t-elle jugé.Donald Tump “se prend pour le maître du monde (…) C’est une posture impérialiste qu’on avait un peu oubliée, mais qui revient avec grande force et grande détermination”, a-t-elle dénoncé.far/lum/nth
Rejuvenated IPL match-winner Siraj praised for ‘fire in his belly’
Praise was heaped on Mohammed Siraj Thursday after his match-winning spell for Gujarat Titans at his former club Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL.Siraj, who was dropped By India for the Champions Trophy, looked like a man with a point to prove to the national selectors and the RCB management as he took 3-19 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, a venue that was his home for seven seasons.RCB released Siraj after last season and the India fast bowler was bought by Gujarat for $1.4 million in the November auction.Siraj has begun to justify his price tag by taking five wickets in three matches this season, bowling with pace and accuracy.Former India opener Virender Sehwag said Siraj’s IPL form was motivated by his omission from the Champions Trophy last month, which India won in Dubai.”Somewhere I feel he is hurt that he wasn’t part of the Champions Trophy squad, and I saw that fire,” Sehwag said on website Cricbuzz.”That’s what we expect from a young fast bowler: ‘Yeah, you didn’t pick me? Now I will show you’.”New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, commentating on JioStar, said: “He bowled with real fire in his belly, led the attack with aggression, and bowled with some excellent pace.” Siraj’s bowling helped restrict Bengaluru to 169-8, a total Gujarat overhauled by eight wickets with 13 balls to spare as England’s Jos Buttler hit an unbeaten 73 off 39 deliveries.”(Siraj) was deservedly named player of the match,” Williamson added. “While Jos Buttler was outstanding and back to his best in the second innings, Siraj set the tone early on, making a significant impact.”Siraj, 31, removed left-hander Devdutt Padikkal with a delivery that nipped away to hit off stump.He then bowled Phil Salt after the England batsman had hit him for a six on the previous ball.Siraj finished his spell with the wicket of England’s Liam Livingstone, caught behind for 54.”It was emotional because I played for seven years here,” Siraj said of returning to Bengaluru. “There was some nervousness and some emotion but the moment I got the ball in my hand, it was full on.”It was Gujarat’s second straight win and Bengaluru’s first defeat this season.