Author: admin@primenews

The bridge collapse that has indefinitely halted the flow of ships in and out of the Port of Baltimore could hurt the local economy, strain supply chains and scramble deliveries along the US East Coast. The Key Bridge collapsed after a container vessel called Dali collided with one of its supports. Dali is operated by Singapore-based Synergy Group but had been chartered to carry cargo by Danish shipping giant Maersk. The Port of Baltimore said in a post on X that vessel traffic was suspended until further notice, but trucks were still being processed at its terminals. Seven container vessels were scheduled to arrive in Baltimore…

The collapse of the the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday is unfortunately not the first deadly collapse of a major interstate bridge in the US. But the response to a bridge failure in Minneapolis 17 years ago, one of the most catastrophic bridge failures in recent memory, could serve as a roadmap for Baltimore moving forward. On August 1, 2007, when cars were bumper to bumper in evening rush hour traffic along Interstate 35W in Minneapolis, the heavily trafficked, eight-lane bridge that spanned the Mississippi River suddenly failed and collapsed into the river and railyard below. Thirteen people were killed, and nearly…

Chinese leader Xi Jinping met more than a dozen US CEOs and academics on Wednesday as Beijing renewed efforts to woo back foreign investors and mend strained relations with the United States. Foreign direct investment in China has slumped in recent months as a combination of slower growth, regulatory crackdowns, onerous national security legislation and questions about the country’s long-term growth prospects have shaken confidence in the world’s second biggest economy. The group included Cristiano Amon of Qualcomm (QCOM), Raj Subramaniam of FedEx (FDX) and Stephen Schwarzman of the Blackstone Group (BX). The meeting at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People…

Three of the UK’s biggest budget fashion brands will change the way they present the environmental impact of their clothes, following action by the competition regulator. ASOS, Boohoo and George at Asda have signed pledges to use only “accurate and clear” claims, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said. The CMA is urging all fashion brands to review what they say on sustainability. The move is part of the regulator’s ongoing battle against “greenwashing”. “The millions of people who shop with these well-known businesses can now have confidence in the green claims they see,” said Sarah Cardell, CMA chief executive.…

Barclays has said its payment systems and banking app are fully operational after earlier glitches which began on Tuesday evening. The bank apologised for issues with payments into and out of the accounts of some of its UK customers. In an update at 03:25 GMT, it said customers could make and receive payments once more. Other firms such as Sainsbury’s and McDonald’s were recently hit by technical issues. Dozens of account holders spoke earlier of problems logging onto the Barclays app as well as the bank’s online banking service. One business customer voiced their concern on social media, saying the…

After eight years, major construction work on London’s £5bn super sewer is about to be completed. Known officially as the Thames Tideway Tunnel, it has been designed to reduce the amount of raw sewage that flows into the river. The 16 mile (25km) long pipe will divert 34 of the most polluting sewage outflows (CSO’s) that have been discharging into the Thames. Critics say with climate change the tunnel may have a limited lifespan. “This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for,” Andy Mitchell the CEO of Thames Tideway told BBC News from a boat above the tunnel on…

Louise Bruder never forgets a face. Which is not only a handy skill at parties, but it has helped her carve out a career. She has the fabulous job title of super-recogniser, and her work at UK digital ID firm Yoti involves comparing the photos on an identity document with an uploaded selfie, to determine if it is the same person. But Yoti, in common with other ID firms, faces a new threat – spotting so-called deepfakes. These are fake images created using AI-powered software. Louise tells me that she hasn’t yet been asked to assess deepfakes as part of…

South Africa is heading for a general election in late May, with some polls suggesting the governing African National Congress (ANC) could get less than 50% of the vote for the first time in 30 years. Mounting criticism of the party that led the fight against apartheid under the late Nelson Mandela has chipped away at its support, raising the possibility of a coalition government. When is South Africa’s election? On 29 May, nearly 28 million South African registered voters have the chance to elect representatives to the national and provincial parliaments. It will be the country’s seventh democratic general…

Misogyny, sexual discrimination and harassment are still everyday problems for female musicians in the UK, a damning new report has found. It says that one third of women in the music industry have been sexually harassed at work, with many reporting it as a barrier to their career. Women are also eight times more likely to face discrimination than men. The findings come from the first ever UK Musicians’ Census, conducted by the Musicians’ Union and Help Musicians. It surveyed more than 6,000 music industry professionals, of whom 2,526 identified as women. The report said women are paid less than…

The Australian Football League (AFL) has denied it has a cocaine problem, after whistleblowers claimed abuse of the drug is widespread in the sport. In a speech to parliament on Tuesday, an MP accused the Melbourne Demons club – and the AFL broadly – of covering up breaches of the league’s drug policy. Players were being asked to fake injuries to avoid match day drug tests, Andrew Wilkie said. The AFL’s boss did not deny those claims, but said drug use was uncommon. The Australian Rules football competition draws the biggest fan attendances of any sport nationally. Mr Wilkie used…