International
Work begins to remove the rubble of the Baltimore Bridge (USA)
The governor of Maryland, Wes Moore, reported on Saturday that the bridge that collapsed last Tuesday in the city of Baltimore, an accident that left six deaths and billions of millions losses, began to be cut with a view to being safely removed by the cranes.
Moore explained at a press conference, at the police headquarters of the Maryland Transport Authority, that the upper part of the north side of the Francis Scotte Key Bridge, which collapsed when a freighter crashed into the infrastructure, began to be cut by specialized demolition equipment.
“The northern sections of the Key Bridge will be cut and removed, this will eventually allow us to open a temporary restricted channel that will help us carry more boats around the site of the collapse,” he said, and then emphasized that this work will take time.
The divers continue today to carry out underwater evaluations in support of future operations.
On Friday, the largest crane on the east coast of the United States arrived in Baltimore to remove the debris in which the bridge was reduced.
The crane, which can lift up to 1,000 tons in weight, will be one of the seven floating cranes that will participate in the collection of metal and concrete debris from the infrastructure.
These cranes are added to 10 tugboats, nine barges, eight rescue ships and five Coast Guard ships.
Prior to the removal, an evaluation of the debris was carried out, which is considered “fundamental” before removing it from the water to determine the size in which the pieces of the bridge must be cut so that the cranes can load them.
“Once we complete this phase of the work, we can move more towers, barges and small boats to the area to speed up our recovery,” the governor said.
With the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, access to the port of Baltimore, one of the main U.S. in the Atlantic, was blocked, with a transit in 2023 of 80 billion dollars of goods coming from abroad.
It is also the fastest route for the Midwest of the country and the most important for the transport of cars.
Due to the devastating effects on the local economy, this Saturday the government Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the launch of a low-interest loan program for small businesses in Maryland, Washington DC, and Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia counties.
Moore stressed that 377 people are working on the response operations after the accident, – a figure that will increase – that left six Latino immigrant workers dead.
The “Unified Command”, in charge of the work in the area, is working in partnership with Baltimore’s gas and electricity companies to reduce the pressure of an underwater pipe that extends across the width of the channel and passes below the site of the incident, according to the ABC network.
“We will clean up the debris, move the Dali (the boat that caused the accident) and rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge,” the governor promised.
“The Maryland economy and Maryland workers depend on us acting quickly. But not only Maryland is affected. The economy and the workers of the nation depend on us moving forward quickly,” he added.
He also indicated that a “zone prohibited to drones” has been established in the airspace surrounding the collapse. “All drones must be kept away from the place of collapse,” he warned.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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