Briefly

UNITED STATES

Drug overdose deaths climb to all-time high

More than 100,000 US people died of drug overdoses in one year, a never-before-seen milestone that health officials say is tied to the COVID-19 pandemic and a more dangerous drug supply. Most of the deaths occurred among people aged 25 to 55. Overdose deaths have been rising for more than two decades, accelerated in the past two years and, according to new data posted on Wednesday, jumped nearly 30 percent in the latest year. President Joe Biden called it "a tragic milestone" in a statement, as administration officials pressed Congress to devote billions of dollars more to address the problem.

Rare Constitution copy fetches $43 million

An extremely rare original copy of the US Constitution sold on Thursday for $43 million－a world record for a historical document at auction－with a cryptocurrency consortium that coveted the text outbid by another investor. Sotheby's auction house, which staged the sale, said the item was one of only 13 known surviving copies of the US charter, signed on Sept 17, 1787, at Philadelphia's Independence Hall by the country's Founding Fathers including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and James Madison. The winning bidder was not immediately identified.

BRAZIL

Amazon's forest loss at worst in 15 years

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest rose by almost 22 percent in one year, the highest level in 15 years, according to figures on Thursday that cast doubt on promises by the government to reverse the trend with "forceful" action. The 13,235 square kilometers of forest lost from August 2020 to July 2021 was the largest swath since 14,286 square km were cleared in 2005-06, according to an estimate by Brazil's national space research institute INPE. Environment Minister Joaquim Leite admitted the figures represent "a challenge" and vowed to be "more forceful against environmental crimes."

CANADA

Floods leave 18,000 people still stranded

Emergency crews were still trying to reach 18,000 people stranded on Thursday after floods and mudslides destroyed roads, houses and bridges in British Columbia in what could be the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history. Receding floodwaters helped rescue efforts, but the downpour blocked off entire towns in the Pacific Coast province and cut access to the country's largest port in Vancouver, disrupting already strained global supply chains.

Agencies - Xinhua