Author: admin@primenews

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday reiterated the United States’ “ironclad commitment” to defend the Philippines as rising tensions with China in the South China Sea raise fears of a broader regional conflict. Stability in the region is seen as being increasingly threatened by clashes between Chinese coast guard and maritime militia units and Philippine vessels around disputed features in the waterway. In the most recent confrontation two weeks ago, a Chinese coast guard vessel used a water cannon against a Philippine boat, shattering its glass panel and injuring four Filipino sailors. Speaking at a joint news conference with his Philippine counterpart in Manila, Blinken said the…

Inflation fell to 3.4% in February, down from 4% in January and edging closer to the Bank’s target of 2%. The drop means the cost of living is at its lowest level since September 2021, when it stood at 3.1%. Inflation, the rate at which prices rise over time, has been gradually falling since it hit 11.1% in October 2022, its highest rate for 40 years. However, prices are not yet falling they are just rising less quickly than they were previously. Most economists had predicted the drop and said it would further expectations that the Bank of England will…

By the time James Guy turned 24, he had smashed British Swimming records and become a world and European champion. Deep down, though, he still felt something was not quite right. That year, life finally began to make sense for Guy as he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Looking back now as a double Olympic champion, 28-year-old Guy realises that he was never broken. He was just different. It is estimated that at least one in seven people in the UK are neurodivergent. This term describes someone who thinks differently because of conditions including autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia…

15 December 1982 was wet and windy at Wembley. It was also stormy for Luxembourg’s footballers as they suffered another hammering. This time it was England recording their record European Championship qualifying victory as striker Luther Blissett claimed a hat-trick in a 9-0 mauling. The life of a Luxembourg international player had been much the same for the years before and those immediately after. Mainly part-time they lurched from one heavy defeat to another. The Grand Duchy holds the record for the most World Cup and European campaigns without qualifying. Up until 2008, 104 World Cup matches had garnered just…

Chipotle’s board announced that it approved a 50-for-1 stock split on Tuesday, which the company called one of the biggest stock splits in New York Stock Exchange history. That means a single share of Chipotle, worth $2,797.56 as of Tuesday’s stock market close, will be split into 50 smaller shares if the move wins shareholder approval, effectively rolling back the cost of investing in the company. Companies often decide to split their stocks when they believe the price per share is too high for average investors. In a statement, Chipotle’s chief financial officer, Jack Hartung, said the split would make the…

Five times the size of Paris. Visible from space. The world’s biggest energy plant. Enough electricity to power Switzerland. The scale of the project transforming swathes of barren salt desert on the edge of western India into one of the most important sources of clean energy anywhere on the planet is so overwhelming that the man in charge can’t keep up. “I don’t even do the math any more,” Sagar Adani told CNN in an interview last week. Adani is executive director of Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL). He’s also the nephew of Gautam Adani, Asia’s second richest man, whose…

Microsoft has announced British Artificial Intelligence pioneer Mustafa Suleyman will lead its newly-formed division, Microsoft AI. Mr Suleyman currently heads start-up Inflection AI, but is best known for co-founding AI firm DeepMind. It was one of the UK’s best known AI firms and was bought by Google in 2014. Mr Suleyman’s move cements Microsoft’s reputation as a leader in artificial intelligence (AI), a field in which Google is appearing to struggle. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Suleyman said he was “excited” to take up his new position, adding that he would be taking several colleagues to Microsoft with him, including…

Sales at Gucci are expected to fall by 20% in the first quarter due to a slowdown in Asia, according to its Paris-based owner Kering. The warning contrasts with rivals LVMH and Hermès whose sales have remained resilient. The luxury market has grown in the past decade but sales have not been as impressive in recent years. Gucci is estimated to get more than a third of its sales from China, whose economy has been struggling. Kering said in a statement that the profit warning “reflects a steeper sales drop at Gucci, notably in the Asia-Pacific region”. The firm is scheduled to…

Donald Trump’s lawyers are asking a New York court to put a $464m (£365m) fine in a civil fraud case on hold, as the former president finds himself in a precarious financial situation that could ultimately see his most prized properties taken. If Mr Trump wants to continue his appeal in the case, he must submit the full amount in cash or secure a bond from a private company by 25 March. But on Monday, his lawyers said that despite their “diligent efforts” it had been “practically impossible” to find a company willing to act as a guarantor of the…

The data watchdog is assessing a report staff at the hospital where the Princess of Wales had surgery tried to view her private health information. The Daily Mirror claimed staff at the London Clinic – which is frequently used by royals – “attempted to access her private medical reports”. The Information Commissioners’ Office (ICO) confirmed it received a “breach report” and is making inquiries. BBC News has contacted the London Clinic for comment. According to the Mirror, “at least one member of staff was said to have been caught trying to access” the princess’s medical notes. The paper said an internal investigation…