Author: admin@primenews

Malaysia says it has been offered £100m to help the country host the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The Games is currently without a host after the Australian state of Victoria cancelled its plans last July because of soaring costs. Malaysia’s Olympic Council says it received a formal invitation from the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) to replace Victoria as hosts last month. The CGF says it is in “advanced discussions” with potential hosts. A statement on the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) website said the £100m would support “the local delivery and legacy planning” of the 2026 Games. Malaysia has hosted the Games once…

It was a dark night when the attack happened. Ukrainian drones were approaching fast through the water. By the time the crew of the Russian patrol ship Sergey Kotov saw them, it was too late. Russian sailors opened fire with heavy machine guns, but their ship was hit and destroyed. Ukrainian sea drones have revolutionised naval warfare over the last few years, relentlessly hunting down Russian ships in the open sea and even at naval bases. Group-13, a secretive unit of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, was behind the Sergey Kotov attack last week, and the BBC has been given rare access…

Chinese technology giant Xiaomi says it will start deliveries of its first electric vehicle (EV) this month – its first ever foray into the competitive automotive industry. The car’s price is expected to be announced on 28 March. China’s fifth-largest smartphone maker says it has 59 stores in 29 cities around the country to take orders. It comes as a price war intensifies between firms like BYD and Tesla in China, the world’s biggest car market. At the unveiling of the Speed Ultra 7 (SU7) last year, Xiaomi’s chief executive Lei Jun said the company aims to become one of…

The pilot of a terrifying flight from Australia to New Zealand told those on board he temporarily lost control of his Boeing 787 after one of its instruments failed, a passenger said Monday, as authorities investigate what caused a sudden drop that threw travelers around the cabin, injuring dozens. The incident aboard LATAM Airlines flight 800 from Sydney to Auckland is the latest to hit troubled aircraft manufacturer Boeing, which has been rocked by years of quality and safety issues. Passenger Brian Jokat described the horrifying moment when he was woken from his sleep as the aircraft “dropped something to the effect of…

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which rates cars and SUVs for safety, examined so-called advanced driver assistance systems such as Tesla Autopilot and found them wanting. These systems combine different sensors and technologies to help a driver keep their vehicle in its lane and avoid hitting other vehicles in front and to the sides. Usually, these systems work only on highways. Some can even allow drivers to remove their hands from the steering wheel but all require drivers to pay attention to the road and vehicles around them at all times. Of the 14 systems tested by the agency,…

US lawmakers will grill special counsel Robert Hur on Tuesday, weeks after his report into Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents shook Washington. The report found Mr Biden “wilfully” retained troves of files, but declined to charge him with a crime. Mr Hur said a jury would view the president as a “well meaning, elderly man” with a “poor memory”, in comments that enraged the White House. Voter concerns over Mr Biden’s age mean Republicans will focus on the remarks. The party has been stoking claims for months that the 81-year-old is not mentally fit to serve a second term…

Reddit, one of the most popular websites in the world, is hoping for a valuation of up to $6.4bn (£5bn) when its shares go public next week. The social media company, which has never made a profit, will float shares on the New York Stock Exchange. A filing in the US revealed that Reddit and its investors are hoping to sell 22 million shares for between $31 and $34 each. However, many users worry the move will fundamentally change the website. Some shares will be specially reserved for some Reddit users and moderators. The company is planning an initial public offering (IPO)…

Ukraine has summoned the Vatican’s envoy after the Pope said the country should “have the courage to raise the white flag” against Russia. Apostolic Nuncio Visvaldas Kulbokas was told Kyiv was “disappointed” by the remarks, the foreign ministry said. Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine’s position on the battlefield was “stabilising” following recent setbacks. That was despite aid from its allies remaining “significantly limited”. The Pope caused anger in Ukraine when a transcript of an interview with Swiss broadcaster RSI, which is due to be broadcast next week, was released. According to a transcript quoted by Reuters news agency, the…

Bananas are set to get more expensive as climate change hits a much-loved fruit, one of the world’s top experts from the industry tells BBC News. Pascal Liu, senior economist at the World Banana Forum, says climate impacts pose an “enormous threat” to supply, compounding the impacts of fast-spreading diseases. The forum meets in Rome on Tuesday to tackle challenges facing the fruit. Some UK shops have recently experienced banana shortages due to sea storms. In its natural yellow wrapper, the nutritious and tasty banana is the world’s most exported fruit. The UK alone imports around 5 billion bananas ever…

On 29 February, journalist Asif Sultan arrived at his home in Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir after being held on remand in jail for more than 2,000 days. He barely spent five hours with his family before he was called to a local police station, where he was re-arrested. “We had no idea that he would be arrested again,” says Mohammad Sultan, his father. Asif Sultan, 36, was first arrested in August 2018 and charged under an anti-terror law called the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) which makes it extremely difficult to get bail. Police accused him of helping and sheltering…