Author: admin@primenews

Stand-up comedian and Curb Your Enthusiasm co-star Richard Lewis has died aged 76. He died peacefully in his home in Los Angeles Tuesday night after suffering a heart attack, his publicist, Jeff Abraham, said in a statement. Lewis announced last April that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and would retire from stand-up comedy. Known for his self-deprecating humour, Lewis rose to prominence in the 1980s. For years, the actor and writer starred alongside Larry David in his HBO show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, where he played a semi-fictionalized version of himself. He had most recently appeared in Season 12…

With a record-breaking seven nominations at this year’s Brit Awards, Raye has put a full stop on one of pop’s greatest comeback stories. The pop star, whose real name is Rachel Keen, has been barrelling about the record industry since she was a teenager. To a casual onlooker, it seemed like things were going well. She wrote for big names like Beyoncé, Little Mix and Charli XCX. She produced records for Rihanna and John Legend. She collaborated with Stormzy and David Guetta. Songs like You Don’t Know Me and Secrets sold enough to buy her a house. But, as a…

Since January, a small Indian island near the Bangladesh border has been in the spotlight after a political storm broke out over allegations of corruption and sexual assault against a local leader. After almost two months of being on the run, Shahjahan Sheikh was arrested on Thursday morning. Until the controversy, millions of Indians had never heard of Sandeshkhali in West Bengal state. Now, the village is regularly in the headlines as national political leaders make a beeline to it. Locals in Sandeshkhali have accused Mr Sheikh, a member of the state’s Trinamool Congress party (TMC), and other local politicians…

A teenager has been jailed for carrying out what is thought to be Australia’s first school shooting. The 15-year-old from Perth fired three shots with two rifles at the Atlantis Beach Baptist College last May. Staff and students were left cowering in cupboards and under desks before police eventually arrested him. The judge who sentenced him to three years in juvenile detention said “good luck” had “prevented a tragic outcome”. No one was hurt in the shooting, which is believed to be the first of its kind in Australia. Lawyers and Perth Children’s Court Judge Hylton Quail were unable to…

Oprah Winfrey is to leave the board of Weight Watchers, in a fresh blow to a company struggling to compete against the popularity of weight-loss drugs. The US celebrity, who has been on the firm’s board since 2015, said she would not stand for re-election at its next shareholder meeting in May. Ms Winfrey recently revealed that she used weight-loss drugs as a “maintenance tool.” Shares in Weight Watchers International fell by 27% in extended New York trade. Ms Winfrey said in a statement that she would continue to work with Weight Watchers “in elevating the conversation around recognizing obesity as…

Top US lawmakers have reached a tentative deal to avert a partial government shutdown ahead of a Friday deadline to approve funding. Four funding bills will now be extended to 8 March while the rest of the budget will be extended to March 22. “We are in agreement that Congress must work in a bipartisan manner to fund our government,” top US lawmakers said in a joint statement. The House is expected to vote on the stopgap measure as early as Thursday. Democrats and Republicans have been far apart in the budget negotiations on border security and aid to Ukraine.…

A passenger who lost his dispute with Ryanair after being charged £165 to check in at the airport has said he does not regret taking on the airline. “I was so mad at the time, I had to try something. It ruined a couple of days of my holiday,” dad-of-two Damian Lloyd, from Neath, told the BBC. Ryanair said Mr Lloyd had “unchecked” his family and charged him to check in again, which he disputed. But an independent ombudsman ruled in favour of the airline. AviationADR, an independent airline dispute resolution scheme, said that Ryanair had “adhered to their own…

Joe Biden and Donald Trump will both travel to the US-Mexico border on Thursday, locked in a high-stakes political duel on an issue that could ultimately decide the US presidential election. That border was crossed last year by 2.5 million undocumented migrants, an influx that has overwhelmed processing facilities and pushed social services in major American cities to the brink. The day provides an opportunity for Mr Biden to try to convince voters he is serious about immigration, while Mr Trump’s own trip is yet another chance to shine a spotlight on an issue that has been the central focus…

An Illinois judge has ruled that Donald Trump engaged in insurrection and has barred him from the state’s primary ballot – though she put the ruling on hold pending an appeal. Two other states – Colorado and Maine – have removed Mr Trump from their primary ballots for violating a 14th Amendment “insurrection” clause. The final outcome will likely be decided by the US Supreme Court. Illinois’ primary election is scheduled for 19 March. Early voting in the primary has already begun. Mr Trump – the front-runner Republican presidential candidate – will remain on the ballot until at least Friday…

Cryptocurrency exchange Gemini has agreed to return at least $1.1bn (£870m) to customers of its defunct lending programme as part of a settlement with the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS). The company will also pay a $37m fine for “significant failures”. Gemini’s Earn programme was halted during a crypto crash in November 2022. The exchange was co-founded by twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss – known for their legal dispute with Facebook. “Gemini failed to conduct due diligence on an unregulated third party, later accused of massive fraud, harming Earn customers who were suddenly unable to access their assets after…