Author: admin@primenews

McDonald’s has missed a key sales target, partly due to customers boycotting the firm for its perceived support of Israel. The fast food chain reported its first quarterly sales miss in nearly four years due to weak growth in its international business division. Its boss previously acknowledged the impact of the conflict, blaming “misinformation”. Shares in McDonald’s fell about 4% after the announcement. McDonalds is one of several Western corporations including Starbucks and Coca Cola that have seen boycotts and protests against them by anti-Israeli campaigners. The firm said that the Israel-Gaza conflict had “meaningfully impacted” performance in some overseas…

Social media giant Snap, which operates Snapchat, has announced plans to cut “approximately” 10% of its staff. The firm said in November 2023 it had 5,000 employees, suggesting around 500 people are facing redundancy. It comes a day before Snap reports its fourth-quarter results – having reported a net loss of $368m (£294m) in the previous quarter in October 2023. Snapchat said the move would “reduce hierarchy and promote in-person collaboration”. “We are focused on supporting our departing team members and we are very grateful for their hard work and many contributions to Snap,” a spokesperson told the BBC. According…

Jacob Elordi has been accused of grabbing the reporter behind a radio prank gone wrong by the throat. Joshua Fox, from Australian station KIIS FM, said he tracked the Saltburn star to a bar in Sydney when he heard the actor was in the city. But Mr Fox claimed the 26-year-old became angry when asked to fill an empty container with bathwater, in reference to a famous Saltburn scene. Police in New South Wales say they’re investigating an alleged assault. Mr Elordi, who’s originally from Brisbane in Australia, was spotted in a beer garden at the beachside Clovelly Hotel in…

Nikki Haley, the last remaining serious challenger to Donald Trump for the Republican nomination, has formally requested Secret Service protection. The White House hopeful told the Wall Street Journal additional security was needed because of “multiple issues”. “It’s not going to stop me from doing what I need to do,” she told the paper. Ms Haley, who trails in opinion polls to Mr Trump, has been urged by the ex-president to exit the race and unify the party against Democrat Joe Biden. Ms Haley, a former UN ambassador and South Carolina governor, currently uses personal security while campaigning. Local police…

The longest – and slowest – music composition in existence had a big day on Monday – it changed chord for the first time in two years. Crowds gathered at a church in Germany to witness the rare moment, which is part of an artistic feat by avant-garde composer, John Cage. The experimental piece, entitled As Slow as Possible, began in 2001. Being played on a specially-built organ, it is not set to finish playing until the year 2640. That’s 616 years away. Looking at that period of time in the other direction – the Renaissance was starting to rumble…

A unique species of flying reptile, or pterosaur, that lived 168-166 million years ago has been discovered on the Isle of Skye. Its wings, shoulders, legs and backbone were found in a rock on a beach, but the fossil’s skull was missing. Scientists were surprised to find a pterosaur from this period off Scotland’s west coast – they were thought to mostly live in China. The creature – called Ceoptera – is the second pterosaur found on Skye. Its name comes from the Scottish Gaelic word cheò, meaning mist, and is a reference to the Gaelic name of Isle of…

Senegal’s reputation as a bastion of democracy in an unstable region is on the line as protesters clash with police outside the National Assembly. Inside, lawmakers have passed a contentious bill to extend President Macky Sall’s tenure and delay elections after he called off a planned election with just three weeks to go. Khalifa Sall, a leading opponent and a former mayor of Dakar, who is not related to the president, called the delay a “constitutional coup” and urged people to protest against it. His political coalition has vowed to go to court. Thierno Alassane Sall, another candidate, also no…

The Ukraine-born winner of the Miss Japan beauty pageant has given up her crown after a tabloid report revealed her affair with a married man. Karolina Shiino, 26, was crowned Miss Japan two weeks ago but her win sparked public debate due to her heritage. While some welcomed the naturalised citizen’s crowning, others said she didn’t represent traditional Japanese beauty ideals. Amid the furore, a local magazine published an expose alleging an affair. The article in the Shukan Bunshun reported that Ms Shiino had engaged in a relationship with a married influencer and doctor. The man has not provided any…

The owner of Yandex, often referred to as “Russia’s Google”, has said it will pull out of its country of origin. Its Dutch-based parent company sold the operation in Russia for 475 billion roubles ($5.2bn; £4.2bn), much lower than its estimated market value. The sale to a consortium of investors means Yandex’s Russian business is now a fully Russian-owned entity. The firm has previously been accused of hiding information about the war in Ukraine from the Russian public. Moscow has welcomed the latest deal which the company said was “the product of an extensive period of planning and negotiation over more than…

Sumitra Malkandi breaks down as she recounts the fateful evening in March last year when her husband was trampled to death. She was busy in the kitchen – the couple lived in a farming village in central Sri Lanka – and her husband, Thilak Kumara, was just outside feeding their cows. Then she heard an elephant’s trumpeting roar. She said she was about to alert him, but “within minutes, the worst happened”. The elephant ran away after hearing the appalled cries of villagers. Ms Malkandi, a 45-year-old mother of three young daughters, said her family is yet to recover from…