Author: admin@primenews

After three years of negotiating, Southwest Airlines and the union representing the airline’s pilots reached a preliminary agreement on a new contract on Tuesday. “We are finally at a place where we think the value of our pilots and their productivity is being realized,” said Southwest Airlines Pilots Association President Casey Murray in a statement. “Our pilots and Southwest Airlines customers deserve security and confidence in our future and we believe that this contract achieves that.” Union leadership said they had reached an agreement in principle with Southwest but that the union’s 25-member board would evaluate the deal on Wednesday…

The names of more than 170 associates of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein could be made public next month after a ruling from a US federal judge. The identities are being released under a settled lawsuit by Virginia Giuffre against sex trafficker and Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Anyone on the list has until 1 January to appeal to have their name removed. Epstein, a millionaire financier known to mix with high-profile figures like Prince Andrew, died in jail in 2019. His death, as he awaited federal sex-trafficking charges, was ruled to be a suicide by the New York medical examiner.…

Italy has sentenced a Pakistani couple to life in prison for killing their 18-year-old daughter because she refused an arranged marriage. Saman Abbas’s body was found beneath a farmhouse in northern Italy in November 2022, 18 months after she disappeared. Her father Shabbar Abbas, was arrested in Pakistan in August and extradited to be tried for her murder. His wife, Nazia Shaheen was sentenced in her absence. She is believed to be in hiding in Pakistan. Saman Abbas’s so-called honour killing shocked Italy. Following her disappearance, the country’s union of Islamic communities issued a fatwa – a religious ruling – rejecting…

Theatres, critics and industry experts say there has been a significant increase in standing ovations at shows. It’s thought the pandemic has accelerated the trend, with the absence of theatre during Covid lockdowns making audiences more appreciative. Audiences are also jumping to their feet midway through performances, rather than just at the end. “There are definitely more standing ovations than there once were,” says theatre critic Lyn Gardner. Suba Das, a trustee at the Theatres Trust, agrees, adding that the type of shows on offer post lockdown may also be driving the trend. “The sector as a whole has embraced…

Dozens more ballet dancers have described body-shaming and bullying at schools across the UK, following a BBC investigation earlier this year. One ex-Elmhurst Ballet School student says she was shut in a room by staff while having a mental health crisis. Another developed anorexia and came close to suicide after attending the London Vocational Ballet School. Both schools said their records differ from the accounts given to the BBC and that student welfare was a priority. In total, the BBC has now spoken to more than 100 former dancers who attended UK schools from the 1990s through to the present…

Last-minute negotiations have delayed a UN vote on a draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Wrangles over the wording of the Security Council resolution, reportedly to avoid another veto by the US, mean the vote has moved to Wednesday. Increased pressure for a suspension of fighting between Israel and Hamas comes as the leader of Hamas is expected to travel to Egypt for talks. Ismail Haniyeh is due in Cairo later on Wednesday, a source told the BBC. Egypt, alongside Qatar, helped broker a truce last month that led to a week-long ceasefire and the release of some…

England goalkeeper Mary Earps has been voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2023. Earps, 30, was the Lionesses’ standout player as they reached a first World Cup final in the summer and was rewarded with the Golden Glove for the best goalkeeper at the tournament. She is the second women’s footballer in succession to win the BBC award. England cricketer Stuart Broad was second, with world heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson third. Jockey Frankie Dettori, wheelchair tennis player Alfie Hewett and golfer Rory McIlroy were also shortlisted for the award by a panel of experts, with the winner decided by…

A father was Christmas shopping when his four children and a young relative died in an Arizona house fire, police said. The fire tore through the two-storey home on Saturday evening, authorities said on Monday, leaving no survivors. Four children, ages 2, 4, 5 and 13 were siblings, while an 11-year-old was a visiting relative. Officials are investigating the fire and have not released the names of the children or father. The fire broke out in Bullhead City, 100 miles (160km) south of Las Vegas, just before 17:00 local time (1:00 GMT) on Saturday. “The children’s father reported to investigators…

In November 2016 India abruptly scrapped two banknotes constituting 86% of all currency in circulation, in a move aimed at combating corruption and curbing undeclared wealth. Demonetisation – as the currency ban was popularly called – sparked scenes of chaos outside banks and cash machines. Critics said the move hurt low-income Indians and hobbled India’s sprawling informal economy where people mainly dealt in cash. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently defended the move, saying that the currency ban had “helped reduce black money (undeclared wealth), increase tax compliance and formalisation and given a boost to transparency”. But seven years later, cash…

Ukraine’s military wants to mobilise up to 500,000 extra people, President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed, as the war with Russia nears a two-year mark. At a news conference in Kyiv, he said his commanders were seeking “450,000-500,000 individuals”, admitting this was a “sensitive” and costly issue. He said he needed more details before backing the move, hinting that 500,000 soldiers were already on the front. His comments come in the wake of aid setbacks from the US and the EU. Republicans in the US Congress first blocked a $60bn (£47bn) military package for Ukraine earlier this month. This week, representatives of…