Author: admin@primenews

Gas pollution could hit Iceland’s capital after a volcano began erupting late on Monday, the country’s meteorological office has said. The eruption, which broke out on the Reykjanes peninsula of south-west Iceland, comes after weeks of intense earthquakes and tremors. Fumes could reach Reykjavik by Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning. About 4,000 people were evacuated last month from Grindavik, a fishing town threatened by the lava flow. A resident living near Grindavik described “crazy” and “scary” scenes on Monday night and said she could still see the volcano exploding on Tuesday. The smell of smoke and ash is being picked…

A serial killer’s ex wife has been sentenced to life in prison for her complicity in two murders and a kidnap. Monique Olivier, 75, was on trial in France for her part in the rape and murder of 20-year-old Joanna Parrish, from Gloucestershire, in 1990 and 18-year-old Marie-Angèle Domèce in 1988. She was also accused of helping kidnap nine-year-old Estelle Mouzin, whose body has never been found, in 2003. Michel Fourniret died before he could be brought to trial for the killings. Olivier is already serving life in prison for her part in the past crimes of her former husband, who died…

Turner Prize-winning artist Sir Grayson Perry has criticised EDF, saying the energy firm tried to raise his monthly electricity bill from £300 to £39,000. Sir Grayson wrote on X that the company had tried to take the inflated amount as a direct debit from his account. Other customers, including journalist Jon Sopel, reacted with similar stories. EDF said “unusual” direct debit changes could occur when incorrect meter readings were recorded on its system. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme after his initial post on X, formerly Twitter, Sir Grayson said that he had “out of the blue” received about 15 bills…

The broadcaster Dame Esther Rantzen says she has joined the Dignitas assisted dying clinic in Switzerland. The 83-year-old told the BBC she is currently undergoing a “miracle” treatment for stage four lung cancer. If it does not work, “I might buzz off to Zurich”, where assisted dying is legal, she told Radio 4’s The Today Podcast. But she said she was looking forward to this “precious” Christmas, which she hadn’t thought she would live to see. Assisted suicide is banned in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. While there is no specific offence…

Australia bowler Mitchell Starc became the most expensive signing in Indian Premier League history when he was bought for 24.75 crore Indian rupees (£2.3m) by Kolkata Knight Riders. The bid for Starc broke the record set earlier in Tuesday’s auction when Pat Cummins was sold for 20.5 cr (£1.9m). That fee beat the 18.15 cr (£1.85m) paid for England’s Sam Curran in 2022. Elsewhere, England bowler Chris Woakes was sold to Punjab Kings and team-mate Harry Brook went to Delhi Capitals. Woakes cost 4.2 cr (£400,000) and Brook 4 cr (£380,000) – a drop from the £1.35m fee paid for him last year. New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell was…

Italy’s top influencer Chiara Ferragni has apologised for misleading consumers over purchases of a Christmas cake. Ms Ferragni, who has almost 30 million followers on Instagram, was fined €1.075m (£927,000) for claiming sales of a “designer” pink pandoro would help fund a children’s hospital in Turin. The cake’s producer had given money to the hospital months before launching it, the competition watchdog found. Ms Ferragni, 36, has promised to donate €1m to the Regina Margherita hospital. In a statement posted to her followers, she said she had made a “mistake in good faith… to link a commercial activity with a…

The European Union and the US have agreed to pause their trade war until after the presidential election. US tariffs on steel and aluminium and the EU’s retaliation on goods including motorcycles and whisky will be suspended until the end of March 2025. They were originally imposed when Donald Trump was president on national security grounds. But they were paused under Joe Biden’s administration. The deferment will allow President Biden to keep his EU allies onside. But because they have been paused and not abolished, he will appear to be tough on trade for a domestic audience. The US metal…

Emmy-nominated actor Jonathan Majors has been dropped by Marvel Studios after he was convicted of assaulting his then-girlfriend. On Monday, a jury in New York found that Majors, 34, attacked and harassed British choreographer Grace Jabbari during an argument in March. Following the verdict, a Marvel spokesperson said the studio would no longer work with the actor. Majors could face up to a year in prison when sentenced in February. It marks a stunning downfall for a leading Hollywood actor who had been expected to feature in multiple Marvel films. Majors played villain Kang the Conqueror in the Marvel films.…

Ask a younger adult about the history of aerobics, and they may be puzzled. After all, the concept of aerobic exercise has always been around for those under 50. Ask someone 50-plus the same question, and they may guess the aerobics craze began with actor Jane Fonda, creator of the popular “Jane Fonda’s Workout ” series that debuted in 1982 and became one of the best-selling VHS tapes of all time. But the concept of aerobics — a system of physical conditioning that increases heart health, boosts endurance and reduces body fat — was actually pioneered in the 1960s by Dr. Kenneth Cooper, a physician…

At least 118 people were killed and hundreds more injured after an earthquake hit northwest China, state media reported Tuesday, as rescue teams scrambled to reach survivors in sub-zero temperatures. The quake, China’s deadliest in nearly a decade, rocked Jishishan county in Gansu Province late Monday night, damaging houses and roads. Rescuers raced to search for survivors trapped under rubble, while residents rushed outdoors, huddling overnight in the bitter winter cold. As of Tuesday morning, the quake has killed 105 people, injured 397 others and damaged more than 4,700 houses in Gansu, provincial authorities said in a news conference. In…