Author: admin@primenews

“Am I lucky or unlucky?” Wichian Temthong pondered the question. “I guess I’m lucky, because I’m still here, still alive.” The 37-year-old farm worker is one of 23 Thai hostages who were released by Hamas last month. Now Wichian is back in Thailand, living in a small room in an industrial suburb south of Bangkok with his wife Malai. While he survived, three young Israeli men he met in captivity did not. They were mistakenly shot dead by Israeli soldiers. Wichian had gone to Israel only in late September, driven like so many Thais from the poor north-east of the…

The founder of an electric truck start-up that was popular in the US has been sentenced to four years in prison. Trevor Milton, who led Nikola Corporation, was convicted of fraud last year after a jury found he had lied persistently about the company. His claims helped pump up the firm’s share price, which soared to astonishing heights during the pandemic before crashing due to fraud claims. The 41-year-old wept at the sentencing hearing, maintaining he meant well. “Today’s sentence should be a warning to start-up founders and corporate executives everywhere — ‘fake it till you make it’ is not…

Japanese steel giant Nippon has announced plans to buy US Steel in a deal worth nearly $15bn (£12bn). The purchase would create one of the world’s biggest steel companies outside of China and resolve questions about the future of the storied US firm. It has been looking for a buyer since August, when it rejected a smaller, unsolicited bid from a US rival. The United Steelworkers union called the deal “shortsighted” and said it would work to block the takeover. Created in 1901 by business titans Andrew Carnegie and JP Morgan, US Steel at its height was one of the…

The makers of Warhammer 40,000, have finalised a deal with Amazon to bring the characters and stories to the big screen. The British actor Henry Cavill – best known for playing Superman – will be an executive producer and has signed up to appear in the project. Warhammer simulates battles between armies of miniature painted models. The deal gives Amazon the rights to hire talent, and to make film and TV projects. “Now comes the fun part: working out all the creative details with our partners and getting the first script written and into production. What Warhammer 40,000 stories should…

Apple will stop selling its latest watches in the US, after the US found it had violated patent rights. An order barring sales and imports of watches with the disputed blood oxygen feature is due to go into effect on 26 December. Apple has said it plans to appeal the decision but would “pre-emptively” remove the devices from its US site 21 December and from stores in the country after Christmas Eve. Sales elsewhere are not affected. “Apple strongly disagrees with the order and is pursuing a range of legal and technical options to ensure that Apple Watch is available…

A US senator has said he is angry after an aide reportedly appeared in a sex tape recorded in a Senate hearing room. Ben Cardin said the staff member who has been linked to the clip was “no longer a Senate employee”. The Maryland Democrat told reporters: “I was angry, disappointed. It’s a breach of trust. All of the above.” No charges have been filed, according to US media. The BBC has contacted US Capitol Police for comment. The police department tasked with protecting Congress has told US media it was looking into the matter. The Daily Caller reported on…

At least 116 people have been killed and another 220 injured following an earthquake on Monday night in north-west China, state media report. Chinese authorities said the 6.2 magnitude quake struck Gansu province around midnight (16:00 GMT) and also affected neighbouring Qinghai. Thousands of rescuers are braving freezing conditions to try and help people in the high-altitude area. A second quake struck neighbouring Xinjiang hours later on Tuesday. The damage from that 5.5 magnitude strike was not immediately clear. Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered full rescue efforts to Gansu, one of China’s poorest regions. Jishishan county appears to be…

US actor Jonathan Majors has been found guilty of assaulting his then-girlfriend after a trial in New York. The jury found Majors, known for playing Kang in the Marvel films, attacked British choreographer Grace Jabbari during an altercation in March. She told the court she was left with a fractured finger, bruising, a cut behind her ear and “excruciating” pain. Majors, 34, faces up to a year in jail, and has been dropped from starring roles in forthcoming Marvel movies. The six-person jury’s verdict was announced on Monday following three days of deliberations. As their decision was read in court,…

Major flooding in northern Australia has begun to ease but many towns remain isolated in crocodile-infested waters as supplies dwindle. Extreme weather driven by ex-tropical cyclone Jasper has dumped a year’s worth of rain on parts of Queensland. Some rivers have swollen to record levels, flooding homes, severing roads and power, and forcing people to flee houses in boats. One man is missing. Hundreds of people still require rescue, many in remote communities. Queensland authorities say the rain has become less intense, and river levels have begun to fall. Rescue and relief efforts have been hampered by the closure of…

Texas has enacted a law that will make border crossings illegal and punishable with jail time, one of the toughest immigration laws passed by any US state in modern times. Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said it would “stop the tidal wave of illegal entry into Texas”. Immigration advocates have said the law will lead to racial profiling. It comes amid rising illegal migration and public concern over US President Joe Biden’s handling of the border. The new Texas measure is so controversial, in part, because US courts have previously ruled that only the federal government can enforce immigration laws.…