Author: admin@primenews

Donald Trump calls Mar-a-Lago the “Mona Lisa” of properties, but how much is it actually worth? The question is at the centre of the civil fraud trial which threatens his family business. It’s the magic number no-one can agree on, from a tax assessment of $18m (£14.3m) to a courtroom witness saying it would sell for more than $1bn (£797m). Throughout the 10-week trial in New York, the prosecution and defence have contested the value of Mr Trump’s private club in Florida – as well as the line between legitimate real estate valuations and fraud. Mr Trump, his two adult…

India’s top court is due to give its verdict on pleas challenging the revocation of special status for the former state of Jammu and Kashmir. In August 2019, the BJP-led government revoked Article 370 of India’s Constitution, which had guaranteed significant autonomy to the region. The state of more than 12 million people was also split into two federally administered territories. The Supreme Court had reserved its order in September. The region in question was once a princely state called Jammu and Kashmir, but it joined India in 1947 soon after the sub-continent was divided up at the end of British rule.…

Smile Direct Club has shut down months after filing for bankruptcy in the US, leaving some customers confused and stranded as their treatment is ongoing. Best known for selling clear aligners remotely, the firm said it had made the “incredibly difficult decision” to wind down operations late on Friday. The US-based dentistry company was offering aligners for about £1,800 without the need to visit a dentist. A last-ditch rescue attempt failed though as it was weighed down by debt. Founded in 2014, the orthodontics company styled itself as a disruptor to the “bricks-and-mortar” dental industry. In traditional dentistry, “train-track” braces…

When New Zealand’s new government announced it was scrapping the country’s world-leading tobacco laws, it came as a particularly hard blow to Māori people. With the Indigenous community having the highest smoking rates, its leaders had fought for reforms for years. The country’s model was the first to spell a complete end to smoking – and so was hailed by health advocates globally. From 2024, the laws would have cut nicotine levels in cigarettes to non-addictive levels, eliminated 90% of retailers allowed to sell tobacco, and created “smoke-free” generations of citizens by banning cigarette sales to anyone born after 2008.…

The Home Office has earmarked at least £700m to manage the arrival of migrants on small boats until 2030, according to previously unnoticed commercial plans. Officials published the projections online last week, as Home Secretary James Cleverly flew to Rwanda to sign a new treaty to “stop the boats”. They predict the Channel crossings could continue up to 2034. Under the plans, commercial partners would run extensive services at “permanent” facilities. A Home Office spokesperson said it would be “inappropriate to comment” on an ongoing procurement project. But the publicly-available information, on the government’s contracts website, shows that the Home Office…

About 200 members of Afghan special forces, trained and funded by the UK, face imminent deportation to their Taliban-controlled homeland, the BBC has learned. The figures – gathered by a network of Afghan veterans – reveal the scale of what one former UK general calls a “betrayal” and a “disgrace”. The soldiers fled to Pakistan, which now says it will expel Afghan refugees. The UK says it has brought thousands of Afghans to safety. Gen Sir Richard Barrons, who served the British Army in Afghanistan over 12 years, told BBC Newsnight that the failure of the UK to relocate these…

Federal prosecutors have charged Hunter Biden with evading $1.4m (£1.1m) in tax payments, a second criminal case against the US president’s son. The nine-count indictment also details a lavish spending spree including drugs and escorts over the same period, from 2016 to 2019. Mr Biden, 53, was indicted in September for owning a gun while on drugs and not declaring his addictions on a form. His lawyer said on Thursday night the new charges are politically motivated. President Joe Biden is not mentioned in the indictment and the White House has not commented. It comes as congressional Republicans place Hunter…

India’s parliament has expelled an opposition lawmaker who was accused of taking bribes in exchange for asking questions. Mahua Moitra, who has denied the allegations, said she was expelled “without proof”. She has the option to challenge the decision in court. Friday’s expulsion followed a resolution passed by lawmakers in the Lok Sabha – lower house of parliament – after a voice vote. Earlier in the day, an ethics panel report that recommended Ms Moitra’s expulsion was tabled in the house. Opposition lawmakers had asked for more time to study the almost-500-page report before debating it, but the speaker did…

The Israeli prime minister said Wednesday that Israeli forces had surrounded the house of Yahya Sinwar, potentially closing in on the top Hamas official in Gaza – and the man most wanted by Israeli authorities. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Sinwar was not in the house and was believed to be hiding underground in Gaza, but a senior adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that it was “only a matter of time before we get him.” Israel has publicly accused Sinwar of being the “mastermind” behind Hamas’ terror attack against Israel on October 7 – though experts say he is likely one of several – making him one of the key targets of its war in Gaza. A longtime figure in…

For the first time, Hong Kong’s leader has welcomed Saudi Arabian elites to the city for an investment conference, in an example of how it is embracing new potential business partners as it confronts a slumping economy and geopolitical uncertainty. In opening remarks on Thursday, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee called the gathering “yet another significant step forward, in the deepening [of] ties between Hong Kong and the Middle East, particularly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” The two-day event was organized by the Hong Kong government, its stock exchange and the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute — a nonprofit…