Author: admin@primenews

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has clearly laid out benchmarks for the protection of civilians in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. In the strongest and most specific US remarks yet, Mr Blinken said he’d told the Israeli government that it must avoid further mass displacement of Palestinians and damage to critical infrastructure, like hospitals, power stations and water facilities. He did not, however, appear to set down redlines that would trigger US actions. The secretary of state travelled to Israel to deliver the message – his fourth visit since the conflict began – at a time when hostilities…

The US Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a rule that would require water systems across the country to replace millions of lead service lines within 10 years. The rule would accelerate progress toward the Biden administration goal of removing 100% of lead pipes; lead exposure is linked to significant health and developmental problems, especially for children. The EPA proposal said lines must be replaced within 10 years, regardless of the lead levels in tap or other drinking water samples. Additional time could be allowed “in limited circumstances” for some systems that need complete system-wide line replacements, the proposal said. The…

Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who played a pivotal and polarising role in US foreign policy during the Cold War, has died at the age of 100. He served as America’s top diplomat and national security adviser during the Nixon and Ford administrations. Despite leaving office in the mid-1970s, he continued to be consulted by generations of leaders for decades. The German-born former diplomat died at his home in Connecticut. Former US President George W Bush led tributes, saying the US had “lost one of the most dependable and distinctive voices on foreign affairs”. Meanwhile, former UK Prime…

Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend their truce for another day, minutes before it was due to expire. The temporary ceasefire was extended for a seventh day, shortly before 05:00 GMT, following mediation with Qatar. The deal has led to the release of dozens of hostages kidnapped by Hamas in exchange for Palestinians held in prisons and aid deliveries into Gaza. On Wednesday night, 16 more hostages taken captive by Hamas were released, as were 30 Palestinians. So far, some 102 Israeli hostages have been freed, while 210 Palestinians prisoners have been released. About 140 Israelis remain in captivity.…

Years of touring have taken their toll on Nigerian singer Rema, who says he is now cancelling all performances in December to focus on his health. The Afrobeats star announced the decision on Wednesday on Instagram, saying it “breaks my heart”. “I need time to recuperate,” he told fans, promising “2024 we go again”. Rema is best known internationally for his hit song Calm Down, which has smashed multiple streaming and chart records. The 23-year-old, whose real name is Divine Ikubor, recently gave a dramatic performance at London’s 20,000-seater O2 arena – entering on a carousel pony. He used the…

Terry Coldwell of pop group East 17 has said he doubts a reunion of the band’s original line up “will ever happen”. Now living in Hemel Hempstead, he still performs live shows with East 17, though he is the only founding member. When asked if the band could reunite for the 30th anniversary of 1994 number one Stay Another Day, he revealed: “No-one talks in the band, not one member.” The father-of-six added: “As you get older you have to be on the same page and we’re just not on the same page.” “I’ve tried getting the band together so…

Actor Dean Sullivan has died at the age of 68, his family has confirmed. Sullivan was best known for his portrayal of Jimmy Corkhill in the Channel 4 soap Brookside between 1986 and 2003. The actor had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018. In a statement, Sullivan’s family said they were announcing with “deep sadness” that the actor “passed away peacefully following a short illness”. “Dean is best remembered as the longest serving cast member of Channel 4’s groundbreaking Brookside playing the role of Jimmy Corkhill, making Dean a British soap icon. “To millions he was and very much…

Climate chaos spared no region this year. Canada burned, the US Southwest boiled, a Libyan city was swept away by floods and global heat was, as one scientist said, “gobsmackingly bananas.” Climate records fell like dominoes, and more are predicted — it is all but certain that 2023 will be the hottest in recorded history. And yet, even as the climate crisis inserts itself viscerally into people’s lives, experts say the year has seen alarming backsliding on climate action. Green policies have been watered down, huge new oil and gas projects have been greenlit and coal has had something of a resurgence. A slew of new reports showed countries are wildly…

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has visited Shanghai for the first time in three years, as his government steps up efforts to prop up the country’s economy and financial markets. Xi made the trip on Tuesday and Wednesday and he visited the Shanghai Futures Exchange, a tech exhibition in the Zhangjiang High-tech Park, and a government-subsidised rental housing community, according to state-run Xinhua News Agency. He was accompanied by top government officials, including Vice Premier He Lifeng and Cai Qi, his chief of staff. The visit, his first since 2020, comes as business confidence wanes in China and foreign companies pull…

Billionaires minted in the latest year accumulated more wealth through inheritance than entrepreneurship for the first time since UBS started tracking the fortunes of the world’s richest almost a decade ago. And billionaire heirs are more likely than their parents to focus on the major opportunities and challenges facing the global economy, investing in sectors such as clean energy and artificial intelligence, the Swiss lender said in a report Thursday. “The great wealth transfer is gaining significant momentum as many billionaire entrepreneurs age,” Benjamin Cavalli, who oversees strategic clients in the global wealth management unit at UBS, told reporters. “This is a theme we expect…