Author: admin@primenews

Taiwan’s two main opposition parties appeared to be on the brink of announcing their shotgun wedding – the leader of one would run for president in January’s election; the leader of the other would be his running mate. Saturday’s unexpected deal would have shaken up the winner-takes-all race, posing the first real challenge to the ruling party, which is currently leading the polls. But then the groom – or was it the bride? – got cold feet. The shotgun wedding was over before it had even begun, not least because there was never any love lost between the old nationalist…

Scientists are still unraveling the mystery of why skin conditions like eczema cause people to itch. One known cause is inflammation, which gets worse as people scratch and their skin becomes damaged. But there may be another trigger for itchiness, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Cell: a bacterium called Staphylococcus aureus. Researchers from Harvard Medical School found that the bacterium can directly activate nerve cells in mice. “What was surprising is that in some situations where there was very little inflammation, we could still see the mice scratching. It turns out, the reason is that the bacteria was directly…

April Showers (her real name), a self-described “serial entrepreneur” much of her life, looks at 2020 as a paradox. George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis and the ensuing social justice movement across the country were “painful and exhausting. Very troubling and a moment in time we won’t forget,” she said. For a Black businesswoman, though, the subsequent impact of the protests following Floyd’s death heightened awareness of vast social inequities and inspired the #BuyBlack movement, which encouraged support of Black-owned businesses. In June 2020, Canadian fashion designer and activist Aurora James reasoned on social media that Black people represent 15% of the “American…

Former Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius today makes another bid for early release from the South African prison where he is serving 13 years for murdering his girlfriend. Pistorius shot Reeva Steenkamp 10 years ago at his home in Pretoria, in a killing that shocked the world. The parole hearing will be at Atteridgeville prison, just outside Pretoria. Ms Steenkamp’s mother, June, is not opposing parole. June Steenkamp will also not be present at the hearing, her lawyer Tania Koen told the BBC. A victim impact statement from her will be read to the parole board. Reeva Steenkamp’s father Barry died…

A truce between Israel and Hamas is due to come into effect at 7 a.m. local time (12 a.m. ET) on Friday, with civilian hostages held captive by militants expected to be released in the coming hours as part of a breakthrough diplomatic deal following an uneasy day-long delay. An initial group of 13 women and children held in Gaza are expected to be freed later Friday, mediators in Qatar said the previous day. Thirty-nine Palestinian prisoners would also be released by Israel Friday as part of the deal, according to an Israeli official. A pause in fighting, slated to last…

Hospitals in Beijing and northern China are grappling with a surge of children with respiratory illnesses as the country enters its first winter since relaxing stringent Covid-19 controls nearly one year ago. Wait times to see doctors stretch for hours, with hundreds of patients queuing at some children’s hospitals in major cities across northern China, according to CNN reporting and Chinese state and social media. An official at the Beijing Children’s Hospital told state media Tuesday that the current average of more than 7,000 daily patients “far exceeds the hospital’s capacity.” The largest pediatric hospital in nearby Tianjin broke a record on Saturday, receiving more…

Organisers of the Brit Awards have announced they will update their rules to address criticism over diversity. The show faced a backlash in January when it was revealed that no women were shortlisted for the best artist prize, which replaced the gendered best male and female categories two years ago. Harry Styles, who won the award, dedicated it to artists like Charli XCX, who had been overlooked. The Brits will now expand the number of nominees for the prize from five to 10. It is hoped the change will create a more balanced field. A new award for best R&B act…

There is a rule for video calls at work – close any files you don’t want others to see before sharing your screen. According to a lawsuit filed against tech giant Nvidia, senior staff member Mohammad Moniruzzaman made this error with disastrous consequences. He was giving an online presentation to a team from his former employer, car technology firm Valeo. But in the course of it, Valeo claims he accidentally displayed a file proving he stole its tech secrets. The tech that Valeo claims he took was the source code behind its parking and driving assistance software – an area…

A leading cruise ship company is being accused of a plan to fire more than 900 staff members if they do not accept new terms and conditions for their job. Carnival UK, owner of P&O Cruises and Cunard, notified authorities of the “fire and rehire” plan one day after beginning talks with union members. The Nautilus union said it showed the cruise firm had “no real intention to engage” in meaningful negotiations. Carnival UK said it was “not making any redundancies”. It comes after a separate company, P&O Ferries, last year became embroiled in a dispute over the sacking of 800 of…

Pakistan has confirmed that it is charging an $830 fee to undocumented refugees who want to leave the country. The exit fee applies to people who arrived without a visa. In October Pakistan announced that it would deport 1.7 million undocumented foreigners from the country if they did not leave by 1 November. Most are Afghans, including hundreds of thousands of people who fled Afghanistan when the Taliban retook power in 2021. Those who have expired visas will be charged depending on how long they have overstayed. An exit fee does not apply to anyone travelling back to Afghanistan. Many…