Author: admin@primenews

There’s a conundrum that economists and political strategists have been chewing on for more than a year: The economy is good, but Americans say it’s lousy. Despite all kinds of positive news on inflation (it’s slowing), the job market (best in a generation) and consumer spending (still robust!), Americans can’t seem to shake their despair, at least whenever they answer calls from pollsters. Just 2% of voters say the economy is excellent, according to a New York Times-Siena College poll. That could be a big problem for Democrats trying to peddle Bidenomics. (although Democrats put up a pretty strong showing in Tuesday’s…

Leaders of the G7 group of countries have insisted that their support for Ukraine “will never waver”, even amid growing tensions in the Middle East. At a G7 meeting in Japan, the bloc’s foreign ministers said they recognised that Russia is prepared for a long war. They reiterated that they would continue to support Kyiv economically and militarily. The group of rich countries has been at the forefront of sanctions on Moscow since last year’s invasion. In Tokyo, the governments of the G7 countries – Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and the US – as well as EU representatives,…

Daily right-wing protests against Spain’s acting prime minister Pedro Sánchez have become increasingly violent. They highlight mounting tensions as he attempts to negotiate a controversial amnesty law. About 7,000 demonstrators gathered outside Mr Sánchez’s Socialist party headquarters in Madrid on Tuesday. He is preparing for an investiture vote which is expected to see him form a new government and avoid a repeat election. That can only happen if he can secure the parliamentary support of Catalan separatists. As police and protesters clashed on Tuesday night, Mr Sánchez posted a defiant message on social media: “They will not break the Socialist…

The European Union’s legislative body has recommended that formal accession talks between the bloc and Ukraine should begin next year, a significant milestone in Ukraine’s move toward closer integration with the West. On Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “Today is a historic day, because today the Commission recommends that the council opens accession negotiations with Ukraine and with Moldova.” Von der Leyen was speaking on the same day that the Commission published a report suggesting to EU member states that accession talks should finally start, nearly 18 months since the bloc accepted Ukraine as a candidate…

Beijing is ready to improve ties with Washington, a senior Chinese official said Wednesday, days before a highly anticipated potential meeting between leaders Xi Jinping and Joe Biden in San Francisco. Recent high-level meetings have sent out “positive signals and raised the expectations of the international community on the improvement of China-US relations,” Vice-President Han Zheng told the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore. “We are ready to strengthen the communication and dialogue with the United States at all levels, promote mutually beneficial cooperation, properly manage differences, and jointly address global challenges,” Han said. A “stable and sound” relationship is the common expectation…

The New York civil fraud trial of former President Donald Trump carries extremely high stakes for the self-proclaimed business mogul. Not only could Trump be subject to hefty financial penalties and lose control of his flagship properties dotting the Manhattan skyline, the trial also could significantly reshape his business empire, said Will Thomas, assistant professor of business law at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. “It’s between severe and seismic” as to the effects on Trump’s businesses, Thomas told CNN on Monday. In a late-September surprise summary judgment order, Judge Arthur Engoron found Trump liable for fraud and canceled business certificates for many of…

An Australian farmer says he is lucky to be alive after repelling a crocodile attack by biting back at the animal. Cattle producer Colin Deveraux has spent a month in hospital after being bitten by the 3.2m (10ft) saltwater crocodile in the Northern Territory. He told ABC News he bit the crocodile’s eyelid in his struggle to survive. Mr Deveraux said his ordeal began after he stopped at a billabong (lake) while he was travelling to build fencing near the Finniss River last month. He paused by the lake after noticing fish swimming in the middle of its retreating waters. After he…

Possession of nitrous oxide, also known as NOS, has become a criminal offence in the UK. Now categorised as a class C drug, possession of laughing gas for its “psychoactive effects” will carry a sentence of up to two years in prison. The government says the ban will combat anti-social behaviour and reduce damage to users’ health. Experts previously warned against a ban saying it would be disproportionate to the level of harm it causes. Nitrous oxide is regularly used as a painkiller in medicine and dentistry. When mixed with oxygen, it is known as “gas and air”, which can…

A UNICEF spokesperson has defended the death toll being reported out of Gaza, saying the organization’s figures match those of the Hamas-controlled Gazan health ministry, as scores of Palestinians evacuated to the territory’s south on Tuesday. More than 10,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli airstrikes in the past month – including thousands of women, children and elderly, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah, drawing from sources in Hamas-controlled Gaza. Israel declared war on the Islamist militant group Hamas after its brutal October 7 attack, in which it killed 1,400 people in Israel and kidnapped about 240 others. Israel’s offensive on Gaza has…

Global fossil fuel production in 2030 is set to be more than double the levels that are deemed consistent with meeting climate goals set under the 2015 Paris climate agreement, the United Nations and researchers said on Wednesday. The United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) report, assessing the gap in fossil fuel production cuts and what’s needed to meet climate goals, comes ahead of the global COP 28 climate meeting, which starts on November 30 in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates. “Fossil fuel phase out is one of the pivotal issues that will be negotiated at COP 28,” Ploy Achakulwisut, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) scientist and a…