Author: admin@primenews

Australia’s most serious bushfire season since its so-called “Black Summer” has turned fatal. As more than 100 fires burned across the country on Thursday, Queensland officials said two people have died in major blazes near the town of Tara. Two people also died fighting fires in New South Wales (NSW) last week. Authorities have for months warned a cocktail of conditions means this bushfire season will be extremely dangerous. In a briefing, the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services said about 350 people had been evacuated from the Tara region, where an out-of-control fire has so far burned through more than…

The head of toymaker Mattel has been saying for years that movies would help the company revive sluggish sales. The company’s latest results show just how much help is needed. Barbie billings jumped 16% in the July to September period compared with 2022, driven by the success of the first ever film starring the doll. The gains marked a big turnaround, helping to lift the company to its first quarter of sales growth in a year. But despite the stronger-than-expected showing, the firm still left its forecast for Christmas sales intact, reflecting the limits of the Barbie boost and worries…

By 2025 artificial intelligence could increase the risk of cyber-attacks and erode trust in online content, a new government report has said. The tech could even help plan biological or chemical attacks by terrorists, it warns. But some experts have questioned whether the tech will evolve as predicted. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to highlight opportunities and threats posed by the technology on Thursday. The government report looks at generative AI – the type of system that currently powers popular chatbots and image generation software. It is based in part on declassified information from intelligence agencies. The report warns…

Tai chi may help slow down the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease for several years, a Chinese study suggests. Those who practised the martial art twice a week had fewer complications and better quality of life than those who didn’t, the researchers say. Parkinson’s is a progressive brain disease which leads to tremors and slow movement, and there is no cure. Experts say the findings back up previous studies on the benefits of exercise for those with Parkinson’s. The study, from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, monitored the health of hundreds of Parkinson’s patients for up to five years.…

EU leaders meet in Brussels on Thursday for a summit overshadowed by Hamas’s war with Israel and the EU’s failure to project a united front. For weeks, the European Union’s stance on the war has been clouded with mixed messages, diplomatic gaffes and conflicting national views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But after days of disagreement, EU leaders aim to project a united front.They are expected to back a call for humanitarian pauses in the fighting. European Council President Charles Michel says the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza is of grave concern and the leaders are keen to facilitate access to food, water,…

India will resume visa services for Canadians after they ceased in a major diplomatic row in September, India’s High Commission in Ottawa says. At the time, India said the move was due to “security threats” disrupting work at its Canadian missions. But the suspension came amid a serious dispute over the killing of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil. Ottawa accused India of being behind the killing – an allegation New Delhi has called “absurd.” On Wednesday, officials said they will resume issuing some visas after reviewing the security situation at their missions, and in light of recent Canadian measures…

A shocked Lewiston resident has told the BBC News Channel that the whole city was put in lockdown after mass shootings that reportedly left at least 16 people dead and dozens injured. Billie Jayne Cooke, who is running for the city council, said she was just leaving a public event on Wednesday evening when she first heard of the attack and that the shooter was on the run. “The entire ride home was just solid sirens, one siren after another. Helicopters, sirens, I’ve never heard so much activity in my life in this city. “We have police from all over the state,…

A French armed robber who staged a spectacular jailbreak by helicopter has been handed an extra 14 years behind bars by a Paris court. Rédoine Faïd drew inspiration for his criminal career from French and American gangster films. He was eventually caught after his dramatic 2018 escape from Réau prison in the southern Paris outskirts. Two brothers, three nephews and a convicted member of the Corsican underworld were also in the dock. The break-out was Faïd’s second successful humiliation of the French prison system. In April 2013 he used smuggled explosives and a gun to spring himself from Sequedin prison…

Australia has returned to Beijing three historical artefacts thought to have been illegally exported out of China. A dinosaur fossil that is more than 100 million years old and two Tang Dynasty figurines were handed to Chinese officials in Canberra. Police working at the Australian border had seized the items and referred them to authorities for investigation. The handover comes shortly before Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to Beijing next month. “Today we’ve witnessed how two nations can work effectively together to return cultural property to its rightful home,” Minister for the Arts Tony Burke said on Wednesday. “Whether…

Ford and the United Auto Workers (UAW) union have reached a tentative deal to end a nearly six-week strike, which includes a record pay rise. The agreement would be the first settlement of strikes by workers against Ford, General Motors (GM) and Chrysler-parent Stellantis. The deal still needs to be approved by union leaders and members. If the new contract gets approval from Ford workers, it would set the standard for talks at GM and Stellantis. “We told Ford to pony up and they did,” UAW President Shawn Fain said. Mr Fain added that the agreement included a 25% wage…