Author: admin@primenews

John Riccitiello has resigned as chief executive of game development tool Unity following a controversial pricing change which angered gamers and developers alike. The firm had planned to charge studios every time a person installed a game using the Unity engine, which powers thousands of modern video games. Big developers already pay a licensing fee to use Unity in their games. The company has since rolled back most of the changes and apologised. Unity said Mr Riccitiello was retiring from the firm effective immediately. The game engine is the code behind many popular video games, and is typically used by small…

If there’s one constant in the story of the Rolling Stones, it’s Keith Richards’ love affair with the guitar. He owns more than a thousand of them – although he only plays a select few on stage – and, even as he approaches 80, the star is still bewitched by the instrument. “The fascinating thing is that the more you play it, the less you know it,” he says. “It provides you with endless questions. You can never know the whole thing. It’s impossible.” He’s back on fiery form on the Rolling Stones’ new album, Hackney Diamonds. There are hard-rocking…

Forty-five per cent of the world’s known flowering plants could be threatened by extinction, scientists have warned. Those under threat include orchids, varieties of pineapple, and many important crop species. Of the nearly 19,000 new plants and fungi species discovered since 2020, 77% are thought to be endangered. The study by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, examined research by 200 scientists in 30 countries. Plants underpin every aspect of humanity, said Dr Matilda Brown, conservation specialist at RBG Kew. But they are increasingly threatened by climate change and biodiversity loss. “When we consider that nine out of ten of our…

The UK faces another five years of high interest rates to stem rising prices, an influential global group has warned. The International Monetary Fund expects the UK to have the highest inflation and slowest growth next year of any G7 economy including the US, France, Germany, Canada, Italy and Japan. However, the Treasury said recent revisions to UK growth had not been factored in to the IMF’s report. The outlook was drawn up before this weekend’s developments in Israel. Forecasts are never perfect given the many factors that affect economic growth – from geopolitics to the weather. But such reports…

A Pakistani presenter covering the Cricket World Cup in India has left the country after a backlash over alleged “derogatory” posts on social media. Zainab Abbas was part of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) digital team covering the event. Abbas left on Monday amid claims by some local media organisations that she was forced to go. However, an ICC spokesperson told the BBC that she had left for personal reasons. Abbas has made no public statement on her departure. The BBC has contacted her for comment. Relations between Indian and Pakistan are tense – the neighbours have fought three wars…

Cricket could be in the Olympics for the first time since 1900 after organisers recommended it to be part of the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Twenty20 cricket will be put forward for approval to the International Olympic Committee for a vote next week. Flag football, a non-contact version of American football, and squash are set for their Olympic debuts in 2028. The other recommendations are baseball/softball and lacrosse, which were both left out for Paris 2024. “They’re relevant, innovative and community-based, played in backyards, schoolyards, community centres, stadiums and parks across the US and the globe,” said LA28 chairperson Casey…

Rescuers are digging for survivors of a powerful earthquake that flattened whole villages in Afghanistan, killing more than 1,000 people. The 6.3-magnitude quake struck Saturday morning in Herat province, a barren landscape dotted with mud brick homes. Villagers are still using shovels and bare hands to search for more than 500 people missing, the UN says. Aid, delayed by blocked routes and communication lines being down, only started to trickle in on Monday. There are fears the death toll could be much higher. The quake hit Zindajan, a rural district some 40km (25 miles) from Herat city, where “100% of…

The Gaza Strip could be on the brink of a new humanitarian crisis if supplies are not allowed in, authorities say, as Israel responds to the Hamas attacks. On Monday, Israel declared a “complete siege” on the territory, saying electricity, food, fuel and water would be cut off. According to residents, aid has not reached the enclave since Saturday. BBC footage shows deserted streets covered with rubble from collapsed buildings following Israeli airstrikes. Nearly 700 people have died in these attacks and thousands more are reported to have been injured. The area is home to about 2.3 million people in…

A deadly flash flood in the north-east state of Sikkim shows why India urgently needs to install advanced early warning systems for its dangerous glacial lakes, experts say. At least 70 people – including nine soldiers – have died, and more than 100 others are missing after South Lhonak, a glacial lake in the Himalayas, burst its banks last week. Such outbursts – or the sudden release of water from a lake fed by a glacier – can be triggered by heavy rains, earthquakes or avalanches. An early warning system can help authorities evacuate people in time and open the…

San Francisco police have shot and killed a man who crashed his car into the Chinese consulate on Monday. A police statement said the unidentified man was shot after officers arrived at the scene. Footage online showed the blue Honda car resting in the lobby and dozens of people fleeing the consulate building. A consulate statement condemned the incident, adding that it posed a “serious threat” to the safety of its staff and other people at the scene. “We strongly condemn this violent attack and reserve the right to pursue responsibility for the incident,” it added. The consulate has lodged…