Author: admin@primenews

China and the European Union have agreed to exchange information on export controls as part of efforts to dial down tension over trade imbalances and geopolitical issues. Europe’s trade chief said the relationship was at a “crossroads” and the bloc’s exporters needed better access to the world’s second biggest economy. “Our relationship needs rebalancing to be mutually beneficial, based on transparency, fairness, predictability and reciprocity. I am glad that we made progress in addressing some market access issues,” Valdis Dombrovskis said in a statement. The two sides also agreed to improve transparency on supply chains for raw materials and are…

London’s Metropolitan Police said it has launched an investigation into allegations of “non-recent” sexual offenses in the United Kingdom, after a joint investigation by British media outlets revealed the comedian Russell Brand was accused of rape and sexual assault. “Following an investigation by Channel 4’s Dispatches and The Sunday Times, the Met has received a number of allegations of sexual offences in London,” the force said in a statement Monday. “We have also received a number of allegations of sexual offences committed elsewhere in the country and will investigate these. The offences are all non-recent,” it added. Brand has publicly denied the allegations and…

South Korea showcased an arsenal of advanced weaponry in a military parade on Tuesday, rolling tanks and missiles down the streets of its rain-soaked capital during the first event of its kind in a decade. The parade, held to mark the 75th Armed Forces Day commemorating the founding of the country’s armed forces, comes against the backdrop of rising tensions on the Korean peninsula, as South Korea draws closer to the United States and Japan against the threat of North Korea’s accelerating weapons program. The event kicked off in the morning with ceremonies and performances at the Seoul Air Base, where President Yoon Suk…

It’s 6.30 a.m. on a late summer morning in Paris. Amid the rumbling coming from the Stalingrad Métro station, in the northeast of the French capital, hundreds of migrants, mostly men, sleep crammed under an overpass. Some rest on pieces of cardboard and old mattresses behind a urine-doused fence, others lie awake by the side of the street. Word is spreading that government buses are about to come and collect them. Some wait eagerly, hoping they’ll finally be offered housing, most are confused and fearful, concerned they’ll be forced to leave Paris. For the past couple of months, the French…

One of Thailand’s most prominent political activists, Arnon Nampa, has been sentenced to four years in prison under the country’s much-criticised royal defamation, or lese-majeste law. He was convicted by a court in Bangkok over comments he made during a protest in October 2020. Thailand’s lese-majeste law forbids anyone from insulting the monarchy on pain of harsh jail sentences. It has been increasingly enforced since the military took power in a 2014 coup. Mr Arnon, a human rights lawyer, was the first activist to call publicly for a national conversation on the role of the monarchy in today’s Thailand. The…

David McCallum – the British actor who played a secret agent in the 1960s spy drama The Man From U.N.C.L.E. – has died aged 90. McCallum was most recently known for playing a pathologist on hit CBS TV programme NCIS, which went on to generate several spinoff series. The Scottish-born actor died in New York on Monday. His death was due to natural causes. CBS said he was a gifted actor and author and beloved around the world. “He led an incredible life, and his legacy will forever live on through his family and the countless hours on film and…

The president of South Korea will pay a state visit to the UK in November after accepting an invitation from King Charles III. The King and Queen Camilla will host Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee at Buckingham Palace. It will be the second incoming state visit of the King’s reign, following South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa’s stay last year. The King and Queen have just returned from a three-day state visit to France. Mr Yoon, 62, visited the US in April when he sang a verse of Don McLean’s American Pie – one of his favourite songs -…

Shares in China’s Evergrande have slumped as the crisis at the embattled property developer has deepened. Its mainland unit Hengda Real Estate has defaulted on 4 billion yuan (£449m; $547m) of debt, it revealed on Monday. Beijing-based news outlet Caixin has also reported that several current and former Evergrande executives have been detained by authorities. Former chief executive Xia Haijun and an ex-finance boss Pan Darong were among those held, Caixin said. The BBC has been unable to independently confirm Caixin’s reporting. Evergrande did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the BBC. Its share price fall on…

Four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles said it “broke my heart” to see a young Black girl passed over for a medal at a gymnastics ceremony in Ireland, footage of which has gone viral. In the video of a GymStart event from March 2022, which has recirculated on social media in recent days, a line of girls are presented with medals but the lone Black girl isn’t given one. “When this video was circulating, her parents reached out,” Biles said on X, formerly Twitter. “It broke my heart to see, so I sent her a little video. There is no room for racism in any sport or at all.” In a statement released on…

Often associated with traffic-blocking buses, screechy megaphones and overcrowded landmarks, group tours don’t exactly have the best reputation. But a new crop of travel companies is totally redefining the concept, catering to millennials and Generation Z. Leaving tour guide flags by the wayside, next-gen group trips invite solo travelers to explore remote corners of the world with small communities of like-minded people. Some getaways focus on immersive cultural experiences, while others ensure a balance of work and play. Still more enable participants to dive into a passion or hobby, or volunteer with local communities. Group tours also make it easier…