Author: admin@primenews

Warner Bros Discovery has announced a major expansion of the UK studios where much of the Barbie movie was filmed. The project will see capacity of the Leavesden facility near London growing by more than 50%. It will create 4,000 “direct or indirect” jobs across the country, according to the media giant. Warner Bros also says the expanded studios will become a primary production hub for DC Studios, the home of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. The company also said the expansion would increase the value of its production in the UK by £200m a year, bringing it to £600m. The announcement was…

California is suing two anti-abortion organisations for telling patients they could reverse the effects of an abortion pill. Heartbeat International (HBI) and RealOptions Obria claimed a high dose of the hormone progesterone could undo the effects of the mifepristone pill. But the only clinical trial of the process was stopped after patients reported severe bleeding. HBI said it had not yet been served the lawsuit. California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, accused the organisations of violating a law against fraudulent business practices in a complaint filed to Alameda County Superior Court. “Those who are struggling with the complex decision to get…

The striking writers and heads of the four big Hollywood studios have concluded a “marathon session” of negotiations, which lasted more than ten hours, without reaching a deal Thursday evening, a person familiar with the matter told CNN. The person, who requested anonymity because they were not publicly authorized to discuss the matter, said that more progress was made during the negotiations Thursday, the second straight day of intense talks between the two sides, but a deal still has not been inked to end the historic Hollywood work stoppage. In an email to members, the Writers Guild of America negotiating…

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Canada on an unannounced visit to rally support for his country. Canadian TV showed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meeting Mr Zelensky on the runway in Ottawa. It is Mr Zelensky’s first trip to Canada since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Mr Zelensky arrived from Washington, where he had been meeting with US President Joe Biden and other politicians. Ukraine’s president was in Washington hoping to secure further funding to help his country fight off invading Russian forces. Earlier in the week, he urged world leaders to continue to support Ukraine at the United…

Police have found a “large quantity” of fentanyl, other drugs and paraphernalia hidden under a trapdoor at a New York City nursery where a boy died from exposure to the opioid. Photos released by New York City Police Department show more than a dozen plastic bags filled with brown and white powders. An investigation is ongoing, police said. A one-year-old died of a suspected drug overdose at the daycare last Friday. Nicholas Dominici had been at the Divino Niño nursery for just a week. Fentanyl had been hidden in the nap room under a mat as he slept, police said.…

Nasa’s Osiris-Rex capsule will come screaming into Earth’s atmosphere on Sunday at more than 15 times the speed of a rifle bullet. It will make a fireball in the sky as it does so, but a heat shield and parachutes will slow the descent and bring it into a gentle touchdown in Utah’s West Desert. The capsule caries a precious cargo – a handful of dust grabbed from asteroid Bennu, a mountain-sized space rock that promises to inform the most profound of questions: Where do we come from? “When we get the 250g (9oz) of asteroid Bennu back on Earth,…

The phone line at a Vancouver-based tourism company has been ringing non-stop since India announced that it will be suspending visa services for Canadian citizens. Those who are planning to travel in the coming months are worried about what the ban means for them, said Radhika Sharma, who works at Explore India, which organises tours to the country. Ms Sharma said travellers with a visa in hand should be fine “but people who have not yet applied, we’re not sure if they are going to get it or not”. Travel issues for tourists are among many concerns that have arisen…

Hong Kong police are investigating allegations of fraud against cryptocurrency trading platform JPEX after investors complained of HK$1.3bn ($166m; £134m) in losses. Eleven people, including popular influencers, were arrested this week after complaints filed by 2,000 people. The case could be one of Hong Kong’s biggest fraud cases, local media say. It also tests new financial regulations as Hong Kong positions itself as a global hub for virtual assets. Last week, Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) revealed the Dubai-based JPEX had been operating without a license for virtual asset trading. The platform, on the other hand, said it…

South Korea has passed a new law to better protect schoolteachers from complaining parents. Teachers nationwide have been protesting for nine weeks, demanding more rights in the classroom. They say they are frequently harassed by parents who sometimes maliciously report them for child abuse, to see them removed from their jobs. Some say they have been reported for restraining a violent child, or criticised for telling a pupil off. The teachers accused parents of exploiting a child welfare law, passed in 2014, which dictates that teachers accused of child abuse are automatically suspended. Under the new legislation, called the Teacher…

Energy giant Chevron and unions have struck a deal to end strikes at two large liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Australia. Workers accepted a proposed agreement put forward by the country’s labour regulator, said the Offshore Alliance, which is a grouping of two unions. The current industrial action will now be suspended, a union spokesman said. Strikes had been taking place at the Gorgon and Wheatstone facilities over pay and conditions since 8 September. “At a late night mass meeting members endorsed the latest offer which incorporates the Fair Work Commission’s recommendations,” Brad Gandy, a spokesperson for the Offshore…