Author: admin@primenews

Greek authorities have arrested dozens of people on arson-related charges as deadly wildfires – the largest ever recorded in the European Union – rage across the country. Wildfires in Mount Parnitha, north of the Greek capital Athens, are still out of control Friday, with more forest destroyed overnight. The biggest fire front line in Greece remains near the northeastern town of Alexandroupolis, in the Evros region. The burned body of a man was found on a rural road near Dadia national park, near the border with Turkey, state media AMNA reported Friday. Earlier this week, 18 people were found dead near a village in…

A medical student who was told at the age of 10 she had the liver of an alcoholic has said rowing has delayed her need for a liver transplant. Megan McGillin, from Northern Ireland, was diagnosed with cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver, 11 years ago which stops her liver working properly. Liver disease in children is rare. A liver specialist said keeping fit and healthy plays a “critical role in maintaining the liver in a stable condition”. Cirrhosis cannot be cured or reversed, and many of the liver disorders that cause cirrhosis in children are not preventable. In Megan’s…

Shock. Bafflement. Scepticism. These were some of the reactions among a group of music fans when Mali’s much-beloved Salif Keïta – known as the Golden Voice of Africa – was appointed as a special adviser to coup leader Col Assimi Goïta. The 73-year-old might be in semi-retirement and eclipsed nowadays by Afrobeats stars, but he was one of the pioneering giants of a generation that put African music on the global map. After 50 successful years in the music industry, he remains influential, admired and well-known. Keïta mixes traditional Mandé music with jazz, blues and Western music styles and was…

OpenAI is releasing a version of its buzzy ChatGPT tool specifically for businesses, the company announced Monday, as an AI arms race continues to ramp up throughout corporate America. OpenAI unveiled the new service, dubbed “ChatGPT Enterprise,” in a company blog post and said it will be available to business clients for purchase as of Monday. The new offering promises to provide “enterprise-grade security and privacy” combined with “the most powerful version of ChatGPT yet” for businesses looking to jump on the generative AI bandwagon. “We believe AI can assist and elevate every aspect of our working lives and make teams more…

Disney’s visual effects crew filed for an election to unionize with the National Labor Relations Board with the backing of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), the union announced Monday, just weeks after Marvel’s VFX moved to unionize. More than 80% of Walt Disney Picture’s 18 in-house VFX crewmembers signed their authorization cards, IATSE said in a release. Marvel’s and Disney’s filings are the first for VFX professionals, who “have joined together to demand the same rights and protections as their unionized colleagues throughout the film industry,” IATSE said. The announcement comes as industries throughout Hollywood are demanding improved labor conditions. While…

Sir Elton John is back home after spending the night in hospital, after he fell over at his villa in Nice. The singer, 76, was taken to the orthopaedic department of the Princess Grace hospital centre in Monaco where he was treated for minor injuries. Sir Elton was admitted “following a slip yesterday at his home in the south of France”, a spokesman confirmed to BBC News. “Elton visited the local hospital as a precautionary measure,” he continued. “Following check-ups, he was immediately discharged this morning and his now back at home and in good health.” Sir Elton has been…

Vogue editor Dame Anna Wintour has told the BBC that she is raising money for arts in the UK as a result of funding cuts. Alongside British editor Edward Enninful, she has curated an event called Vogue World, with proceeds going towards organisations in need. “We wanted to make sure that donations were broadly distributed to very small organisations,” she told BBC News. Vogue has selected mostly London-based institutions to receive funding. Dame Anna, 73, said this was “absolutely” a response to the decision last year to move arts funding outside of London over a three-year period. The Department for Digital, Culture,…

A Chinese-Australian writer who has been detained in China for more than four years said he fears he could die in jail, after a large cyst was found on his kidney. Yang Hengjun, an Australian citizen and democracy activist, was detained in 2019 during a visit to see family in China and charged with espionage – accusations he has denied. A Beijing court held his trial in secret in 2021 but a verdict has been repeatedly delayed. In a message to supporters last Thursday, Yang, 58, said he had experienced discomfort and pain in his kidney for a couple of months. After a recent medical examination,…

Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a phone call that he will not attend the G20 Summit. India is hosting this year’s summit, which will be held in capital Delhi from 9-10 September. Mr Putin told Mr Modi that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would attend the summit on his behalf. The two leaders also discussed several “regional and global issues of mutual concern”, India said in a statement. A Russian government spokesperson had said last week that Mr Putin would not attend the summit as he had a “busy schedule”. The G20 includes the world’s 19…

Japanese motor industry giant Toyota has suspended operations at all of its assembly plants in its home country due to a glitch in its production system. The move has brought domestic production at the world’s biggest-selling car maker to a standstill. The malfunction has meant the firm has not been able to order components. A spokesperson told the BBC that the firm is trying to find the cause of the problem but does not currently believe it is due to a cyber attack. On Tuesday morning, Toyota suspended operations at 12 of its 14 assembly plants in Japan. Later in…