Author: admin@primenews

A novel trial that has been described as “the last roll of the dice” for a generation of HIV vaccines has entered its latter stages. Called PrEPVacc, the trial is testing two vaccines alongside two forms of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to test vaccine efficacy while offering protection to prevent the spread of HIV. African-led and coordinated out of Entebbe, Uganda, with international support, its success could mark the start of a new phase of vaccine development. Should it fail, it could also see immunologists give up on a generation of vaccines. Nearly 40 years since HIV was identified as the cause…

“After the Taliban shut universities for women, my only hope was to get a scholarship which would help me study abroad,” says 20-year-old Afghan student Natkai. Natkai’s name has been changed for her own safety. The Taliban have cracked down hard on women who oppose them. Natkai says she kept studying even though there was little chance of her ever attending university in her homeland. Then she was granted a scholarship to study at the University of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from Emirati billionaire businessman Sheikh Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor. The scholarships for Afghan women were announced…

For decades, Nepal has allowed its ethnic Gurkha soldiers to join the Indian army under a special agreement. The practice came to an abrupt halt last year after India introduced a controversial new army hiring plan, straining ties between the two neighbouring countries. The Gurkhas, famed for their ferocity and bravery, have fought several wars over the decades for both the Indian and British armies. They were first recruited by the British East India company in 1815 following a peace deal with Nepal. After the end of colonial rule in 1947 a tripartite agreement between Nepal, India and Britain allowed…

Donald Trump’s election campaign says it has raised $7.1m (£5.6m) since his police mugshot was taken at a prison in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday. Much of the money comes from merchandise such as mugs, T-shirts and drink coolers bearing the former president’s scowling face. Mr Trump was released on bail, charged with plotting to overturn the state’s 2020 election results. He faces three other indictments as he campaigns for the 2024 US election. They include two related to his false claims that the election was stolen and the attack by his followers on the Capitol in Washington. Mr Trump denies all…

China’s summer this year has seen both extreme heat and devastating floods. And the flooding this time around has struck areas where such weather has been unheard of, with scientists – blaming climate change – warning that the worst is yet to come. “I’ve never seen a flood here in my whole life,” says 38-year-old Zhang Junhua, standing next to a vast patch of rice, now completely useless. “We just didn’t expect it.” His family and friends are safe, he says, because they were given plenty of warning to get to higher ground, but everyone in his village now has…

A man who shot dead three people in a racially motivated attack in Florida wrote of his hatred of Black people, police have said. Twenty-one year old Ryan Christopher Palmeter fired eleven rounds at one woman sitting in her car in Jacksonville, before entering a shop and shooting another two people. Sheriff T K Waters said he then turned the gun on himself. Mayor Donna Deegan said it was a “hate-filled crime” driven by racist hatred. At a news conference on Sunday, Mr Waters confirmed Palmeter had no previous criminal history and lived with his parents in Clay County. Palmeter…

Wagner warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led a failed uprising against the Kremlin exactly two months ago, was on board a plane that crashed on Wednesday, according to Russian officials – raising questions as to exactly how the disaster occurred. The crash took place northwest of Moscow and killed all on board, said Russia’s aviation agency, apparently including Prigozhin, chief of the mercenary group that gained prominence for its brutal methods worldwide and its battleground victories in the Ukraine war. Here’s what we know so far. What happened? The plane was a private Embraer jet carrying seven passengers and three crew members, according to Russia’s…

Signs are growing that Ukrainian forces have penetrated the first line of Russian defenses along part of the southern front lines in Zaporizhzhia region, and are expanding a wedge in the direction of the strategic town of Tokmak. The Ukrainian General Staff said Friday there had been further success in two areas – towards the village of Novoprokopivka and further east in the direction of another small settlement, Ocheretuvate. Earlier this week, the Ukrainians said they had secured the village of Robotyne. Fighting continues to the south of that village. The General Staff said units “are consolidating their positions, inflicting artillery fire on the…

Three-time WWE world champion Bray Wyatt has died at the age of 36. The wrestler had been dealing with an undisclosed health issue that had kept him out of the ring since February, but his death was characterised as sudden by his family. The news was announced by WWE content officer Triple H, who posted on social media that Wyatt, real name Windham Rotunda, had “unexpectedly passed”. Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, was among those paying tribute to the star. Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Johnson said he was “heartbroken” and had “always had tremendous respect and love” for the wrestler. “Loved his…

Greece has called out “arsonist scum” after police made 79 arson arrests over wildfires ravaging the country. Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias said there had been several attempts by arsonists to start new fires on Mount Parnitha, north-west of Athens. The blaze is one of hundreds in the nation where wildfires have already killed at least 20 people this week. “You are committing a crime against the country,” Mr Kikilias said. “Arsonist scum are setting fires that threaten forests, property and, most of all, human lives,” Mr Kikilias told Greeks during a televised emergency briefing on Thursday. “You will not…