Author: admin@primenews

The family of a black woman whose cervical cells were harvested in 1951 without her knowledge and replicated infinitely ever since have reached a settlement with a biotech company. Henrietta Lacks’ cells enabled huge advances in medical science, and the cell line is still being used in research institutes worldwide. But they were taken without consent. Ms Lacks’ family never received any compensation, and have fought for years to get justice for the “stolen” cells. The details of the settlement reached on Monday with Massachusetts-based Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc have not been made public. Ms Lacks, a 31-year-old mother from…

The firm that owns Twitter, now called X, is suing an anti-hate organisation whose research criticised the platform. X Corp has accused the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), which has offices in the US and the UK, of “unlawful acts” to “improperly gain access” to its data. In response CCDH accused X Corp owner, Elon Musk, of trying to silence anyone who criticised him. Mr Musk has previously said that he is a “free speech absolutist”. CCDH is a not-for-profit organisation that researches and campaigns against online hate. Its reports have been widely cited in the press, including by…

What happens when India bans exports of a food staple that is essential to the diets of billions around the world? On 20 July, India banned exports of non-basmati white rice in an attempt to calm rising domestic prices at home. This was followed by reports and videos of panic buying and empty rice shelves at Indian grocery stores in the US and Canada, driving up prices in the process. There are thousands of varieties of rice that are grown and consumed, but four main groups are traded globally. The slender long grain Indica rice comprises the bulk of the global trade, while the…

Pop star Lizzo is being sued by three of her former dancers over claims including sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment. The legal action includes accusations of sexual, religious and racial harassment, discrimination, assault, false imprisonment. The singer is also accused of fat-shaming and pressuring a dancer to touch a performer’s breasts. Lizzo and others who are accused have been approached for comment. The singer has not yet responded publicly to the allegations made in the case, which remain to be tested in court. Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez are the former dancers bringing the case…

Ukrainian women have been signing up in growing numbers to serve as combat troops against Russia. The BBC spoke to three of the 5,000 female front-line soldiers who are fighting both the enemy and sexist attitudes within their own ranks. A slim, blue-eyed, brunette woman is working out in a gym. This might be unremarkable were it not for the fact that according to the Russian media – she is dead. Andriana Arekhta is a special unit sergeant in the Ukrainian armed forces, preparing to return to the front line. The BBC found Andriana in a rehabilitation centre in Ukraine…

A typhoon has lashed southern Japan, forcing evacuations and cutting off power to one-third of homes on the Okinawa islands. Slow-moving Khanun – the third typhoon to hit East Asia in as many weeks – threatens to worsen the heaviest rains in Beijing in more than a century. The deluge has killed at least 34 people in China so far. Experts say that extreme weather events like this will become more frequent because of global warming. Khanun follows two other typhoons, Talim and Doksuri, a super storm, which also drenched the Philippines and Taiwan, killing more than 30 people, in the last…

The US government’s credit rating has been downgraded following concerns over the state of the country’s finances and its debt burden. Fitch, one of three major independent agencies that assess creditworthiness, downgraded it from the top rating of AAA to AA+. Fitch said it had noted a “steady deterioration” in governance over the last 20 years. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called the downgrade “arbitrary”. It was based on “outdated data” from the period 2018 to 2020, she said. Investors use credit ratings as a benchmark for judging how risky it is to lend money to a government. The US is…

Former US President Donald Trump has been criminally charged with plotting to overturn his 2020 election defeat. He is accused of four counts, including conspiracy to defraud the US, tampering with a witness and conspiracy against the rights of citizens. The indictment caps an inquiry into events surrounding the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol. Mr Trump, 77, who is again running for president, denies wrongdoing. On social media he called the case “ridiculous”. He is already charged in two other cases: with mishandling classified files, and falsifying business records to cover up a hush-money payment to a…

China replaced two leaders of an elite unit managing its nuclear arsenal, triggering speculation of a purge. General Li Yuchao who headed the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Rocket Force unit and his deputy had “disappeared” for months. Former deputy navy chief Wang Houbin and party central committee member Xu Xisheng were named as replacements. This is the biggest unplanned shake-up in Beijing’s military leadership in almost a decade. “The latest purge is significant… [as] China is undertaking one of the most profound changes in nuclear strategy in decades,” said Lyle Morris, a foreign policy and national security fellow at the…

The owners of Twitter have been accused of trying to “bully” anti-hate campaigners into silence with letters threatening legal action. The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) said X Corp accused it of making “troubling and baseless claims” in its reports about the platform. Elon Musk bought the platform last year promising to defend free speech. Imran Ahmed, CCDH chief executive, said Mr Musk’s actions were “a brazen attempt to silence honest criticism”. Twitter was rebranded as X by Mr Musk just over a week ago. Since Mr Musk took over Twitter, the platform has been accused – including by former employees…