Author: admin@primenews

Seafarers have told the BBC port officials routinely demand cash, cigarettes, food and drink as bribes before allowing ships through. So-called “gratuities” are against international anti-corruption laws. But the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network said it received 5,183 reports in 2023. The International Association of Ports and Harbours is working to tackle it. Ex-captain Stephen Gudgeon said he was once held at gunpoint after refusing to hand over cigarettes at a port in Asia. “They took me ashore at gunpoint and I was locked up. I was photographed and fingerprinted, and I was interviewed by two officials in an empty room with…

Millions of middle-aged people have been mistakenly led to believe they are not obese, according to an Italian study that looked at body-fat percentage instead of body-mass index. Using a new, lower BMI cut-off for obesity would give a truer picture of who is affected, the researchers say. With age, muscle declines and fat builds up around organs in the waist region, often with no change in weight. The challenge is to find a tool that easily screens for obesity. BMI is calculated by dividing an adult’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in metres. It is…

“Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A-minor.” With every second Kendrick Lamar holds on to the last letter of “minor” in Not Like Us, the inflammatory song about his fellow rapper Drake, his raspy vocals reverberate through hip-hop and popular culture. It’s an explosive allegation, made without evidence, that calls into question Drake’s conduct with young women – an allegation now heard around the world. Drake, one of the world’s biggest artists, vehemently denies it.  Since its release on 4 May, Not Like Us has been dissected on social media, played at NBA basketball games and boomed from DJ booths at…

US President Joe Biden is ramping up tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars, solar panels, steel and other goods. The White House said the measures, which include a 100% border tax on electric cars from China, were a response to unfair policies and intended to protect US jobs. China said it was opposed to the hikes and would take retaliatory measures. Analysts said the tariffs were largely symbolic and intended to shore up votes in a tough election year. They follow months of criticism by former President Donald Trump, who is running for the White House against Mr Biden and has…

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) says it is considering whether to prosecute Boeing over two deadly crashes involving its 737 Max aircraft. The aviation giant breached the terms of an agreement made in 2021 that shielded the firm from criminal charges linked to the incidents, the DOJ said. Boeing has denied that it violated the agreement. The crashes – one in Indonesia in 2018, and another in Ethiopia in 2019 – killed a total of 346 people. The plane maker failed to “design, implement, and enforce a compliance and ethics program to prevent and detect violations of the US…

“For Indians, spices are like paints in a paint box”, says Indian actor-turned-food writer Madhur Jaffrey. “We get different shades from the same spice by doing something to the spice.” In other words, you can roast the spices or grind them into powders. The diversity of their flavours is mind-boggling. Indian spices enhance pickles and season meat. They flavour savouries and street food. Zesty spices energise local fruit drinks and add a tangy twist to fruits and salads. Unsurprisingly, India has emerged as a global spice powerhouse. It exports more than 200 spices and value-added products to some 180 countries, worth…

“I don’t want anyone to think that I ever said these horrible things in my life. Using a Ukrainian girl for a face promoting Russia. It’s crazy.” Olga Loiek has seen her face appear in various videos on Chinese social media – a result of easy-to-use generative AI tools available online. “I could see my face and hear my voice. But it was all very creepy, because I saw myself saying things that I never said,” says the 21-year-old, a student at the University of Pennsylvania. The accounts featuring her likeness had dozens of different names like Sofia, Natasha, April,…

The White House has informed Congress it wants to send more than $1bn (£800m) in weapons to Israel, officials say. The package would include tank rounds, mortars and armoured tactical vehicles, according to Reuters news agency. The plan – confirmed by a congressional aide to CBS, the BBC’s US partner – must still be approved by lawmakers. Last week President Joe Biden said he would halt weapons shipments to Israel if it launched a major invasion of the Gaza city of Rafah. On Tuesday, Israeli tanks advanced deeper into residential areas of south-eastern Rafah, Palestinians told Reuters. Mr Biden said…

Ghost Shark and Manta Ray protect the undersea realm. Sounds like the plot of a future Marvel movie, but in actual fact, it’s what could be the future of Pacific naval defenses. Ghost Shark and Manta Ray are the names of prototype uncrewed underwater vehicles – UUVs or drones – introduced recently by Australia and the United States respectively. Experts say the submersibles could represent the future of undersea warfare, showing the ability to exert power while minimizing the danger to human life. The use of drones in aerial warfare has become commonplace. The US used them extensively during conflicts in Iraq and…

The surprise social media return of the trader who helped ignite the meme stock frenzy in 2021 sent GameStop shares skyrocketing Monday. The surge had nothing to do with the troubled company’s fundamentals — and everything to do with a cartoon of a gamer that the trader, nicknamed Roaring Kitty, shared on X. GameStop shares surged 74% on Monday after the account run by Keith Gill shared a meme on X, marking its first post in three years. The shares skyrocketed by more than 110% earlier and were halted for volatility several times on Monday morning. Short sellers have seen $1…