Author: admin@primenews

If “Notting Hill” and “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” had a baby, it would look something like “The Idea of You,” a May-August romantic pairing of Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine. Nicely played by the leads, this tale of a 40-year-old woman swept off her feet by a 20-something boy-band star amounts to playing the genre’s hits while following all the same old steps. Destined for Amazon, it’s a competent date-night or gals’-night movie for those who don’t want to leave the house – Chardonnay optional, but recommended – which makes practical sense, landing as it does in a middle ground…

Apple on Thursday posted first-quarter revenue of $90.8 billion, down 4% year over year, as the iPhone maker continues to struggle with growth challenges, particularly in China, amid an uncertain economic environment. The company also announced a $110 billion share buyback – the largest in the company’s history – as iPhones sales declined 10%. The drop suggests weak demand for Apple’s iPhone 15 lineup, which came out in September. The company reported $45.96 billion in iPhone sales for the three months ended March 31, slightly under projected estimates. Apple’s net income from the quarter slid to $23.6 billion, down slightly…

From food to travel, it’s hard to find an aspect of life in Japan that hasn’t been affected by its sinking currency. The yen has been on the skids for years and hit its weakest level since 1990 against the US dollar earlier this week, pressured by expectations of that the US Federal Reserve will have to keep interest rates higher for longer to tame American inflation. For Hiroko Ishikawa, a second-generation fruit importer in Tokyo, the declining yen has delivered a big hit to her business, which was set up by her father in 1966. Her company, Japan Fraise,…

The New York Knicks will face the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semi-finals after both progressed from the first round of the NBA play-offs. The Knicks, who are the second seed in the East, won 118-115 in Philadelphia to clinch a 4–2 series win over the 76ers. The Milwaukee Bucks welcomed back Damian Lillard after missing the previous two games through an Achilles injury but they were unable to take their series with Indiana to a decider. The sixth-seeded Pacers won 120-98 in Indianapolis to clinch a 4-2 upset of the third seed Milwaukee, the 2021 champions. Although Lillard…

The investment bank Goldman Sachs has become the first to remove its cap on bankers’ bonuses following changes to UK laws introduced last year. The bank said this would give “greater flexibility” and was closer to what happens in other big financial centres such as Singapore and New York. Bonuses were limited to twice basic pay in a move introduced by the EU in 2014. Other big banks are thought to be considering a similar moves. The limit on bankers’ bonuses was introduced by the EU in 2014 despite British opposition, to try to discourage the kind of excessive risk-taking…

Sign-ups for weight loss drug Wegovy jumped five-fold in the US in the first three months of the year, reaching a rate of more than 25,000 a week, maker Novo Nordisk has said. The surge reflects scorching demand for the medicine which, alongside sister diabetes drug Ozempic, has been hailed as revolutionary and helped to transform Novo Nordisk into one of Europe’s most valuable companies. But the drugs giant is facing new pressures, as the high price of such medicines comes under scrutiny in the US and rival offerings emerge from competitor Eli Lilly. In a quarterly update for investors,…

A hydroelectric dam has collapsed in southern Brazil after days of heavy rains that triggered massive flooding, killing more than 30 people. Officials say another 60 people are missing in Rio Grande do Sul state. About 15,000 residents have fled their homes since Saturday. At least 500,000 people are without power and clean water across the state. The burst dam triggered a two-metre (6.6ft) wave, causing panic and further damage in the already flooded areas. The dam is located between the municipality of Cotiporã and the city of Bento Gonçalves. The extreme weather has been caused by a rare combination…

Liberian President Joseph Boakai has signed an executive order to establish the country’s first war crimes court, more than 20 years after the end of two civil wars which killed 250,000 people. Mr Boakai said Liberia had “endured downpours of agony”. The 1989-2003 conflicts saw atrocities including mass killings, rape and the forced recruitment of child soldiers. Critics in Liberia have opposed the creation of the court, saying it risks reopening old wounds. But Mr Boakai said the court would “help ferret the causes and effects of the violence” and bring about “justice and healing”. This is the first major…

China has launched a probe to collect samples from the far side of the Moon, in what is being billed a world first. An unmanned rocket carrying the Chang’e-6 probe blasted off from the Wenchang Space Launch Center at about 17:27 local time (10:27 BST). The 53-day mission aims to bring around two kilograms of lunar samples to Earth for analysis. It will try to re-launch from the side of the moon facing away from Earth. This is described as the dark side of the Moon because it is invisible from Earth, not because it does not catch the sun’s…

Sales of iPhones have fallen in almost every market across the globe, according to the latest results from Apple. The technology giant said overall demand for its smartphones dropped by more than 10% in the first three months of this year, with sales falling in every geographic region except for Europe. Apple said that overall, revenues across the company declined by 4% to $90.8bn (£72.5bn), which was the biggest drop for more than a year. Nevertheless, the results were not as bad as expected and Apple’s share price rose in after-hours trading in New York. The company said the figures…