Author: admin@primenews

Jeremy Paxman said Parkinson’s “makes you wish you hadn’t been born” as he delivered a list of recommendations about the disease to Downing Street. The TV presenter, who was diagnosed in 2021, marked World Parkinson’s Day by presenting a “Parky Charter” to No 10. The charter makes five key recommendations including swift access to specialists under the NHS and increased funding to help find a cure. Rishi Sunak said it would “receive the full attention it deserves”. Paxman, who stepped down as host of University Challenge the year after his diagnosis, went to Downing Street on Thursday with fellow members of the Movers…

A Portuguese man has become the first European citizen jailed under the China-imposed National Security Law in Hong Kong, a law widely criticised by rights groups. Joseph John, also known as Wong Kin-chung, holds dual Portuguese and Hong Kong nationality and was previously based in the UK. He was arrested for posting pro-independence and anti-China content on social media, after returning to Hong Kong to visit family in 2022 In February, he was convicted of “secession” and on Thursday sentenced to five years in jail. Under the law, secession is the offence of advocating for Hong Kong to break away…

It was the most spectacular trial ever held in Vietnam, befitting one of the greatest bank frauds the world has ever seen. Behind the stately yellow portico of the colonial-era courthouse in Ho Chi Minh City, a 67-year-old Vietnamese property developer was sentenced to death on Thursday for looting one of the country’s largest banks over a period of 11 years. It’s a rare verdict – she is one of very few women in Vietnam to be sentenced to death for a white collar crime. The decision is a reflection of the dizzying scale of the fraud. Truong My Lan…

President Joe Biden has been urged to ban imports of Chinese-made electric cars to the US. The chair of the Senate Banking Committee, Senator Sherrod Brown, wrote “Chinese electric vehicles are an existential threat to the American auto industry”. His comments are the strongest yet by any US lawmaker on the issue, while others have called for steep tariffs to keep Chinese electric vehicles (EV) out of the country. In February, the White House said the US was opening an investigation into whether Chinese cars pose a national security risk. “We cannot allow China to bring its government-backed cheating to…

Author JK Rowling has reignited a row with Harry Potter stars Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe over the issue of transgender identity and rights. The writer hit out at “celebs” who she said had “used their platforms to cheer on the transitioning of minors”. Radcliffe and Watson are among the film’s cast members who spoke out against Rowling’s stance on gender identity in 2020. The BBC has asked Radcliffe and Watson for responses to her latest comments. Rowling has also welcomed a review that raised concerns about gender identity services for under-18s. On Wednesday, the Cass Review said children had been…

US officials have charged baseball sensation Shohei Ohtani’s long-time interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, with stealing millions from the sports star. The lead prosecutor in California accused Mr Mizhuara of impersonating Mr Ohtani to banks and to place wagers. “Mr Ohtani is considered a victim in this case,” US Attorney Martin Estrada told reporters at a news conference in Los Angeles on Thursday. Mr Mizuhara, 39, was fired last month as news of the alleged theft emerged. Prosecutors claim that the interpreter used Mr Ohtani’s money to place bets and deposited his winnings into an account that he controlled. Between November 2021…

President Joe Biden has vowed that the US will defend the Philippines from any attack in the South China Sea, calling its support for Manila “ironclad”. Mr Biden’s comments come amid regular skirmishes and rising tensions between Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels in the disputed waterway. The US and Philippines have had a mutual defence treaty in place since 1951. China has repeatedly blamed the US for raising tensions in the region. Speaking at the start of three-way talks at the White House with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Mr Biden said that…

The United States has restricted travel for its employees in Israel amid fears of an attack by Iran. The US embassy said staff had been told not to travel outside the greater Jerusalem, Tel Aviv or Be’er Sheva areas “out of an abundance of caution”. Iran has vowed to retaliate after Israel struck the Iranian consulate in Syria 11 days ago, killing 13 people. UK Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron has phoned his Iranian counterpart to urge against further escalation. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the consulate attack but is widely considered to have been behind it. Iran backs Hamas, the Palestinian…

Banking giant HSBC is selling off its business in Argentina at a $1bn (£790m) loss after years of battling with the country’s unstable exchange rate. HSBC Argentina, which has more than 100 branches and 3,100 employees, will be bought by Grupo Financiero Galicia, a major private financial group. Annual inflation in Argentina hit 276.2% last month, the highest in the world. Five years ago, $1 would buy 43 pesos. It is now worth more than 860 pesos. HSBC has been in Argentina since 1997, when it took full control of the local Banco Roberts and renamed it. That same year,…

Australia’s foreign minister has suggested the country could recognise Palestinian statehood, to increase momentum towards peace. However Hamas could have no role in its governance, Penny Wong said. Both Australia’s opposition and the Zionist Federation of Australia say such a move would be premature. Canberra has long said that recognition of a Palestinian nation could only come as part of a two-state solution brokered with Israel. But Ms Wong’s comments echo a speech by UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron earlier this year, in which he hinted the UK too could recognise Palestinian statehood without the support of Israel. The Australian government has…