Author: admin@primenews

A sub-Saharan African nation has been declared malaria-free for the first time in 50 years. Cape Verde was given the status by the World Health Organization (WHO) as it has not reported a single case of local transmission in three years. Experts have described this as a major achievement. Malaria is a huge killer on the continent. In 2022, 580,000 people in Africa died from the disease, amounting to 95% of fatalities worldwide. The disease is caused by a complex parasite which is spread by mosquito bites. Vaccines are now being used in some places but monitoring the disease and…

It’s the white gold that gives ski resorts their essence, but these days, snow is an increasingly precious commodity. Whether it’s falling from the sky in silent, fluffy flakes or being pumped out of the now ubiquitous snow cannons lining the ski runs, resorts rely on the white stuff to maintain a viable business. But with climate change affecting snow reliability in the mountains, particularly in lower altitude resorts, more and more venues are employing a third method to supplement coverage and attract enough visitors to open the lifts at the start of the season. Snow farming is the practice…

An Indian film that received backlash for “hurting Hindu religious sentiments” has been removed from Netflix, days after it began streaming. Netflix said the Tamil-language film – Annapoorani: The Goddess of Food – was removed at its “licensor’s request”. The movie stars actor Nayanthara as a Hindu Brahmin woman who aspires to become a chef. She is shown going against her family’s religious beliefs and eating meat and learning to cook it. Many Brahmins do not eat meat in accordance with rigid caste rules. Members of hard-line Hindu organisations had objected to this and other scenes in the movie, including…

Al Gore is stepping down from Apple’s Board of Directors – but only because he’s too old to be renominated. Apple has a longstanding policy that its directors cannot stand for reelection after reaching the age of 75. That means it’s time for Gore, who is now 75, to retire, the company announced Thursday. Gore has served on the Apple board since 2003, the company said. He’s also served as the 45th vice president of the United States and as a climate activist. The Nobel laureate received $376,894 as compensation for serving on Apple’s Board of Directors in 2023, according to…

Appearing in court in New York at the end of the civil fraud case against the Trump Organization on Thursday, Donald Trump insisted on having his say. The judge had previously said the former president would not be able to speak in the courtroom but eventually relented and gave him a few minutes. He used that platform to accuse the city’s attorney general of hating him before striding out of the courtroom and declaring the case a “sham” to waiting reporters. But that wasn’t enough. A full news conference followed at a building he owns – and is accused of…

Walkers wanting to enjoy footpaths across the British countryside are being blocked or obstructed in nearly 32,000 places across England and Wales. But they are fighting back, with one rambler even training as a lawyer to force councils to keep the way clear. A BBC investigation found councils which have responsibility for footpaths had 4,000 more access issues on public rights of way in 2023 than in 2022. Campaigners said this showed a “growing abuse and neglect” of the path network. Local authorities said “funding constraints” limited what they can do. In Cornwall, which has 2,796 miles (4,500km) of public…

A health board has postponed 80% of planned operations as junior doctors in Wales prepare for three strike days. British Medical Association (BMA) members called it a last resort to stop more leaving due to pay erosion. Dr Emily Sams said they were offered less than England and Scotland, meaning they “don’t need to go halfway around the world to Australia for better pay”. Health Minister Eluned Morgan reassured people that urgent and life-threatening care will continue to be provided. “We are disappointed junior doctors have voted for industrial action, but we understand the strength of feeling among BMA members,”…

A pilot scheme to allow journalists and legal bloggers to report cases from three family courts in England and Wales is to be extended to almost half of the courts in the countries. From 29 January, coverage of cases at 16 more family court centres in England will be permitted. This means 19 of the 43 centres in England and Wales will be part of the Transparency Pilot. Families and individual social workers will be anonymous under the scheme. However, reporting can include the names of local authorities and some experts, once Transparency Orders are granted. For the first time…

The UK will give Ukraine a further £2.5bn in military support, Rishi Sunak has said – Britain’s largest annual commitment since Russia’s invasion. The PM made the announcement during a rare visit to Ukraine, where he will also sign a new agreement supporting Ukraine’s long-term security. Officials said the package will provide Ukraine with long-range missiles, air defence and artillery shells. Some £200m will be spent on drones, most of which will be UK-made. Officials said the military package – for the next financial year beginning in April – would result in the largest delivery of drones to Ukraine by…

ESPN has returned more than 30 Emmy statuettes after the award hosts uncovered a ploy in which some network employees used fake names to circumvent eligibility rules. The network has said the ploy was “a misguided attempt” to recognise on-air talent that were not eligible for certain categories. The awards won were reportedly re-engraved with the real names of the on-air personalities. The sports network has apologised. Details of the ploy were first uncovered in a report on Thursday by sports publication The Athletic. The National Academy for Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), the organisation behind the Emmys, told The Athletic…