A photo of the stage went viral, with thousands of Twitter users comparing its distinctive design to an odal rune
The Hyatt Hotels Corporation called symbols of hate “abhorrent” on Sunday after the design of a stage at the right-wing Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at one of its hotels drew comparisons to a Norse rune used by Nazis during the second world war
High-profile Republicans including former president Donald Trump were attending the four-day event in Orlando, Florida, as conflict raged between Trump allies and establishment politicians trying to distance the party from him.
Priti Patel understood to be concerned that some offenders are only being given three-year terms
People smugglers could be handed life sentences under plans to ramp up penalties in an effort to stop migrants crossing the Channel.
At present, the maximum sentence for people smuggling is 14 years in prison. The Times reported that Priti Patel wants to lengthen jail terms because of her concerns that the average sentence received is three years.
Female directors in financial services firms are paid 66% less than males, with many in non-executive roles
Female directors at the UK’s largest financial services firms earn on average two-thirds less than their male counterparts, new research shows, underlining the pay gap that still exists between men and women at the highest levels in the financial sector.
Average pay for female directors at financial services companies stands at £247,100, 66% lower than the average £722,300 paid to male directors, according to research by employment and partnership law firm Fox & Partners.
Exclusive: letters to Dominic Raab and Lady Scotland say Princess Basmah requires urgent medical treatment
Supporters of a prominent Saudi Arabian princess detained with her daughter in Riyadh have appealed to the British government to help secure their release.
In two letters to both foreign secretary Dominic Raab and Commonwealth general secretary Patricia Scotland, the princess’s supporters urged them to intervene on behalf of Princess Basmah bint Saud bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and her daughter Souhoud Al Sharif, arrested in Jeddah two years ago.
More than 100 French artworks – on loan from Museum of Fine Arts in Boston – to appear alongside paintings by Australian impressionists
More than 100 impressionist masterworks, including 19 Monet paintings, will travel to Melbourne from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston this year as part of the National Gallery of Victoria’s Winter Masterpieces exhibition.
NGV director Tony Ellwood announced the blockbuster exhibition on Monday as part of the gallery’s unveiling of its 2021 program – an announcement delayed by two weeks due to Melbourne’s snap five-day lockdown in February.
South Africa’s coronavirus alert level has been downgraded from three to one following a fall in infections, president Cyril Ramaphosa has announced, with the change coming into effect at midnight.
“As we ease restrictions, we cannot let our guard down. The few remaining restrictions under Alert Level 1 are meant to maintain low levels of infections and, in particular, to prevent super-spreading events,” Ramaphosa said.
“We were able to emerge from the second wave because most people adhered to the tighter restrictions and observed the basic health protocols, including wearing masks in public and social distancing.”
Willingness to get a Covid-19 vaccine is on the rise compared to last year, a survey of six industrialised countries published on Monday showed.
AFP: More people in the United Kingdom, the United States and even vaccine-sceptical France now accept the idea of getting a coronavirus jab, KekstCNC, an international consultancy, said in the survey conducted in February.
An unusual semi-virtual kickoff to the awards season sees Mank, Nomadland, Schitt’s Creek and The Crown leading the way but there’s continued outrage over diversity and alleged corruption
This year, and try not to get too upset about this, gifting suites have been forced out of expensive hotel suites and onto the street outside of expensive hotels instead.
The strange, here’s some soap and a luxury cruise ship vacation, ritual that sees rich stars get given stuff they could otherwise afford, was made even stranger this year. Buuuuut to make the practice slightly less gross this year, 10 first responders have also been given some swag. Included this year is an active $149 bluetooth mask (?) as well as, for some, a trip to Bali.
Often downgraded as the lesser half of the night, it’s easy to forget that the Globes is also a celebration of the small screen, something that’s become a standard joke at this stage (Fey and Poehler will almost certainly reference it at some point).
But this year more than ever, we’ve watched a ton more shows than we have movies so perhaps that’s about to change? Here’s Adrian Horton bravely guessing who and what might come out on top:
Mussels are relatively cheap, but they scrub up very well: this dish oozes opulence with its rich Asian aromas
This is a star of a dish: rich and aromatic, sophisticated, yet entirely doable; it is also cheap, which is an added bonus. Depending on where you buy them, mussels can take a bit of scrubbing and some tugging to remove the beards, but I find the task rather pleasing and it makes the resulting feast all the more satisfying. Do this in advance, and the curry sauce, too, if you want, so you can have a glass of wine and produce the dish as if by magic.
Move prompts New York governor to request independent investigation into allegations
A second woman has come forward to accuse New York governor Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment in a move that has prompted the under-fire Democrat to launch an independent investigation into the allegations.
Charlotte Bennett, who was an executive assistant and health policy adviser in the Cuomo administration until November, told The New York Times that he had harassed her last spring, during the height of New York’s fight against the coronavirus – which Cuomo led and which at the time gave him an international reputation for good leadership.
President Joe Biden cheered an announcement on Saturday that the US Food and Drug Administration has authorised Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose Covid vaccine, but cautioned Americans to not let their guard down as new variants spread.
“Though we celebrate today’s news, I urge all Americans: keep washing your hands, stay socially distanced, and keep wearing masks,” Biden said in a statement.
“As I have said many times, things are still likely to get worse again as new variants spread, and the current improvement could reverse.”
Usually media-savvy Scott Morrison has been unable to find his footing dealing with the fallout of an alleged assault inside a minister’s office
Scott Morrison, the Australian prime minister, prides himself on his ability to shape media narratives. A former advertising executive, he is used to controlling the message. But over the past two weeks one story has refused to bend to his will and exposed a weak spot: women.
Morrison is struggling to manage growing anger over the handling of a young staffer’s rape allegation, the parliamentary culture at large, and how women working within it are treated.
J&J effort becomes third vaccine available to US public
The Food and Drug Administration has authorized Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine for emergency use, making it the third vaccine available to the US public and securing another vital step in the US fight to control Covid-19.
The decision was a formality after an independent expert advisory panel late on Friday afternoon recommended drug regulators approve the one-shot vaccine.
Warmer temperatures have brought crowds to beauty spots including beaches and parks, amid calls from police not to make unnecessary journeys or meet up in groups.
Large crowds could be seen at Hove seafront and Greenwich park in London, as temperatures reached 14C and 15C in parts of the UK.
Spanish officials recommend 864 cows that have been at sea for two months are no longer fit for transport
More than 850 cows that have spent months aboard a ship wandering across the Mediterranean are no longer fit for transport anymore and should be killed, according to a confidential report by Spanish government veterinarians.
The cows have been kept in what an animal rights activist called “hellish” conditions on the Karim Allah, which docked in the south-eastern Spanish port of Cartagena on Thursday after struggling for two months to find a buyer for the cattle.
Notorious gangster Arnel Joseph shot dead at police checkpoint after more than 400 inmates escape in country’s biggest breakout for 10 years
More than 400 inmates have escaped and 25 people have died in a prison breakout in Haiti, authorities say, making it the country’s largest and deadliest one in a decade. A prison director and a powerful gang leader were among those killed.
The breakout at Croix-des-Bouquets prison on the outskirts of the capital Port-au-Prince on Thursday was believed to be an attempt to free gang leader Arnel Joseph, who had been Haiti’s most wanted fugitive until his 2019 arrest on charges including rape, kidnapping and murder.