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Republican senator fires aide who used Nazi soldiers as Facebook profile picture

Washington Post report also reveals Jon Husted staffer Stephen Woytek created pro-Rhodesia playlist on Spotify The Republican senator for Ohio, Jon Husted, has fired an aide who was discovered to have used a photo of Nazi SS soldiers as his Facebook profile photo. Stephen Woytek was appointed as Husted’s political director last month in the senator’s knife-edge re-election contest against former Democrat senator Sherrod Brown. According to the Washington Post , Husted had decided to “part ways” with Woytek, 25, after learning that his Facebook profile showed he followed a military re-enactment group called LAH Living History Unit, which portrays the 1st SS Panzer division. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/sDwrLoX via IFTTT

Italian investigative journalist targeted on WhatsApp by Israeli spyware

Francesco Cancellato, whose reporting exposes fascists within PM Meloni’s far-right party, condemns ‘violation’ An Italian investigative journalist who is known for exposing young fascists within prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s far-right party was targeted with spyware made by Israel-based Paragon Solutions, according to a WhatsApp notification received by the journalist. Francesco Cancellato, the editor-in-chief of the Italian investigative news outlet Fanpage , was the first person to come forward publicly after WhatsApp announced on Friday that 90 journalists and other members of civil society had been targeted by the spyware. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/M56Zjox via IFTTT

Scissorhandz review – musical reanimates Burton classic with cuts from Radiohead and Aerosmith

Southwark Playhouse Elephant, London Jordan Kai Burnett impresses in a fun, heartfelt yet tonally uneven show, co-produced by Michelle Visage In Tim Burton’s 1990 fairytale, you hear Edward Scissorhands before you see him, as Johnny Depp cowers in the shadows, metallic fingers clinking. But Jordan Kai Burnett, taking the lead role in this jukebox musical reinvention, is no wallflower. They storm the stage with the famous shears raised, imploring us to lift our hands and make some noise. Previously performed in Los Angeles, co-produced by Michelle Visage and ‘NSync’s Lance Bass, Scissorhandz lands in London like a fully fledged cult hit. Visage’s voiceover welcomes an audience of “beautiful weirdos” and treats us as a pre-existing fan club. At Southwark Playhouse Elephant, London , until 29 March Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/i6fdpHN via IFTTT

Bibby Stockholm barge towed away, 18 months after arriving in Dorset

Vessel commissioned by previous Tory government to house asylum seekers was decommissioned in November Eighteen months after it arrived at Portland Port in Dorset, the empty asylum seeker barge Bibby Stockholm has been towed away from its mooring. The barge, which only ever provided accommodation for about 400 single male asylum seekers a night at maximum occupancy, has cost the taxpayer at least £34.8m, according to the National Audit Office . Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/xiZ4TRV via IFTTT

You’re Cordially Invited review – Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell carry fun comedy

A pair of duelling weddings leads to war in this surprisingly funny, if a little overstuffed, Amazon comedy In the doldrums of January, with Hollywood gracelessly dumping its shoddiest films, one would have understandable scepticism over Amazon ’s glossy wedding confection You’re Cordially Invited. Recent attempts to replicate the big studio comedy for a streaming audience have almost all failed, from the intolerable Vacation Friends movies to Amazon’s heinous Space Cadet to joyless big-star Netflix vehicles like the recent Diaz/Foxx mess Back in Action . Even its stars have tried – Reese Witherspoon with charmless rom-com Your Place or Mine and Will Ferrell with grating Christmas musical Spirited – so expectations weren’t just low, they were deep underground. It also didn’t help that Amazon refused to provide screeners to press, a clear sign that something was up. But even with the many low bars this would all put in place, there’s a surprising amount of low-rent fun to be had...

UK car production falls to lowest level since 1954

Number made fell to 780,000, the lowest for seven decades barring the pandemic, as carmakers battle weak demand and EV transition British car production fell in 2024 to its lowest level in seven decades – barring the coronavirus pandemic – as the industry struggles with weak demand and prepares to shift away from fossil fuels to electric vehicles. The number of cars made in the UK fell to 780,000 during the year, the lowest since 1954, except for during the pandemic when first factories were forced to close and then supply chain problems caused shortages of computer chips , according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), a lobby group. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/NTk9mq4 via IFTTT

Coca-Cola and Appletiser cans recalled in UK due to elevated chlorate levels

Removal follows batches being pulled from shelves across continental Europe A “small number” of cans of Coca-Cola and Appletiser have been recalled in the UK after testing abroad revealed elevated levels of the chemical chlorate. The recall includes imported multipacks of 250ml Appletiser cans, which were sent only to UK supermarkets, and imported cans of Coca-Cola Original Taste, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke and Sprite Zero, which were sent to cafes and restaurants during a limited time period. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Y0zqFmE via IFTTT

In Slovakia, a frenzy of cultural repression is under way, as we turn back to Soviet times

It is chilling to witness Robert Fico’s purge of state-run arts institutions – and the country’s steady creep to authoritarianism Monika Kompaníková is a Slovakian journalist and novelist In his novel The Noise of Time , Julian Barnes depicts the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich as “a man standing by a lift, at his feet a small case containing cigarettes, underwear and tooth powder; standing there and waiting to be taken away”. He knows that it will soon be his turn to be arrested by Stalin’s secret police and is prepared for it. Power in the Soviet Union had been seized by many who were uneducated and coarse, driven by a vindictiveness amplified by the sense that they were merely taking what was rightfully theirs. Shostakovich, along with writers such as Leonid Andreyev, Ivan Bunin, Alja Rachmanowa and others left strikingly similar depictions of the upheaval caused by the Stalinist purges: society was divided and riven by fear, anxiety, acts of revenge, lists of inconvenient...

How Trump tariffs could upend car markets in Europe, the US and China

Levies threaten exporters to US market, while scrapping of subsidies will hit EV sales – and Tesla could gain The internal combustion engine appears to hold a special place in Donald Trump’s psyche. During his inauguration speech last week, he made a “sacred pledge” to raise US car production to “a rate that nobody could have dreamt possible just a few years ago”. Car making and the oil industry – not AI, computer chips, or even cryptocurrencies – were the only two industries the new US president highlighted as he promised to make America a “manufacturing nation once again”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/IlxA9ht via IFTTT

‘Super pod’ of more than 1,500 dolphins spotted off California coast

Whale watchers capture rare footage of miles-long cluster of dolphins ‘just having a great time’ A miles-long cluster of dolphins has been filmed leaping and gliding across Carmel Bay off the central coast of California, forming an unusual “super pod” of more than 1,500 of the marine creatures. “They were on the horizon I feel like as far as I could see,” said Capt Evan Brodsky, with Monterey Bay Whale Watch, who captured drone footage of Friday’s huge gathering of Risso’s dolphins. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/RAE87hP via IFTTT

God's Gift of Abundance - Your Nightly Prayer

Are you living in the abundance God promises or relying on your own strength? This reflection on Ephesians 3:20-21 reminds us of the extravagant love, grace, and power available when we surrender to Him. Embrace the abundant life God offers and discover what it truly means to thrive in His presence. from Christianity.com https://ift.tt/OfnVJ4K

Coca-Cola recalls drinks in Europe over ‘higher levels’ of chemical chlorate

Cans and bottles containing the chemical, which can cause health issues, were distributed in Britain at the end of last year Coca-Cola has recalled its drinks in some countries across Europe after detecting “higher levels” of the chemical chlorate. Cans and glass bottles containing elevated levels of the substance were distributed in Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands since November, the company said on Monday. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/EjJhcZO via IFTTT

New rules ease reporting restrictions in family courts across England and Wales

Journalists and bloggers to have greater access under ‘open reporting provisions’ after pilot scheme launched in 2023 A scheme allowing journalists increased access to family courts is being rolled out in an effort to improve transparency. The initiative permits accredited journalists and legal bloggers to report on cases as they unfold, as they would in criminal courts, provided the families and certain professionals involved remain anonymous. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/bUxC8n0 via IFTTT

NFC championship game: Eagles overpower sloppy Commanders to reach Super Bowl

Washington Commanders 23–55 Philadelphia Eagles Philly reach Super Bowl for second time in three seasons Follow Buffalo Bills v Kansas City Chiefs with our liveblog Saquon Barkley – who else? – reeled off an electrifying 60-yard touchdown run the first time he touched the football on Sunday, in the first game he had played in for a spot in the Super Bowl. His Philadelphia Eagles kept up the audacious charge all game. With splendid Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, in a burgundy ski cap, watching from the bench for much of the afternoon, the Eagles pummeled the Washington Commanders 55-23 to win the NFC championship at home for the second time in three years. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/I8j5ovw via IFTTT

Roman Kemp: ‘Here’s all my faults. Have ’em. Enjoy’

With famous parents, Roman Kemp always knew people would make certain judgments about him – but he never guessed he’d become an advocate for mental health. Here, he talks about radio, tattoos – and the event that changed his life I apologise if you hear any buzzing,” says Roman Kemp, the 31-year-old radio and television presenter, leaning back in his chair. I’ve done interviews in some strange scenarios, including a sauna (twice), but this is a new one. Kemp, who is in Northern Ireland filming the BBC One quizshow The Finish Line , is video-calling me on his day off from the tattoo parlour. As he holds the phone to his face, an artist is at work inking a portrait of Thierry Henry on to his shin. “On my right leg I want to try to build as many of my favourite footballers of all time,” Kemp explains. “So I started out with original Ronaldo and we’re currently doing Thierry, and then we’ll add from there. So it’s a work in progress but yes, as I’ll show you… Very much happening.” Kemp s...

Good Ange is now Bad Postecoglou and caught in the Premier League doom spiral | Jonathan Wilson

Irritable and resentful, the Spurs manager is not unique in being unnerved by a remorseless league where every game is a test Long before he began experimenting with the mind-expanding potential of psychedelic mushrooms, Timothy Leary was a psychologist. In 1957, he came up with the interpersonal behaviour circumplex , which sought to represent personality using two dimensions: power and love. While relationships on the power axis were oppositional – that is, dominance inspires submission and vice versa – on the love axis they are reflexive: hostility inspires hostility and cooperation inspires cooperation. This was subsequently developed by Emily and Laurence Alison at the University of Liverpool. In their 2020 book Rapport , they use animals to express the four basic characteristics: a lion for control, a mouse for capitulation, a T-Rex for assertiveness and a monkey for cooperation. None of these are intrinsically good or bad: the lion could be inspiring and supportive, but he co...

David Gaskell, Manchester United record-breaker, dies aged 84

Former goalkeeper is still club’s youngest-ever debutant Gaskell was 16 years, 19 days old in his first outing Manchester United’s record-breaking former goalkeeper David Gaskell, has died aged 84. Gaskell was just 16 years and 19 days old when he came on for United at Manchester City’s former stadium Maine Road, following an injury to first-choice keeper Ray Wood, in October 1956. He still holds the record for the youngest player to make their debut for the club. The youngster went on to keep a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory as United won the Charity Shield. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/s3ljDEg via IFTTT

US orders halt to virtually all foreign aid except funding to Israel and Egypt

Internal memo to US state department staff explicitly makes exceptions for military assistance to Israel and Egypt The secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has ordered a halt to virtually all US foreign aid, but made an exception for funding to Israel and Egypt, according to an internal memo to staff at the US state department. “No new funds shall be obligated for new awards or extensions of existing awards until each proposed new award or extension has been reviewed and approved … as consistent with President Trump’s agenda,” said the memo. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/0Vp6ieE via IFTTT

Flight Risk review – Mel Gibson serves up white-knuckle fun in airplane suspense thriller

Game performances from Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery and Topher Grace lift this silly but diverting action movie set almost entirely on a small aircraft Irritating though it is to be conceding anything to the objectionable Mel Gibson (whose 2006 film Apocalypto is very good), his new film does serve up a fair bit of entertainment value. It is an action suspense thriller set almost entirely on board a rickety small-prop plane, flying in a desperately dangerous situation through the Alaska wilderness. First-time feature screenwriter Jared Rosenberg had his script on the Black List of unproduced screenplays for four years before Gibson picked it up. Michelle Dockery plays Madelyn, a deputy US air marshal who arrests a bespectacled mob accountant called Winston, played by Topher Grace; this white-collar malefactor had been hiding out in a squalid, remote Alaska hotel room. The cringing Winston is persuaded to turn state’s evidence against his capo paymaster and so Madelyn has to tran...

A Man for All Seasons review – creaky but moving portrait of quiet heroism

Theatre Royal Bath While this 1960 play has been overtaken by faster-moving tales of Tudor chicanery, Martin Shaw is compelling as Thomas More Among the abounding villains and backstabbers of the Tudor age stands Thomas More, a good man who dared to take a silent stand against King Henry VIII. But Robert Bolt’s play shows that being good could be just as dangerous for one’s head. This 1960 drama, which takes us through More’s last years, was immensely successful in its time, transferring to Broadway and adapted for film with Paul Scofield. Jonathan Church’s new touring production is smart and handsome but feels like an old-fashioned history play, creaky in parts though still an ultimately moving portrait of quiet heroism. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/gUiFzs2 via IFTTT

Men have grown twice as much as women over past century, study shows

Data from dozens of countries reveals height and weight differences between sexes have increased since 1900 Amid the profound changes humanity has witnessed, one might be forgiven for failing to notice a rise in sexy and formidable men: those tall, broad-shouldered types that are strangers to self-doubt. But according to a new study, men around the world have gained height and weight twice as fast as women over the past century, driving greater differences between the sexes. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/vyxoJAc via IFTTT

Pharrell Williams kicks off Paris fashion week with Louis Vuitton streetwear

The luxury collection, created in partnership with Nigo, brings varsity jackets, abstract camo and wide-leg silhouettes to the Louvre catwalk Pharrell Williams kicked off Paris fashion week on Tuesday night with a menswear show that cemented Louis Vuitton ’s position as the new luxury leader in streetwear. The collection was created in partnership with Nigo, a Japanese designer and one of the most influential figures in streetwear. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/Tc3UB6f via IFTTT
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