First image of Nick Frost as Hagrid in Harry Potter TV series released
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Western Telegraph
23 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
Trump names Stallone and Crawford among Kennedy Centre Honours nominees
Crawford starred in Phantom Of The Opera on Broadway and the West End, and writer Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber was himself a Kennedy Centre Honours recipient in 2006. Other previous British recipients have included Sir Elton John in 2004 and Dame Julie Andrews in 2001. President Donald Trump stands beside photos of Kennedy Centre Honours nominees, from left country music star George Strait, actor-singer Michael Crawford and Rocky actor Sylvester Stallone (Alex Brandon/AP) Mr Trump said he will 'fully renovate' the entire infrastructure of the Kennedy Centre to make it a 'crown jewel' of arts and culture in the United States. 'We're going to bring it to a higher level than it ever hit,' he said, adding that the venue would be featured in next year's celebrations of America's 250th anniversary. The Republican president said he did not want to host the programme but was invited to do so and agreed. Mr Trump avoided the Kennedy Centre Honours awards programme during his first term after artists said they would not attend out of protest. This year, the president has taken over as the Kennedy Centre's new chairman and sacked the board of trustees, which he replaced with loyalists. President Donald Trump speaks at the Kennedy Centre in Washington (Alex Brandon/AP) In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Mr Trump teased a name change for the centre, formally the John F Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts, and said it would be restored to its past glory. 'GREAT Nominees for the TRUMP/KENNEDY CENTER, whoops, I mean, KENNEDY CENTER, AWARDS,' he wrote. Mr Trump said work was being done on the site that would be 'bringing it back to the absolute TOP LEVEL of luxury, glamour, and entertainment'. 'It had fallen on hard times, physically, BUT WILL SOON BE MAKING A MAJOR COMEBACK!!!' he wrote. In a statement on its social media feed, the Kennedy Centre said it is 'honoured' to host Mr Trump, who will be visiting for the third time since January, and hinted that he would announce a construction project. Sylvester Stallone is unveiled by President Donald Trump to be a recipient of the Kennedy Centre Honours at the Kennedy Centre in Washington (Alex Brandon/AP) 'Thanks to his advocacy, our beautiful building will undergo renovations to restore its prestige and grandeur,' the venue said. 'We are also excited to be announcing this year's INCREDIBLE slate of Kennedy Center Honorees.' Mr Trump complained during a March visit that the building is in a state of 'tremendous disrepair'. The president, who had indicated he wanted a more active role in the selection process, said he was 'about 98% involved' in choosing the honorees. He said he 'turned down plenty' of names, saying those individuals were 'too woke', or too liberal. Mr Trump described the slate of artists he announced on Wednesday, which include several of his personal favourites, as 'great people'. Gloria Gaynor is among those being honoured (Alex Brandon/AP) Historically, a bipartisan advisory committee selects the recipients, who over the years have ranged from George Balanchine and Tom Hanks to Aretha Franklin and Stephen Sondheim. In the past, Mr Trump has floated the idea of granting Kennedy Centre Honours status to singer-songwriter Paul Anka and Stallone, one of three actors Mr Trump named as Hollywood ambassadors earlier this year. Anka was supposed to perform My Way at Mr Trump's first inaugural and backed out at the last moment. The Kennedy Centre Honours were established in 1978 and have been given to a broad range of artists. Until Mr Trump's first term, presidents of both major political parties traditionally attended the annual ceremony, even when they disagreed politically with a given recipient. Prominent liberals such as Barbra Streisand and Warren Beatty were honoured during the administration of Republican George W Bush, and a leading conservative, Charlton Heston, was feted during the administration of Democrat Bill Clinton. In 2017, after honoree Norman Lear declared that he would not attend a White House celebration in protest over Mr Trump's proposed cuts to federal arts funding, Mr Trump and first lady Melania Trump decided to skip the Kennedy Centre event and stayed away throughout his first term. The rock band Kiss will be a recipient of the Kennedy Centre Honours (Alex Brandon/AP) Honorees during that time included such Trump critics as Cher, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Sally Field. Since taking office for a second time, Mr Trump has taken a much more forceful stance on the Kennedy Centre and inserted himself into its governance. Besides naming himself chairman and remaking the board, he has also indicated he would take over decisions regarding programming at the centre and vowed to end events featuring performers in drag. The steps have drawn further criticism from some artists. In March, the producers of Hamilton pulled out of staging the Broadway hit musical in 2026, citing Mr Trump's aggressive takeover of the institution's leadership. Country music artist George Strait (Alex Brandon/AP) Other artists who cancelled events include actor Issa Rae, singer Rhiannon Giddens and author Louise Penny. House Republicans added an amendment to a spending Bill that Mr Trump signed into law in July to rename the Kennedy Centre's Opera House after Melania Trump, but that venue has yet to be renamed. Maria Shriver, a niece of the late President Kennedy, a Democrat, has criticised as 'insane' a separate House proposal to rename the entire centre after Mr Trump. Recipients of the Kennedy Centre Honours are given a medallion on a rainbow ribbon, a nod to the range of skills that fall under the performing arts. In April, the centre changed the lights on the exterior from the long-standing rainbow to a permanent red, white and blue display.
Daily Record
31 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Scots Masterchef star shares unique twist on tacos with tattie scones
Glasgow-born Masterchef Australia star Ali Stoner is delighting fans with creative Scottish-inspired recipes on her popular Instagram page, The Roving Haggis. A Glasgow -born chef who shot to fame on Masterchef Australia is winning over food lovers with her inventive takes on classic Scottish dishes, and her latest creation is causing a stir online. Ali Stoner, who appeared on the 14th series of the hit cooking competition, has built a devoted following for her imaginative recipes that celebrate Scotland's culinary heritage. Through her popular Instagram page, The Roving Haggis, she has attracted more than 270,000 followers, sharing dishes inspired by her home city and the wider country. Famed for her now-iconic 'Saltire Skirt', Stoner regularly puts a modern spin on traditional fare. This week, she unveiled her newest recipe for tattie scone tacos, which has quickly become a hit with fans. Speaking about the dish, she said: 'Tacos are on repeat in my house, and the trend for these smash tacos has been all over social media, so here is one with a Scottish accent! The tattie scones are a perfect vehicle for soft delicious tacos, and I just love the combo of scallops and black pudding, perfect!' Her recipe makes around 10 to 12 scones and is straightforward to prepare, with Stoner encouraging people to experiment with their own fillings. While she recommends scallops and black pudding for her version, she notes that haggis or even taco mince would also work well. The reaction from her followers has been overwhelmingly positive. One commented: 'Just when you think tattie scones are it… you go and make them even better!! These look amazing!!' Born in Glasgow, Stoner now lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her family. The 54-year-old has become known for reimagining everything from stovies and lorne sausage to Irn-Bru cocktails and Glasgow-style pakora. She has said her aim is not only to celebrate Scotland's food but also to evoke powerful memories for her audience. She previously told Glasgow Live: 'What started to become clear (on my Instagram page) was that people were really enjoying the traditional Scottish dishes. "I have had so many messages from people who have been brought to tears at the memory of something their parents or grandparents had made, and then recipes lost. 'It has been an incredibly inspiring and fulfilling journey so far, with so many more ideas to come.' Stoner's approach to cooking blends nostalgia with creativity, breathing new life into dishes that many Scots remember from their childhood. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Her food often sparks conversation among followers who share their own stories of family meals, traditions and recipes passed down through generations. Her growing online presence has also made her something of an ambassador for Scottish cuisine abroad. The Roving Haggis features not only recipes but also tips on presentation and flavour combinations, offering inspiration to home cooks keen to recreate a taste of Scotland wherever they are in the world. Follow Ali on Instagram for recipes and top tips on serving up the best Scottish scran.
STV News
31 minutes ago
- STV News
Oasis gig at Murrayfield 'more ground-shaking' than 2009 performance
Oasis gave an even more ground-shaking performance at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium than their 2009 show when they played there this month, according to analysis of seismic data. The Gallagher brothers' last Scottish gig 16 years ago had topped the chart for the most powerful seismic concert at the venue in the last 20 years, the British Geological Survey (BGS) said. But their shows at the stadium on August 8, 9 and 12 proved even more ground-shaking, particularly while the crowd danced to the song Cigarettes And Alcohol. The crowd on Tuesday generated the highest peak power reading of 261KW, followed by Friday (206KW) and Saturday (160KW). Callum Harrison, BGS Seismologist, said: 'The data showed that Tuesday's audience generated the highest peak power reading. 'It is difficult to determine exactly why, it could be that the dancing on that evening was a bit more synchronised and energetic. 'What the data does appear to show, is that the excitement of Oasis fans remains as strong as ever.' The band played three sold-out shows at Murrayfield, with an estimated 70,000 people packed in to hear them each night. BSG said: 'The peak power reading on each night was registered around 8.40pm whilst the crowd was dancing to Cigarettes And Alcohol. 'The energy detected by the seismic monitoring stations is driven by the movement of the crowd jumping and dancing in time to the music, rather than the volume of the concert, with bigger, more energetic crowds generating larger signal.' The peak power recorded at the Oasis gig in June 2009 was 215.06KW, beating the Red Hot Chili Peppers in June 2004, Kings of Leon in June 2011 and Taylor Swift in June last year. The BGS keeps an archive of continuous ground motion recordings from seismic sensors around the country, dating back several decades. The organisation is the national body responsible for recording earthquakes, operating a network of monitoring stations around the country. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
