Latest news with #scrutiny
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Meghan Markle's Close Pal Defends Duchess, Calls Out 'Ridiculous Double Standards' In Royal Family
Journalist Bryony Gordon, a close friend of Meghan Markle, has criticized the royal family's "double standards," contrasting the way the duchess and Prince Andrew are treated. She recalled Meghan's warmth at their first meeting and their ongoing friendship, questioning why minor actions, like early-morning emails, drew criticism. Citing a book that alleges Prince Harry once physically confronted Andrew over remarks about Meghan Markle, Gordon expressed frustration at the disparity in how the two royals were treated. Bryony Gordon Recalls First Meeting With Meghan Markle And Slams Royal Family's Scrutiny Journalist and podcaster Bryony Gordon, a longtime friend of Meghan, has spoken out against what she describes as "ridiculous double standards" within the British royal family. Gordon, who first met the Duchess of Sussex in 2018, said Meghan has faced far harsher scrutiny than other senior royals, drawing a pointed comparison to how Prince Andrew has been treated. Writing in the Daily Mail, she questioned, "Can you blame the couple for wanting to escape the peculiar prison of royal life, especially given the ridiculous double standards applied to the Duchess of Sussex and Prince Andrew?" Recalling their initial meeting at a Royal Foundation event, where she was hosting a mental health panel, Gordon said Meghan immediately put her at ease. "She gave me a big old bear hug, the kind that makes you feel at ease — particularly when you are being presented to assorted royals in front of a bank of baying photographers," she wrote. According to Gordon, "Meghan's down-to-earth demeanor worked like a charm, removing all the anxiety felt by myself and the other attendees." Bryony Gordon On Meghan Markle: 'I Wonder What It Says About The World That She Could Be So Vilified' Gordon shared that her friendship with Meghan didn't end after their first encounter seven years ago. Since then, they've met for lunches, collaborated on charitable initiatives, and even spent time together at Frogmore Cottage, the Sussexes' former home, which they were eventually required to vacate. She has also visited Meghan at her residence in Montecito, California. Reflecting on their conversations and shared moments, Gordon admitted she's often struck by the contrast in public perception. "Each time we meet, or exchange texts about life, I wonder what it says about the world that she could be so vilified and trolled, while other members of the royal family seem to have been given a free pass to behave as badly as they want," she wrote. One such figure, Gordon noted, is Prince Andrew, the subject of Andrew Lownie's recent biography, "Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York." The book includes a series of damning claims, among them an allegation that the Duke of York once berated a palace employee, calling them a "f-cking imbecile" for failing to use the Queen Mother's full title. Bryony Gordon Slams Royal Double Standards: Meghan Criticized For Minor Acts While Prince Andrew Is Shielded Gordon admitted she was "riveted" by the book's revelations about Prince Andrew, but said they only deepened her frustration. "With each sordid allegation, I have become more and more furious that so little was done to help Meghan as she struggled with life in the royal family, while so much was done to protect Prince Andrew," she wrote. She questioned how Meghan could be so vilified for relatively minor behavior, such as sending staff emails at 5 a.m., while others faced little to no accountability. "Somehow, Andrew got away with it for decades, while Meghan was branded 'Duchess Difficult' the moment she so much as asked the Queen if she might be able to borrow a tiara for her wedding," Gordon noted. Her central question remained pointed: "Why is it that people will tolerate all manner of misbehavior from the likes of powerful men like Prince Andrew, but not a woman who, according to critics, has a habit of occasionally emailing her staff at 5 a.m.?" The Alleged Altercation Between Prince Harry And Prince Andrew According to Lownie's biography, Harry once physically confronted Andrew over alleged remarks about Meghan, a claim Harry has categorically rejected. In an excerpt obtained by the Daily Mail, Lownie writes that more than a decade ago, a heated argument supposedly ended with Harry leaving Andrew with a "bloody nose" after the Duke of York allegedly made a comment about Meghan behind his nephew's back. The author claims Prince Andrew referred to the "Suits" actress as an "opportunist" and said Harry had gone "bonkers" for not doing "due diligence" into her past, per The Blast. Prince Harry Slammed The Prince Andrew-Meghan Fight Story As 'Defamatory' Harry's spokesperson has since firmly denied the story about the duke fighting his uncle, Andrew. In a statement, they said: "I can confirm Prince Harry and Prince Andrew have never had a physical fight, nor did Prince Andrew ever make the comments he is alleged to have made about the Duchess of Sussex to Prince Harry." The representative also called the allegations "gross inaccuracies" and "defamatory." Solve the daily Crossword
CBC
2 days ago
- Business
- CBC
North Bay Mayor Peter Chirico under police investigation, OPP confirms
Ontario Provincial Police have confirmed the police service is currently investigating North Bay Mayor Peter Chirico. OPP spokesperson Const. Rob Lewis said because Chirico sits on the North Bay Police Service board, the city's police service handed off the investigation to the OPP. However, Lewis said he could not provide more details about the case including why Chirico is under investigation. Spending under scrutiny In July, Chirico was under scrutiny when it came to light that he had spent $16,000 on personal items using a corporate credit card with the city. Chirico said he was embarrassed by the charges, and that it was an honest mistake. He also repaid the amount charged, and called for the city's integrity commissioner to do an independent study on the issue. City council voted down a motion to have an audit into Chirico's expenses with the corporate credit card. Coun. Jamie Lowery was one of three council members who voted in favour of an audit. "We really do need a fulsome review of what happened," he said during the council meeting last month. "So essentially, a fulsome look into what has gone on, what has transpired, have an independent look on it to ensure that there are no other issues related to these types of issues with purchasing cards within the organization." The OPP could not confirm whether or not the police investigation was related to Chirico's use of the credit card or another matter. "While the City of North Bay has not been contacted by the Ontario Provincial Police regarding this matter, we will provide any information and assistance that may be requested," city of North Bay spokesperson Gord Young said in an email to CBC News.
France 24
4 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
In Cuba, Castro's 'influencer' grandson causes a stir
It is a pastime some find entertaining, even fair commentary, but the 33-year-old is coming under increasing scrutiny from those loyal to Cuba's communist project for disrespecting his ancestor's legacy. For others locked in a daily struggle for survival, the younger Castro's high-flying lifestyle and apparent lack of empathy is offensive on a whole different level. On his Instagram account, Sandro regales his 127,000 followers with images of him partying, at times with scantily-clad women, often with a beer in hand. He is sometimes dressed as a monk or a vampire, sporting cat whiskers or the jersey of the Barcelona football club. From time to time, he mocks the struggles engendered by the country's worst economic crisis in three decades. "I woke up today with my favorite recipe, chicken with beer... but there is no chicken,' he says in one post while holding up a bottle of the national lager, Cristal. He also jokes about the power outages that have plagued the island, suggestively addressing a woman with the words: "If I caught you like the UNE (electric company), I'd get you every four hours, Monday to Monday." The character entertains some, annoys others, but never fails to make a splash. Castro's followers jokingly refer to him as the "next president," but voices aligned with the communist government are demanding he be silenced. Loyalist historian and author Ernesto Limia complained on Facebook that Castro "does not respect the memory" of his famous grandfather, who led the revolution that toppled a dictatorship and installed a communist government. "El Necio," an online influencer, has argued that Sandro Castro "goes against the security of this country" and "against the ideals" of the revolution. Despite his famous name, some believe Castro may be pushing his luck. Activists and critics in Cuba are often rounded up for sharing anti-government views, and several are serving sentences for crimes such as "contempt" or disseminating "enemy propaganda." 'Little toys' Manuel Cuesta Morua, a dissident historian who has been detained multiple times for his democratic activism, said the Sandro phenomenon embodied "the distance of the grandchildren's generation from the original revolutionary project." It also put Castro in stark contrast to the rest of his family, who unlike him enjoy their privileged status "discreetly," he said. While Fidel Castro was alive, Cubans knew very little about his second wife Dalia Soto del Valle and their five sons -- one of whom is Sandro's father, Alexis Castro Soto del Valle, 63. The family lived out of the public eye in Punto Cero, an extensive wooded area west of Havana with access controlled by the military. In 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Sandro came into the spotlight in a leaked video that showed him driving a luxurious Mercedes-Benz. "We are simple people, but every now and then we have to take out these little toys we have at home," he said in the clip that went viral and sparked public outrage, forcing him to apologize. Three years later, he caused another stir by celebrating his birthday at a bar he owns in the capital, burning massive neon lights and dancing on tables as the country reeled from the after-effects of a massive blackout.
ABC News
6 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
More scrutiny for Australia's child care sector
Australia's child care sector is set to come under further scrutiny in the coming weeks as another inquiry puts the sector under the microscope.
E&E News
6 days ago
- Politics
- E&E News
Republicans probe ‘questionable lending' at DOE loan office
House Science, Space and Technology Committee Republicans are upping their scrutiny of a Department of Energy office they believe irresponsibly lent money under the Biden administration. In a Wednesday letter to Deputy Secretary James Danly and acting Inspector General Sarah Nelson, the Republicans requested a formal briefing with staff from the Loan Programs Office over Biden-era clean energy lending that they believe verged on illegality. 'President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 significantly expanded the LPO's lending authority within its clean energy and climate provisions,' the Republicans, led by Chair Brian Babin (R-Texas), wrote. Advertisement They continued, 'With this enlarged capacity of hundreds of billions of dollars in increased funding, the LPO, directed by Jigar Shah, lent large sums to improperly vetted candidates, likely violating its own regulations and federal law.'
