The winner of Sri Lanka’s biggest beauty prize has suffered head injuries after a brawl broke out on stage. Beauty queen Pushpika De Silva won the “Mrs Sri Lanka” title at a ceremony on national TV on Sunday.

Moments later, the 2019 winner seized Ms De Silva’s crown, claiming she could not be awarded the title because she was divorced. The prize has now been returned to Ms De Silva, after pageant organisers confirmed she is not a divorcee. Judges named Ms De Silva the 2021 winner at the Mrs Sri Lanka final in a theatre in Colombo on Sunday night. But the 2019 winner, Caroline Jurie, stripped Ms De Silva of her crown, citing a pageant rule that competitors must be married and not divorced. “There is a rule that prevents women who have already been married and are divorced, so I am taking steps to make the crown go to second place,” Ms Jurie told the audience. She placed the crown on the runner-up, prompting a tearful Ms De Silva to walk off stage, a video of the incident showed.(BBC)…[+]

Credit Suisse took drastic action on Tuesday, replacing two key executives and cutting bonuses amid the fallout from two major business relationships. Its chief risk officer, Lara Warner and its investment banking chief, Brian Chin will both leave the bank in April. Two businesses linked to the Swiss banking giant, Greensill Capital and hedge fund Archegos imploded in recent weeks with major losses. Greensill was the key financial backer of Liberty Steel owner, GFG Alliance. Greensill Capital, filed for insolvency earlier this month. There are concerns about the future of Liberty Steel which directly employs 3,000 people in the UK. An additional 2,000 people work for GFG Alliance in the UK.(BBC)…[+]

A group has been arrested in Dubai accused of public debauchery after an outdoor nude photoshoot.

Video footage posted online on Saturday shows a group of naked women having their photo taken on a balcony. Eleven Ukrainian women are among those detained, the Ukrainian consulate told the BBC. A Russian was also detained, according to Russian media. Public debauchery carries a sentence of up to six months in prison and a 5,000 dirham fine (£981). Many of the UAE’s laws are based on Sharia law, and people have been jailed in the past for public displays of affection and homosexual relationships.Roughly a dozen women were pictured on the balcony in the Marina district of Dubai. The Ukrainian consulate says it will visit the women on Tuesday. Earlier reports in Russian media that eight Russian women were arrested have since been denied, but Ria news agency quoted officials as saying that a Russian who organised the shoot has been arrested. He faces up to 18 months in prison, the agency says. Police in Dubai warned that anyone publishing pornographic material or any material that “may prejudice public morals” faces imprisonment and a fine. “Such unacceptable behaviours do not reflect the values and ethics of Emirati society,” a police statement said. Any person who lives in or visits the UAE is subject to its laws: there are no exceptions for tourists.(BBC)…[+]

The police chief of Minneapolis has testified that ex-officer Derek Chauvin violated the agency’s policy on force during the arrest of George Floyd. Chief Medaria Arradondo said the way Mr Chauvin restrained Mr Floyd was not in line with training and “certainly not part of our ethics and our values”. The chief had fired Mr Chauvin and the three other officers involved days after Mr Floyd’s death last May. Mr Chauvin is on trial for murder and has denied the charges against him. Footage of Mr Chauvin, who is white, kneeling on African-American Mr Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes last year sparked global protests against racism.Monday marks the sixth day in Mr Chauvin’s trial, which is expected to last for at least one month.

Lawyers for disgraced American film producer Harvey Weinstein have launched an appeal against his conviction for rape and sexual assault. Weinstein, 69, was convicted in New York City in February 2020 and later sentenced to 23 years in prison. It was seen as a landmark moment in the #MeToo movement against the sexual abuse and harassment of women.  Weinstein, formerly one of Hollywood’s most powerful figures, has consistently denied any wrongdoing. He has vowed to clear his name. Filed in New York State Supreme Court, the long-anticipated appeal signals the start of what is expected to be a lengthy attempt to have his conviction quashed.

Weinstein’s lawyers argue that the judge made several errors that denied Weinstein the right to a fair trial.(BBC)…[+]

A man has been whipped by what he described as the “angriest octopus” while swimming on holiday at a Western Australian beach. In a video that has gone viral, the octopus can be seen in shallow waters lashing out at geologist Lance Karlson. The creature came after him again later and struck him on the arm, before whipping his neck and upper back. The tentacles left stinging red welts on his skin, which Mr Karlson said only eased after he poured cola over them. The former lifeguard told Australian news outlet 7News that his preferred treatment for sea animal stings is vinegar, but he did not have any on him at the time. However, he said he knew anything acidic might help, and decided to try using cola. “Turns out it works.” Mr Karlson said he was about to take a dip near the resort where he and his family were staying in Geographe Bay when he saw what he thought was the tail of a stingray striking a seagull.

Travel from the Philippines, Pakistan, Kenya and Bangladesh is to be banned from next week, the government says. They are being added to England’s “red list” amid concerns about the spread of new Covid-19 variants. From 04:00 on 9 April, international visitors who have travelled from or through those countries in the previous 10 days will be refused entry. An exception is made for British or Irish passport holders, or people with UK residence rights. But they must first pay to quarantine in a government-approved hotel for 10 days. During their stay, passengers will have to take two coronavirus tests – but a negative test result does not mean they can shorten their time in quarantine. Neither will they be able to end it early through the Test to Release scheme, where travellers from non-red list countries can leave home isolation after a negative test on day five.The Department for Transport (DfT) said information about exemptions for nurses arriving from the Philippines “who are critical to supporting the NHS during Covid and the recovery” would be set out before Friday.(BBC)…[+]

The US economy saw a surge in hiring in March as vaccination spreads, officials loosened restrictions and people pushed to return to their pre-pandemic activities. Employers added more than 900,000 jobs driven by re-openings at restaurants, bars, construction sites and schools. The gains were the biggest since August and helped lower the unemployment rate to 6% from 6.2% in February. However, overall employment remains far lower than before the pandemic.

The US lost more than 20 million jobs last spring as the virus led to widespread lockdowns. It has regained more than half, but the number of jobs is still more than 8 million down from February 2020. The US has approved trillions in recovery aid, including a $1.9tn (£1.4tn) package last month, to shield households and businesses from the disruption. Analysts are expecting a strong rebound later this year, as families emerge from lockdowns with pent-up demand and in many cases, savings put away during the pandemic. Estimates suggest the growth rate in 2021 could hit 6% or higher and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said she is hopeful that near full employment could return next year.(BBC)…[+]

The UK is at a “real risk” of falling behind the EU when it comes to workers’ rights, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) says. The union body said the EU had “various initiatives” in the pipeline which would improve standards once they became law. But it said the UK had no similar legislation on the way. The government said in protecting workers’ rights the UK already “goes further than the EU in many areas”. The TUC’s call comes three months after a new post-Brexit trade deal came into force between the UK and EU. Both sides have committed not to lower labour standards in a way that impacts trade or investment – but that does not mean they have to match each other. Nonetheless, the TUC said the UK had already failed to implement directives it agreed to while still a member of the EU, including:

Outrage has been growing over the death in police custody of a Salvadorean woman in the Mexican resort of Tulum on Saturday as more details of the incident emerged. A post-mortem examination suggests Victoria Esperanza Salazar’s neck was broken after a female officer pinned her to the ground. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said she had been “murdered”. The incident comes amid growing protests against femicides in Mexico. The 36-year-old from El Salvador had been in Mexico since at least 2018, when she was granted refugee status for humanitarian reasons. Her mother says she left her hometown of Sonsonate five years ago to escape the violence which El Salvador’s notorious street gangs were spreading.(BBC)…[+]