Briefly

UNITED STATES

Women dominate Grammy Awards

Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish took the top prizes at the 63rd Grammy Awards on Sunday but Beyonce was the big winner on a history-making night marked by multiple wins for women. Beyonce's four Grammys on Sunday－two of them shared with best new artist winner Megan Thee Stallion－took her total career wins to 28, surpassing the previous Grammy record for a female artist set by bluegrass singer Alison Krauss. Swift's surprise record Folklore, recorded during coronavirus lockdowns, was named album of the year and made Swift, 31, the first woman to take home that prize three times.

UNITED KINGDOM

New effort to shore up Scotland union

Britain's cabinet office will set up a "second flagship HQ" in Glasgow as the government plans to move some of its operations to Scotland, ministers announced on Monday, at a time when support for Scottish independence is running high. Ties between Scotland and the rest of Britain have been badly strained by a much-criticized COVID-19 pandemic response and Brexit, which a majority in Scotland opposed. The cabinet office, which oversees the running of the government machine, said it was creating a new headquarters in Glasgow, while the foreign office planned to create 500 new jobs at an existing office in East Kilbride.

London police chief won't quit after clash

London's Police Commissioner Cressida Dick on Sunday defended her officers' actions and said she didn't intend to resign, after coming under heavy criticism for the way police treated some protesters during a vigil for a woman whom one of the force's own officers is accused of murdering. Hundreds defied coronavirus restrictions on Saturday to protest violence against women and remember Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old London resident whose disappearance and killing prompted a national outcry. But the vigil ended with clashes between police and those attending, and many questioned whether the police force was too heavy-handed. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday that he was deeply concerned at footage of police breaking up the weekend vigil.

IRAN

Jailed Frenchman faces spying charges

Frenchman Benjamin Briere, who was arrested in Iran 10 months ago, faces charges of "spying and propaganda against the system", one of his lawyers, Saeid Dehghan, said on Monday, at a time of heightened tension between Teheran and the West. The revelation came as the United States and European parties to Iran's 2015 nuclear deal, including France, are trying to restore the pact that was abandoned in 2018 by then-US president Donald Trump. Dehghan said his client had been arrested after flying a drone in the desert near the Turkmenistan-Iran border and faces a long jail sentence. Last month, France's Foreign Ministry confirmed a French citizen was being held in Iran, adding it was monitoring the situation.

Agencies - Xinhua