Rita Ora says sorry for lockdown-breaching birthday party
LONDON – British singer Rita Ora apologized Monday for breaking lockdown rules by holding a birthday party, saying it was “a serious and inexcusable error of judgment.”The Sun newspaper ran photos of Ora and others, including models Cara and Poppy Delevingne, arriving at the Casa Cruz restaurant in London’s Notting Hill area on Saturday. Under lockdown rules that end Wednesday, all pubs and restaurants in England must close except for takeout and delivery, and people are barred from meeting indoors with members of other households. Ora, whose hits include “Anywhere” and “I Will Never Let You Down,” said she now realized “how irresponsible these actions were and I take full responsibility.”Reports of the party attracted widespread criticism. Asked about the event, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman, Jamie Davies, said it was “important that everybody in society sets an example by following the rules. That is for every member of the public, including celebrities.”(backslash)Britain has Europe's worst coronavirus death toll, at over 58,000 people.
UK says Instagram to crack down on hidden influencer ads
LONDON – British regulators said Friday that Instagram will clamp down on “hidden advertising” by social media influencers. It's part of an investigation into the influencer industry the watchdog launched two years ago. Regulators are concerned that Instagram wasn't doing enough under consumer protection laws to stop hidden advertising, which is illegal in the U.K. They want to make it harder to mislead people with posts that aren't labeled as ads. Instagram is also opening up its “paid partnership” tool, so that any user can display a label at the top of a post.