Financial markets around the world posted declines on Monday after Donald Trump risked jeopardising trade talks with China by unexpectedly saying he would raise tariffs further on Chinese goods this week. Stocks in Europe and the US fell following a sharp retreat in China, as investors were caught off guard by the president’s tweets accusing…
Brunei says it will not enforce gay sex death penalty after backlash
Brunei’s Sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah, has extended a moratorium on the death penalty to incoming legislation on punishments for gay sex, after a global backlash led by celebrities such as George Clooney and Elton John. The country provoked an outcry when it rolled out its interpretation of Islamic laws, or sharia, on 3 April, punishing sodomy,…
Authorities thwart US veteran’s plan to bomb California white supremacist rally
A terror plot by an army veteran who converted to Islam and planned to bomb a white supremacist rally in southern California as retribution for the New Zealand mosque attacks was thwarted, federal prosecutors said Monday. Mark Domingo, 26, an infantryman who served a combat stint in Afghanistan, was arrested by federal agents Friday while…
‘Texans don’t stand for this’: O’Rourke and Buttigieg call out anti-gay hecklers
Pete Buttigieg has faced homophobic heckling during one of his latest 2020 presidential campaign events. “Marriage is between a man and a woman!” one protester yelled during the mayor’s speech at an event in Dallas, Texas, on Friday, according to a CNN reporter who filmed the event. Another protester yelled: “Repent!” The 37-year-old mayor of…
How we met: ‘There were never any awkward moments – even when I fell in a bush’
In that very modern way, Lucy found Cat on the dating app Tinder and they started messaging each other through Instagram. “I looked at your Instagram and started following you,” says Cat. “We bonded over a mutual love of animals.” Lucy says: “I saw that Cat had a horse, and there were lots of pictures…
Welcome to the Departure Lounge. Destination: death
Images of sandy beaches, sun-kissed swimming pools and azure blue skies gleam from the window and walls of what appears to be a new travel agent opening in a London shopping centre. But browsers may be surprised by the destination, for it is a journey every one of us will one day take: death. Look…
Saatchi Gallery covers up artworks after Muslim visitors’ complaints
A leading contemporary art gallery covered up works featuring an Islamic declaration of faith after complaints from Muslim visitors who said the artworks were blasphemous. The Saatchi Gallery in west London hosted an exhibition of new material by the artist SKU featuring a variety of works. However, it decided to cover up two paintings that…
Melinda Gates: ‘I look for potential and then try to figure out how to scale it up’
Melinda Gates is co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which she set up with her husband, Bill Gates. It is the largest private charitable organisation in the world and uses Microsoft’s billions in diverse philanthropic drives: supplying vaccines and birth control to developing countries and working to get the world’s 130 million girls…
Saturday Night Live: Adam Sandler returns for a ‘Family Reunion’ and reprises Opera Man
A returning Saturday Night Live initially opens with live C-SPAN coverage of Capitol Hill, but since attorney general William Barr disobeyed congressional Democrats’ and refused to give testimony last week, we cut to Celebrity Family Feud: Avengers v Game of Thrones edition. The Marvel team is comprises “Scientologist” Thor (Alex Moffat), “swole Grimace” Thanos (Beck…
Apple finds wearable ‘gimmicks’ really count as iPhone slips
If Apple wants to prove to doubters that there is life beyond the iPhone, then the wrists and ears of millions of customers could provide the answer. Twelve years from the launch of Steve Jobs’s signature product, Apple wearables – and the services that tie in to them – have emerged as an important component…