It may still be a crime to be gay in 77 countries, but at least now thousands of people are speaking out LGBT rights around the world an interactive Recent headlines in Europe and the US could lead you to believe that the momentum is building in favour of equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) people. A deeper look at the data, however, reveals a more complicated story unfolding around...
It may be a 'fashion thing' but the stance taken against the sharia-loving sultan reflects a new pro-activism In his almost 50 years as a successful absolute ruler, the Sultan of Brunei has naturally encountered little opposition. It will have helped that criticism of the Brunei royal family, an outfit close to the heart of Prince Charles, is prohibited. Public gatherings of 10 or more people require...
Protesters gather outside the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles on Monday after the hotel's owner, the Sultan of Brunei, introduced sharia law in his home country. They called for a boycott of the sultan's hotel group, the Dorchester Collection. Former Tonight Show host Jay Leno attends the demonstration over human rights in Brunei Continue reading... ...
City council condemns Brunei's death sentences for those in gay and adulterous relationships and urges sultan to divest ownership of Beverly Hills hotel, which reports $1.5m loss in bookings over controversy Authorities in Los Angeles have called on the sultan of Brunei to sell a famous Hollywood hotel at the centre of an entertainment industry boycott over its owner's introduction of anti-gay, anti-women...
Punishments will cover indecency and failure to attend Friday prayers but eventually include flogging and death by stoning The sultan of oil-rich Brunei has announced the introduction of tough Islamic criminal punishments, pushing ahead with plans that have sparked rare domestic criticism of the fabulously wealthy ruler and international condemnation. "With faith and gratitude to Allah the almighty,...
President accuses Republicans of taking government hostage over health care law as debt ceiling impasse continues Barack Obama has scaled down a trip to Asia, as a US government shutdown entered a second day with no end in sight to the funding row in Congress that triggered it. ...
China urges three nations not to make South China Sea or East China Sea rows "more complicated" China has cautioned the United States, Australia and Japan not to use their alliance as an excuse to intervene in territorial disputes in the East China Sea and South China Sea, and urged them to refrain from inflaming regional tensions. "The United States, Japan and Australia are allies but this should...
There is no booze in Brunei," I informed Bessel Kok, the candidate for FIDE president, as we boarded the flight to Bandar Seri Begawan. "Excellent!" he replied. "We will be able to give our livers a rest." It had seemed like a noble idea at the time, but by the second night we were reduced, in the opulent Empire Hotel, to ordering cocktails that at least sounded alcoholic,...
We have been asked to make clear that, although the proceedings referred to in this story were commenced, the action was never proceeded with and the case was subsequently dismissed for want of prosecution in July 2007. ...
In this merry season of goodwill and takeovers to all men, something called the Belgravia Group is said to be interested in buying Newcastle United. I have no idea who or what the Belgravia Group is, but the name has a certain louche charm. I imagine a cabal of raffish ex-cavalry officers in Savile Row suits, fronted by Terry-Thomas and Lord Lucan. I suggested this to a friend who is a season-ticket...
They are among the world's wealthiest men. Now the bitter feud of Brunei's brothers reaches its climax In one corner is the Sultan of Brunei, supreme ruler of the tiny, oil-rich state nestled beside Malaysia on the island of Borneo. In the other is Prince Jefri Bolkiah, his youngest and once-favourite brother. Brunei's former Finance Minister, Prince Jefri became known as PJ to friends during his jet-setting...
The following correction was printed in the Guardian's Corrections and clarifications column, Thursday 5 February 2009. Below we said it had been reported on the gossip pages that Prince Azim of Brunei threw a party for the Pussycat Dolls at the Mahiki nightclub in London. The office of the Sultan of Brunei has asked us to point out that this information is incorrect. ...
s most elusive wild cats has been captured on camera in a heavily logged area of Borneo rainforest together with four other endangered species, suggesting that some wildlife can survive in highly disturbed forests. The Bornean bay cat ( Pardofelis badia ) has been recorded on camera traps on just a handful of occasions to date and was only photographed in the wild for the first time in southern Sarawak...
d probably see some negative reaction to this," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch. "But people recognise that if they stick their heads up, they'll have to face the sultan's men … because rocking the boat means you could end up in a judicial system that is far from fair." Brunei...
s first female director and starring novice actors, is about a girl who wants to be a silat champion There is a joke in Brunei that if you're not shopping, driving or eating, then you must be watching a film. In this small, Muslim-majority sultanate where alcohol and live music are banned, the cinema is often the most exciting place to be. The south-east Asian country's five cinemas almost always showcase...
Second part of US president's Asian tour falls victim to the federal government shutdown ...
s presidential debate. The only mention came when Mitt Romney was listing Barack Obama's supposed lack of progress in his first term: "Are Israel and the Palestinians closer to reaching a peace agreement?" the Republican candidate asked. "No. They haven't had talks in two years." The lack of discussion reflects an agenda that is changing, partly as a result of upheaval elsewhere in the region and partly...
s adopted lingua franca Brunei and the US will this month start delivering the first of a series of intensive 11-week English-language courses for teacher trainers and government officials in southeast Asia, where consolidated language skills are expected to help unify the region before it becomes a single economic zone in 2015. The courses are part of a five-year, $25m Brunei-US English Language Enrichment...
s Olympic commitee will oversee participation of women athletes who can qualify Saudi Arabia has announced that it is to allow female citizens to take part in the Olympic Games this summer for the first time in the country's history. The move comes only months after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) faced calls to ban the country from London 2012 after the Saudi Olympic chief appeared to rule...
s 1988 Olympic record of 10.62sec. Noor, on the other hand, is likely to finish last in her heat. But in doing that she will break a barrier that has stood far longer than 24 years. Ask Noor to name her heroines, and you'll find she doesn't have any: no Qatari female role models have come before her. Noor's selection is part of a concerted effort by the Qatari authorities to prove to the IOC that after...