Here are the stories making global headlines today.
President, or Emperor? Xi Jinping pushes China back to one-man rule
However, analysts warned that what initially seems like a demonstration of absolute power could actually be a sign of weakness, with Xi apparently unwillingly to allow the rise of a potential political rival. This could lead to future instability in the world’s most populous country as wannabe successors jockey for power within a Communist Party (CCP) completely dominated by Xi.
Fear and horror among Indonesia’s LGBT community as gay sex ban looms
He worked hard and found a good job as a teacher in the sprawling Indonesian capital, but seven years later the 23-year-old is fearful for his future as a young gay man in a country which increasingly views homosexuality as a sin and, potentially soon, a crime. “Many people don’t like us …
Nikolas Cruz’s behavior raised numerous red flags, but no one intervened
While the individual incidents may not have foreshadowed a mass shooting, his pattern of disturbing behavior grew over the years, begging the question: Why did no one intervene? Emma Gonzalez, one of Cruz’s classmates at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, said in a speech last week that his peers reported his behavior “time and time again.”
CNN Poll: Trump approval slides, matches lowest point of presidency
The slide follows a January bump in approval for the President, a finding that appeared connected to a bullish stock market and strong reviews for the economy. His new rating matches a December poll, which marked his lowest approval rating in CNN polling since taking office in January 2017.
Michelle Obama set to release memoir in November
The publisher, Penguin Random House, said in a statement that the book is “an unusually intimate reckoning from a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations — and whose story inspires us to do the same.”
‘Black Panther’ again tops box office, roars past $700 million worldwide in week two
The Disney and Marvel Studios film was the number one film in the U.S. for the second weekend in a row bringing in an estimated $108 million at the box office. “Black Panther” becomes only the fourth film ever to cross $100 million in its second weekend, joining “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Jurassic World,” and “The Avengers.”
Samsung Galaxy S9: better camera, AR emoji and stereo speakers
The South Korean tech giant on Sunday unveiled the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the world’s largest phone show. While the phones are about the same size as the previous versions, the Galaxy S8 and S8+, the screens are brighter and slightly bigger.
Watergate Figure Says Gates Testimony Could Be ‘The End’ Of The Trump Presidency
John Dean, one of the leading figures in the scandal that ended the presidency of Richard M. Nixon, said Donald Trump could be nearing his own Watergate moment. Former Trump campaign aide Rick Gates pleaded guilty last week to conspiracy against the United States and lying to the Special Counsel’s Office and the FBI.
Trump’s Approval Rating Drops Back To His Worst With 2 New Polls
Donald Trump ‘s approval rating has slumped again to match the lowest of his presidency, according to two new polls. The surveys were conducted amid mounting activism for gun control and security clearance problems in the White House.
Monica Lewinsky: Emerging from “the House of Gaslight” in the Age of #MeToo
How do I know him? Where have I seen him? The Man in the Hat looked familiar, I thought, as I peered over at him a second time. It was Christmas Eve 2017. My family and I were about to be seated at a quaint restaurant in Manhattan’s West Village.
Trump’s Personal Pilot Reportedly On Shortlist To Run FAA
President Donald Trump ‘s personal pilot is reportedly one of several people under consideration to lead the Federal Aviation Administrations. Axios was the first to report that John Dunkin, who has worked for Trump since before he became president, was on a shortlist to lead the FAA.
Kendrick Lamar Wants To Play A Villain In The Next ‘Black Panther’
Crafting the score of your own on-screen appearance would be a next level cameo. In an interview with BBC Radio, award-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar says he’s not just interested in a cameo in the next “Black Panther” movie, he wants to play a villain similar to Michael B.
Only three people speak this language
Would you like to learn a few words of a language only three people in the world speak? Badeshi used to be spoken widely in a remote snow-clad valley, deep in the mountains of northern Pakistan. But it is now considered extinct.
US gun lobby ‘doesn’t back any ban’
The US National Rifle Association (NRA) has said it does not support any gun ban following a shooting in a Florida school that left 17 people dead. The NRA’s comments appear to go against President Donald Trump’s proposals to tighten gun controls.
Rare photographs that changed lives
Twenty-four photographs from the Lewis Hine archive have been auctioned in New York. The rare prints were from the collection of the late New York photographer Isador Sy Seidman. American sociologist Hine was one of the most important documentary photographers of the 20th Century.
NZ reacts to ‘creepy’ PM Ardern interview
An Australia TV interview with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in which she was called “attractive” has been widely criticised as “creepy” and inappropriate. In an interview on current affairs show 60 Minutes, veteran reporter Charles Wooley said he was “smitten” by the PM.
Weinstein Company to file for bankruptcy
The New York studio co-founded by disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein is to file for bankruptcy after talks to sell its assets to an investor group collapsed, reports say. Talks ended two weeks ago when the New York attorney general’s office filed a lawsuit against the Weinstein Company.
An AI just beat top lawyers at their own game
The nation’s top lawyers recently battled artificial intelligence in a competition to spot errors in contracts – and they lost. A new study, conducted by legal AI platform LawGeex in consultation with law professors from Stanford University, Duke University School of Law, and University of Southern California, pitted twenty experienced lawyers against an AI trained to evaluate legal contracts.
People are weirded out by this interview with New Zealand’s Prime Minister
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern certainly has been getting worldwide attention. But an interview aired by the Australian version of 60 Minutes on Sunday has irked some people, who’ve labelled the piece by reporter Charles Wooley as “creepy” due to the focus on her looks and some pretty awkward comments about her pregnancy.
Russian spies reportedly tried to make it look like North Korea hacked the Olympics
Hackers weren’t just out to cause mischief at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Officials in the U.S. now believe Russian spies to be the source of a Feb. 9 hack that occurred during the event’s opening ceremony. More troublingly, the perpetrators of the hack apparently tried to make it look as though it was all the work of North Korean agents.
