But Mr. Rajapaksa’s latest populist gesture — ordering a 40 percent reduction in a tax on sugary drinks — has incensed experts who say the policy was mitigating sugar’s adverse effects on public health. The original tax, introduced in November 2017, was 50 Sri Lankan cents for every gram of sugar in sweetened beverages. (One…
Details
Getty ImagesFabian Palencia / EyeEm A pro shopping tip: Once you find the perfect party dress, invest and never look back. A great style can take you from cocktail to black-tie soirée and intimate dinner date to wee-hours-of-the-morning dance party. Even if a silhouette or cut doesn’t appear super versatile at first glance, you can…
Details
In 2004, Beyonce met Nelson Mandela when she was billed as a performer at his inaugural 46664 Aids Benefit Concert in Cape Town, South Africa. This past Sunday, the singer returned to Cape Town for the Global Citizens Festival and not only honored the late South African president and activist, but carefully celebrated the continent’s…
Details
Image Ray Kelvin, the founder and chief executive of the British fashion chain Ted Baker, is known for trying to keep a low public profile. CreditAstrid Stawiarz/Getty Images LONDON — Current and former employees of the British fashion chain Ted Baker are accusing the company’s founder and chief executive of inappropriate behavior, citing a “forced…
Details
What is it with designers bringing back their greatest hits? First, Donatella Versace offered an ode to her brother Gianni’s archives, as well as to his most celebrated supermodel moment, in 2017, on the 20th anniversary of his murder; then Fendi brought back the baguette bag; then Marc Jacobs announced his “grunge redux” collection, which…
Details
When it comes to decorating for the holidays, few things are easier, yet more transformative, than hanging a wreath. “I think nothing is friendlier than putting a wreath on your door,” said Carolyne Roehm, the lifestyle author and tastemaker. “Maybe I’m just very hokey, but it’s so welcoming, and gives me a sense of warmth.”…
Details
I saw a worried mother with a sickish 18-month-old in clinic recently. I say sickish because the mother was much more worried than the toddler was sick; the child was ping-ponging around the room, squirming with outrage when examined, and shrieking with delight when tickled. But she had had some low-grade fevers in recent days,…
Details
By Austin Frakt If part of a hospital stay is to recover from a procedure or illness, why is it so hard to get any rest? There is more noise and light than is conducive for sleep. And nurses and others visit frequently to give medications, take vitals, draw blood or perform tests and checkups…
Details
About an hour after downloading TikTok, the popular video-sharing app, I experienced a bizarre sensation, one I haven’t felt in a long time while on the internet. The knot in my chest loosened, my head felt injected with helium, and the corners of my mouth crept upward into a smile. Was this … happiness? TikTok…
Details
CAIRO — When an Egyptian actress strutted down the red carpet in Cairo last week, twirling and smiling in a revealing lace dress, she had hoped to turn heads in the movie world. Instead, she now faces criminal charges that could potentially land her in prison. Three Egyptian lawyers known for using the courts to…
Details