From mirror sunglasses to heated toilet seats, a weekly roundup of offbeat stories from around the world.
Macron’s sunglasses spark diplomacy debate
The sunglasses French President Emmanuel Macron wore to cover an eye injury during his speech at Davos have attracted international attention after he challenged Donald Trump’s policies.
Britain’s Daily Telegraph asked whether “Macron’s sunglasses can save the West”, noting that “testosterone is the primary currency in Davos, and the French president’s aviators have placed him at the top of the pecking order.”
Trump mocked the look, saying “I watched him sort of be tough” in those “beautiful sunglasses” as Macron said France rejected “bullies”. “What the hell happened?” the US leader asked.
Following the speech, Trump appeared to walk back threats to annex Greenland, though he confused Greenland with Iceland four times during his address. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt later disputed this characterisation.
Macron, a keen boxer, told French troops earlier in the week that he was calling his injury “the eye of the tiger” after Trump leaked one of their personal messages.
Demand for the Henry Jullien sunglasses surged after his speech, crashing the French eyewear maker’s website.
Greenland protesters adopt MAGA acronym
Dozens of Greenlanders took to the streets of Nuuk wearing red MAGA baseball caps in protest against Trump’s plans for Greenland. However, their version of MAGA stands for “Make America Go Away”.
Toilet maker’s shares rise on semiconductor demand
Shares in Japanese toilet maker Toto jumped nearly 10 per cent in one day this week after investors recognised the company’s role in the artificial intelligence boom.
The manufacturer, famous for heated toilet seats, produces “electrostatic chucks” that are a key component in semiconductors powering artificial intelligence technology.
Eight out of 10 Japanese homes have electric bidet toilets. The products have gained a following abroad, with celebrities including singer Drake and the Kardashians reportedly using them.
Czech PM buys globe to locate Greenland
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, a self-declared “Trumpist”, has attracted criticism at home after purchasing an expensive globe to “find Greenland”.
The billionaire told reporters he had spent $720 on “a lovely, large one to see exactly where this Greenland is.”
With it, he said he could see how close Greenland is to Russia in case “there were a conflict, heaven forbid”.
Social media users responded by suggesting Babis use his new globe to look for Ukraine to see “how close the war is”, after he rejected military aid to help the country resist the Russian invasion.
“Some people are laughing at me because their brains are different from mine,” Babis said later.
You must be logged in to post a comment.