Connect with us

Published

on

California senator Dianne Feinstein – known for being a vocal advocate of gun control measures – has died aged 90.

The Democratic Party politician, who tried to find common ground with Republicans over three decades in the Senate, died despite planning to retire at the end of her term.

She was the oldest member of the chamber and had faced calls to resign over concerns about her health.

Feinstein was also the longest-serving female senator, elected in 1992.

She died last night at her home in Washington, D.C. according to a statement from her office issued on Friday.

“Senator Feinstein never backed away from a fight for what was just and right,” the statement said.

“There are few women who can be called senator, chairman, mayor, wife, mom and grandmother.

More from US

“Senator Feinstein was a force of nature who made an incredible impact on our country and her home state.

“She left a legacy that is undeniable and extraordinary.”

Pic: AP
Image:
Pic: AP

President Joe Biden hailed Feinstein as a “pioneering American” and a “trailblazer” after learning of her death.

He described her as a “passionate defender of civil liberties” and a “strong voice for national security policies that keep us safe while honouring our values” when she announced her retirement.

“I’ve served with more U.S. Senators than just about anyone,” Mr Biden said.

“I can honestly say that Dianne Feinstein is one of the very best.”

In March, Feinstein’s spokesperson said she was dealing with a “health matter” after she missed votes at the end of February.

She cast her final vote in the first of three votes at the Senate on Thursday, hours before her death.

The politician is recorded as not having taken part in the remaining two ballots.

Feinstein seen in the US Capitol on 12 September Pic: AP
Image:
Feinstein seen in the US Capitol on 12 September Pic: AP

Feinstein championed the assault weapons ban signed into law by then-President Bill Clinton in 1994.

She fought for restrictive laws after that ban expired a decade later.

Feinstein also served as chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, leading reviews of the CIA’s detention and interrogation program created after the 9/11 terror attacks.

This was key to the introduction of laws banning the use of methods of torture.

‘A person of unquestioned integrity’

Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said she she was “deeply saddened” by her death.

The ex-First Lady posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: [Feinstein] blazed trails for women in politics and found a life’s calling in public service.

“I’ll miss her greatly as a friend and colleague and send my condolences to all who loved her.”

Missouri Senator, Josh Hawley, described his late California counterpart as “tough, incredibly smart and effective”.

He posted on X: “Always willing to work across the aisle to get things done, she was a person of unquestioned integrity.”

Virginia congressman, Don Beyer, wrote on X: “Senator Feinstein’s career spanned 50+ years of service to the Bay Area, California and the nation.

“She survived assassination attempts to become the longest-serving woman Senator, a pioneer for LGBT rights and civil liberties, and national leader on gun violence prevention. RIP.”

Pic: AP
Image:
Pic: AP

Central Florida congressman, Maxwell Frost, praised her as a “champion for gun violence prevention that broke barriers at all levels of government”.

“We wouldn’t have had an assault weapons ban if it wasn’t for Senator Feinstein and due to her tireless work, we will win it back. May her memory be a blessing,” he said.

And California Governor, Gavin Newsom, described Feinstein as a “political giant” and “powerful, trailblazing US senator”, whose “tenacity was matched by her grace”.

San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein, pictured in 1984, 'broke down barriers and glass ceilings' Pic: AP
Image:
San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein, pictured in 1984, ‘broke down barriers and glass ceilings’ Pic: AP

“She broke down barriers and glass ceilings but never lost her belief in the spirit of political cooperation,” Newsom wrote on X.

“There is simply nobody who possessed the strength, gravitas and fierceness of Dianne Feinstein.”

Fellow California Democrat, US representative Nancy Pelosi, said Feinstein’s “extraordinary” career would inspire “countless young women and girls to pursue public service for generations to come”.

Paving the way for women in politics

Feinstein was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1969 and became its first female president in 1978.

In the same year, Mayor George Moscone was gunned down at City Hall alongside Supervisor Harvey Milk – whose body was discovered by Feinstein.

Dianne Feinstein was elected San Francisco mayor after the death of George Moscone in 1978
Image:
Dianne Feinstein was elected San Francisco mayor after the death of George Moscone in 1978

She became the state’s first female mayor in the wake of the tragedy.

Feinstein was one of California’s first two female senators, the first woman to head the Senate Intelligence Committee and the first to serve as the Judiciary committee’s top Democrat.

“I recognise that women have had to fight for everything they have gotten, every right,” she said in 2005.

Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts

Continue Reading

World

Financial markets were always going to respond to Trump tariffs but they’re also battling with another problem

Published

on

By

Financial markets were always going to respond to Trump tariffs but they're also battling with another problem

Global financial markets gave a clear vote of no-confidence in President Trump’s economic policy.

The damage it will do is obvious: costs for companies will rise, hitting their earnings.

The consequences will ripple throughout the global economy, with economists now raising their expectations for a recession, not only in the US, but across the world.

Tariffs latest: FTSE 100 suffers biggest daily drop since COVID

Financial investors had been gradually re-calibrating their expectations of Donald Trump over the past few months.

Hopes that his actions may not match his rhetoric were dashed on Wednesday as he imposed sweeping tariffs on the US’ trading partners, ratcheting up protectionism to a level not seen in more than a century.

Markets were always going to respond to that but they are also battling with another problem: the lack of certainty when it comes to Trump.

More on Donald Trump

He is a capricious figure and we can only guess his next move. Will he row back? How far is he willing to negotiate and offer concessions?

Read more:
There were no winners from Trump’s tariff gameshow
Trade war sparks ‘$2.2trn’ global market sell-off

These are massive unknowns, which are piled on to uncertainty about how countries will respond.

China has already retaliated and Europe has indicated it will go further.

That will compound the problems for the global economy and undoubtedly send shivers through the markets.

Much is yet to be determined, but if there’s one thing markets hate, it’s uncertainty.

Continue Reading

World

Court confirms sacking of South Korean president who declared martial law

Published

on

By

Court confirms sacking of South Korean president who declared martial law

South Korea’s constitutional court has confirmed the dismissal of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached in December after declaring martial law.

His decision to send troops onto the streets led to the country’s worst political crisis in decades.

The court ruled to uphold the impeachment saying the conservative leader “violated his duty as commander-in-chief by mobilising troops” when he declared martial law.

The president was also said to have taken actions “beyond the powers provided in the constitution”.

Demonstrators who stayed overnight near the constitutional court wait for the start of a rally calling for the president to step down. Pic: AP
Image:
Demonstrators stayed overnight near the constitutional court. Pic: AP

Supporters and opponents of the president gathered in their thousands in central Seoul as they awaited the ruling.

The 64-year-old shocked MPs, the public and international allies in early December when he declared martial law, meaning all existing laws regarding civilians were suspended in place of military law.

Read more from Sky News:
Highs and lows of Five-Year Keir
MP tells Sky News she was targeted online by Tate brothers

More on South Korea

The Constitutional Court is under heavy police security guard ahead of the announcement of the impeachment trial. Pic: AP
Image:
The court was under heavy police security guard ahead of the announcement. Pic: AP

After suddenly declaring martial law, Mr Yoon sent hundreds of soldiers and police officers to the National Assembly.

He has argued that he sought to maintain order, but some senior military and police officers sent there have told hearings and investigators that Mr Yoon ordered them to drag out politicians to prevent an assembly vote on his decree.

His presidential powers were suspended when the opposition-dominated assembly voted to impeach him on 14 December, accusing him of rebellion.

The unanimous verdict to uphold parliament’s impeachment and remove Mr Yoon from office required the support of at least six of the court’s eight justices.

South Korea must hold a national election within two months to find a new leader.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, is the early favourite to become the country’s next president, according to surveys.

Continue Reading

World

Stock markets suffer sharp drops after Donald Trump announces sweeping tariffs

Published

on

By

Stock markets suffer sharp drops after Donald Trump announces sweeping tariffs

Stock markets around the world fell on Thursday after Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs – with some economists now fearing a recession.

The US president announced tariffs for almost every country – including 10% rates on imports from the UK – on Wednesday evening, sending financial markets reeling.

While the UK’s FTSE 100 closed down 1.55% and the continent’s STOXX Europe 600 index was down 2.67% as of 5.30pm, it was American traders who were hit the most.

Trump tariffs latest: US stock markets tumble

All three of the US’s major markets opened to sharp losses on Thursday morning.

A person works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Monday, March 31, 2025. Pic: AP
Image:
The S&P 500 is set for its worst day of trading since the COVID-19 pandemic. File pic: AP

By 8.30pm UK time (3.30pm EST), The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 3.7%, the S&P 500 opened with a drop of 4.4%, and the Nasdaq composite was down 5.6%.

Compared to their values when Donald Trump was inaugurated, the three markets were down around 5.6%, 8.7% and 14.4%, respectively, according to LSEG.

More on Donald Trump

Worst one-day losses since COVID

As Wall Street trading ended at 9pm in the UK, two indexes had suffered their worst one-day losses since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The S&P 500 fell 4.85%, the Nasdaq dropped 6%, and the Dow Jones fell 4%.

It marks Nasdaq’s biggest daily percentage drop since March 2020 at the start of COVID, and the largest drop for the Dow Jones since June 2020.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

The latest numbers on tariffs

‘Trust in President Trump’

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN earlier in the day that Mr Trump was “doubling down on his proven economic formula from his first term”.

“To anyone on Wall Street this morning, I would say trust in President Trump,” she told the broadcaster, adding: “This is indeed a national emergency… and it’s about time we have a president who actually does something about it.”

Later, the US president told reporters as he left the White House that “I think it’s going very well,” adding: “The markets are going to boom, the stock is going to boom, the country is going to boom.”

He later said on Air Force One that the UK is “happy” with its tariff – the lowest possible levy of 10% – and added he would be open to negotiations if other countries “offer something phenomenal”.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

How is the world reacting to Trump’s tariffs?

Economist warns of ‘spiral of doom’

The turbulence in the markets from Mr Trump’s tariffs “just left everybody in shock”, Garrett Melson, portfolio strategist at Natixis Investment Managers Solutions in Boston, told Reuters.

He added that the economy could go into recession as a result, saying that “a lot of the pain, will probably most acutely be felt in the US and that certainly would weigh on broader global growth as well”.

Meanwhile, chief investment officer at St James’s Place Justin Onuekwusi said that international retaliation is likely, even as “it’s clear countries will think about how to retaliate in a politically astute way”.

He warned: “Significant retaliation could lead to a tariff ‘spiral of doom’ that could be the growth shock that drags us into recession.”

Read more:
Do Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariff numbers add up?

Tariffs about something more than economics: power

It comes as the UK government published a long list of US products that could be subject to reciprocal tariffs – including golf clubs and golf balls.

Running to more than 400 pages, the list is part of a four-week-long consultation with British businesses and suggests whiskey, jeans, livestock, and chemical components.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said on Thursday that the US president had launched a “new era” for global trade and that the UK will respond with “cool and calm heads”.

It also comes as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a 25% tariff on all American-imported vehicles that are not compliant with the US-Mexico-Canada trade deal.

He added: “The 80-year period when the United States embraced the mantle of global economic leadership, when it forged alliances rooted in trust and mutual respect and championed the free and open exchange of goods and services, is over. This is a tragedy.”

Continue Reading

Trending