Brunei will not enforce death by stoning for gay sex, after global outcry

On April 3, Brunei introduced a new hardline sharia penal code that included death by stoning as a punishment for adultery and gay sex. The penalty proposed by the small Southeast Asian country sparked worldwide fury including boycotts, warnings and protests by the UN, human right groups and celebrities such as George Clooney, Ellen DeGeneres and Elton John. But on May 5, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah delivered a speech which appeared to show that the country was backing down on its plans for…