Apology to gay spooks

The head of Britain’s MI6 intelligence service has apologised to gay spies and aspiring agents who were fired or denied jobs because of their sexuality. Richard Moore said a ban on LGBT spies that lasted until 1991 was ‘‘wrong, unjust and discriminatory’’. Although same-sex relationships were decriminalised in England in 1967, gay people continued to be barred from working in Britain’s intelligence services on security grounds, because of the view that they were more susceptible to blackmail than straight people. Because of MI6 secrecy, it is not known how many people were affected by the discriminatory policy.

Kim Kardashian West has filed for divorce from Kanye West after 61⁄2 years of marriage, bringing an impending end to one of the mostfollowed celebrity unions of the 21st century, between a reality TV superstar and a hip-hop and fashion phenomenon. Kardashian is seeking joint custody of their four children, and her court filing states that the couple have a prenuptial agreement that will determine how their assets will be divided. It cites irreconcilable differences for their breakup. The couple began dating in 2012, had their first child in 2013, and married in May 2014 in a ceremony at a Renaissance fortress in Florence. It was the first marriage for West, 43, and the third for Kardashian, 40. But their careers did not have much overlap, they spent much of their married time apart, and West has struggled with mental illness.