3 d. ago Protesters torch Bangladesh newspaper offices after student leader dies

The Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka was on edge on Friday (December 19), with the offices of several newspapers still reeling from a night of protests, triggered by the death of popular youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi. Hadi, 32, a spokesperson for the Inquilab Mancha platform who participated in the student-led protests that overthrew the government […]

Politics

3 d. ago Trump signs order to ease US marijuana regulations, sparking industry hopes

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an order directing the loosening of federal regulations on marijuana, a move that could further reverse decades of tough-on-weed policy. Trump’s order instructs the attorney general to quickly move ahead with reclassifying marijuana. If that happens, the psychoactive plant would be listed alongside common painkillers, ketamine and testosterone […]

Politics

6 d. ago Counterfeit products a growing concern, Consumer Council cautions

Counterfeit products are becoming an increasing concern in Fiji’s markets, with authorities warning that many shoppers may be unknowingly purchasing fake goods. The Consumer Council of Fiji says while counterfeit items are widely sold, very few complaints are being lodged by consumers. Chief Executive Seema Shandil says many shoppers struggle to tell the difference between […]

Politics

8 d. ago Doctor who sold ketamine to Matthew Perry before death gets 2 1/2 years in prison

A doctor who pleaded guilty to selling ketamine to Matthew Perry in the weeks before the “Friends” star’s overdose death was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison. Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett handed down the sentence plus two years of probation to 44-year-old Dr. Salvador Plasencia in a federal courtroom in Los Angeles. The judge […]

Events

8 d. ago Ales Bialiatski, who won Nobel prize while behind bars, is freed from prison

Human rights campaigner Ales Bialiatski fought for decades on behalf of political prisoners in Belarus, earning the Nobel Peace Prize but paying the cost of his own freedom. The Nobel award in 2022 made Bialiatski a globally recognised symbol of resistance to the authoritarian rule of President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russia’s Vladimir […]

Events

1 week ago Indonesia says more than $3 billion in recovery funds required after Sumatra floods

Indonesia’s Sumatra island will require 51.82 trillion rupiah ($3.11 billion) in reconstruction and recovery funds following a series of deadly floods, senior government officials said. The death toll from the cyclone-induced floods and landslides reached 950 as of Monday, with 274 people still missing, according to official data. The storms also killed about 200 people […]

Events

2 w. ago Welcome to Derry adapted the traumatic book moment — death scene and all

It’s a relatively short passage in the context of Stephen King’s 1,000-plus-page It novel, but it takes center stage on the HBO prequel series It: Welcome to Derry. Decades before Pennywise torments the Loser’s Club, members of the Maine Legion of White Decency, a white supremacist group, set fire to the Black Spot, a military […]

Events

2 w. ago Spanish gold coin from 1609 breaks European record at auction

A large gold coin minted in 1609 for Spain’s King Philip III broke records to become the most valuable coin in Europe at a sale in Switzerland. The unique 339-gram piece sold for 2,817,500 Swiss francs ($3.49 million). It had a starting price of 2 million Swiss francs, the Geneva-based Numismatica Genevensis SA auction house […]

Politics

2 w. ago Southeast Asia storm deaths near 800 as scale of disaster revealed

The death toll from cyclone-induced floods and landslides in Indonesia passed 600 as rescuers battled to clear roads and improved weather conditions revealed the scale of a disaster that has killed nearly 800 people in Southeast Asia. Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand have suffered devastation after a rare tropical storm formed in the Malacca Strait unleashed […]

Events

2 w. ago Meadow Walker remembers father Paul 12 years after his death

Paul Walker’s daughter is paying tribute to her beloved dad. On Sunday, 12 years to the day after the car accident that claimed the Fast & Furious franchise star’s life, the model and philanthropist shared a series of images accompanied by a touching caption on her Instagram to commemorate his life. “12 years without you […]

Events

3 w. ago Samuel L. Jackson to star in NOLA King spinoff of Tulsa King

The success of Sylvester Stallone’s Tulsa King proves yet again the dramatic potential of throwing a stranger into a strange land. The Paramount+ crime series, created by Yellowstone mastermind Taylor Sheridan, stars Stallone as Dwight “The General” Manfredi, an aging gangster who, after serving 25 years in prison, is ferried off to Tulsa, Okla., to […]

Politics

3 w. ago Death toll hits 212 as Sri Lanka struggles with Cyclone Ditwah impact

Sri Lanka’s death toll from Cyclone Ditwah climbed to 212 with 218 missing, officials said on Monday, as flood waters breached a dam and rescue operations continued into a fourth day. Nearly a million people are impacted by heavy rains and floods that swept through large parts of the south Asian island nation forcing nearly […]

Events

3 w. ago Dhanush–Kriti Sanon’s Tere Ishk Mein clocks 50,000 advance tickets

The Dhanush and Kriti Sanon led Tere Ishk Mein is set for a good start at the box office in India as the booking trends are encouraging. As of Thursday at 4.30 PM, Tere Ishk Mein has sold approx. 50,000 tickets across the top 3 national chains – PVRInox, and Cinepolis – and is looking […]

Sport

3 w. ago Floods and landslides in Indonesia’s Sumatra kill at least 174

The death toll from floods and landslides on the Indonesian island of Sumatra island has risen to 174. This is up from the previous 94. The country’s disaster mitigation agency said on Friday, adding that dozens remain missing.  

Events

3 w. ago Perry Baker set to make first Fiji appearance for Mike Friday Selects

Global sevens icon Perry Baker is the latest superstar confirmed for the McDonald’s Mike Friday Select 7s squad, adding even more star power to what is shaping up to be one of the strongest invitational line-ups ever assembled. Baker, a two-time World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year, will make his long-awaited debut in Fiji […]

Politics

4 w. ago Stallone’s Tulsa King season 3 ends with distillery power shift

“Bourbon and blood” has been the overarching theme of Tulsa King’s third season, with Sylvester Stallone’s reinvigorated gangster going to war with a local liquor titan (and mobster) over the fate of a local distillery. The Paramount+ series began with Stallone’s Dwight “The General” Manfredi, now free after a 25-year stint in prison, attempting to […]

Politics