News Desk

As rickshaw puller Anwar Pagla turned into the road leading to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) office in Gulshan, Dhaka, on the afternoon after the parliamentary election, a small commotion stirred. His rickshaw had a Bangladeshi flag fixed to one side of the hood and the BNP’s flag to the other. Pagla is an ardent supporter.

“They call me mad because I consider this party everything in my life. But it doesn’t matter. We have won and Bangladesh will now be better,” he told Al Jazeera.

Nearly two decades after it last governed, the BNP returned to power after a landslide victory in Thursday’s parliamentary election.

The Election Commission published the gazette of the members of parliament elected, a final official seal on the election process, on Saturday. The centre-right BNP’s alliance secured 212 of the 300 seats. The alliance led by its main rival, the Jamaat-e-Islami – Bangladesh’s largest religion-based party – secured 77.

Those elections came a year and a half after a nationwide protest movement ousted the country’s former leadership and saw 1,400 people killed in the streets. Bangladesh has been led by a caretaker government since Sheikh Hasina, who led the crackdown, fled the country.

The BNP’s Tarique Rahman, set to become Bangladesh’s next prime minister, greeted supporters on Friday, saying he was “grateful for the love” they had shown him. He promised throughout BNP’s campaign to restore democracy in Bangladesh.

Mahdi Amin, BNP’s election steering committee spokesperson, said Rahman pledged that, as prime minister, he would safeguard the rights and freedoms of citizens.

Thursday’s vote passed largely peacefully, and, despite alleging “inconsistencies and fabrications” during the vote count, Jamaat accepted the outcome of the election on Saturday.

BNP had recently lost its former chairperson, Khaleda Zia – Tarique Rahman’s mother and a two-time prime minister – who died on December 30.

Khaleda Zia had led the party to power in 1991 and again in 2001. Two decades later, her son has returned the BNP to government.

At the party’s Gulshan office that afternoon, BNP activist Kamal Hossain stood among a jubilant crowd. Visibly emotional, he reflected on what he described as years of repression.

“For so long, I felt the regime of Sheikh Hasina would never go,” he said. Referring to the July 2024 uprising that forced her to flee, he added: “Now people have given us this mandate. We have taken back Bangladesh.”

Hossain said the new government’s immediate priorities should be job creation and curbing inflation.

“Prices have been hurting us, and there are too many unemployed young people. The government must address this immediately,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, remained unusually quiet on Friday.

The calm was largely by design: the BNP chose not to hold victory processions.

The Jamaat head office in the capital’s Moghbazar also appeared subdued on Friday. A few supporters around the head office expressed disappointment.

“There has been engineering in the counting process, and the media has been biased against the Jamaat alliance,” said Abdus Salam, a supporter near the office. He argued that a fair process would have yielded more seats.

Others, like Germany-based Jamaat supporter Muaz Abdullah, said Jamaat’s defeat was a failure of organisation.

“In many constituencies, Jamaat didn’t run a good election campaign. They didn’t even have proper polling agents in several places,” he said.

Though the BNP and Jamaat were allies for years, they faced each other as rivals in this election. The campaign period saw sporadic violence and months of divisive online rhetoric.

Sujan Mia, a BNP activist outside the party office, struck a conciliatory tone. “We do not want enmity. We should focus on building the nation,” he said.

Rezaul Karim Rony, editor of Joban Magazine and a political analyst who closely followed the BNP’s campaign, said the party’s victory is likely to allay concerns of a lurch to the right in Bangladesh.

“Through this election, people have, in a sense, freed the country’s politics from that risk,” he argued.

However, Rony cautioned that the real test begins now.

“The challenge is to ensure good governance, law and order, and public safety – and to establish a rights-based state,” he said, describing those goals as being at the “heart of the aspirations of the 2024 mass uprising.”

Michael Kugelman, senior fellow for South Asia at the Atlantic Council, said a BNP victory represents “a blow to the politics of change that have galvanised Bangladesh since the 2024 mass uprising”.

“The BNP, dynastic and long saddled with corruption allegations, reflects the principles that the Gen Z protesters rejected,” he said.

The party will now face pressure from both the public and the opposition to push beyond old political habits, Kugelman added.

“If the new government falls back on repressive or retributive politics, reform advocates will be disappointed and democratisation efforts will be set back,” he said.

The outcome might be the least disruptive for the region as a whole.

Pakistan might have preferred a Jamaat win, given the party’s historical affinity for Islamabad. But Pakistan has also had strong relations with the BNP, Kugelman pointed out, as has China.

And “India much prefers the BNP to Jamaat,” he added, noting that the BNP is no longer in alliance with Jamaat, which New Delhi believes takes positions contrary to its interests.

Back at the BNP’s office in Dhaka, however, geopolitics felt distant.

Shamsud Doha, a party leader, had brought his two grandchildren to share the moment.

“Nothing matches this feeling,” he said. “We have long suffered under autocratic rule. Now it is our time to build the nation.”

GORDON Ramsay has insisted that good friend David Beckham WILL end the ongoing feud with son Brooklyn.

The star has been in contact with the aspiring chef, offering messages of support and encouraging the 26-year-old to heal the heartbreaking rift.

Brooklyn, 26, blocked his parents Victoria and David and brothers Romeo and Cruz on Instagram last year. 

He then posted an explosive statement claiming his mum danced “inappropriately” with him at his lavish wedding in 2022. 

Gordon has now said that David is will get his relationship with Brooklyn “back on track” – but said he understood why Victoria was “upset”.

The Michelin starred restauranteur said: “Victoria is upset, and I know 24/7, seven days a week, just how much David loves Brooklyn.

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“Brooklyn and I have messaged a little bit, our relationship is solid. I love him – his heart is incredible.

“But it’s hard, isn’t it, when you’re infatuated. Love is blind. It’s easy to get up on that roller coaster, and get carried away. But it will come back.

“I’ve seen first hand just how good parents they are. David as a dad is just incredible. They have both put so much energy into their kids, and I know just how many times they have got Brooklyn out of the s***.”

Gordon continued: “I think it’s going to be a matter of time before Brooklyn takes a good look at himself and understands just what his parents mean to him.

”He’s desperate to forge his own way, and I respect that from Brooklyn. It’s such a good thing to do. But remember where you came from.

”And honestly, one day you’re not going to have your mum and dad, and you need to understand that. That penny will drop.

”I just want Brooklyn to take a moment to himself. And remember: You’re half mum, half dad. And you’re an amazing young man. But, boy, they’ve done more for you than anyone did in your entire life.

”Time’s going to be the best healer, and David will absolutely get that relationship back on track.”

While Brooklyn has blocked many of his family members on Instagram, he and Gordon still follow one another.

The chef, who has almost 20mn followers, has helped the youngster, and publicly backed his cooking endeavours where others were quick to mock.

Friends for almost two and a half decades, meanwhile, Posh and Becks, and Gordon and Tana have been there, through thick and thin, for one another.

Brooklyn addressed the family feud in his ­statement last month and claimed: “My mum called me ‘evil’.” 

He defended wife Nicola, 31, amid claims she was controlling him and said: “The narrative that my wife controls me is completely backwards. 

“I have been controlled by my parents for most of my life. I grew up with overwhelming anxiety. 

“For the first time in my life, since stepping away from my family, that anxiety has disappeared. 

“I wake up every morning grateful for the life I chose, and have found peace and relief. I don’t want to reconcile with my family.” 

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has determined it is safe for Yemenis to return to their country, despite ongoing conflict.

The United States government has ended the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for Yemen, ordering the more than 1,000 Yemeni refugees and asylum seekers living in the country to leave within 60 days or face arrest and deportation.

The action on Friday came as part of US President Donald Trump’s broad immigration crackdown, which is impacting those who fled perilous lives in war-torn countries.

It will terminate TPS for roughly 1,400 Yemeni nationals who have had access to the legal status since September 2015 because of armed conflict in their country, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced on Friday.

“After reviewing conditions in the country and consulting with appropriate US government agencies, I determined that Yemen no longer meets the law’s requirements to be designated for Temporary Protected Status,” Noem said in a statement.

“Allowing TPS Yemen beneficiaries to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to our national interest,” she said, describing the revocation as an act of “putting America first.”

Contrary to Noem’s determination, Yemen continues to be riven by years-long conflict in one of the world’s poorest nations.

The State Department currently advises against travel to Yemen, citing “terrorism, unrest, crime, health risks, kidnapping, and landmines”.

TPS allows narrow groups of people in the US to live and work in the country if they’re deemed to be in danger if they return to their home nations, because of war, natural disaster or other extraordinary circumstances.

While the protections are technically temporary, historically, presidents have continued to renew TPS statuses for refugees and asylum seekers rather than revoking them and rendering them undocumented.

The TPS for Yemen was last extended in 2024 and was set to expire on March 3 of this year.

Yemeni beneficiaries with no other lawful basis for remaining in the US have 60 days to voluntarily depart the country or face arrest, the statement said, offering a complimentary plane ticket and a $2,600 “exit bonus” for those who “self-deport”.

Since coming to office last year, Trump has ended the status for Venezuelans, Hondurans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, Somalis, Ukrainians and thousands of others.

The Trump administration has also expanded its travel restrictions since returning to power, imposing a total ban on citizens of 19 countries from entering the US, primarily targeting Muslim-majority and African nations, including Yemen, Somalia and South Sudan.

Citizens from a further 29 countries, including Nigeria and Senegal, are subject to partial bans.

Former Philippine justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II also among eight current, past officials named in complaint.

Two sitting Philippine senators have been identified as “co-perpetrators” in former president Rodrigo Duterte‘s crimes against humanity trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC), documents released by prosecutors show.

Senators Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and Christopher “Bong” Go are among eight current and former officials named in a document dated February 13 and posted to the court’s website late on Friday.

Duterte was arrested in the Philippines’ capital, Manila, in March 2025, and was swiftly flown to the Netherlands, where he has been held in ICC custody at The Hague. The 80-year-old insists his arrest was unlawful.

ICC prosecutors have charged him with three counts of crimes against humanity, alleging his involvement in at least 76 murders as part of his “war on drugs”.

“Duterte and his co-perpetrators shared a common plan or agreement to ‘neutralise’ alleged criminals in the Philippines [including those perceived or alleged to be associated with drug use, sale or production] through violent crimes including murder,” the prosecution document reads.

Dela Rosa, the former national police chief and enforcer of Duterte’s drug war, has previously said he believed he faced potential arrest and has been in hiding for months.

Go, re-elected in May in a landslide victory, was a key lieutenant of Duterte during both the latter’s terms as mayor of southern Davao City and as president from 2016 to 2022.

A representative of Dela Rosa said they had not yet seen the document. Go has yet to comment on the latest development.

It was not immediately clear if any of the men named in the prosecution document would face charges in court.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Kristina Conti, lawyer of several of the deceased victims’ families, noted that it’s the first time “significant details” were disclosed by the ICC to the public.

She said the inclusion of several high-ranking officials under Duterte showed that the deadly drug war under his presidency “was crafted not only to ensure implementation, but to ensure impunity”.

“The involvement of those in the investigating units, which should have acted as the killings happen, is material to the plan. This also emphasizes that the ‘war on drugs’ began in Davao,” Conti said.

Duterte is facing a four-day “confirmation of charges” hearing from February 23, in which judges will decide whether the prosecution’s allegations are strong enough to proceed to trial.

Judges have rejected arguments that the 80-year-old, who was arrested in March last year and transferred to the Netherlands the same day, was unfit to stand trial.

Go and Dela Rosa have been named as co-perpetrators in acts that took place during Duterte’s tenures as Davao mayor and president.

Former Philippine justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, who served as a lawyer for Duterte in cases involving the so-called “Davao Death Squad”, is also among the eight men named.

Ross Tugade, an ICC-accredited lawyer from the Philippines, said in a post on Facebook that the inclusion of the names of former Duterte officials indicates “that the ICC has evidence” to show a “criminal structure” in the commission of the alleged crimes.

The first of three counts against Duterte concerns his alleged involvement as a co-perpetrator in 19 murders carried out between 2013 and 2016 while he was mayor of Davao City.

The second relates to 14 murders of so-called “High Value Targets” in 2016 and 2017 when Duterte was president.

The third charge covers 43 murders committed during “clearance” operations of lower-level alleged drug users or pushers.

These took place across the Philippines between 2016 and 2018, the prosecution alleged.

The ICC also on Friday allowed the addition of 500 more complainants against Duterte in the trial.

Single on Valentine’s Day? Skip the predictable romance films and celebrate with these nostalgic, feel-good movies to lift your spirits

Valentine’s Day has come round once more, and if you’re not getting caught up in all the soppy, romantic nonsense, there’s loads of other ways you can spend your evening. If you’re staying in and swerving all the loved-up couples out there, telly is an excellent means of escape.

Valentine’s Day needn’t revolve around romance, after all. If you’ve had your fill of formulaic, predictable romantic flicks, here are some brilliant alternatives that’ll rekindle your appreciation for those nearest and dearest.

So whether you fancy a giggle on your own or with mates, ditch those rom-coms for some feel-good nostalgia this Valentine’s Day.

Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging (2008)

For anyone wanting to grasp what life was like as a British teenage girl in the late noughties, Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging hits frighteningly close to home. At some stage, we’ve all caught ourselves relating to Georgia’s worldview, however misguided it might be, reports the Express.

Adapted from Louise Rennison’s bestselling book series, we follow 14-year-old Georgia Nicholson (Georgia Groome) as she tries to navigate adolescence whilst pining after the new lad in town – a breakthrough performance from Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Throughout her mission to bag a boyfriend and organise a spectacular 15th birthday bash at a nightclub, we witness the inner workings of the teenage brain manifesting in reality through some absolutely hilarious and toe-curling antics.

Shaving off an eyebrow? Absolutely. Faking the disappearance of a beloved moggy for sympathy? Naturally. A massive pair of granny pants? Without question.

Whilst this flick might centre on Georgia’s romantic pursuits, beneath the surface lies a tender coming-of-age tale exploring insecurity, platonic bonds, and that distinctly teenage sensation that everything is utterly catastrophic. Plus, it boasts what’s arguably one of cinema’s finest original songs, guaranteed to transport you straight back to those nostalgic days.

Planning to mark Valentine’s Day with your mates this year? Nobody’s turning down this gem. Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging proved a defining British picture for younger audiences back then, and continues to supply countless cultural touchstones we reference today.

In fact, Georgia Groome recently resurrected that legendary olive outfit for a cameo appearance in the reveal video for Maisie Peters’ latest album ‘Florescence’. Nearly two decades on and that immortal line still echoes: “Boys don’t like girls for funniness”.

The film is available to stream on Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple TV.

Wild Child (2008)

The year 2008 was evidently peak teen cinema. On one side sits Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging, offering a relatively authentic portrayal of adolescent life for girls during the noughties, whilst on the other stands Emma Roberts ‘ Wild Child.

What do you do with a spoilt, glamorous Malibu Barbie teenager who leaps off cliffs into the ocean? Simple – pack them off to an all-girls boarding school deep in the English countryside.

A genuine fish out of water, Emma Roberts’ Poppy Moore couldn’t be more different from the seemingly prudish, eccentric pupils she encounters at Abbey Mount. It’s quite the exaggerated portrayal of boarding school life, but that’s rather the point – to knock the protagonist down a peg or two.

Gradually, the crisp English climate begins breaking down Poppy’s defences as she develops authentic bonds with her roommates – Kate (Kimberley Nixon), Josie (Linzey Cocker), Kiki (Sophie Wu), and Jennifer “Drippy” Logan (Juno Temple). Naturally there’s a love interest (Alex Pettyfer) and a sworn enemy (Georgia King) determined to see her fail, though that’s really beside the point when there’s such entertaining mischief afoot.

Beneath the rebellious and entitled façade lies genuine warmth, drawn out through the connections she forges. Ultimately, Poppy emerges transformed – having discovered a missing piece of herself through real mates who embrace her for who she truly is, whilst wreaking havoc around campus. Whilst Wild Child might not be the most universally relatable picture, there’s something in all of us that yearns for that kind of school adventure.

The film also marks one of Natasha Richardson’s final performances (as headmistress Mrs Kingsley) prior to her tragic passing in 2009.

Wild Child is available to stream on Netflix.

The Breakfast Club (1985)

This film boasts what’s arguably one of cinema’s most iconic closing sequences and exit tracks. The Breakfast Club, a coming-of-age comedy-drama, follows a group of outsiders whiling away the hours together during an all-day Saturday detention.

Each teenager belongs to a different social circle within the school, and their paths would ordinarily never cross in daily life. They’re set the task of penning a thousand-word essay on “who you think you are” by their notoriously harsh vice principal (Paul Gleason).

Alongside the usual rebellious teenage shenanigans and storylines, the film explores the realities lurking beneath the stereotypes presented on screen. It tackles themes including peer pressure, abuse, neglect, troubled relationships, and suicide in a manner that resonates with its audience, rendering the characters relatable to viewers.

Despite their contrasts, the group discover they’re all grappling with comparable struggles and form connections with one another. It serves as a reminder that surface appearances can be deceiving.

Whilst the group suspect their newly-formed bonds will dissolve once detention wraps up, they acknowledge they’ll view their classmates through fresh eyes going forward. As the film reaches its conclusion, we hear their moving message to their vice principal, declaring: “Each one of us is a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal.

“Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club.”

Cue Judd Nelson’s fist raise and Simple Minds’ ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’.

The Breakfast Club can be watched via Netflix, Amazon Prime and NOW TV.

Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion (1997)

There’s something about a 90s comedy that hits all of the right spots, something the 2020s can learn from. The film follows underachieving best friends Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele ( Lisa Kudrow ) who decide to reinvent themselves with fake careers to impress their former classmates at their ten-year high school reunion.

The film kicks off with the drama of the girls’ prom in 1987, where they find themselves targeted by bullying from the high school cheerleader clique. Some stroppy behaviour leads the girls to do the classic slow dance together.

Fast forward, the duo don’t appear to have achieved much success since leaving school, stuck in dead-end jobs – or jobless – living a life lacking in some sort of purpose. They’re fine, totally fine.

It’s the invitation from one of their high school tormentors to their high school reunion that makes them pull their socks up, but only in the pretence sense. It’s your typical American movie that takes you on a journey, both literally and figuratively.

Following a catastrophic falling out over their friendship, the pair go their separate ways after their drive cross-country to the reunion. Or do they?

The film is madcap, light-hearted, and chock-full of clichés, but sometimes that’s just the ticket. Let’s face it, we all need a good giggle now and then, and anything featuring Lisa Kudrow is guaranteed to leave you in fits of laughter.

You can catch this film on Disney+.

Frances Ha (2012)

Whilst we’re accustomed to seeing Greta Gerwig behind the lens, she’s equally at home in front of it. The film stars Gerwig as a struggling dancer in New York, grappling with the rollercoaster ride of her twenties alongside her best mate, Sophie (Mickey Sumner).

They say your twenties are meant to be the time of your life, but in truth, you’re still figuring out who you are and where you fit into the world. We can all identify with the unpredictability of existence; flitting from one flat to another, settling for jobs you don’t really fancy, and witnessing friendships fade as they form new relationships.

Life in the Big Apple can be complex and unsettling, regardless of which side of the Atlantic you hail from. The trials and tribulations of everyday life can weigh heavily, with Frances battling to make her mark on New York.

The film masterfully blends comedy, drama and emotion to paint an authentic picture of struggling twenty-somethings.

In 2025, Frances Ha secured the 90th spot on The New York Times’ list of “The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century”. Writing for Harper’s Bazaar, Yasmin Omar noted: “Frances Ha has become a cult classic thanks to its relatable portrait of the bewildering life stage that is young adulthood.”

Frances Ha is available on Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple TV.

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Feb. 13 (Asia Today) — Seoul apartment prices have risen more than 6% a year on average over the past four decades, data showed, reinforcing perceptions among South Korean buyers that housing in the capital remains a “safe asset.”

KB Real Estate data showed Seoul apartment prices increased an average of 6.17% a year from 1987 through 2025. That compares with a 2.56% average rise in other regions outside major metropolitan cities, the data showed.

Market analysts attributed the gap partly to policies and tax rules that have discouraged multiple-home ownership, while encouraging demand for a single “best-in-class” property in Seoul, fueling persistent scarcity.

Demand has also been supported by tighter rules on property transactions in Seoul. After the government designated the entire capital as a land transaction permit zone, purchases that rely on “gap investment” – buying a home while using a tenant’s large lump-sum deposit lease to fund the purchase – have become harder, pushing lease prices higher, analysts said.

The Korea Real Estate Board said Seoul apartment lease prices rose 3.76% last year.

A real estate industry official said Seoul apartments tend to hold value during market downturns, then rise sharply in upswings, adding that some buyers are now focusing on large new pre-sale projects as lease prices climb and new supply remains limited.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260213010004938

THREE people were detained after a Swat team descended on a home near the Tucson home of missing Nancy Guthrie, reports say.

The Friday night operation unfolded about two miles from Guthrie’s property as members of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant, reportedly acting on a tip.

Two men – along with one of their mothers – were taken into custody, a local police told Fox News Digital.

It’s unclear whether any of those detained are considered suspects.

Late Friday, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department posted on X that a statement would be “forthcoming,” but did not specify what the announcement would address.

The SWAT operation came just hours after investigators recovered DNA evidence from someone not known to be “close” to Guthrie at her property.

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos confirmed the unidentified DNA – discovered on the missing 84-year-old’s Tucson property – is now central to the probe.

He declined to say where inside the home it was found.

This is breaking news. More to follow… please refresh for more updates and follow the-sun.com for the biggest stories of the day…

Feb. 13 (Asia Today) — South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s approval rating rose 5 percentage points from the previous week to 63%, marking his highest level this year, according to a poll released Thursday by Gallup Korea.

The survey of 1,003 adults nationwide, conducted Monday through Wednesday, found that 63% of respondents said Lee was “doing well” in handling state affairs.

Those who said he was “doing poorly” fell 3 percentage points to 26%, while 11% said they had no opinion.

Among reasons for positive evaluations, “economy and people’s livelihoods” ranked highest at 16%, followed by “real estate policy” at 11% and “foreign affairs” at 10%.

For negative evaluations, “real estate policy” and “economy and people’s livelihoods” were each cited by 15% of respondents. “Foreign affairs” accounted for 9%, while 7% cited concerns about “authoritarian leadership.”

Regionally, approval was highest in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province at 81%, followed by Daejeon, Sejong and South Chungcheong Province at 69%. Support stood at 63% in Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province, 62% in Incheon and Gyeonggi Province and 58% in Seoul. Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province recorded the lowest approval at 49%.

By age group, support was strongest among respondents in their 40s at 75%, followed by those in their 50s at 70%, 30s at 66% and 60s at 65%. Approval among those 70 and older was 57%, while respondents ages 18 to 29 showed the lowest support at 39%.

Support for the Democratic Party rose 3 percentage points from the previous week to 44%, while backing for the People Power Party fell 3 percentage points to 22%.

The poll was conducted via telephone interviews using randomly selected mobile virtual numbers. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. The contact rate was 40.4% and the response rate was 13.3%.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260213010005002

This Valentine’s Day, chocolate prices are no longer at last year’s peak, but cheap chocolate has not made a comeback, and it probably never will. Last year’s cocoa price crisis, driven by a combination of extreme heat, drought and disease in key producing regions, may have eased. But the aftertaste remains: A market that no longer behaves the way it used to, because the landscapes that grow cocoa are no longer the same. And the world’s unwitting appetite for cheap chocolate at the expense of biodiversity is part of the reason.

Cocoa is one of the most rainfall-dependent crops in the tropics, grown mainly by smallholders with few safety nets. Because cocoa production is concentrated in a handful of regions, a bad season in one place can quickly ripple across global supply. That fragility was laid bare in 2024, when the Ivory Coast and Ghana, which produce nearly 60 percent of the world’s cocoa, were hit by climate extremes that slashed harvests. Prices surged by more than 300 percent, squeezing some farmers, enriching others, and leaving consumers paying for the uncertainty.

The problem is not simply that cocoa is vulnerable. It is that we have built a cocoa economy that magnifies the vulnerability. For decades, the world has chased low prices and high output, and too often that has meant converting forest landscapes into farmland, from West Africa to parts of Latin America and Southeast Asia.

But forests are not optional. They regulate rainfall, protect soils, and create the microclimates on which cocoa depends. Full-sun cocoa farms can produce higher yields in the short term, but the sugar rush is followed by a costly crash: Depleted soils, limited protection from heat and drought that is on the increase, and little for farmers to fall back on when the monocrops fail. Yields fall, farms expand deeper into forests to compensate, and the cycle repeats.

This is why cocoa’s price volatility is not a temporary blip. It is a warning sign: We are weakening the natural systems cocoa depends on at the same moment that climate change is making harvests less reliable.

Research by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) shows how extreme heat undermines agriculture, reducing both the quantity and quality of crop yields and increasing pest and disease pressure. A recent study modelling cocoa under mid-century climate change finds that warming could wipe out as much as a third to half of today’s suitable cocoa area in some core producing zones, while shifting production towards new regions. Without safeguards, that transition risks trading climate stress in one place for forest loss in another. The details will vary across regions, but the implication is global: As climate change alters weather patterns, the geography of cocoa production will shift, and a stable supply will become harder to take for granted.

Unless we build resilience now, future Valentine’s Days may come with less chocolate and higher prices.

But we can eat our chocolate and keep forests too, by changing how cocoa is grown. It starts with bringing trees back to cocoa farms, reversing the damaging practices that are ultimately undermining production. Change can be made through climate-resilient agroforestry practices that rebuild shade cover, improve soil health and moisture retention, and reduce cocoa’s exposure to heat and drought. Cocoa grown under shade trees can stabilise farm conditions and support biodiversity, while producing higher-quality beans that meet premium market standards, giving farmers stronger incentives to maintain tree cover rather than clear more land.

Sceptics argue that growing cocoa with trees means accepting lower yields. But when it comes to unsustainable practices, high productivity today comes with a high cost tomorrow. A farm that exhausts its soil, loses shade, is exposed to drought, and needs ever more chemical inputs to maintain production is not a success story. It is a trap.

In a changing climate, the point is not how much cocoa a farm can produce in a year, but how reliably it can produce year after year. That requires resilience built into the landscape, now more than ever: More tree cover, healthier soils, and diversified farm systems that protect livelihoods when climate extremes hit.

This is not theoretical. It is already happening.

In Ecuador’s Amazon province of Napo, a project financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and supported with technical assistance from the FAO has helped strengthen a sustainable cocoa value chain built around the traditional Chakra agroforestry system used by Kichwa communities. Put simply, it is cocoa grown as part of a forest garden: Kichwa women known as Chakramamas help steward these farms, cultivating cocoa under shade trees alongside a diverse mix of other crops and native plants, rather than clearing land for a single crop. Recognised by FAO as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System, the model is still expanding more than a decade on, helping Indigenous producer families earn more from premium cocoa through stronger processing, marketing, and partnerships with high-value buyers. High-end chocolatiers continue to source from Chakra producers, showing that cocoa grown alongside trees can deliver world-class quality while keeping forests standing for biodiversity, climate and land benefits.

There are more examples. In the Ivory Coast, FAO-backed efforts supported by the Green Climate Fund are already delivering results, restoring 1,084 hectares (2,679 acres) of degraded land and converting 3,527 hectares (8,715 acres) of conventional cocoa into improved agroforestry systems while reducing pressure on forests. Meanwhile, 234 farmers now have access to cocoa cooperatives, ensuring access to international fair-trade and organic certifications and a better price for their products. In Sao Tome and Principe, FAO has supported cocoa agroforestry through the GEF-funded Restoration Initiative, helping restore nearly 10,000 hectares (about 25,000 acres) of forest and improve land management across a further 23,000 hectares (about 57,000 acres). These are not boutique experiments. They are working models for stabilising supply, supporting farmer incomes, and reducing the forest loss that fuels cocoa’s growing volatility.

But projects alone will not be enough. Scaling them will take serious investment: From governments, companies, and consumers. It will also require rules that shift incentives across the entire cocoa economy, such as a new European Union law that requires cocoa and chocolate entering the EU market to be deforestation-free. By tying market access to how cocoa is grown, these rules are pushing governments, producers, and companies to rethink production models, improve traceability, and strengthen zero-deforestation cocoa systems.

Governments will also need to invest in farmer adaptation and long-term productivity, not just short-term output. That means accessible finance, practical support on farms, and policies that reward sustainable production instead of expansion into forests.

And chocolate companies need to promote resilience across their supply chains, not just chase volume. In a world of climate disruption, the cheapest cocoa is not necessarily the best bargain if it comes at the expense of farmers’ livelihoods or the ecosystems that keep cocoa viable in the years to come.

Paying farmers for chocolate that keeps forests standing is not a luxury. It is part of what makes cocoa more available and keeps farmers in business in a warming world. Chocolate is sold as a simple pleasure, but cocoa is no longer a simple crop: Its future depends on whether we treat forests and biodiversity as essential infrastructure for stable and resilient agrifood systems.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

The Night Agent season 3 trailer has left fans feeling disappointed.

The Night Agent fans have expressed their concern after the season three trailer featured a glaring absence.

Netflix’s popular spy thriller series The Night Agent is set to return on February 19 with its third season, once again starring Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland. This time around, Peter faces one of his most perilous missions yet as he works to uncover the truth behind a string of terrorist attacks.

The third instalment sees the return of several main cast members, including Fola Evans-Akingbola as Secret Service agent Chelsea Arrington and Amanda Warren as Catherine Weaver, Peter’s handler in Night Action. The new season also introduces Genesis Rodriguez as journalist Isabel and Stephen Moyer as an assassin known as The Father.

Netflix released a trailer in January which showed Peter seeking Isabel’s assistance in discovering who orchestrated the devastating events. Whilst grappling with his own internal struggles, he must contend with threats from ‘broker’ Jacob Monroe (Louis Herthum) as well as the enigmatic new assassin.

Whilst many fans were thrilled about the show’s return, a significant number have expressed concerns due to the absence of one key character. Luciane Buchanan, who played Rose Larkin, confirmed she would not be reprising her role following the show’s second season.

In the critically lauded season two finale, her character declared she was prepared to step back from her romantic entanglement with Peter, seeking the opportunity to embrace an ordinary existence free from danger. Viewers noticed her conspicuous absence from the season three trailer, prompting an outpouring of reactions in the comments section.

@BatrinaCoarPearsall expressed: “Peter and Rose’s trauma-bond is what makes this show so good.” @sherlina observed: “I feel like Rose and Peter’s bond and story were one of the main things setting this show different from other spy thrillers but now it seems like just any other spy themed shows with action but not really a story to tell.”

@tiu_forever6521 remarked: “Kinda looks like any other spy thriller without the Rose/Peter heart of it all at the core. Damn.” @ZayDaGoat1806 noted: “Without Rose it doesn’t feel the same people saying they couldn’t do her justice in this season but she’s more useful than a reporter.”

@MissFawlty lamented: “Miss Rose already! She was the show’s emotional core. Hope they bring her back big time if the show is renewed for season 4.” @Burner-g4e concluded: “What worked in season 1 was Peter’s personal motivations and determination and the relationship with Rose. Without that, this is just like every other action series. From this trailer, I feel like I’ve seen this a million times before. They’ve strayed so far from what made the show a success.”

However, fans are buzzing with anticipation for the show’s return, with @heptavian expressing: “Finally my favourite Netflix agents are back!” and @yoshikigrg8 chiming in: “Yes. I’m so glad this is happening. Really love this series.”

In September 2025, actress Buchanan confirmed she wouldn’t be making a comeback, revealing to Deadline during an interview about her series Chief of War: “As much as that show has been so amazing, especially for my career – being a lead on a U.S. show from little New Zealand was such a whirlwind.

“The writers decided that they wanted to follow Peter and his journey based on what happened at the end of season two. And so, we don’t get to see what happens to Rose, but I think it’s a really exciting time for the show, and who knows, it’s not a goodbye forever.”

Reflecting on the moment she received the news, she shared: “They [the creators] called me not so long after season two, and they were like, we’ve been trying to find a way to bring her in, but we want to do her character justice and not make her a sub-character.

“I totally respected that decision and agreed. I was like, if it makes sense to a story, I’ll do that. If it doesn’t, let’s not force that.”

The Night Agent season 3 is coming to Netflix on February 19

Feb. 13 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s government maintained its assessment for a fourth straight month that the economy is on a recovery track, citing strong semiconductor-led exports and a gradual improvement in consumption, while warning that weak employment growth and sluggish investment remain key challenges.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance said in its February “Recent Economic Trends” report that “the recovery trend appears to be continuing,” repeating wording it has used since November.

Exports rise, consumption edges up

January exports, based on customs-clearance data, rose 33.9% from a year earlier, the report said. Average daily exports increased 14.0%. Semiconductor shipments more than doubled, up 103%, while computers, wireless communications devices and automobiles also posted gains.

South Korea recorded a trade surplus of $8.74 billion, or about 12.6 trillion won ($8.7 billion), extending the surplus streak to 12 consecutive months, the report said.

The ministry cautioned that export growth remains concentrated in a limited number of items, including semiconductors, leaving the trend vulnerable to shifts in the global technology cycle and changes in U.S. trade policy.

On the domestic side, December retail sales rose 0.9% from the previous month. Fourth-quarter private consumption, based on preliminary gross domestic product data, rose 0.3% from the prior quarter.

The consumer sentiment index came in at 110.8 in January, above the 100 baseline, up 1.0 point from the previous month. Domestic credit card approvals rose 4.7% from a year earlier in January, supporting signs of a modest pickup in spending.

Hiring slows, capital spending stays weak

Employment growth slowed in January, with the number of employed people rising 108,000 from a year earlier, down from a 168,000 increase in the previous month. The unemployment rate rose 0.4 percentage points to 4.1%.

Jobs growth was led by sectors such as health and social welfare and transportation and warehousing, while hiring difficulties persisted in weaker areas such as construction, the report said.

Investment indicators remained mixed. Facility investment fell 3.6% in December from the previous month, dragged down by reduced spending on transportation equipment. Facility investment also fell 1.8% in the fourth quarter from the prior quarter, though some leading indicators, including machinery orders, improved.

Construction output rose 12.1% in December from the prior month, but construction investment fell 3.9% for the fourth quarter. A decline in building permit area was cited as a potential headwind.

Inflation cools to 2.0%

Consumer inflation rose 2.0% in January from a year earlier, easing from 2.3% in the prior month, the report said. Core inflation, excluding food and energy, also rose 2.0%.

The ministry said it will continue macroeconomic support and efforts to boost consumption, investment and exports, while monitoring risks including tougher tariff conditions among major economies and geopolitical uncertainty.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260213010004994

Welcome to Bunker Talk. This is a weekend open discussion post for the best commenting crew on the net, in which we can chat about all the stuff that went on this week that we didn’t cover. We can also talk about the stuff we did or whatever else grabs your interest. In other words, it’s an off-topic thread.

This week’s second caption reads:

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Lucas Keka, left, munitions operations technician assigned to the 726th Expeditionary Mission Support Squadron, and Staff Sgt. Daryc Fliginger, 726th EMSS Munitions Flight production supervisor, secure a munitions storage bunker at Chabelley Airfield, Djibouti, Aug. 25, 2023. The 726th EMSS provides security forces, satellite communications, munitions support, vehicle management, contracting, finance and logistics in support of USAF personnel in East Africa. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Dhruv Gopinath) 

Also, a reminder:

Prime Directives!

• If you want to talk politics, do so respectfully and know that there’s always somebody that isn’t going to agree with you. 
• If you have political differences, hash it out respectfully, stick to the facts, and no childish name-calling or personal attacks of any kind. If you can’t handle yourself in that manner, then please, discuss virtually anything else.
• No drive-by garbage political memes. No conspiracy theory rants. Links to crackpot sites will be axed, too. Trolling and shitposting will not be tolerated. No obsessive behavior about other users. Just don’t interact with folks you don’t like. 
• Do not be a sucker and feed trolls! That’s as much on you as on them. Use the mute button if you don’t like what you see.  
• So unless you have something of quality to say, know how to treat people with respect, understand that everyone isn’t going to subscribe to your exact same worldview, and have come to terms with the reality that there is no perfect solution when it comes to moderation of a community like this, it’s probably best to just move on. 
• Finally, as always, report offenders, please. This doesn’t mean reporting people who don’t share your political views, but we really need your help in this regard.

Strictly Come Dancing bosses are reportedly considering This Morning’s Sian Welby for a presenting role on the BBC series following the departure of Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman

This Morning star Sian Welby is reportedly being considered for the hosting job on Strictly Come Dancing. Towards the end of last year, long-standing presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman shocked the nation when they announced that they had quit after more than a decade on air together.

Ever since the news broke, rumours have been rife with who might take on the coveted roles on the BBC Saturday night favourite, with celebrities such as X Factor star Rylan Clark, former Strictly finalist Fleur East and Bake Off’s Mel Giedroyc all being thrown into the mix.

But now, it’s thought that bosses are looking at Sian, a radio host and occasional This Morning presenter, who, coincidentally, bears a resemblance to Tess.

READ MORE: Shirley Ballas sparks fears she’s quit Strictly Come Dancing for rival showREAD MORE: Strictly’s Anton Du Beke ‘wanted to start again’ as he shares real reason for name change

Sian, 39, has become a favourite amongst the younger audience with her presenting job on Capital FM, and also stands in on This Morning, often appearing on main hosting duties with Dermot O’Leary and fronting the ITV Daytime competitions that often run across Good Morning Britain, Lorraine and Loose Women.

A source said: “Sian might be less well-known than other names linked with Tess and Claudia’s jobs so far. But she’s got everything it takes with one special ingredient — a younger audience, thanks to her job on trendy Capital FM.

Speaking to The Sun, the source added: “And working on This Morning ticks all the TV boxes. Execs have looked at her as someone who would be a good fit for the job!”

It comes just days after Zoe Ball and Emma Willis were both said to be going for the same job on the programme. Ahead of the series’ presumed return later this year, radio host Zoe, 55, and former Big Brother presenter Emma, 49, were said to be battling it out for the top job, and only one of them will be successful because bosses want to have someone “a bit more left field” for the other position.

A source said: “It’s a straight shoot-out between Zoe, who is the front-runner, and Emma. Only one will get it, not both. The senior execs want a traditional presenter working alongside a more left-field person, a female stand-up comedian.”

Fans can also expect the comedic aspects to continue in the programme in the style of Claudia, who has also enjoyed major success with fellow BBC show The Traitors, as the source added: “It’s felt the humour Claudia brought to the show, particularly in her ‘Claudatorium’, needs to carry on.”

Ever since Tess and Claudia broke the news that they were leaving, several big showbiz names have been rumoured to be their replacements, including Chris and Rosie Ramsay, Rylan Clark, Holly Willoughby, Amanda Holden and Angela Scanlon, amongst a host of others.

In the initial announcement, which consisted of a video of the pair sitting next to one another, Claudia began with: “Hi, it’s Claud and Tess. There have been some rumblings, and we want you to hear this from us…” Tess added: “Yeah, we have news. After 21 wonderfully joyful years on Strictly, we have decided the time is right to step aside and pass on the baton…”

“The very sparkly baton…” Claudia continued before she turned to Tess and said: “You’ve been here since the beginning…” Tess, who used to host the show with the late Bruce Forsyth, then replied: “2004 with Brucey – lovely Bruce.

“That’s over two decades ago, and a lot of that time has been with you. It’s been a huge part of our lives, hasn’t it? Since our children were literally babes in arms, and now they’re young adults, and I think, genuinely, we have cherished every second.”

Claudia added: “We have, we’re so lucky to have been part of this amazing show, and we just want to thank the Strictly team because Strictly is the people who make it so thank you…” Tess agreed: “They are the very best team in television. We’ve been so lucky.

“And the audience as well, they’ve been so wonderful. They’ve been with us for this entire journey of 21 years, and we wouldn’t have a show without them, and they’ve been just so loyal and supportive.”

Claudia added: “We have, we’re so lucky to have been part of this amazing show, and we just want to thank the Strictly team because Strictly is the people who make it so thank you…” Tess agreed: “They are the very best team in television; we’ve been so lucky.”

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

Feb. 13 (Asia Today) — A vast stretch of reclaimed land in South Korea’s southwestern county of Haenam is being prepared for a government-backed artificial intelligence data center, part of a broader plan to build a new corporate city known as Solarisdo.

In Sani-myeon, where tidal flats once met the sea, construction vehicles have carved deep tracks into what was ocean just two decades ago. The site, now flattened and marked by a sign reading “Data Center,” is slated to host the National AI Computing Center by 2029.

The project is part of Jeollanam-do Province’s Solarisdo development, a 6.32 million-pyeong site – about 20.8 million square meters – envisioned as a self-sufficient city for more than 60,000 residents. The name combines “solar,” “sea” and “do,” the Korean word for province, reflecting its focus on renewable energy, waterfront development and smart-city infrastructure.

Provincial officials say the National AI Computing Center will operate as a high-performance computing hub under a public-private partnership, supporting artificial intelligence research and development.

While a groundbreaking date has not been finalized, an official said the center is scheduled to begin service in 2029.

The planned 40-megawatt facility is expected to use an average of 2.4 million liters of water per day for cooling. Jeollanam-do also aims to attract more than 20 additional data centers to the area, which could raise total daily water consumption to as much as 60 million liters – roughly equivalent to the daily water use of more than 200,000 people.

Provincial officials said the area has sufficient water resources, citing nearby Yeongam Lake, Geumho Lake and the Yeongsan River. They said average daily freshwater availability in the region reaches about 1 billion liters. Electricity demand will be addressed through a planned solar power plant and new substations in Solarisdo, officials said.

Local civic groups, however, voiced concern that large-scale data centers could deepen regional inequality and strain local resources.

An official with the Gwangju Environmental Movement Coalition said similar large industrial projects have prioritized national demand over local interests, citing the semiconductor complex in Yongin. The group questioned whether the data center would generate meaningful long-term employment and warned of added pressure on water and electricity supplies.

Jeollanam-do officials countered that the AI center is expected to create about 100 research and development jobs, including for graduates of local universities. They also said the project could attract startups and related companies, helping diversify the regional economy. Additional government support, including lower utility fees and rental assistance, may be needed to encourage investment, they added.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260213010005030

New opinion poll finds seven in 10 US adults disapprove of President Donald Trump’s handling of Greenland issue.

Denmark’s prime minister and Greenland’s premier met ⁠with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio and agreed that talks would be pursued on the running of Greenland, the semi-autonomous Danish territory that President Donald Trump has threatened to take over.

Rubio held a 15-minute meeting with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday.

Greenland’s leader Nielsen said in a post on social media that during the meeting with Rubio, “it was emphasised that the conversations being made are the right way forward and the interests of Greenland were once again clearly highlighted”.

Prime Minister Frederiksen said on X after the meeting: “Constructive talk with Secretary of State Marco Rubio together with Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Chairman of Naalakkersuisut, at the Munich Security Conference.”

“Work will continue as agreed in the high-level working group,” she said.

The meeting between the Danish and Greenlandic leaders and the US state secretary comes amid severely strained ties between Europe and Washington, and NATO allies, amid President Trump’s repeated threats to take over Greenland and criticism of European nations as “decaying” and “weak”.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump said, “We’re negotiating ‌right ‌now for Greenland.”

“I ‌think Greenland’s going to want us, but we get along very well with Europe. We’ll see how it all works out,” he said.

After months of bellicose language regarding the US’s necessity to acquire Greenland, Trump abruptly stepped back from his threats last month, saying that he had reached an understanding with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte that would give the US greater influence in the mineral-rich Arctic territory.

Late last month, the US, Denmark and Greenland also launched talks to find a diplomatic path out of the crisis.

Poll finds most US adults disapprove of Trump’s Greenland plan

The US administration has cited key national security concerns related to Russia and China to justify its demand to take control over Greenland and has accused Denmark, and Europe more broadly, of being unable to defend the strategic territory.

But, according to a new opinion poll conducted by The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, Trump’s push to seize control of Greenland has gone down badly with the US public and members of his own party.

The survey, conducted between February 5-8, found that about seven in 10 US adults disapprove of how Trump is handling the Greenland issue – a higher disapproval rating than the share of those who dislike how he is handling foreign policy generally.

Even among Republican supporters, about half disapprove of his attempt to turn Greenland into US territory, according to the poll.

Sweden said on Thursday that it would send fighter jets to patrol Greenland as part of a newly launched NATO mission in the Arctic aimed at placating Trump’s concerns over the threats posed by Moscow and Beijing.

The government said in a statement that Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets would patrol Greenland as part of the newly-launched NATO mission, Arctic Sentry.

“As a NATO ally, Sweden has a responsibility to contribute to the security of the entire territory of the Alliance. The Arctic region is becoming increasingly important from a strategic perspective,” Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said.

In a separate statement, the Swedish Armed Forces said the fighter jets would be based out of Iceland, where six aircraft have been stationed since early February as part of the rotating incident response force, NATO Air Policing.

Swedish special forces would also be sent to Greenland to take part in training exercises for a couple of weeks, the military said.

Ryan Sickler is used to asking the question that people are afraid to ask: “Is there anyone here who has ever actually died and come back and would be comfortable talking about it in front of all of us?”

It’s not your typical comedy show crowd work but it has profound results. During his special “Ryan Sickler: Live & Alive” released on YouTube in October, a woman in the audience talked about a near-death experience as a child where she rode her bicycle in front of a neighbor’s station wagon. But Sickler pointed out that this remarkable level of candor in the audience is something he continues to marvel about. In fact, he said they did two shows the night they taped his special and during the second show two people in the crowd said they had near-death experiences.

“When I ask the question, I know there’s someone in the crowd that’s like, ‘There’s nobody in here that’s died and come back,’” Sickler said. “So now they’re all very excited to listen too. Like, what happened to this lady, or what happened to this guy? You know, there’s been some wild ones, some real funny ones out there too.”

Given how many comedy specials are being released on various streaming platforms, he says that “we have lost the specialness of the special.” But Sickler said since coming so close to death and being able to talk about it with candor and relatability, he is still calling his latest self-produced YouTube special, special. It now has more than 1 million views on YouTube. Sickler has been on the comedy scene for more than 30 years and released his comedy special “Lefty’s Son” in 2023. He also hosts the “HoneyDew Podcast.” His comedy career has often incorporated his lived experience with a rare blood-clotting disease called Factor V Leiden that almost killed him.

But these days, he’s grateful to be alive, to have been able to wake up when it looked like he might not, to watch his daughter continue to grow up and the laughs along the way. Sickler has long been candid about his chronic health issues with his comedy but he has found particular meaning in doing crowd work when he performs, that talks about death and what it means to live.

The Times recently spoke with Sickler about his special and how he thinks about his sense of health, humor and mortality.

Ryan Sickler in the studio where he films the “HoneyDew Podcast.”

(Al Seib / For The Times)

What did you want to say this time around in your new special?

My first special was something that was a bit of a hybrid of stuff that had been out there and around, but I didn’t own it. It was out there on people’s platforms. They’re making the money off of it. And so I did a bit of, “Let me get this stuff on my channel where I can control it.” And then the other part of that special was becoming a new single dad, all those things this time, specifically, I really just wanted to talk about what had happened and the results after that. I follow these comedy accounts and in October, there were 31 stand-up specials that hit between Netflix, Hulu, YouTube. November was 30. This month was a little slow because the holidays, but it was still at 18 the last time I checked. So I don’t think there’s anything special about stand-up specials anymore. You’re in an environment now where there’s a stand-up special a day, people are doing that with podcasts. There’s so much content going on out there, and I feel like a lot of it is the same. So I this time wanted to just take something that happened very personal to me, this incident, and then tell the story, not only behind it, but what happened after and I was really proud of being able to just focus on that and make that into this special instead of just my observations on this or my thoughts on that. I’m a storyteller and I really think that’s what art is.

When did you realize you had the courage to write about this near–death experience?

I know I had the courage to write about it a long time ago. When I’m making people laugh at my father’s funeral and things like that, I knew I was comfortable being able to take on the material. But what I didn’t know was, could I make it funny? Could I make it relatable? Could I make this one thing that happened to this one person on this rock in outer space matter to anybody and make them care? Because it’s not like we all had this happen to us. This is just one thing that happened to this one dude. So that was really what I was more worried about, is like, can I get this message across and make it relatable, funny and entertaining at the same time? Which is why I threw in those really expensive light cues.

It can be very challenging to hear about these traumatic [near–death] experiences that people have had. How do you absorb that and not absorb it too much?

I’ve been doing this show for so long that it does start to wear on you a little bit hearing a lot of the trauma. So I created a new podcast a couple years ago called the Wayback, which is just fun, funny, nostalgia. So that also for me, was like, let’s not dig into the tears and let’s just laugh about growing up. So that was one way where I could still keep it in my lane and do my job, where I alleviate that a little bit. But the other thing, and I make fun of myself a little, is I’m like the paramedic at the party now. I’m the guy that’s like “You think that’s bad, wait until you hear this.” “This one guy …” “This one lady …” You know what I mean? So I’ve almost become sort of their voice, and I have absorbed it in a way that isn’t so negative, where I carry it home with me. I always forget the quote how it’s worded, but it’s something to the tune of, if we all stood in a circle and threw our problems in the middle, we’d all take our shit right back. It’s like you know what, that’s what you’re dealing with? I’m gonna go ahead and take mine.

How is hearing all these stories and connecting with the crowd and fans in this way [about near–death experiences] changed how you think about your own sense of mortality?

Even with my close call, like, that one angered me, because you start to think about things. You never know how you’re really going to go. You might have an idea if you’re getting older and cancer runs in your family, whatever, but the fact that you could go to a hospital for a simple surgery, they don’t listen to you, everything’s there in your paperwork. You’re your own advocate. You’re doing all the right stuff by yourself, and you’re among professionals, medical professionals, not Yahoos, and you can still have someone else make a mistake and your life is gone. That started me thinking a lot like, “Oh man, for no fault of my own, I could also be gone.” So I go day by day, and I try to be happy day by day. And I’m not going to lie, I also like to know I got a little something tomorrow too.

Do you think that incorporating death and near–death in your comedy helps people work through their own feelings about death and grief?

I only say yes to that because the amount of emails I get, the amount of feedback we get, the amount of guests that still continue to show up [to support] the Patreon. I’ve definitely found, I would say, a purpose in my people. If you’re someone saying you’re a jerk for laughing at this lady talking about cancer, we’re not laughing at her cancer. We’re laughing at something, some light that she found in the darkness of this and trying to have a moment here together, all about, “Hey, there’s some positive ways to look at things at your lowest.” So I know it’s helped people. I mean, we have, over the years, probably thousands of emails now. We have people telling us how much it’s helped. And I mean just through podcasting, I found out I have this blood disease. I was 42 at the time, and already been podcasting. There’s a lady I went to high school with. She’s like “Ryan, my son is 17. He started clotting.” I said, “Go ahead and check for this.” He listens to the podcast. This kid has it. I said, “Well, bad news. It’s genetic.” Now the whole family’s got to get tested. And if you have it from one parent, it’s not great, but having it from two is bad. The whole family gets tested. The parents have it. She’s got it from both her parents. So I can’t get over the fact that a woman I knew when we were children, 35 years later is like, “Hey, that thing you’re talking about on your podcast, my kids, my family, we all have it.” And then I’ve talked about another disease I also have, called Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which is CMT. And from bringing that up, people hit me up on that like “I have it, no one ever talks about that.”

What have you found to be one of the positives — besides surviving — of your near–death experience?

Gosh, so many. I have a child, so getting to see her grow and really taking care of my health and things. Not that I wasn’t before, but just I dove in even deeper. I went and got what’s called a gallery test for prescreening for cancer. I started doing all these blood works and like, “Let’s go find out everything you know, because I didn’t find out that I had this blood disease until I was 42 when I clotted.” I’m living my whole life, not even knowing I have this thing and and if I don’t clot, there are plenty of people out there that live to 100 years old and have it. It’s really made me appreciate life and trying to take things day by day. I also was living in a little single-dad pad at the time. We had no central air. We had tandem parking. We were above dumpsters. Our laundry was outside in a room with quarters. And when I got home — I’m still on a walker — and I was like, “What are we doing? We’re going to die without central air? Are we going to die with a bucket of quarters on the fridge? No more.” And so I moved my home, I moved my studio, I did all these things that are, like, the biggest thing you can do in life. We’re going to roll the dice, scared money don’t win, and we’re just going to go for it. Also, as a comedian and anybody in entertainment will tell you, a lot of times you work scared, you hold that money and you wait until the next thing comes. And also, as a single parent, you know we got to budget. And I was like, no more. We’re not going to go out and buy 10 Porsches. We’re going to be responsible. But I was on point with let’s go get a living will and trust. Let’s make sure we have that life insurance policy. Let’s make sure we have all the proper paperwork and stuff done before we do anything like go on a vacation, you know, let’s get this done now and get it done proper.

What do those conversations look like, if you have them at all, about encouraging your male friends to go to the doctor or encouraging them to take care of themselves, physically and emotionally?

I would say the conversations go something like this. My younger brother is like, “Hey, man, I just went in for a test, and they’re telling me I got to have an old school triple bypass,” and then that’s what we all get tested. “Hey guys, I found I got a blood disease.” “Oh man, we all better look into it now.” That’s usually how it goes. I don’t know many men who are proactive. There are a few of us these days. But it’s usually something horrible happens and then we’ll be proactive about everything else.

Do you have male fans who also say “I [saw] your special … I went to your show, and it made me go [to the doctor]”?

Yeah, but I’m saying, though, it still took them to come see a professional clown to get them to go to the damn doctor. I actually have been very good about going, because everyone in my family died. So I’ve been proactive in the sense that I go get two physicals a year. I’ve been doing that since my 20s. I always tell my doctor, if I can go buy expensive sushi, if I go buy weed, if I go buy all these things, I can put money into myself here and come see you a second time and pay for all that. So I do two physicals a year, and I’ve been doing that forever. But I’ve never done any sort of like gallery test. And now we’re in our 50s, so we got to go get the prostate and all that. That’s when you start hearing about that stuff. There’s a lot of ignorance that goes into it as well. I just had a guest here on the “HoneyDew” and said he didn’t go to a doctor or anything for over 20 years because he was just scared of what they were going to tell him. He was scared to get the bad news. You can kind of get the bad news and you could turn that into good news. It doesn’t need to be deadly news.

How do you know when you’ve been too open?

It usually tends to be a personal thing where someone’s like, “I don’t really appreciate you bringing that up.” So I don’t anymore. I’m always cognizant of [saying] like, “Hey, would it be cool if I talked about this or whatever?” I feel like the question you’re asking me would have been great for me just before I started, like, the “HoneyDew” and stuff because this is what I really want to talk about. Everyone wants to talk about the best and bring their best and I just really do want to hear about, you know, the trauma bond. I want to hear about the worst times in your life. I want to know because, honestly, that tells me so much more about you than you verbally talking about you. You know who you were in those moments, how you reacted, how you behaved, how you’ve adjusted. Those things really end up defining who you are, and that’s more what I want to know about. I don’t want to know your best polished version of yourself.

Jury chair Wim Wenders said filmmakers ‘have to stay out of politics’ when asked about German support for Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.

Indian author Arundhati Roy has announced that she is withdrawing from the Berlin International Film Festival after what she described as “unconscionable statements” by its jury members about Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

Writing in India’s The Wire newspaper, Roy said she found recent remarks from members of the Berlinale jury, including its chair, acclaimed director Wim Wenders, that “art should not be political” to be “jaw-dropping”.

“It is a way of shutting down a conversation about a crime against humanity even as it unfolds before us in real time,” wrote Roy, the author of novels and nonfiction, including The God of Small Things.

“I am shocked and disgusted,” Roy wrote, adding that she believed “artists, writers and filmmakers should be doing everything in their power to stop” the war in Gaza.

“Let me say this clearly: what has happened in Gaza, what continues to happen, is a genocide of the Palestinian people by the State of Israel,” she wrote.

The war is “supported and funded by the governments of the United States and Germany, as well as several other countries in Europe, which makes them complicit in the crime,” she added.

During a panel to launch the festival on Thursday, a journalist asked the jury members for their views on the German government’s “support of the genocide in Gaza” and the “selective treatment of human rights” issues.

German filmmaker Wim Wenders, who is the chair of the festival’s seven-member jury, responded, saying that filmmakers “have to stay out of politics”.

“If we made movies that are dedicatedly political, we enter the field of politics. But we are the counterweight to politics. We are the opposite of politics. We have to do the work of people and not the work of politicians,” Wenders said.

Polish film producer Ewa Puszczynska, another jury member, said she thought it was “a bit unfair” to pose this question, saying that filmmakers “cannot be responsible” for whether governments support Israel or Palestine.

“There are many other wars where genocide is committed and we do not talk about that,” Puszczynska added.

Roy had been due to participate in the festival, which runs from February 12 to 22, after her 1989 film, In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones, was selected to be screened in the Classics section.

Germany, which is one of the biggest exporters of weapons to Israel, after the US, has introduced harsh measures to prevent people from speaking out in solidarity with Palestinians.

In 2024, more than 500 international artists, filmmakers, writers and culture workers called on creatives to stop working with German-funded cultural institutions over what they described as “McCarthyist policies that suppress freedom of expression, specifically expressions of solidarity with Palestine”.

“Cultural institutions are surveilling social media, petitions, open letters and public statements for expressions of solidarity with Palestine in order to weed out cultural workers who do not echo Germany’s unequivocal support of Israel,” organisers of the initiative said.

Whether you’re already on the inside or new to the party, the Canadian meta-comedy “Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie,” about a music duo’s epic undiscoveredness, shows little audience favoritism as it ping-pongs between timelines, formats, realities, cultural shout-outs and its two indefatigable lead characters. Make that four leads, since director and co-writer Matt Johnson and his composer-best friend Jay McCarrol each play themselves twice, thanks to archival footage presented in this zippy mockumentary as evidence of time travel.

Don’t be confused. Or rather, be confused but adventurously so! Especially if you aren’t familiar with the cult web series from which this film derives. Indie-savvy viewers might know Johnson’s work from the moon-landing conspiracy lark “Operation Avalanche” or the cheeky docu-dramedy “BlackBerry,” both of which he directed and acted in. But there’s no getting around the fact that if you haven’t encountered them before, then for a good while they’ll come across as Motormouth Clown in a Fedora (Johnson) and Understated Guy at the Piano (McCarrol).

With three Ns to their band name (no relation to a slightly better-known group), a dream of booking Toronto’s longstanding live venue and only a cluttered suburban home to show for it, the duo’s act seems primarily to be coming up with boneheaded ideas for exposure. Johnson’s latest bolt of inspiration is for them to parachute from the top of downtown Toronto’s 2,000-foot CN Tower into the open Rogers Centre stadium below, a plan which meets with amusingly alarmed concern from a very real employee at the hardware store. It’s the first of many encounters with unsuspecting citizens, à la the oeuvre of Sacha Baron Cohen.

Though their stunt fails — yet succeeds for us as a piece of guerrilla filmmaking wizardry — it spurs Johnson toward an even crazier notion: time traveling in an RV to 2008 to change their fates and secure their inevitable fame. Think “Back to the Future” and think about it a lot, since from here on out, that 1985 classic becomes this movie’s lodestar of structural, comedic and musical reference. (McCarrol’s enjoyably overwrought orchestral score shouts out to composer Alan Silvestri.)

That the filmmakers could play against themselves using video of the 2008 versions of their characters (when they had the web series) is undeniably clever, if not always the laugh riot it promises to be. But it also helps foster the jealousy-driven farce that takes over the current-day narrative and is genuinely funny: a rejiggered timeline in which McCarrol becomes a massive pop star and Johnson gets left behind.

Invariably these wacky scenarios will be more amusing to longtime fans, for whom a frantic climax akin to the lightning-meets-DeLorean ending of “Back to the Future” will play like nostalgia for nostalgia. To the uninitiated, though, even amid steady laughter and a sneaking concern for this silly friendship to right itself, it may come off as much ado about who knows what.

But Johnson is nothing if not a punchy ringmaster of deadpan humor and his grab-bag mindset generates enough goodwill to appreciate the DIY brashness of it all. I’m one of those who had no clue of this act’s history and I’m fairly certain I’d look forward to “Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie the Sequel.”

A fire at a key fuel refinery in the capital comes amid Cuba’s mounting fuel emergency due to US-imposed restrictions.

A fire broke out at a key fuel processing plant in the Cuban capital Havana, threatening to exacerbate an energy crisis as the country struggles under an oil blockade imposed by the United States.

A large plume of smoke was seen rising above Havana Bay from the Nico Lopez refinery on Friday, drawing the attention of the capital’s residents before fading as fire crews fought to bring the situation under control.

Cuba’s Ministry of Energy and Mines said the fire, which erupted in a warehouse at the refinery, was eventually extinguished and that “the cause is under investigation”. There were no injuries and the fire did not spread to nearby areas, the ministry said in a post on social media.

“The workday at the Nico Lopez Refinery continues with complete normalcy,” the ministry said.

The location of the fire was close to where two oil tankers were moored in Havana’s harbour.

Cuba, which has been in a severe economic crisis for years, relied heavily on oil imports from Venezuela, which have been cut off since the abduction of the country’s leader Nicolas Maduro by United States forces last month.

US President Donald Trump has also threatened Cuba’s government and passed a recent executive order allowing for trade tariffs on any country that supplies oil to the island.

The country has seen widespread power outages due to the lack of fuel. Bus and train services have been cut, some hotels have closed, schools and universities have been restricted, and public sector workers are on a four-day work week. Staffing at hospitals was also cut back.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned last week of a humanitarian “collapse” in Cuba if its energy needs go unmet.

On Thursday, two Mexican navy vessels carrying more than 800 tonnes of humanitarian aid arrived in Havana, underscoring the nation’s growing need for humanitarian assistance amid the tightening US stranglehold on fuel.

Experts in maritime transport tracking told the AFP news agency that no foreign fuel or oil tankers have arrived in Cuba in weeks.

Cuba can only produce about one-third of its total fuel requirements.

Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos de Cossio accused the US of carrying out “massive punishment” against the Cuban people in a post on social media Friday.

Cuba requires imports of fuel and “the US is applying threats [and] coercive measures against any country that provides it”, the deputy minister said.

“Lack of fuel harms transportation, medical services, schooling, energy, production of food, the standard of living,” he said.

“Massive punishment is a crime,” he added.

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has said her government seeks to “open the doors for dialogue to develop” between Cuba and the US and has criticised Washington’s oil restrictions as “unfair”.

The debate comes as Jeri, who is not running for re-election, faces allegations of bribery and influence-peddling.

The head of Peru’s Congress, Fernando Rospigliosi, has announced a special plenary session to weigh the removal of the country’s right-wing president, Jose Jeri.

The session will take place on the morning of February 17, according to a statement Peru’s Congress posted on social media.

The debate comes as Jeri’s short tenure grows mired in scandal, just four months after he took office as interim president.

In October, Jeri — the leader of Congress at the time — took over as president following the unanimous impeachment of his predecessor, Dina Boluarte, on the grounds of “permanent moral incapacity”.

Boluarte herself assumed the presidency after her predecessor, Pedro Castillo, was impeached for attempting a self-coup.

Next week’s debate about Jeri’s future is the latest chapter in the ongoing instability facing Peru’s government. The country has seen eight presidents within the last decade, with several of them impeached or resigning before their term expired.

In recent months, Jeri has become increasingly embroiled in scandal, including one colloquially known as “chifagate”, named for the Peruvian-Chinese fusion cuisine known as “chifa”.

The scandal started when local media outlets obtained video of Jeri arriving late at night at a restaurant to meet with a Chinese businessman, Zhihua Yang, who previously received government approval to build a hydroelectric plant.

Their meeting was not listed in the official presidential agenda, as is required under Peruvian law. Critics have questioned whether Jeri’s outfit — which had a deep hood that rendered him nearly unrecognisable — was meant to be a disguise.

Additional footage placed Jeri at another one of Yang’s businesses days later. Jeri also allegedly met a second Chinese businessman, Jiwu Xiaodong, who was reportedly under house arrest for illegal activities.

Jeri has dismissed some of the off-the-books meetings as planning for an upcoming Chinese-Peruvian friendship event. Others, he said, were simply shopping trips for sweets and other food. He has denied wrongdoing but has acknowledged taking the meetings was a “mistake”.

“I have not lied to the country. I have not done anything illegal,” Jeri told the news outlet Canal N.

But critics have accused Jeri of using his position for influence-peddling at the unregistered interactions.

Similar accusations erupted earlier this month when Peruvian media highlighted the irregular hiring of several women in Jeri’s administration and contracts he awarded as possible evidence of bribery.

The debate over Jeri’s removal comes as Peru hurtles towards a general election on April 12, with the presidency up for grabs. Jeri will not be running to retain his seat.