News Desk

There was a time when KevOnStage was a very literal description of comedian Kevin Fredericks as a hungry comedian looking for stage time. These days, he might as well be called KevOnEverything. You can find him cracking jokes on live comedy tours, TV sketch shows, books, podcasts and just about every social media platform you care about. From books like his 2025 New York Times bestseller “Successful Failure” to his latest podcast, “Not My Best Moment,” the idea has always been about forward momentum to breed a funny brand that, just like his name, continues to stick with a sense of humor that ultimately succeeds at being relatable.

Moving from Washington state to L.A. with his wife and kids to fulfill his comedy dreams, he focused his comedy on the Black church and family life in a way that hadn’t been done before. The result was his breakout success with the show “Churchy” that started as a self-funded series that was picked up by BET and recently ran through its second season. It created a lane for him to expand his content universe with sketch shows like “The Hospital” and “Safe Space” on Tubi that allows him to retain creative control and put on more comedians working with veteran stand-ups like Tahir Moore and Tony Baker. The latter is his podcasting partner in crime whom he’s been touring with on the Bald Brothers comedy tour which wraps up in L.A. at the Wiltern on Sunday. Recently we spoke to KevOnStage about the secret to building his comedy brand — by being everywhere.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

I love that this is a year where so much is happening for you from so many angles.

It’s wild.

You’re KevOnStage, KevOnPodcasts, KevOnBooks, KevOnTV …

[Laughs] Literally KevOnEverything.

When did you decide to go from being Kevin Fredericks — working a regular job and doing comedy on the side — to becoming “KevOnStage”?

I was working at the Spanaway [Washington] branch of Key Bank and I was on Twitter. This must have been 2009 — very early on Twitter. And people were just making jokes and people were getting fired [from their jobs over their jokes on Twitter]. People would not like a joke you said, search your name, Google you, find out where you worked and email like your boss, and people were getting fired. And I was like, “I can’t afford to lose my job over some ports take.” So I’m gonna take my full actual government name out of my handle, which was just Kevin Fredericks at the time. And I was like, “I’m Kev and I be on stage.” And that was literally as much thought as I put into it. I was just not trying to be easily found and fired. So I switched my handle to KevOnStage because I was doing stand-up all the time at that time and it stuck. Hindsight being 20/20, I would have just kept Kevin Fredericks, which was my Facebook name, but I think KevOnStage is cool as a moniker. I’m trying to be like Beyoncé, Bono, Sting, Oprah, KevOnStage — one name. People think my actual name is Kevon because of that. If they think that, then I know they found me because of the internet. Which is also fine. As long as people know me, it doesn’t bother me.

KevOnStage with Tony Baker on the Bald Brothers comedy tour.

(Joshua Gonzales )

When did you really find your tribe of comedians in Washington state that you still hang out with today?

In Washington state there was only really like Nate Jackson, he was the only working comedian who was working nationally. In Washington it was me, Nate, Big Irish Jay, a comedian named Terrence — those are the only people that were kind of doing comedy consistently. And then we had the Bay Area Black Comedy Competition, I don’t remember what year it was, and I met Lance Woods, who I’m still cool with. But then when I moved [to L.A.], that’s when I met Tony Baker and Tahir Moore through All Def Comedy. Because I didn’t really do stand-up on stage that much when I first moved to L.A. My wife was like, “we’re not gonna move to L.A. and then you’re on stage four or five nights a week.” And it was hard to get on stage … you have to go and hang out, go to Denny’s and like hang out all night. And [my wife] was not going for it and I had small children who had to go to school. So the majority of the people that I know I met through All Def.

You brought up an interesting point about the lifestyle of comics because it is a lifestyle that doesn’t really agree with everything else for most of the 9-to-5 working world — especially being married and having kids. So how did you then decide to focus more on content creation as a means to perform?

Well, interestingly enough, it started before I moved to L.A. There’s hardly any entertainment opportunities in Washington. There’s very rarely a TV show, even shooting there, much less a show you can actually audition and be on. So what happened was we were doing plays. We’re trying to be like Tyler Perry, David E. Talbert or Je’Caryous Johnson. And we were on our way, but there weren’t enough people in Washington to mount a successful black play — or “urban plays” as people called them. So we did our best, but even if we got 3,000 people, that was only for one night. And we weren’t doing that, by the way. We’re getting like 68 people. So I was watching a lot of YouTube at the time and I was realizing these people have fans everywhere. So I was like, we can do internet comedy and make people laugh on the internet and hopefully we get fans all across the United States. And from the first two videos we did, I was like, forget the play thing, I think the internet is the thing. Just like focus on that. I think we do that, we will build our own audience, and everything will be easier for us.

As far as the ability to own your content and guide however you want, how has that been important for your comedy career?

For me it’s been like, “He who pays says.” Like if you pay for it, you get the final say. So for a long time, it was by default because nobody’s getting paid. I’m just making it and posting it. The first big thing we did that was like really expensive was “Churchy” [on BET]. And there was a lot of [money from previous brand deals] that I saved, a lot of [money from doing] Spectrum commercials that I saved. I made eight episodes of “Churchy.” And shout-out to Jamal Henderson, he helped us meet executives at BET and they bought it. And they couldn’t have any creative control because it was already done.

So that’s kind of a process that we’ve repeated with [my sketch shows] “The Hospital” and “Safe Space.” We pay for it and then license it or partner with a company and make it now. And with Tubi, they’re a little bit different. They let you have creative control, even if they pay for it. They’re like “hey, we trust that you built your audience, you know your audience.” They’re the only platform that I’ve worked with that’s completely like, “we don’t have any say-so, no notes, you don’t have to send us a script, you don’t have to send an edit for approval, we trust you.” And that’s fantastic for me because you get to make it as close to [the original vision] without any impurities as possible.

Now I gotta be honest, when I work with BET, we had amazing executives and they’ve given us a lot of great notes, but they also give you some notes that you don’t agree with that you have to take. And that’s also part of just making things. It’s not a full negative. They also made [the show] better in a lot of different ways. And the one thing that I’m very grateful for with our partners at BET is every note they gave was to make the overall project better and for more people to enjoy it. I am a comedian at heart, so sometimes I’m loyal to the joke to a fault. The executive is like, we gotta tell the best story — so it’s not all bad. A lot of times we hear people bemoan partnering with people, and it has its negatives, but also my TV exec was more experienced than I was at making good TV, so some of their notes were really helpful, and I can carry those with me when I’m making other projects.

“The Hospital” and “Safe Space” are both like sketch shows. What was important about the formats for both shows — one at a hospital, the other on a therapist’s couch — that allow you to find the funny?

Richard Washington, who is a creative exec at KevOn Stage Studios, head of T V and film, and I built the systems and then we allow the people to work within the systems to the best of their personality. So I think the great part about “Safe Space” is the talent. Like you give them a premise, you find the right people, and then they take it and make it funny. “Safe Space” was really the same with “The Hospital.” Like, you know, we hired more sketch writers for the hospital, but Safe Space was more improv than even “The Hospital.” We had some fully written sketches for “The Hospital,” but we didn’t stick to everything exactly. Some are almost all improv. Like comedian CP’s episodes, he’s just riffing. So it’s as close to a stand-up version of content as you can get. And what I mean by stand-up is the audience is sitting there not knowing what the person’s gonna say. And that’s why I think it works.

KevOnStage recording a podcast.

(Mike Folabi)

As a creator of these shows, you often hold the door open for new talent to shine. How does that help your own vision of allowing there to be space for new actors and comedians to come up?

I grew up playing sports and then I went into plays. And with both of those elements, it’s it’s a team environment. You need other people to be successful and you gotta rely on other people to do their thing. With plays, you wanna have the best show possible. And then you put it all together and it’s the best product. And I think that’s the same approach that I take to creation. A lot of comedians, I’ve been told, they won’t take the best comedians. They’ll take people who are OK, but nowhere near as good as them.

Considering you post three to five videos a day, how do you find the time to produce as much content as you do?

So the thing is like this is my job. And I work really hard. I think people compare themselves to me, but they also have a job. Like you’re thinking of “how does he do this?” because you’re thinking of your actual day job. For the most part, I get up and think of funny things to say all day. And the other thing is I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about what I’m gonna do or editing it at all. If something funny happens right now, if I walk out of here and I trip and fall, I’ll probably make a video immediately and within five minutes that video’s gonna be on seven different platforms. So I’m not really precious about what I make. And I feel like people think it’s hard, but this is not hard for me. It’s something I love to do, I create freely out of joy. The guy who runs my doughnut shop who hasn’t taken a day off in 20 years, literally I was talking to him about this. He never takes a day off. Twenty years he’s at that doughnut shop, every night at 8 p.m., he makes doughnut, preparing for the day. Every day at 4 a.m., he comes and bakes them. That is hard. Not to say what I’m making is not hard. It is, but it’s not hard like that. People have hard jobs. I just be silly for two minutes and post it within five minutes. That’s not really hard for me.

“For the most part, I get up and think of funny things to say all day,” says KevOnStage.

(Joshua Gonzales )

I guess you’re not getting cellphone calluses.

Not at all [laughs] … I kind of designed my content to be able to make it easily because I feel like my approach is just inundating you with Kev. Like I want to be unavoidable. Yeah. I want to make content on so many different topics. It’s not even always comedic. I want people to just share you and or have a thought or make you have a thought. Right now I’ve been doing a lot of podcasts. So if you don’t follow me, but you follow for example “The Pivot,” which I did last week and they collab with me, now you’re seeing me on “The Pivot” or Funny Marco or I interviewed Issa Rae for the first episode of [my new podcast] called “Not My Best Moment.” And Issa Rae doesn’t do a whole whole bunch of interviews if she’s not promoting something. So if you’re interested in what Issa has to say, you got to hear me because I asked the question. So people rip my stuff, I’m like, “this is great!” They rip it and post it on threads. This is like as close to getting bootlegged as possible.

That’s what you want.

Yeah, bootleg me! Obviously I’d love to make the money, but it’s like the exposure will become capital or currency later. I just want to be out here so much that you’re eventually like, “All right, what is he talking about?” Because think about how many videos do you see in a day now. Back in the day, we used to have to be like, OK, I want to watch the videos. I’m gonna go to my computer and go to like, I remember before YouTube, I used to go to Break.com and watch videos. It was a thing I did for some time and then I went on about my day. Think about how many videos you consume on a daily basis. … So you gotta really hit ‘em over and over before they make a decision. So that’s why I just wanna flood you. I want you to be like, “Oh, my God, enough!”

Well, add one more to the pile right here.

Yeah, absolutely. Once I saw cameras here [at the L.A. Times studio], I was like, “Yeah, baby, I thought this was just an interview, we got video content, baby. Let’s go!” So yeah, it’s like that’s my approach. Just keep going — a lot.

South Korean stocks closed sharply lower Friday, as renewed concerns over an artificial intelligence (AI) bubble weighed heavily on big-cap tech shares. The local currency fell to the lowest level in seven months against the U.S. dollar on massive foreign stock selling.

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) tumbled 151.59 points, or 3.79 percent, to close at 3,853.26.

Trade volume was moderate at 307.95 million shares worth 14.02 trillion won (US$9.5 billion), with decliners outnumbering gainers 718 to 177.

Foreigners sold a net 2.83 trillion won worth of shares, while retail and institutional investors bought a net 2.29 trillion won and 495.46 billion won worth of shares, respectively.

According to the Korea Exchange, offshore investors’ net selling reached its largest level since Feb. 26, 2021, when they offloaded 2.83 trillion won worth of shares.

The index opened lower, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street, and further extended its decline as investors were wary of the valuation of AI-related shares and their aggressive investment plans.

Also affecting the sentiment was the Federal Reserve‘s monetary policy, as expectations for further rate cuts continued to wane.

“The market surrendered its gains from yesterday’s Nvidia earnings surprise. Following recent sharp gains, volatility appears to have persisted,” Han Ji-young, a researcher at Kiwoom Securities, said.

“But there remains ample potential for sentiment to reverse depending on upcoming key economic data and additional AI-related developments,” the analyst added.

Tech shares dipped following a rally in the previous session.

Market bellwether Samsung Electronics fell 5.77 percent to 94,800 won, and chip giant SK hynix plunged 8.76 percent to 521,000 won.

Major battery maker LG Energy Solution lost 3.51 percent to 425,500 won, and LG Chem dipped 5.53 percent to 367,000 won.

Nuclear power plant builder Doosan Enerbility sank 5.92 percent to 73,100 won, and defense giant Hanwha Aerospace shed 5.13 percent to 869,000 won.

Leading shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy skidded 4.8 percent to 555,000 won, and its rival Hanwha Ocean lost 4.16 percent to 119,800 won. No. 1 steelmaker POSCO declined 3.42 percent to 310,500 won.

Carmakers finished mixed. Top automaker Hyundai Motor retreated 0.95 percent to 259,500 won, while its sister affiliate Kia rose 0.53 percent to 114,000 won.

Leading financial group KB Financial decreased 0.58 percent to 120,500 won, while internet portal operator Naver surged 2.14 percent to 262,500 won.

The local currency was quoted at 1,475.6 won against the greenback at 3:30 p.m., down 7.7 won from the previous session.

It marked the weakest level since April 9, when it finished at 1,484.1 won. The April 9 figure was the lowest since March 12, 2009, when the won closed at 1,496.5 amid the global financial crisis.

Bond prices, which move inversely to yields, ended higher. The yield on three-year Treasurys fell 3.6 basis points to 2.872 percent, and the return on the benchmark five-year government bonds lost 3.9 basis points to 3.076 percent.

Copyright (c) Yonhap News Agency prohibits its content from being redistributed or reprinted without consent, and forbids the content from being learned and used by artificial intelligence systems.

Each of the U.S. Air Force’s Special Operations Command’s (AFSOC) new OA-1K Skyraider II light attack aircraft has a somewhat unexpected feature in its cockpit. Nestled on the right side of the dashboard in the aircraft’s front seat is a commercially available EOTech XPS-series holographic sight, which is commonly used on tactical rifles.

TWZ reached out to AFSOC after @GansoConABomba on X called attention to this overlooked and somewhat peculiar aspect of the OA-1K in a post on Monday (seen below). The discussion on the X post had users positing what the commercially off-the-shelf sight was intended to do. Now we have a definitive answer to that question.

Air Force Skyraider IIs are starting to be seen more commonly in certain areas as active-duty Air Force and Oklahoma Air National Guard personnel push ahead with getting the aircraft into operational service. Prime integrator L3Harris delivered the first fully missionized OA-1K, which is a heavily modified version of the Air Tractor AT-802 crop duster, earlier this year. The Skyraider II fleet is eventually expected to grow to 75 aircraft.

“As you are aware, the Skyraider II will be used for close air support, precision strike, and armed ISR [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance],” an AFSOC spokesperson told TWZ. “As such, the sight has been included in the OA-1K design since inception and installed on every OA-1K.”

“The EOTech holographic sight is used before flight to align [the] pilots [sic] helmet mounting cueing system to the aircraft position,” they added.

OA-1K pilots reportedly use Thales’ popular Scorpion helmet-mounted display, which has already been integrated on a number of other tactical aircraft in U.S. service. The system puts datalink and sensor data, including positions of friendly and enemy forces, and more, along with flight data, right in front of their eyes.

In modern tactical combat aircraft where members of the crew wear helmet-mounted displays, the preflight alignment process can involve calibrating positioning via the aircraft’s built-in heads-up display (HUD). However, the two-seat OA-1K’s tandem cockpit, though full of digital displays, has no HUD.

Especially in the absence of a fixed HUD, there is also the possibility that the EOTech optic might also provide an emergency back-up option for aiming weapons. However, this would only be doable when employing gun pods or other munitions in an unguided mode, and its placement is far from ideal for that role.

“Well it does shoot things,” the official Air Tractor AT-802U account on X wrote yesterday in response to @GansoConABomba’s post. AT-802U is Air Tractor’s in-house designation for the special mission version of the AT-802 that serves as the basis for the OA-1K.

It is interesting to note that this isn’t the first time a standard, off-the-shelf EOTech XPS-series sight has appeared in the cockpit of an AFSOC aircraft. Back in 2018, TWZ noticed that these optics were in use on now-retired AC-130W Stinger II gunships, mounted on the left side of the cockpit, next to the pilot.

The exact function the EOTechs played on the AC-130W is unclear. It is possible the reason was, in part, similar to why the sights are now found on the OA-1Ks. Older model AC-130s had traditional HUDs in this position in the cockpit, but the Stinger II did not. TWZ has separately reported on how AC-130W pilots also used Scorpion helmet-mounted displays, and they would have similarly needed to align them before flight.

The video below shows AC-130W operations over Syria circa 2018, and includes views of the EOTech sight mounted in the cockpit.

AC-130W pilots could also have used the EOTechs in the same role as the HUD on earlier AC-130s, to help line up the aircraft against targets on the ground during pylon turn attack runs using the guns firing out of the left side of the fuselage. As we noted in our report back in 2018, the pilots of the Air Force’s very first fixed-wing gunships, the Vietnam War-era AC-47s, used World War II-era reflector gunsights mounted in a window on the left side of the cockpit to aim at targets on the ground.

As another interesting aside, for many years, Air Force F-15 squadrons mounted scopes designed for hunting rifles in the cockpits below their windscreens to provide a ‘poor man’s’ long-range visual identification capability.

In a way, the EOTech sight on the OA-1K also evokes the aircraft’s namesake, the Korean and Vietnam War-era Douglas Skyraider. Development of the piston-engined Skyraider began at the tail-end of World War II, and they were fitted with a reflector gun sight as was the standard for tactical aircraft at the time. AFSOC’s new Skyraider IIs already have the distinction of being the first tail-dragging tactical combat aircraft anywhere in U.S. military service in decades.

We now know the OA-1Ks all have lowly rifle sights in their cockpits, albeit primarily to help cue up much more modern helmet-mounted displays.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

Trans people in the UK could be banned from single-sex spaces based on their appearance, according to a leaked document.⁠

⁠On 19 November, The Times reported that the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) drafted new guidance for ministers nearly three months ago, aimed at “preserv[ing] the dignity and safety of women.” The guidance has not yet been published by Bridget Phillipson, the Minister for Women and Equalities.⁠

⁠A copy obtained by The Times revealed that “places such as hospital wards, gyms and leisure centres” may question trans women over their use of single-sex services based on “how they look, their behaviour or concerns raised by others.”⁠

⁠If there is uncertainty about an individual’s gender identity, they could be prohibited from accessing these services once those in charge have taken into account “relevant factors.”⁠

In response to the leak, Trans+Solidarity Alliance founder Jude Guaitamacchi called on the government to reject the guidance.

“These leaks reveal that not only does the EHRC’s proposed code of practice seek to require trans exclusion, it instructs service providers to police this based on appearance and gender stereotypes,” Guaitamacchi said, per The Independent.

“This is a misogynist’s charter, plain and simple, and the government must reject it.”

A spokesperson for the TransActual organisation echoed similar sentiments in a separate statement.

“Astonishingly, the UK’s ‘human rights watchdog’ is attempting to mandate that staff at cinemas, hospitals, bars and cafes must try and judge whether users are trans or not based on appearance alone. This is a license to discriminate based on looks, plain and simple,” they said.

“We’ve seen this before – people trying to make our society into a place that is only safe for ‘normal’ ladies. Not just loos. But sports centres, changing rooms and more.

“We offer our solidarity to the many cis women who have been targeted and harassed for their appearance by ‘gender critical activists’ who believed they were trans, and who would be put even further at risk by these rules.”

Children’s Minister Josh MacAlister also addressed the “big implications” the new guidance can have on individuals during an interview with Times Radio.

“These are massive issues and I think that the public, now looking at the draft guidance from the EHRC, will recognise that when you drill down into examples of how this might be applied, it has big implications for individuals, it has big implications and public services,” he said.

The leaked guidance follows an April 2025 Supreme Court ruling that defined “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act as referring to biological sex, a decision that allows organisations to restrict trans women’s access to single-sex services.⁠

As of this writing, the UK government has not announced when the new guidance will be published.

However, on 20 November, Phillipson told reporters that she was going through it “thoroughly and carefully.”

“I have responsibilities to make sure that’s done properly, and we’re taking the time to get this right,” she added, per The Guardian.

US President Donald Trump’s decision to snub the G20 summit in South Africa this year has handed an opportunity to China, as it seeks to expand its growing influence in the African continent and position itself as an alternative to the dangers of a unilateralist United States.

Washington said it would not attend the two-day summit set to kick off on Saturday over widely discredited claims that the host country, previously ruled by its white minority under an apartheid system until 1994, now mistreats white people.

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa hit back at Trump’s claim that hosting the summit in Johannesburg was a “total disgrace”. “Boycott politics doesn’t work,” Ramaphosa said, adding that the US was “giving up the very important role that they should be playing as the biggest economy in the world”.

By Friday morning, Trump appeared to have backtracked on his stance somewhat, when speculation that Washington might send a US official to Johannesburg after all circulated.

Regardless, the spat comes as Chinese President Xi Jinping sends Premier Li Qiang to represent him on the world stage. China’s 72-year-old president has dialled back foreign visits, increasingly delegating his top emissary.

“The US is giving China an opportunity to expand its global influence,” Zhiqun Zhu, professor of political science and international relations at Bucknell University, told Al Jazeera. “With the absence of the US, China and EU countries will be the focus of the summit and other countries will look for leadership [from them].”

But observers say that while Trump’s absence will direct heightened attention to Beijing’s statements and behaviour, it does not spell the end of the US-led order altogether.

Jing Gu, a political economist at the United Kingdom-based Institute of Development Studies, said the US’s failure to attend “does not automatically make China the new leader, but it creates visible space for China to present itself as a more stable, reliable partner in governance”.

“It reinforces the perception that the US is stepping back from multilateralism and the shared management of global problems,” she said. “In that context, China can present itself as a more predictable, stable actor and emphasise continuity, support for open trade and engagement with the Global South.”

Expanding influence in the African continent

This year’s G20 will, for the first time, have an African chair and take place on the African continent. The African Union (AU) will also participate fully as a member.

South Africa, which holds the G20 presidency, is expected to push for consensus and action on priority issues for African countries, including debt relief, economic growth, climate change and transition to clean energy.

Zhu, who also serves as editor-in-chief of the academic journal, China and the World, said South Africa’s themes were a “natural fit” for China, Africa’s largest trading partner.

“China aims to become a leader in green energy, and there’s a lot of room for China and African countries to work on that,” he said.

The African continent, with its mineral wealth, booming population and fast-growing economies, offers huge potential for Chinese firms. Li, China’s premier, travelled to Zambia this week, marking the first visit to the country by a Chinese premier in 28 years. The copper-rich nation has Beijing as its largest official creditor for $5.7bn.

Eager to secure access to Zambia’s commodities and expand its exports from resource-rich East Africa, China signed a $1.4bn deal in September to rehabilitate the Tazara Railway, built in the 1970s and connecting Tanzania and Zambia, to improve rail-sea transportation in the region.

“The Chinese economy and African economy are complementary; they both benefit from trade,” Zhu said. The G20 “is a great platform for China to project its global influence and seek opportunities to work with other countries”, he added.

Africa’s growing demand for energy and China’s dominance in manufacturing make the two a good fit, observers say. This is playing out. A report by energy think tank Ember, for instance, found Africa’s imports of solar panels from China rose a whopping 60 percent in the 12 months to June 2025.

According to Gu at the Institute of Development Studies, China will be looking to tap into this growing synergy with Africa and will deliver a three-fold message at this year’s G20.

“First, it will stress stability and the importance of global rules and regulations,” she said. Second, “it will link the G20 to the Global South and highlight issues like development and green transformation”.

Third, “by offering issue-based leadership on topics such as digital economy, artificial intelligence and governance, it will position itself as a problem-solver rather than a disruptor”, the economist added.

China as a bastion of multilateralism

An absence of American officials at this year’s G20 – after skipping the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Korea as well as the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Brazil – would be “another opportunity for China”, Rosemary Foot, professor of politics and international relations at the University of Oxford, told Al Jazeera.

“It can contrast, yet again, its declared commitment to multilateralism and responsible behaviour as a major state versus the dangers of a unilateralist America focusing not on public goods but on benefits to itself only.”

China has been looking to expand its influence in Africa as a counterweight to the US-led world order. In stark contrast to Trump’s decision to end Africa’s duty-free era and slap 15-30 percent tariffs on 22 nations, Xi announced at the APEC summit last month a zero-tariff policy for all African nations with diplomatic ties to Beijing.

On that occasion, Xi emphasised China’s commitment “to joint development and shared prosperity with all countries”, stressing the country’s goal to “support more developing countries in achieving modernisation and opening up new avenues for global development”.

Similarly, Li, China’s premier, marked the United Nations’ 80th anniversary at the General Assembly in September by expressing the need for stronger collective action on climate change and emerging technologies, calling for greater solidarity to “[lift] everyone up, while division drags all down”.

His remarks were in stark contrast to Trump’s, who, in his speech, described climate change as the “greatest con job ever perpetrated” and called renewable sources of energy a “joke” and “pathetic”.

Foot said the spotlight will now be on Beijing as it seeks to strike a similar conciliatory pose – and in doing so, set itself apart from the US – at the G20. “Whether Beijing will have a major impact on the G20 agenda is more difficult to determine,” she said.

The film now streaming has been celebrated as one of the best of the year

A film has just been added to Netflix’s extensive library which has already been dubbed a ‘phenomenal’ period drama featuring an actor’s ‘performance of a lifetime’.

Train Dreams is streaming from November 20 on the service and looks to be the latest high profile, must watch title. Like most new releases, subscribers can expect it to be available from 8am on the release day.

Like a number of big releases from the streamer that have come out this year, such as Frankenstein and Ballad of a Small Player, it has enjoyed a limited release in cinemas. Now, it is easier than ever for film fans to watch as it can be streamed from home.

The film is an adaptation of the bestselling novella of the same name written by Denis Johnson. According to the synopsis, the story follows Robert Grainier, whose life unfolds during an era of unprecedented change in early 20th century America.

Orphaned at a young age, Robert grows into adulthood among the towering forests of the Pacific Northwest, where he helps expand the nation’s railroad empire alongside men as unforgettable as the landscapes they inhabit. After a tender courtship, he marries Gladys and they build a home together.

However, his work often takes him far from her and their young daughter. When his life takes an unexpected turn, Robert finds beauty, brutality and newfound meaning for the forests and trees he has felled.

The cast includes Star Wars and Black Mass star Joel Edgerton, William H Macy, Academy Award nominee Felicity Jones and Irish actress Kerry Condon.

Following its run in theatres, Train Dreams has managed to earn an impressive 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics have lavished it with praise with many suggesting that it is one of the must watch titles of the year and earning it plenty of awards buzz.

One reviewer claimed: “Train Dreams is the most hauntingly beautiful film of the year.” Another added: “Train Dreams is without a doubt one of the most extraordinary films of this year, the type that will stick with you, deep in your mind and heart, long after the credits roll.”

Other reviews have suggested that the film might be considered as one of lead star’s Joel Edgerton’s finest performances of his career. One verdict claimed: “In an age of spectacle and noise, Train Dreams dares to whisper. It invites you to slow down, breathe and notice the spaces between moments. A simply stunning film from start to finish.”

Another review went so far as to declare: “This is one of the great films of the year. In time, it will become one of the best in a decade, then one of the movies that people speak of when asked what inspired them in their life. It is a masterpiece.”

Fans who have gone along to the cinema to see the film on the biggest screen possible before it streams, have shared similar views. Sharing their thoughts online, one person posted: “Phenomenal character study. Simple, yet compelling story. Gorgeously shot.”

Another added: “Beautifully melancholic tale that highlighted so many paradoxical aspects of life in a magnificent way. 10/10 would recommend.”

While a third commented: “An incredibly poignant and artful masterpiece. Joel Edgerton quietly pulls off a performance of a lifetime. Clint Bentley adds another notch in his belt for delivering a moving film that feels like an intimate journey.”

Someone else listed plenty of reasons to watch it as soon as possible. They said: “Such a beautiful film. Absolutely loved the scenery and what a soundtrack, timeless. Joel Edgerton, with his amazing performance and screen presence, really took the audience on a trip with him through each phase of this extraordinary story. Be sure and not to miss this, this is definitely one to remember!”

Train Drams is streaming on Netflix.

The administration of United States President Donald Trump has announced new oil drilling off the California and Florida coasts for the first time in decades, advancing a project that critics say could harm coastal communities and ecosystems, as Trump seeks to expand US oil production.

The White House announced the news on Thursday.

The oil industry has been seeking access to new offshore areas, including Southern California and off the coast of Florida, as a way to boost US energy security and jobs.

What’s in the plan?

The administration’s plan proposes six offshore lease sales through 2030 in areas along the California coast.

It also calls for new drilling off the coast of Florida in areas at least 160km (100 miles) from that state’s shore. The area targeted for leasing is adjacent to an area in the Central Gulf of Mexico that already contains thousands of wells and hundreds of drilling platforms.

The five-year plan also would compel more than 20 lease sales off the coast of Alaska, including a newly designated area known as the High Arctic, more than 320km (200 miles) offshore in the Arctic Ocean.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in announcing the sales that it would take years for the oil from those parcels to get to market.

“By moving forward with the development of a robust, forward-thinking leasing plan, we are ensuring that America’s offshore industry stays strong, our workers stay employed, and our nation remains energy dominant for decades to come,” Burgum said in a statement.

The American Petroleum Institute said in response that the announced plan was a “historic step” towards unleashing vast offshore resources. Industry groups have pointed to California’s history as an oil-producing state and say it already has infrastructure to support more production.

Political pushback

Leaders in both California and Florida have pushed back on the deal.

Last week, Florida Republican Senator Ashley Moody and Rick Scott co-sponsored a bill to maintain a moratorium on offshore drilling in the state that Trump signed in his first term.

“As Floridians, we know how vital our beautiful beaches and coastal waters are to our state’s economy, environment and way of life,” Scott said in a statement. “I will always work to keep Florida’s shores pristine and protect our natural treasures for generations to come.”

A spokesman for California Governor Gavin Newsom said Trump officials had not formally shared the plan, but said “expensive and riskier offshore drilling would put our communities at risk and undermine the economic stability of our coastal economies”.

California has been a leader in restricting offshore oil drilling since the infamous 1969 Santa Barbara spill that helped launch the modern environmental movement. While there have been no new federal leases offered since the mid-1980s, drilling from existing platforms continues.

Newsom expressed support for greater offshore controls after a 2021 spill off Huntington Beach and has backed a congressional effort to ban new offshore drilling on the West Coast.

A Texas-based company, with support from the Trump administration, is seeking to restart production in waters off Santa Barbara damaged by a 2015 oil spill. The administration has hailed the plan by Houston-based Sable Offshore Corp as the kind of project Trump wants to increase US energy production as the federal government removes regulatory barriers.

The announcement comes as Governor Newsom attended the COP30 climate conference in Brazil.

“He [Trump] intentionally aligned that to the opening of COP,” Newsom said.

Even before it was released, the offshore drilling plan met strong opposition from Newsom, a Democrat who is eyeing a 2028 presidential run and has emerged as a leading Trump critic.

Newsom pronounced the idea “dead on arrival” in a social media post. The proposal is also likely to draw bipartisan opposition in Florida. Tourism and access to clean beaches are key parts of the economy in both states.

Democratic lawmakers, including California Senator Alex Padilla and Representative Jared Huffman, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, warned that opening vast coastlines to new offshore drilling would hurt coastal economies, jeopardise national security, ravage coastal ecosystems, and put the health and safety of millions of people at risk.

“With this draft plan, Donald Trump and his Administration are trying to destroy one of the most valuable, most protected coastlines in the world and hand it over to the fossil fuel industry,” Padilla and Huffman said in a joint statement.

The federal government has not allowed drilling in federal waters in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, which includes offshore Florida and part of offshore Alabama, since 1995, because of concerns about oil spills. California has some offshore oil rigs, but there has been no new leasing in federal waters since the mid-1980s.

Since taking office for a second time in January, Trump has systematically reversed former President Joe Biden’s focus on slowing climate change to pursue what the Republican calls US “energy dominance” in the global market.

Trump, who recently called climate change “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world,” created a National Energy Dominance Council and directed it to move quickly to drive up already record-high US energy production, particularly fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas.

Meanwhile, Trump’s administration has blocked renewable energy sources such as offshore wind and cancelled billions of dollars in grants that supported hundreds of clean energy projects across the country.

Noah Zaitar allegedly ran a drug empire, producing and exporting narcotics, including the synthetic stimulant captagon.

The Lebanese army has detained the country’s most infamous drug lord, two years after he was sanctioned by the United States over suspected links to narcotics rings in Syria.

In a post on X on Thursday, the Lebanese army confirmed they had arrested a citizen with the initials “NZ”, and three security sources confirmed to the Reuters news agency that the individual in question was the fugitive Noah Zaitar.

Following a “series of precise security surveillance and monitoring operations”, security forces arrested Zaitar in an ambush in the city of Baalbek in Lebanon’s eastern Baalbek-Hermel governorate, the Lebanese military said.

“The detainee is one of the most dangerous wanted individuals, pursuant to a large number of arrest warrants, for crimes of forming gangs operating across numerous Lebanese regions in drug and arms trafficking, manufacturing narcotic substances, and robbery and theft by force of arms,” the military said.

“He had also previously opened fire on army elements and facilities, as well as citizens’ homes, and kidnapped individuals for financial ransom. The investigation has commenced with the detainee under the supervision of the competent judiciary,” it added.

Zaitar allegedly ran a drug empire in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley area near the Syrian border, producing and exporting drugs including the synthetic stimulant captagon.

A military tribunal sentenced Zaitar – who had evaded arrest for years while living in his home village of Kneisseh surrounded by armed supporters – to death in 2024 for killing a Lebanese soldier.

He was also named in US Department of State sanctions in 2023 against the regime of ousted Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad and individuals connected to his lucrative captagon trafficking network.

The State Department said Zaitar was a “known arms dealer and drug smuggler”, with close ties to the Fourth Division of the Syrian Arab Army – an elite unit once central to the captagon trade.

It also said Zaitar was wanted for having “materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services” to the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

The arrest of Zaitar comes amid an ongoing crackdown by Lebanese authorities against drug traffickers in the country.

In a separate post on X on Wednesday, the Lebanese military said two soldiers, named as Bilal al-Baradi and Ali Haidar, were killed in clashes in Baalbek on Tuesday as they pursued fugitive narcotics suspects.

تنعى قيادة الجيش ـــ مديرية التوجيه، المعاون الأول الشهيد بلال البرادعي والعريف الشهيد علي حيدر اللذين استشهدا بتاریخ ١٨ /١١ /٢٠٢٥ نتيجة اشتباكات مع مطلوبين أثناء تنفيذ مديرية المخابرات سلسلة عمليات دهم بمؤازرة وحدة من الجيش في منطقة الشراونة – بعلبك.
وفي ما يلي نبذة عن حياة كل… pic.twitter.com/aIw9IjiuYi

— الجيش اللبناني (@LebarmyOfficial) November 18, 2025

Translation: The Army Command – Directorate of Orientation, mourns the First Assistant Martyr Bilal al-Baradi and Corporal Martyr Ali Haidar, who were martyred on 18/11/2025 as a result of clashes with wanted individuals during the execution by the Intelligence Directorate of a series of raids backed by an Army unit in the al-Sharawna area – Baalbek. 

The military said that another Lebanese citizen, referred to by the initials HAJ – and named by the local news outlet Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International as Hassouneh Jaafar – was shot and killed after opening fire on Lebanese security forces during that raid.

The fugitive was wanted in connection with the murder of four soldiers, as well as kidnapping, robbery, armed robbery and drug trafficking.

Lebanese authorities also arrested two other men – referred to only as FM and GQ – for “promoting drugs” and “possessing a quantity of weapons and military ammunition” in the Akkar governorate, north of Baalbek, close to the Syrian border.

DENISE Van Outen was all smiles as she hit the decks and kicked off Christmas party season. 

The actress and presenter was a surprise DJ at the Toca Social VIP press night at Westfield Shopping Centre. 

Dressed in a glittering jacket and black trousers, Denise beamed as she got the party going with the big day barely a month away. 

It comes just weeks after the star opened up about hitting the studio to work on an Ibiza inspired album. 

Chatting to The Sun last month, Denise said: “I’ve been writing not just this kind of music [ballads] but also dance tunes. 

“I’ve started to get a real feel for what’s out there and I’ve been playing around with writing.

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“I just love it, I like the creative process.”

On whether she will release her electronic tunes, she added: “I’m working on one at the moment, so yeah, 100 per cent.”

Also at the bash was nepo-baby royalty Princess and Junior Andre. 

Taking a leaf out of mum Katie Price‘s book, Princess, 18, opted for a tight black top and leggings and draped a faux fur jacket over her arms. 

The budding fashionista matched the fluffy garment with a pair of maroon PVC boots. 

Girl group Sweet Love looked effortlessly cool in coordinated crop tops and loose trousers, while Love Island’s Harry Cooskley cut a a stylish figure in a tight long-sleeve top and pleated trousers.

Nov. 20 (UPI) — Charlotte, N.C., officials said Thursday that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have left the city, but the Department of Homeland Security insisted that agents are still enforcing immigration law there.

Shortly after the Mecklenburg, N.C., County sheriff announced that agents had left Charlotte, the Trump administration pushed back.

“Wrong. Operation Charlotte’s Web isn’t ending anytime soon,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.

CBP had agents in Charlotte for nearly a week, and DHS said Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would continue to enforce laws in the city while also transitioning CBP agents to New Orleans.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, CBP has been in touch with officials in Louisiana about mobilizing and deploying agents to New Orleans after Thanksgiving, NBC News reported.

The Department of Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement action known as “Operation Charlotte’s Web” resulted in the arrests of more than 250 people which prompted fear among residents and business owners, local media reported.

The Charlotte operation was the latest in a series of immigration enforcement actions in several large U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Portland and Chicago, where many of those arrested did not have criminal records, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Local law enforcement and state leaders have pushed back on federal law presence in their cities, saying additional enforcement personnel are not necessary to police municipalities.

At least 250 Border Patrol agents are scheduled to begin arriving in New Orleans Friday, where officials have said they expect as many as 5,000 arrests, local media reported.

A 1940 self-portrait by Frida Kahlo has sold for $54.7m and made auction history at Sotheby’s in New York.

A haunting 1940 self-portrait by famed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo has sold for $54.7m, making it the most expensive work by a female artist to sell at auction.

The painting of Kahlo asleep in a bed, titled El sueno (La cama) – or in English, The Dream (The Bed) – surpassed the record held by Georgia O’Keeffe’s Jimson Weed/White Flower No 1, which sold for $44.4m in 2014.

The sale at Sotheby’s in New York on Thursday evening also topped Kahlo’s own auction record for a work by a Latin American artist.

The 1949 painting, Diego and I, depicting the artist and her husband, muralist Diego Rivera, went for $34.9m in 2021.

Her paintings are reported to have sold privately for even more.

The self-portrait that broke records on Thursday is among the few Kahlo pieces that have remained in private hands outside Mexico, where her body of work has been declared an artistic monument.

Kahlo’s works in both public and private collections within Mexico cannot be sold abroad or destroyed. Because the painting sold on Thursday comes from a private collection, it is legally eligible for international sale. Sotheby’s said the owner who put the painting up for auction – and whose identity has not been disclosed – “astutely” purchased the piece also at auction in New York in 1980.

The buyer’s identity was also not disclosed.

‘El sueño (La cama)’ by Frida Kahlo soars to $54.7 million, becoming the most valuable work by a woman artist ever sold at auction.

Painted in 1940 during a pivotal decade in her career, marked by her turbulent relationship with Diego Rivera. pic.twitter.com/t6Sni7fIKT

— Sotheby’s (@Sothebys) November 21, 2025

Some art historians had scrutinised the sale for cultural reasons, while others had raised concerns that the painting, which was last exhibited publicly in the late 1990s, could again disappear from public view after the auction.

It has already been requested for upcoming exhibitions in cities including New York, London and Brussels.

The piece depicts Kahlo asleep in a wooden, colonial-style bed that floats in the clouds. She is draped in a golden blanket and entangled in crawling vines and leaves. Above the bed lies a skeleton figure wrapped in dynamite.

Kahlo vibrantly and unsparingly depicted herself and events from her life, which was altered by a bus accident at 18.

She started to paint while bedridden, underwent a series of painful surgeries on her damaged spine and pelvis, and then wore casts until her death in 1954 at age 47.

During the years Kahlo was confined to her bed, she came to view painting as a bridge between worlds as she explored her mortality.

“I’m very proud that she’s one of the most valued women, because really, what woman doesn’t identify with Frida, or what person doesn’t?” her great-niece, Mara Romeo Kahlo, told The Associated Press news agency before the auction.

“I think everyone carries a little piece of my aunt in their heart.”

Kahlo resisted being labelled a surrealist painter, a style of art that is dreamlike and centres on a fascination with the unconscious mind.

“I never painted dreams,” she once said. “I painted my own reality.”

The new record for Kahlo’s painting came hours after a Gustav Klimt portrait sold for $236.4m, setting a new record for a modern art piece.

Klimt’s Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer sold after a 20-minute bidding war, also at Sotheby’s in New York, on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON — Grammy-winning rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel of the Fugees was sentenced Thursday to 14 years in prison for a case in which he was convicted of illegally funneling millions of dollars in foreign contributions to then-President Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign.

Michel, 52, declined to address the court before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced him.

In April 2023, a federal jury convicted Michel of 10 counts, including conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government. The trial in Washington, D.C., included testimony from actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions.

Justice Department prosecutors said federal sentencing guidelines recommended a life sentence for Michel, whom they said “betrayed his country for money” and “lied unapologetically and unrelentingly to carry out his schemes.”

“His sentence should reflect the breadth and depth of his crimes, his indifference to the risks to his country, and the magnitude of his greed,” they wrote.

Defense attorney Peter Zeidenberg said his client’s 14-year sentence is “completely disproportionate to the offense.” Michel will appeal his conviction and sentence, according to his lawyer.

Zeidenberg had recommended a three-year sentence. A life sentence would be an “absurdly high” punishment for Michel given that it is typically reserved for deadly terrorists and drug cartel leaders, Michel’s attorneys said in a court filing.

“The Government’s position is one that would cause Inspector Javert to recoil and, if anything, simply illustrates just how easily the Guidelines can be manipulated to produce absurd results, and how poorly equipped they are, at least on this occasion, to determine a fair and just sentence,” they wrote.

Michel, a Brooklyn native whose parents immigrated to the U.S. from Haiti, was a founding member of the Fugees along with childhood friends Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean. Their hip-hop band won two Grammy Awards and sold tens of millions of albums.

Michel obtained more than $120 million from Malaysian billionaire Low Taek Jho — also known as Jho Low — and steered some of that money through straw donors to Obama’s campaign.

Michel also tried to end a Justice Department investigation of Low, tampered with two witnesses and perjured himself at trial, prosecutors said.

Low, who has lived in China, was one of the primary financiers of “The Wolf of Wall Street,” a movie starring DiCaprio. Low is a fugitive but has maintained his innocence.

“Low’s motivation for giving Mr. Michel money to donate was not so that he could achieve some policy objective. Instead, Low simply wanted to obtain a photograph with himself and then-President Obama,” Michel’s attorneys wrote.

In August 2024, the judge rejected Michel’s request for a new trial based in part on his defense attorney’s use of a generative AI program during his closing of the trial’s arguments. The judge said that and other trial errors didn’t amount to a serious miscarriage of justice.

Kunzelman writes for the Associated Press.

More details are emerging from a 28-point peace plan backed by United States President Donald Trump aimed at ending Russia’s four-year war on Ukraine, with several media outlets and officials confirming that the plan, which has yet to be officially published, appears to favour Russia.

Details of the plan also come after US ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, told the UN Security Council on Thursday afternoon that the US had offered “generous terms for Russia, including sanctions relief”.

“The United States has invested at the highest levels, the president of the United States personally, to end this war,” Waltz told the council.

The AFP news agency reported on Friday that the plan, which the US views as a “working document”, says that “Crimea, Lugansk [Luhansk] and Donetsk will be recognised as de facto Russian, including by the United States”.

This corresponds with an earlier report from US media outlet Axios.

The Associated Press (AP) news agency also reported on Friday that the plan would require Ukraine to surrender the Donbas, which includes the Luhansk and Donetsk regions that Ukraine currently partly holds.

Under the draft, Moscow would hold all the eastern Donbas region, even though approximately 14 percent still remains in Ukrainian hands, AP reported.

AFP and AP also confirmed Axios’s earlier report that the plan would require Ukraine to limit the size of its military.

According to AFP, the plan specifically says that the army would be limited to 600,000 personnel. Ukraine is estimated to currently have just under 900,000 active duty military staff.

‘A neutral demilitarised buffer zone’

Ukrainian member of parliament Oleksiy Goncharenko shared a document showing what appeared to be the full 28-point peace plan with his 223,000 followers on the Telegram messaging app, late on Thursday, Ukraine time.

Russia’s state TASS news agency also reported on details included in the document shared by Goncharenko, saying it “purportedly represents a Ukrainian translation of 28 points of the new American plan for a peace settlement in Ukraine”.

New details included in the document shared by Goncharenko include that “Ukraine has the right to EU [European Union] membership” and that the “United States will work with Ukraine to jointly restore, develop, modernise, and operate Ukraine’s gas infrastructure, including pipelines and storage facilities”.

The document also states that Ukraine’s “Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant will be commissioned under [UN nuclear agency] IAEA supervision, and the electricity generated will be shared equally between Russia and Ukraine in a 50:50 ratio”.

The text of the document shared by Goncharenko also states that “Ukrainian forces withdraw from the part of the Donetsk region that they currently control, and this withdrawal zone will be considered a neutral demilitarised buffer zone”.

Handing over territory to Russia would be deeply unpopular in Ukraine and would also be illegal under Ukraine’s constitution. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly ruled out such a possibility.

No NATO membership for Ukraine

The AFP news agency also reported that, according to the plan, European fighter jets would be based in Poland specifically to protect Ukraine.

However, Kyiv would have to concede that no NATO troops would be stationed in Ukraine and that it would agree never to join the military alliance.

Additional details reported by AP include that Russia would commit to making no future attacks on Ukraine, something the White House views as a concession by Moscow.

In addition, $100bn in frozen Russian assets would be dedicated to rebuilding Ukraine, AP reported.

Russia would also be re-admitted to the G8 group of nations and be integrated back into the global economy under the plan, according to AFP.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday that both Ukrainians and Russians have had input into the plan, which she said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US special envoy Steve Witkoff have been quietly working on for a month.

Justice Department prosecutors accused Grammy-winning rapper Pras Michel of betraying his country for money.

A United States district judge has sentenced Prakazrel “Pras” Michel, a member of 1990s hip-hop group the Fugees, to 14 years in prison for illegally funnelling millions of dollars in foreign contributions to former US President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.

Michel declined to address the court before Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced him on Thursday. The trial in Washington, DC, included testimony from former Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

This week’s sentencing came after a federal jury convicted Michel on 10 counts, including conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government, in April 2023.

Michel obtained more than $120m from fugitive Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho – also known as Jho Low – and steered some of that money through straw donors to Obama’s campaign.

Low is wanted for his leading role in the 1MDB scandal, in which billions of dollars were pilfered from Malaysia’s state investment fund in one of the largest financial frauds in history.

Several senior financial figures and members of Malaysia’s government have been convicted for their role in the scandal, including disgraced former Prime Minister Najib Razak, who was handed a 12-year prison sentence in 2022, which was later halved.

Court documents, filed by Justice Department prosecutors on Thursday, said the 52-year-old Grammy-winning rapper “lied unapologetically and unrelentingly to carry out his schemes” as he syphoned illegal payments from Low to the Obama campaign.

It is illegal in the US for foreigners to donate to election campaigns, as well as to pay someone else to make a campaign contribution.

“Prakazrel Michel betrayed his country for money. He funnelled millions of dollars in prohibited foreign contributions into a United States presidential election and attempted to manipulate a sitting president to serve a foreign criminal and a foreign power,” prosecutors said.

Prosecutors also said Michel had attempted to end a Justice Department investigation into Low and the 1MDB scandal, as well as “tampered with witnesses and then perjured himself at trial”.

Judge Kollar-Kotelly was advised by prosecutors that federal sentencing guidelines recommended a life sentence for such crimes, urging her to take into account the “breadth and depth of his crimes, his indifference to the risks to his country, and the magnitude of his greed”.

Michel’s lawyers downplayed the extent of his crimes, saying Low’s motivation for donating money was not to “achieve some policy objective”.

“Instead, Low simply wanted to obtain a photograph with himself and then-President Obama,” Michel’s lawyers wrote.

Low – who remains in hiding and claims innocence – courted America’s rich and famous during a years-long spending spree allegedly financed by funds stolen from 1MDB.

Notably, he was one of the primary financiers of the 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street, starring DiCaprio.

Defence lawyer Peter Zeidenberg said Michel will appeal.

He labelled his client’s 14-year sentence “completely disproportionate to the offence” and “absurdly high” given such terms are typically reserved for deadly terrorists and drug cartel leaders.

Instead, Zeidenberg recommended a three-year prison sentence for Michel.

Michel, a Brooklyn native whose parents immigrated to the US from Haiti, was a founding member of the Fugees along with childhood friends Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean. The group won two Grammy Awards during their peak in the 1990s and sold tens of millions of albums.

Angela Rippon, a veteran broadcaster with nearly 60 years of experience, was described as the “dream signing” when she agreed to take part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2023

Angela Rippon — Strictly Come Dancing’s oldest ever contestant — is interested in presenting the BBC flagship show, reports claim.

The veteran broadcaster dazzled viewers with her jaw-dropping high kick when she was a competitor in 2023. She was the eighth celebrity to be eliminated, getting the boot in Blackpool after she and pro partner Kai Widdrington performed American Smooth to Tea For Two by Ella Fitzgerald.

But the former newsreader, who presented the original Come Dancing series between 1988 and 1991, has thrown her hat into the ring to host the much-loved revamp. Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly are both leaving after the current season, which will reach its finale next month.

When asked about stepping into either of their shoes, Angela, who is 81, said: “If they asked me, of course. It’s a very popular programme. Claudia and Tess have done a fabulous job, but no job is for life.”

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The shock move would come more than three decades after the BBC’s then-director-general, Lord (John) Birt, told Angela she’d “had her day” when she was a spring chicken aged 50. The Daily Mail says, though, the journalist — who has more than 60 years of experience in broadcasting — would excite fans of the flagship programme.

Speaking this week at the Starry Night Gala supporting the charity Action for Children at The Peninsula London, Angela said the next host must be “someone that will bring the glamour, and just what everyone loves about Strictly”. Indeed, she competed in it — becoming the oldest contestant ever to do so — at the age of 79 in 2023.

Angela, the daughter of a Royal Marine, has had a long and varied career in the media, including her post as Top Gear presenter in the 1970s and, more recently, as host of Holiday Hit Squad with Helen Skelton and Joe Crowley.

And when she was snapped up to take part in Strictly two years ago, one source said: “She is the dream signing. The audience at home will love her, and many of them will remember her from her days hosting the show in its previous incarnation.”

The broadcaster, originally from Plymouth, Devon, has remained close to her Strictly partner, Kai, 30, and the two recently teamed up to launch “Let’s Dance!”, a project designed to inspire people of all ages to experience the joy of dancing.

But, even despite her interest and experience, Angela faces huge competition for either of the Strictly vacancies. Former This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby has been linked with the gig, as has Alan Carr, following his The Celebrity Traitors triumph.

Nov. 20 (UPI) — A former congressional staff member has been accused of faking a violent attack against her at a New Jersey park, according to the criminal complaint.

Natalie Greene, 26, allegedly paid a body modification artist to etch wounds onto her skin and then claimed she had been assaulted in a politically motivated attack in July, according to the complaint announced Wednesday.

Greene, of Ocean City, N.J., has been charged with one count of conspiracy to convey false statements and hoaxes, and one count of making false statements to federal law enforcement, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.

Greene previously worked for Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., his office told NBC News.

“We are deeply saddened by today’s news, and while Natalie is no longer associated with the Congressman’s government office, our thoughts and prayers are with her,” said Aaron Paxton, a spokesperson for Van Dew’s office. “We hope she’s getting the care she needs.”

Prosecutors allege that Greene and an accomplice called 911 on July 23, claiming that they had been attacked by three armed men at Egg Harbor Township state park.

Police located Greene in a wooded area bound with zip ties, with lacerations on her head and chest, according to the criminal complaint. A sexual slur referencing President Donald Trump and a statement calling her former employer a “racist” were written on her stomach, according to photos from the alleged crime scene included in the complaint.

“The investigation revealed that Greene had not, in fact, been attacked by three men at gunpoint on July 23,” the U.S. attorney’s statement said. “Instead, Green had paid a modification and scarification artist to deliberately cut the lacerations on her face, neck, upper chest and shoulder, based on a pattern that she had provided beforehand.”

Law enforcement agents who investigated the incident said they found zip ties in Greene’s car similar to the ones used in the alleged attack. Investigators also found a “zip ties near me” search on her co-conspirator’s phone, prosecutors said.

A search of Greene’s phone found messages with a body modification artist in Pennsylvania, who gave police $500 in receipts for the scarring and apparent injuries he did for Greene. Her phone also allegedly showed a Reddit profile that followed posts for “bodymods” and “scarification,” the court documents state.

Greene told an FBI agent after she was discovered following the attack that she had been receiving threatening messages at work. The alleged co-conspirator who called 911 relayed details of the incident to the dispatcher.

“They were attacking her,” they told the 911 operator. “They were like talking about politics and stuff. They were like calling her names. They were like calling her racist, calling her a whore,” the co-conspirator added.

Greene’s attorney, Louis Barbone, told ABC News that Greene is innocent until proven guilty.

“At the age of 26, my client served her community working full time to assist the constituents of the Congressman with loyalty and fidelity,” a statement from Barbone said. “She did that while being a full time student. Under the law, she is presumed innocent and reserves all of her defenses for presentation in court of law.

Following her arraignment Wednesday, Greene was released on a $200,000 bond, the U.S. attorney’s office said. She faces up to 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine if convicted.

“PAUL will say to me, ‘There’s only four of us – now sadly two of us – who know what it’s like to be in The Beatles’.” 

So says Giles Martin, producer son of late producer, Sir George Martin, who some call “The Fifth Beatle”. 

For the past 20 years, Giles has been one of the chief keepers of The Beatles flame, involved in myriad releases from the band’s archive. 

For these, he maintains regular contact with those “two” — Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. 

The latest project to summon his skills is the one which, arguably, gets to the beating heart of The Fab Four more than any other — The Beatles Anthology. 

We’ll hear much more from Giles later but, to set the scene, let’s wind back to 1995 and catch what drummer Ringo has to say with his usual cheery charm. 

TRAGIC LOSS

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“Now you can hear it from us,” he affirms. “Paul, George and myself — and old footage of John, of course — telling what it felt like to be a Beatle.” 

In 1995, it is 25 years after The Beatles split and 15 since the shocking assassination of John Lennon, and it is time for the world’s most famous band to tell their story. 

Over the previous four years, Macca, Ringo and George Harrison have been busy masterminding Anthology, a wildly ambitious, groundbreaking (you wouldn’t expect anything less) multimedia project. 

By using their own words, film and, of course, their immortal songs, they are in a unique position to reveal all — from the horse’s mouth. 

Here’s their chance to revisit their humble origins in Liverpool, cutting their teeth at the city’s Cavern Club and in the music dives of Hamburg.

They can relive having a first hit single, Love Me Do, Beatlemania, leading the British Invasion of the US, making madcap films like Help! and their eventual retreat from the live arena. 

They can share views on creating their psychedelic masterpiece, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the spiritual quest which leads them to India, their final studio hurrah, Abbey Road, and the various reasons behind them going their separate ways in 1970. 

This all results in an eight-episode documentary series filled with archive footage and candid interviews, three double albums of demos, alternate takes and snatches of spoken word and, later, an illuminating book. 

Now, in 2025 to mark the project’s 30th anniversary, we are being treated to an additional ninth episode of the series and a fourth volume of music. 

For his part, Giles Martin has created new audio mixes for most of the music featured on film, remastered the original LPs and curated the new album of 36 songs (13 previously unreleased). 

Episode 9 presents unseen glimpses of Paul, George and Ringo coming together in 1994 and ’95 to reflect on life as members of the Fab Four.  

Time, they say, is a great healer and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, the three clearly enjoying each other’s company with some of the old banter returning.

We’ve heard from Ringo but what does Macca have to say about it?  

“We decided we might try to do the definitive story of The Beatles, seeing as other people had had a go at it. 

“We thought it might be good from the inside out rather than from the outside in.” 

Harrison, who died aged 58 six years later, gives this telling perspective: “I’m glad it didn’t get made until now.  

The good thing about Anthology is that it’s four of us, even though John’s not here, he is here. He’s represented, he talks — it’s old interviews and stuff.

Paul McCartney

“I think it’s been nice for us and the public just to forget about The Beatles for a while, let the dust settle, and now come back to it with a fresh point of view.” 

And it’s up to the “quiet” Beatle, not so quiet in this setting, to sum up the band’s immortality. 

“We’ll go on and on,” continues Harrison, “on those records and films and videos and books and in people’s memories and minds.  

“The Beatles have just become their own thing now. The Beatles, I think, exist without us.” 

Of course it was all done with a gaping Lennon-shaped hole but Paul, George and Ringo are hugely mindful of their fallen comrade who they clearly miss very much. 

“The good thing about Anthology is that it’s four of us,” says McCartney. “Even though John’s not here, he is here. He’s represented, he talks — it’s old interviews and stuff.” 

Harrison adds: “I feel sorry for John because the Beatles went through a lot of good times but also went through some turbulent times.  

“And, as everybody knows, when we split up, everybody was a bit fed up with each other.  

“But for Ringo, Paul and I, we’ve had the opportunity to have all that go down the river and under the bridge and to get together again in a new light. I feel sorry that John wasn’t able to do that.” 

‘Unfinished business’ 

One of the key elements of Episode 9 is how the three Beatles make new music together under the watchful eye of the Electric Light Orchestra’s Jeff Lynne, a fellow member of the Traveling Wilburys supergroup with Harrison. 

Using Lennon demos from the 1970s, given to them by his partner Yoko Ono, they finish Free As A Bird and Real Love, employing John’s vocals backed by their vibrant new arrangements. 

Quite simply, it’s the nearest thing we’ll ever get to a full Beatles reunion. 

Another song, Now And Then, gets mentioned as “unfinished business” but, as you may remember, it finally saw the light of day in 2023 thanks to technological wizardry. 

Watching Paul, George and Ringo playing and singing along to John’s vocals is captivating, some of the old spark clearly etched on their faces. 

The affable Giles Martin, who I meet in Leicester Square this week and not at his usual stomping ground, Abbey Road Studios, has this take on the Anthology footage. 

“From talking to Paul and knowing him as much as I do, and from talking to Ringo, I know that the other Beatles were the favourite musicians that they ever played with.  

“Forget personalities, it was purely about being in a band — the best band they’d ever been in. 

“After they broke up, and I include my dad in this, they were looking for each other the whole time.  

“That’s the truth of the matter. I know that Paul misses my dad, and I know that Paul misses John.” 

So, in approaching Anthology, he clearly wanted to show how songs evolved. A bit of studio banter, all that kind of stuff

Giles Martin on his father George

This brings Giles to a significant moment during the completion of Now And Then, The Beatles’ final single. 

“I remember doing the string parts, and being with Paul,” he recalls. “He said, ‘That’s George playing the guitar again. Let’s listen to that because I want to respect what he’s doing, because he’s got great ideas’.”  

The original Anthology project wasn’t just a reunion for three Beatles but also for George Martin who came back into the fold to curate the double albums released on three separate dates between late ’95 and late ’96. 

Giles says: “My dad loved The Beatles — and he loved spending more time with them. 

“What I find interesting is the vulnerability on display, my dad included. Because no one else talked to them like that.” 

Being a Beatle or even The Beatles’ revered producer means that, out of respect, us mere mortals are not given to taking the p*ss. Seeing Harrison’s quip to McCartney, “Hello mate, vegetarian leather jacket?”, is a laugh-out-loud moment. 

Paul, with his famously meat-free diet, replies: “Yes it is. And my boots are vegetarian leather boots!” 

There’s a great scene where the band describe putting “uppers” in a teapot to get George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick to keep going and stay late into the evening for a session at Abbey Road. 

“My dad always denied it but he wouldn’t have known,” says Giles. “It was probably some sort of amphetamine or caffeine. 

“He used to say that, with each passing year, The Beatles started work an hour later.” 

You might imagine that the producer, with his schoolmasterly image and close attention to detail, was a perfectionist. 

But Giles says: “I don’t think he was a perfectionist — although he was upset at me once for not measuring out Pimm’s properly!  

“The music wouldn’t have sounded like it did, fresh and alive, if he had been one. 

“So, in approaching Anthology, he clearly wanted to show how songs evolved. A bit of studio banter, all that kind of stuff.”  

Giles adds that The Beatles were on board with this, seeing it rather like “a trawl through the photographs that don’t make it into the family album”. 

‘Close to John’ 

“A good example is [the early version of] Yellow Submarine with John originally coming up with the idea and singing, ‘In the town where I was born, no one cared, no one cared’. 

“Obviously, that was not right for Ringo to sing so Paul got involved and they changed it, developing it into the Yellow Submarine that children sang in schoolyards.” 

I ask Giles to describe his father’s relationship with each of the four Beatles and he begins with Lennon. 

“He was very close to John to begin with, because John was perceived as leader of the band. 

My dad and Ringo always loved each other. Ringo was an ardent fan and he was also the glue which kept things together.

Giles on his father’s relationship with Ringo Starr

“He was the older one out of Lennon and McCartney and they were like the two favourite children which George felt rather bitter about.”  

On Anthology Vol. 4, you hear the producer calmly encouraging Lennon to sing rehearsals of the White Album song Julia, about his mother who died when he was just 17. Both agree that it’s a “very hard” song to sing. 

Giles maintains that, as The Beatles’ journey progressed, his dad’s dealings with Lennon changed. 

“John wanted things to be immediate, to be rock and roll, but my dad’s process was different. Then it annoyed him when John went with Phil Spector [for Let It Be] and all that multi-layered stuff.” 

If Lennon made wayward comments after the band split up, an encounter just before he died helped heal the wounds.  

Giles says: “In 1980, John contacted my dad, who went to see him at the Dakota Building in New York.  

“Yoko went out, and John admitted he’d said loose-tongued things in the past, when he ‘was high’. 

“John told my dad, ‘I wish we could record everything again, properly this time’. Dad goes, ‘How about Strawberry Fields?’. And he replies, ‘Especially Strawberry Fields!’.  

But they talked about working together again. Then my dad flew back to England and John was shot, yet there was a weird kind of redemption to the whole thing.” 

As for McCartney and George Martin, Giles says: “Paul always maintained a very close relationship with my dad. 

“Towards the end of The Beatles, Paul was the one trying to keep the band going, but with his vision. Then, as we know, he went off to Scotland and decided to make it on his own. 

“But he got back with my dad for Live And Let Die [in 1973] and they had an ongoing friendship.” 

And what about Starr? “My dad and Ringo always loved each other. Ringo was an ardent fan and he was also the glue which kept things together.” 

There’s a wonderful scene in Anthology’s Episode 9 when McCartney and Harrison joke about doing a stadium “mud-wrestling” contest and Ringo interjects with, “I’ll be the ref!”.  

And finally, we arrive at George Martin’s association with George Harrison. 

Giles says: “My dad always felt guilty that he didn’t give George the attention he deserved — but he couldn’t do it all.  

“So George would go off and do his own thing, like Savoy Truffle. He could be quite stubborn and driven, like they all were.” 

But Giles remembers the abiding affection Harrison had for his father, first encountering him at a Simon & Garfunkel concert in 1982 at Wembley Stadium “when I was very young”. 

“I went to the loo and this man said, ‘Are you all right?’. I was a bit embarrassed but I said, ‘Yeah’. 

“When I went back out, he was standing with my parents. It was George. 

“My dad said, ‘This is my son, Giles’. And he said, ‘We just met having a p*ss’. I remember thinking that he was really nice.  

“When my father became ill the first time around, with prostate cancer, George was the one who went to see him and sat by his bed.” 

As we prepare to go our separate ways on this cold November day, I can’t help thinking how Giles Martin has inherited a deep affection for The Beatles from his illustrious father. 

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He’s currently working on the FOUR Sam Mendes-directed biopics, each one presented from a different band member’s point of view. 

Following in the footsteps of Dad, it’s a long and winding road that won’t end any day soon. 

THE BEATLES
Anthology Collection

★★★★★

Nov. 20 (UPI) — Using digital devices creates a data footprint that endangers national security, U.S. military personnel and military operations, the Government Accountability Office said.

The Defense Department has cited publicly available data generated by defense platforms, personal devices and online activities as a growing threat that requires continual caution, the GAO reported on Monday.

“Massive amounts of traceable data about military personnel and operations now exist due to the digital revolution,” according to the report.

“When aggregated, these ‘digital footprints’ can threaten military personnel and their families, operations and, ultimately, national security.”

Such information could enable “malicious actors” to trace the movements of ships and aircraft and otherwise endanger military operations, according to Military Times.

The GAO report says 10 Defense Department components are vulnerable to security lapses that create “volumes of traceable data.”

The vulnerability is especially prevalent for training and security assessment within the U.S. Cyber Command, National Security Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, U.S.Special Operations Command and every U.S. military branch, according to the GAO.

Only the U.S. Special Operations Command has consistently trained its personnel to minimize the risks created by digital information, the report says.

Most Defense Department agencies and offices also fail to undertake threat assessments targeting force protection, insider threats, mission assurance and operations security.

The GAO said information provided via press releases, news sources, online activities, social media posts and ship coordinates might be capable of telegraphing the routes of ships and aircraft and jeopardize their respective operations.

Only three of five offices within the Defense Department have issued policies or provided guidance to minimize the risks of digital information, but even those efforts are “narrowly focused” and insufficient, the GAO said.

The GAO report echoes concerns raised by federal lawmakers after a Signal app discussion of a pending military strike on Houthi targets on March 15 accidentally included The Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Goldberg.

As the U.S. continues to raise the heat on Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, online flight trackers tonight have noticed several F/A-18 Super Hornets and a U.S. Air Force RC-135V Rivet Joint electronic surveillance plane flying close to the South American nation’s coastline. A U.S. official told us these flights are part of the pressure campaign ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump against Maduro and specifically to test Venezuela’s air defense capabilities and response times. This is a staple tactic that is critical to assessing the status, locations, operating procedures, and sensitivity of an enemy’s defenses. The data garnered is especially critical for planning offensive operations.

You can catch up with our most recent coverage about what has been dubbed Operation Southern Spear in our story here.

“They are normal operational training flights from the aircraft carrier USS Ford and platforms performing training exercises,” the official told us. “They are also testing Venezuelan sensors and responses, and it is part of the pressure campaign to show U.S. capabilities in the Caribbean.”

In addition to the Super Hornets and Rivet Joint, spotters also tracked B-52H Superfortress bombers in the region as well. The flight is the latest in a series of bomber sorties that have been flying near Venezuela since October 15.

“For operational security reasons, we do not comment on the movement of aircraft supporting ongoing operations,” an Air Force Southern Command spokesperson told us earlier today when we asked about the flights. “We refer you to the…press release for information about Operation Southern Spear and the Joint Task Force established to conduct the operation.”

The flights are part of a massive U.S. presence in the Caribbean for an operation that was ostensibly launched to counter the flow of narcotics into the U.S. but has morphed into a huge show of force aimed at Maduro. In addition to the Ford, there are at least seven surface combatants, a special operations mothership, and several support vessels. There are also F-35B stealth fighters, MQ-9 Reaper drones, P-8 wartime patrol aircraft, AC-130 Ghostrider gunships, P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, among other assets, and about 15,000 U.S. personnel deployed to the region.

Thursday evening, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told OAN news that the looming designation of Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, alleged to be headed by Maduro, “brings a whole bunch of new options to the United States.” That designation goes into effect on Nov. 24 unless challenged by Congress.

OAN to Air Exclusive Sit-Down Interview with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in Prime Time — Watch tonight at 5 pm EST, 7 pm EST, and 11 pm ESThttps://t.co/tdOmMHEBFZ

— One America News (@OANN) November 20, 2025

RC-135 Rivet Joints are no strangers to this part of the world, as we have written about in-depth before. But the aircraft’s arrival at this time, along with tactical fighters and bombers, and many other aircraft that do not show up on tracking systems, is of great interest. The fact that some of these aircraft are showing up on tracking sites at all is clearly a conscious choice in messaging. Even more so, the fact that a U.S. official confirmed the aircraft were stimulating Venezuelan defenses in order to gather critical intelligence is also a very rare admission. Such activities go back many years and happen around the globe regularly to this day to varying degrees of sophistication. But this appears to be a more complex operation, especially considering Venezuela is on high alert for an impending military operation. It’s worth noting that the RC-135 would also have had fighter cover for its collection mission, which could have been provided by USS Gerald R. Ford’s Super Hornets.

By gathering this type of intelligence, and the RC-135 is arguably the best asset on earth to do it, commanders have an up-to-date assessment of the enemy’s electronic order of battle. Once again, this includes the status, types, geolocations, tactics, and readiness of these systems. That intelligence is critical for planning strikes as it informs what air defenses need to be suppressed or destroyed in order for missiles and/or aircraft to best make it to their targets. It also directly dictates what routes those missiles and/or aircraft would take.

At this time, we have no indication that this is all prelude to an actual offensive military operation that strikes into Venezuela, but it is certainly one indicator. And that may very well be the point, as it puts extreme pressure on Maduro, signaling that his reality could shift dramatically in the coming days.

For both tactical and psychological operations reasons, it won’t be surprising if the RC-135 and its fighter escorts and ‘stimulators’ don’t become a relatively common sight off the Venezuelan coast over the coming days.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com

The king of cheeses is ready for the spotlight.

The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, the governing body of the Italian cheese, has reportedly signed with United Talent Agency in order to pursue product placement opportunities in film and TV projects. According to a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, the organization is looking to “introduce Parmigiano Reggiano to a wide pool of partners [and] further its message of gastronomical excellence and high quality ingredients, production and distribution.”

The formaggio faithful know that Parmigiano Reggiano is a hard cow’s milk cheese that can trace its origins back to the Middle Ages. Because it has protected designation of origin, only the cheese made in the Italian provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna and Mantua can legally be called Parmigiano Reggiano. (That’s why the common grated variety you may remember shaking out of a green container onto some spaghetti as a child is called Parmesan.)

According to its website, the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium traces its roots back to the early 1900s when the chambers of commerce in Italian cities were looking to establish a way to authenticate the origin of the hard cheese produced in their region. The organization was formally established in 1928.

Among the association’s objectives is to “organize and take part in initiatives aimed at promoting ‘Parmigiano Reggiano’ cheese, at enhancing its fame, image, reputation, circulation and consumption both in Italy and abroad.”

“Parmigiano Reggiano is not just a symbol of excellence rooted in tradition, but increasingly a truly iconic global brand,” Carmine Forbuso, Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium’s head of marketing, said to the Hollywood Reporter. “This partnership with UTA … allows us to connect with new audiences in an authentic and relevant way. With just three natural ingredients and centuries of artisanal know-how, Parmigiano Reggiano stands for simplicity, quality and depth and we’re excited to explore new formats and platforms to express this story globally.”

So move over, pasta, Parmigiano Reggiano is looking for a new kind of pairing. Netflix and night cheese, perhaps?