Saudi Arabia’s war on drugs has reached a grim milestone as executions surge toward record highs. After lifting a 33-month moratorium in late 2022, the kingdom executed 345 people in 2024 – its highest annual total ever – and has already put 180 to death in the first half of 2025. In June alone, 46 were executed, including 37 for drug offenses, averaging more than one per day. Amnesty International reports that three-quarters of those killed for drug crimes are foreign nationals, often convicted after unfair trials and coerced confessions. Saudi officials defend the crackdown as vital to combat an influx of Captagon pills, but critics call it a violation of international law and a chilling disregard for human life.
“We are witnessing a truly horrifying trend,” warns Amnesty’s Kristine Beckerle.
Meanwhile, China has commissioned its most advanced warship yet: the Fujian aircraft carrier. Launched in 2022 and now in active service, the 80,000-ton vessel is China’s first domestically designed supercarrier and the second in the world to use an electromagnetic catapult system, after the USS Gerald R. Ford. This technology allows heavier, fully armed jets to launch, including the stealth J-35 fighter. President Xi Jinping presided over the ceremony in Hainan, signaling Beijing’s intent to project power far beyond its coastlines. Analysts say Fujian could play a decisive role in any future Taiwan conflict, though its conventional propulsion limits range compared to America’s nuclear-powered carriers.
In Washington, a dramatic moment interrupted Donald Trump’s Oval Office announcement of a landmark deal to slash prices for weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic. A pharmaceutical executive collapsed behind the former president as Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks spoke. Cameras captured officials, including Dr. Mehmet Oz, rushing to help as reporters were ushered out. The man, identified as a guest of Lilly, was treated by White House medical staff and is now stable. The deal will cut monthly costs for Medicare and Medicaid patients to $245 – down from about $1,000. Trump called the agreement “a game-changer for millions of Americans.”
On the cultural front, Kanye West – now legally Ye – met Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto in New York to apologize for years of antisemitic tirades, including his 2022 “death con 3” post and a 2025 track titled “Heil Hitler.” In a video shared by the rabbi, Ye expressed “profound remorse” and blamed bipolar disorder for pushing his ideas “to an extreme.” Rabbi Pinto invoked the Jewish concept of teshuva, or repentance, saying,
“A person is not defined by his mistakes, but by the way he chooses to correct them.”
Reaction remains divided: some praise accountability, others call it a PR move.
In San Francisco, outrage erupted after a Waymo self-driving taxi killed KitKat, a beloved bodega cat nicknamed “Mayor of 16th Street.” The nine-year-old tabby was struck on Oct. 27 as the vehicle pulled away from a curb in the Mission District. Witnesses claim the car failed to brake despite the cat lingering near its wheels for several seconds. Waymo says the animal “darted under the vehicle” and has donated to an animal charity, but locals have built a shrine and city officials are pushing for stricter AV regulations.
Entertainment fans finally got a glimpse of Michael, the $155 million biopic on Michael Jackson. The teaser shows his nephew Jaafar Jackson moonwalking in the iconic red Thriller jacket and recreating stadium performances, set to “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” Directed by Antoine Fuqua and scripted by John Logan, the film promises an intimate look at Jackson’s rise from Jackson 5 prodigy to global superstar. It hits theaters on April 24, 2026, though critics question whether it will address controversies surrounding the singer’s later life.
Finally, Nancy Pelosi confirmed she will retire at the end of her term in January 2027, closing a 38-year congressional career that saw her become the first female Speaker and a central figure in landmark legislation from the Affordable Care Act to Trump’s impeachments. Pelosi said in her farewell video:
“There has been no greater honor for me than to stand on the House floor and say, ‘I speak for the people of San Francisco.”
Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian’s legal drama All’s Fair is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Critics have branded it “the worst TV show of the year,” slamming its “brain-dead” scripts and Kardashian’s “stiff, affectless” performance. Rotten Tomatoes scored it 0% at launch, yet the show debuted at No. 1 on Hulu, proving that even a train wreck can draw an audience.
