The "And In Other News" Thread After Hours

[Dylan]

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema has proposed that the sale and use of cocaine and other drugs should no longer be considered a punishable offense.

Halsema argues that the current approach to combating drugs is "perverse and counterproductive" and suggests that regulating drug markets could undermine the revenue model of criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking.

She emphasizes the need for an alternative strategy, similar to the Dutch government's cannabis cultivation pilot project, where cannabis is legally supplied to coffeeshops.

However, Justice Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz rejected Halsema's proposal, stating that regulation would not make sense as long as the Netherlands is the only country to adopt such measures, and she prioritizes addressing major violent crimes associated with organized crime in the country.

 

[Janey]

The Peaky Blinders actor Paul Anderson has been fined for possession of drugs, including crack cocaine, after being found with that and other substances on Boxing Day.

Anderson, who plays Arthur Shelby in the programme – the hell-raising brother who resorts to drug use – was reportedly said by his lawyer to sometimes slip into character to please fans who recognise him.

The 48-year-old appeared at Highbury Corner magistrates court on Thursday, accused of possessing class A crack cocaine, as well as class B amphetamines and two class C prescription substances. He pleaded guilty to all four charges and was fined a total of £1,345.

 

[John Steed]

The Peaky Blinders actor Paul Anderson has been fined for possession of drugs, including crack cocaine, after being found with that and other substances on Boxing Day.

Anderson, who plays Arthur Shelby in the programme – the hell-raising brother who resorts to drug use – was reportedly said by his lawyer to sometimes slip into character to please fans who recognise him.

The 48-year-old appeared at Highbury Corner magistrates court on Thursday, accused of possessing class A crack cocaine, as well as class B amphetamines and two class C prescription substances. He pleaded guilty to all four charges and was fined a total of £1,345.

Someone should have reminded him that the series ended two years ago!

 

[John Steed]

A California developer has announced plans to build the tallest building in the U.S. in Oklahoma City as part of the Boardwalk At Bricktown development.

Originally proposed as a 134-story tower standing at 1,750 feet, the Legends Tower's height has been increased to 1,907 feet, symbolizing Oklahoma becoming a state in 1907.

If successful, it would surpass the 1,776-foot-tall Freedom Tower at One World Trade Center in New York City and become the fifth tallest building globally.

The project aims to bring economic growth, new businesses, and jobs to Oklahoma City, transforming the Lower Bricktown area into a vibrant destination with residential, retail, and entertainment spaces. The Boardwalk at Bricktown will also feature a lagoon, boardwalk, and a new arena for the NBA franchise Oklahoma Thunder.

 

[Hedonistic Blonde]

After eight months in detention, Indian police cleared a pigeon suspected to be a Chinese spy.

The bird was captured in Mumbai in May with Chinese-looking words on rings tied to its legs, raising espionage suspicions.

The pigeon was sent to Mumbai's Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals. However, investigations revealed it was an open-water racing bird from Taiwan that had escaped and reached India.

With police permission, the bird was transferred to the Bombay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, where it was released on Tuesday. This incident mirrors a 2020 case where police in Indian-controlled Kashmir released a Pakistani fisherman's pigeon after determining it was not a spy.

 

[Ghost]

Billionaire Peter Thiel and other venture capitalists are funding "The Enhanced Games" dubbed as "The Olympics on Steroids", a revamped Olympics-style tournament that "embraces future advancements in medical science," as per a report by Business Insider.

The Enhanced Games, funded by Peter Thiel and other venture capitalists, is a tournament that embraces advancements in medical science and allows athletes to use performance-enhancing drugs with health checks.

In not so many words, this means competitors would be allowed to be doped up for their games — with health checks in place, it added.

The event will include games such as track and field, swimming, gymnastics, weight lifting, and combat sports, as per other reports. The inaugural edition is expected in 2025.

 

[Scotty G]

Surgeon Simon Bramhall branded initials onto a patient's liver during a transplant, leading to his loss of medical license.

The incident, one of two, occurred at a hospital in Birmingham, England. Bramhall claimed it was an stress-relieving act.

Convicted of assault, he was fined and deemed arrogant by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service.

 

[Tina]

In a unique operation on the eve of Valentine's Day, a Peru police officer donned a Care Bears costume to apprehend a woman suspected of selling drugs in Lima.

Accompanied by other officers disguised as workers, the officer approached the alleged offender's residence with flowers and chocolates, prompting her to leave the house.

The unsuspecting suspect was then arrested as she descended an outside staircase. This unconventional tactic, employed by the Peru National Police's Green Squadron, is part of their ongoing efforts to combat crime.

 

[Scotty G]

A Spanish-Dutch artist named Alicia Framis is planning to marry an AI hologram named AILex in a unique ceremony scheduled for this summer.

AILex was trained using data related to Framis' previous romantic partners. Framis, who previously had a relationship with a mannequin named Pierre, will tie the knot with AILex in a ceremony set to take place at the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

The ceremony will include a "unique ritual for the union between a human and an avatar" and feature molecular food designed to be enjoyed by both humans and humanoid entities. Framis is designing her own dress as well as the attire for wedding guests.

She views the wedding as representative of a "new generation of love" where humans form relationships with holograms, avatars, and robots. While the wedding is considered a form of performance art, Framis believes it raises intriguing questions about the nature of relationships with holographic partners, likening it to obtaining a mortgage for a new companion.

 

[Cappuccino Kid]

The 'world's most jealous woman' has revealed she makes her husband take a lie detector test every time he comes home.

Debbi Wood is so paranoid that her husband Steve Wood will be unfaithful, she makes sure that he takes a lie detector test every time he comes back from being out of the house.

She also revealed that she checks his phone, email accounts and bank statements several times a day for evidence of infidelity and Steve is even banned from watching women on television or looking at pictures of them in magazines.

Doctors have discovered that Miss Wood is suffering from Othello Syndrome, a psychiatric disorder which causes sufferers to believe their partners have been unfaithful.