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We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
In a tragic turn of events, at least one individual lost their life and numerous others were injured on Friday during the lead-up to a soccer derby at Alejandro Villanueva Stadium in Lima, Peru. The incident occurred just a day before the anticipated match between Alianza Lima and Universitario, according to a statement by Alianza Lima.
The club expressed its condolences and extended solidarity to the victims, with reports indicating that around 60 people were injured during the event, known locally as a “flag-waving event,” at the stadium, which is commonly referred to as Matute.
Alianza Lima pledged to cooperate fully with authorities to shed light on the incident, emphasizing their commitment to “total transparency” in unraveling the cause, which remains unclear at this time.
Both Alianza Lima and a fire department official ruled out any structural issues with the stadium. Fire official Marco Pajuelo informed news outlet Canal N that preliminary assessments showed no structural damage and confirmed that no one had fallen into a pit. “There hasn’t been any debris,” he stated.
“Based on what has been assessed, no structure has been affected,” fire official Marco Pajuelo told news channel Canal N, saying an initial inspection showed no one had fallen into a pit. “There hasn’t been any debris.”
Saturday’s match would proceed as planned, the Peruvian Professional Soccer League said.
“We will continue to work closely with the clubs and authorities to promote safe environments both inside and outside the stadiums,” it added in a statement.
When you think of Wookiees in the “Star Wars” saga, it’s likely that Chewbacca is the first to spring to mind. Best known as Han Solo’s trusty sidekick, he’s a master with a bowcaster and, despite not receiving the Medal of Yavin for his pivotal role in the Death Star’s destruction, he undeniably earned it. However, Chewbacca isn’t the only notable Wookiee. Some Wookiees possess unique abilities that even Chewbacca doesn’t have.
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Enter Gungi, a Wookiee from the animated series “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” What sets Gungi apart is his sensitivity to the Force and his journey to becoming a Jedi. Initially, George Lucas, the creator of “Star Wars,” was hesitant about including Wookiee Jedi, but over time, several have made their way into the official storyline. Although Gungi has yet to appear in live action, his story reveals him as a formidable character, from securing his kyber crystal to surviving the catastrophic Order 66.
Gungi’s journey in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” begins with his training as a Jedi. As one of the standout young trainees, he earns the opportunity to travel to the icy planet Ilum alongside Yoda and Ahsoka Tano. There, he participates in the Gathering, a ceremony where young Jedi discover the kyber crystal that resonates with them. For Gungi, this means exercising patience, as his green kyber crystal lies on a patch of land encircled by freezing waters. He must wait for the water to solidify into ice, enabling him to safely retrieve his crystal.
However, the triumph of their mission on Ilum is short-lived. The infamous pirate Hondo Ohnaka boards their vessel, intending to seize and sell the precious kyber crystals. Although the Jedi and their trainees fend him off, the confrontation severely damages their ship, leaving Ahsoka stranded in space temporarily. Eventually, the group rescues her from the planet Florrum. During the downtime aboard their ship, Gungi and his fellow trainees focus on constructing their lightsabers using the newly acquired crystals.
Gungi found a kyber crystal and survived a pirate attack
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Despite rescuing Ahsoka, their escape from Florrum is thwarted as their ship is destroyed, leading to their capture by Hondo Ohnaka. The pirate has plans to keep them, but an attack by General Grievous interrupts, forcing the young Padawans to ally with Ohnaka to overcome a shared adversary and escape Grievous’s clutches.
However, the success and excitement of their trip to Ilum is cut short when well-known galactic pirate Hondo Ohnaka boards the ship with the intent to steal and sell the kyber crystals. While the Jedi and Jedi-in-training successfully fight him off, their ship is damaged and Ahsoka ends up stuck in space. The group does eventually rescue her from planet Florrum; in their downtime on the ship, Gungi and his fellow trainees build their lightsabers with their new crystals.
Despite saving Ahsoka, their ship is destroyed when they try to get away from Florrum, and they’re taken captive by Hondo Ohnaka. While the pirate clearly aims to keep them, General Grievous attacks, giving the young Padawans a chance to escape by joining forces with the pirate in a common goal: surviving Grievous.
Gungi hid during the Great Jedi Purge
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The Great Jedi Purge, starting with the enactment of Order 66, is the mass genocide of Jedi orchestrated by Darth Sidious during his reign over the Galactic Empire. Over the span of 16 years after the Clone Wars, the Sith methodically exterminated Jedi and anything connected to the Jedi Order. The intent was to effectively kill off all Jedi, trying to prevent them from having the population numbers to rise up against the Sith. Order 66 was how the Sith justified their actions; the order would deem Jedi traitors, with death as their punishment.
Gungi was a young Jedi at the time of the Great Purge, but he managed to survive. It isn’t clear exactly how he escaped the Sith other than that he hid for a long time, though where isn’t known. At one point, he is captured by the criminal cartel known as the Vanguard Axis, who meant to sell him to the highest bidder because he’s a Wookiee. Omega, a female clone of Jango Fett, breaks him out and helps him escape aboard the Clone Force 99 ship in “Star Wars: The Bad Batch.”
Gungi goes home to Kashyyyk
After Omega and Clone Force 99 help Gungi get away from the Vanguard Axis, they take him back to Kashyyyk, his forested home planet. However, Imperial Forces currently control it, which means they not only have to be sneaky about landing on the planet, but they have to avoid patrols that could recapture the wanted Jedi fugitive. As they head to his village, Gungi shows his skills outside of fighting with a lightsaber, using the Force to communicate with some native arachnids known as netcasters, convincing the creatures that he and the group mean them no harm.
Though they find Gungi’s home in ruins, destroyed by a fire, he meets another Wookiee. He’s then guided to a different village, led by the Wookiee elder Yanna. Gungi settles with them, helping the village fight against the reptilian Trandoshans trying to exploit the land for natural resources under Imperial rule. The Wookiees set a trap for the bounty hunters, who are en route because they know there’s a Jedi sniffing around; the Trandoshans are defeated with the help of the netcasters from before. This battle helps Gungi realize he wants to stay in the village, aiding in the effort to protect Kashyyyk from the Imperial Forces, and giving the Wookiee a home after going into hiding during the Great Purge.
A tragic incident unfolded in Texas when a toddler accidentally shot a two-year-old in the head after discovering an unsecured firearm, authorities reported.
The incident occurred during a family gathering near Houston on Friday afternoon, turning a casual reunion into a scene of chaos and concern.
Law enforcement officers were dispatched to the scene on Onaleigh Drive in the Channelview area, close to Woodforest Boulevard and Dell Dale Street, at around 12:15 p.m., as detailed by Fox 26.
Juan, who preferred not to disclose his last name, shared with ABC13 that the young victim of the shooting was his grandson.
“My wife was in shock, rushing out of our room and screaming for help, unable to articulate anything clearly,” Juan recounted. “She was covered in blood and desperately urged us to call 911,” he added.
Police said approximately seven adults were eating lunch in the living room while the two boys were alone in a bedroom.
Juan said he was sleeping when his wife woke him, demanding he call the police.
As the family rushed to the bedroom, they saw the four-year-old holding the gun as the two-year-old bled out. According to Click 2 Houston, the boys are not siblings.
Police officers were seen at the scene Friday afternoon as a preliminary invetigation unfolded
Harris County Police responded to a call outside of Houston after a two-year-old was shot in the head
Officials said the two-year-old was alert and speaking before being life-flighted to the hospital.
He underwent surgery in the intensive care unit and is now recovering in critical but stable condition. He is expected to survive.
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez released a statement after the tragic events of the day, encouraging families to secure their firearms
The child’s mother, reported KHOU, was at work at the time of the shooting, but police said at least one parent was present.
Juan told police that the firearm belonged to a family friend, 25-year-old Santiago Daniel Canet. He was among multiple people at the scene who were visiting the home from out of town.
The traumatized grandfather claimed Canet’s gun had typically been stored on the top shelf of a closet. But investigators said it was unsecured and accessible to small children.
As a result, Canet was arrested and charged with making a firearm accessible to a minor. He was booked in the Harris County Jail.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said the family secured the gun when police arrived and everyone cooperated with the investigation.
Multiple people were said to be visiting the home on Onaleigh Drive in Channelview, police said
Crimes Against Children Investigators were also at the scene. County officials said Child Protective Services may become involved.
The area around the home was taped off all day as police swarmed the scene, gathering preliminary information for the investigation.
As of Friday afternoon, Major Ben Katrib stated that the information was still very limited.
‘All of this information is preliminary, of course and subject to change,’ he told the press.
‘It’s always important to secure the firearm for anyone who is thinking about buying a firearm that does not have one,’ Katrib added.
‘If you have children or children might visit your home, they are spontaneous, they are curious. So if you do not have enough money to buy a safe or anything to secure the handgun or any firearm, then you should not buy it.’
Police said Santiago Daniel Canet was arrested following the discovery that he was the owner of the firearm. Canet was charged with making a firearm accessible to a minor
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez issued a statement after a second child was shot in a separate incident the same day.
‘Today is heartbreaking. Two children shot in separate incidents. Safe firearm storage saves lives,’ he wrote. ‘Lock it. Secure it. Keep it out of reach. This is about protecting our kids. We all have a role to play.’
A three-year-old suffered a gunshot wound in Houston on Friday afternoon, reported KHOU.
Investigators said the shooting was believed to be ‘negligent discharge,’ though it is unclear who may have fired the gun.
The child was taken to the hospital in critical condition but is expected to survive.
The Daily Mail contacted the Harris County Sheriff’s Office for more information.
The University of Illinois men’s basketball team is gearing up for a highly anticipated Final Four showdown against UConn in Indianapolis. Fans are likewise caught up in the excitement as they make their final preparations for the big game.
With just a day to go before tip-off, the Fighting Illini are set to take on the Huskies in the thrilling March Madness tournament. This marks Illinois’ first appearance in the Final Four in over two decades, adding to the excitement and anticipation surrounding the event.
The teams were each allotted about an hour to practice on the court at Lucas Oil Stadium. Accompanying them were spirited performances from the band and cheerleaders, who contributed to the lively atmosphere.
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On Friday, as the team honed their skills, the Fighting Illini Hoops Band was also getting comfortable in their temporary home, preparing to energize the crowd come Saturday night. The practice session felt like a home game, with fans dressed in Orange and Blue filling the stands, eager to soak up the atmosphere.
As the team practiced Friday, the Fighting Illini Hoops Band was settling into their home for Saturday night. During Friday’s practice session, they seemed to be playing for a hometown crowd. Orange and Blue filled the stands to take in the experience.
The Illinois Fighting Illini team is making final preparations for a Final Four NCAA basketball tournament game vs. UConn in Indianapolis.
Hoops band member Paige Wheeler from Wheaton is finishing her senior year with a bang at U of I.
“This experience has been awesome,” Wheeler said. “So much fun, the energy is just amazing.”
Fellow band member Kyle Boone from Oswego plays the saxophone.
“It’s been absolutely surreal,” Boone said. “Doing four years here in the band, being able to just travel, and obviously being at all these amazing games, all the wins, hopefully we can just get two more, that would be awesome.”
Illinois Fighting Illini fans and the band are making final preparations for a Final Four NCAA basketball tournament game vs. UConn in Indianapolis.
Toby Hackett brought his daughters to the practice. They have no tickets for the game on Saturday, but they were soaking it all up Friday.
“We left about 4:30 from Illinois, and with the time change, yeah stood in line about an hour, but it wasn’t too bad,” Hackett said.
It’s well documented that it’s been more than two decades since the Illini have been to a Final Four, but that means many of the current students were not even born yet ,or the very least were still in diapers. So, they’re determined to make the most of this experience.
Illinois cheerleader Layla Kessie is a Schaumburg High School grad.
“It’s such a cool experience,” Kessie said. “It’s so exciting. We’re having such a great time.”
SEE ALSO | March Madness: Illini alums from 2005 Final Four team cheering for Illinois championship
Ann Arbor, Michigan is fairly close to Indianapolis, and Michigan has a lot of fans there. But it certainly seems like Illinois fans from Champaign and throughout Illinois are the biggest crowd.
There appeared to be at least 10,000 of them watching the Illini practice Friday morning.
The Illinois-UConn game tips off Saturday at 5:09 p.m.
Whoever wins will go on to face the winner in the Arizona-Michigan Game, with the championship game happening Monday in Indianapolis.
NEWBERRY, Fla. – In a case that has drawn considerable local attention, Carrie Elizabeth Webb, 46, will serve a decade behind bars after a jury convicted her of burglarizing her former workplace while attempting to disguise herself.
According to a report from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the incident took place on June 29, 2023, at Enos Nail Salon located at 13005 SW 1st Road, Suite 133 in Newberry. During the burglary, approximately $700 was reported stolen.
Webb, who had been dismissed from her position at the salon roughly a month prior to the break-in, was familiar with the business’s cash handling procedures. Surveillance footage captured her approaching the salon clad in a mask, hoodie, and gloves. She was seen entering a code into a key box, retrieving the key, and unlocking the door. Webb proceeded directly to the drawer containing the bank bag and extracted $650 before moving to the cash register to take an additional $50. The entire theft was executed in a mere two minutes.
By April 2024, when the legal complaint was formally filed, Webb had relocated to New Smyrna Beach. Her arrest followed in St. Johns County about a week later, after which she was released on bail.
In March 2026, she was formally charged with burglary of an unoccupied structure while wearing a mask; the theft charge was not prosecuted.
On April 1, 2026, a jury found her guilty of burglary while wearing a mask to conceal her identity, and Judge Robert Groeb sentenced her to 10 years in state prison. Webb has appealed the verdict.
The U.S. State Department is actively seeking methods to assist Americans in leaving the Middle East. According to recent updates, over 9,000 U.S. citizens have successfully been evacuated from the area in recent days. Among these evacuees, just 300 individuals have departed from Israel.
Amid escalating tensions, Iran and its allied terrorist groups have issued specific threats targeting universities in Lebanon. Consequently, the State Department has urged Americans to depart while commercial flights are still operational, according to U.S. officials.
Officials have noted that Iran has “explicitly threatened” American educational institutions throughout the Middle East.
The U.S. Embassy in Beirut has characterized Lebanon’s security atmosphere as “volatile and unpredictable.”
“Airstrikes, drones, and rocket attacks are frequent across the nation, particularly in the southern regions, the Beqaa Valley, and certain areas of Beirut,” officials emphasized in a recent security alert.
Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike hits a building near the airport road in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday.(Hussein Malla/AP)
Commercial flights are being offered by Middle East Airlines, operating out of Beirut Rafic Hariri airport.
Officials said Americans should strongly consider departing on one of the flights “if they believe it is safe to do so.”
The U.S. Embassy in Beirut is providing limited passport services on an emergency basis to U.S. citizens.
An excavator clears debris at the site of an Israeli strike March 18 in the Zuqaq al-Blat district of central Beirut, Lebanon.(Khalil Ashawi/Reuters)
All routine consular services, including visa operations, are suspended until further notice.
Those who have plans to travel to Lebanon should cancel them, officials said.
Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.
She has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.
Left inset: Dominique Lucas (GoFundMe). Right inset: Aaron Cole (Clark County Sheriff’s Office). Background: Las Vegas bus driver Marvin Scott allegedly driving down the road while Dominique Lucas was being stabbed to death by Aaron Cole (KLAS/YouTube).
A tragic incident unfolded on a Las Vegas bus when the driver ignored urgent pleas for help from a passenger with cognitive disabilities. The passenger, who was repeatedly shouting “let me off, let me off,” was being fatally stabbed during the ordeal, as detailed in a lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed by the family of 30-year-old Dominique Lucas, who tragically lost his life on a bus operated by the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) in 2023. The defendants included the RTC, its former operator Keolis, and the bus driver, Marvin Scott. Recently, the involved parties reached a settlement in this wrongful death case, reported by local CBS affiliate KLAS.
Donniesha Lucas, Dominique’s sister, shared her grief in a March 2023 interview with KLAS, stating, “He wanted to be let off the bus.”
The attack occurred on February 26, 2023, when Aaron Cole, 62, launched a fatal stabbing assault on Dominique Lucas, which was captured on surveillance footage. Lucas was en route to his job as a dishwasher when the tragedy struck.
According to the legal complaint, Cole threatened Lucas without provocation and then began “violently stabbing” him multiple times. Disturbingly, this occurred while Lucas lay on the floor near driver Marvin Scott, desperately pleading for help. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the bus driver took at least four minutes to stop the vehicle, as shown by the surveillance footage.
For two of those minutes, Lucas stumbled toward the front of the bus as Scott continued driving it down Paradise Road in Las Vegas. Scott later said he didn’t want Cole to flee and hurt somebody else, nor did he want Lucas to run out into traffic, according to KLAS.
“Let me off, let me off!” Lucas can be heard screaming on video in the front of the bus as Scott continued to cruise down the road, KLAS reports.
“It appeared that the driver had ample opportunity on multiple occasions to move over immediately to his right and park along the curb,” Robert Berkstresser, a transportation consultant with nearly five decades of experience, told the TV station.
“Why was he not let off the bus?” asked Donniesha Lucas during her interview with KLAS in March 2023. “He didn’t deserve that.”
In his family’s legal complaint, their lawyers wrote that Scott “knew or should have known that a physical altercation was likely to occur” after he heard Cole “verbally accosting” Dominique Lucas prior to him attacking him. “Yet [Scott] failed to take action to prevent the assault and/or promote safety on the bus,” the complaint concluded.
A spokesperson for Keolis confirmed to KLAS after the stabbing that Scott didn’t open the bus doors due to the risk of the victim or passengers running into traffic. Keolis did not respond to Law&Crime’s requests for comment Thursday. They also said that the bus would not have been able to move if the doors were opened.
The Lucas family’s lawsuit accused RTC and Keolis of “failing to employ adequate safety measures to protect passengers and the public, despite being repeatedly informed about the dangerous environments on their buses, including, but not limited to, numerous prior incidents involving assault, battery, weapons, physical confrontation, violence, death, and use of illicit drugs known to be associated with violence.”
Cole, who is charged with open murder with a deadly weapon, is scheduled to go on trial in September for the alleged attack. Prosecutors have said that they intend to seek the death penalty, should Cole be convicted.
A prominent California farmer has been charged with the murder of his estranged wife, allegedly using a “high-powered rifle” after telling his family he was going “hunting,” per newly disclosed court documents.
Michael Abatti stands accused of first-degree murder in the death of Kerri Ann Abatti, who was discovered shot dead at the couple’s secondary residence in Pinetop, Arizona, on November 20, as reported by the Navajo County Attorney’s Office.
Abatti, who has entered a plea of not guilty, was apprehended and detained in December. However, fresh insights into the case have surfaced after The Los Angeles Times succeeded in getting the court to unseal affidavits related to the investigation.
During the time of Kerri Ann’s demise, the couple was embroiled in a contentious divorce struggle over a $200 million trust, which, according to the affidavits accessed by The Times, would have been entirely transferred to Michael had Kerri died.
The Abatti family is among the region’s largest landowners, with Michael operating a thriving agricultural business in Imperial Valley.
The family is one of the largest landowners in the area and Michael operates a successful farm in Imperial Valley.
The family’s future came into question, however, on Nov. 20 when the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office said they were called to a Pinetop home after receiving a report of a shooting. They arrived to find Kerri suffering from a gunshot wound. Although the 59-year-old was rushed to a local hospital, she died from her injuries.
Her nephew, who also lived at the property, told investigators that he had been in his bedroom when he heard a loud noise and found the mother of three in the dining room “bleeding from the face,” according to the affidavit.
Evidence Suggests Michael Abatti Traveled to Arizona, Authorities Say
After conducting a reconstruction of the crime scene, investigators concluded, per the affidavits, that the fatal shot had come from outside the home—possibly as far as 30 yards away—from a “higher-powered rifle.”
The night Kerri was killed, authorities said that her family tried to reach Michael but was allegedly told by his family that he was “hunting in the desert.”
Using license plate reader technology, investigators found evidence to suggest a Ford truck owned by Michael left the hunting grounds in El Centro, Calif. around 1:30 p.m. on the day Kerri was killed, authorities said. The same vehicle was later spotted in Globe, Arizona around 6:30 p.m. and a second time around 11:41 p.m., according to the court records.
The truck was seen again near the hunting grounds at 4:40 a.m., investigators said.
Three days after his wife died, the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office was called to Michael’s home after he allegedly tried to kill himself.
He told emergency responders that the act had been “because of an incident involving his wife,” and ongoing depression, per the affidavit.
Authorities noted in the court records that during a search of his home, investigators seized more than three dozen firearms including two dozen rifles.
“On December 2, 2025, detectives served multiple search warrants on residences, properties, vehicles, and camp trailers associated with the Abatti family in El Centro, California,” the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office wrote in its statement on the arrest. “As the investigation continued, a significant amount of evidence was seized, some of which is still being analyzed, leading the detectives to identify Michael Abatti (63) of El Centro, California, as the suspect in the murder of Kerri Ann Abatti.”
Where is Michael Abatti Now?
Michael was indicted by a grand jury on the first-degree murder charge in December and taken into custody in California a short time later, before being extradited to Arizona on Dec. 31, prosecutors said. He’s currently being held at the Navajo County jail, according to records reviewed by.
Oxygen reached out to Michael’s attorneys Owen Roth and Danni Iredale, but did not receive an immediate response.
The attorneys had argued against the release of the affidavits in court and later said in a statement to The Los Angeles Times that they believed the decision to unseal the records “unduly risks” Michael’s right to a fair trial.
“Search warrants are untested, one-sided presentations meant to establish probable cause,” they said, adding that Michael is “innocent unless and until proven otherwise.”
Reality TV stars Erika Jayne and Dorit Kemsley took time to address their intense dinner argument that unfolded on the latest episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, which aired on Thursday night.
Credit: Bravo
The episode showcased a fiery exchange between the two, where they resorted to calling each other derogatory names amidst a rivalry over whose personal challenges were greater and accusations of lacking support. Reflecting on the incident, Erika described the exchange as “depressing” and, alongside Kyle Richards, 57, implied that Dorit, 49, seemed self-absorbed during the confrontation.
“I had a clash with Dorit early on,” Erika recounted on the April 2 episode of the RHOBH: After Show. “This was uncharted territory for us, and it really affected me. I care deeply for Dorit and am aware of her struggles, so it was painful to experience. It was quite disheartening.”
Erika pinpointed the tipping point of their spat as being Dorit’s remark that Bozoma “Boz” Saint John, 49, had offered her more support than Erika and Kyle had.
According to Erika, what really set her off was Dorit’s suggestion that Bozoma “Boz” Saint John, 49, had been more supportive than her and Kyle.
“I collapsed into tears,” Erika noted. “We’ve confided in each other for almost 10 years now, and that means something to me, so to see it sort of just blown apart, I was like, ’No, no. That’s not what’s happening here’ … ‘Hold on. Dorit, I know you’re going through a lot, but you’re telling me, you’re looking at me and saying, ‘Whatever. What have you been through?’ ‘Dorit, I’ve confided in you a lot.’”
“I reached my limit. While I understand it, there are limits,” she continued. “You go through this experience. These women, meaning Kyle and Dorit, know something very private, and I’ve been very vulnerable with them, and to see that sort of turned and thrown in your face is like, ‘What the f*ck are you talking about? I get that you’re going through sh*t, but no. That’s enough. No.’”
In her own segment, Dorit said she was taken aback by her tiff with Erika.
“I didn’t expect any of what I got from Erika that day from Erika. I would’ve put so much f*cking money on it, that’s how far from expecting what I got,” she explained, praising Boz for being “open and honest” amid speculation into her finances.
“[She] said, ‘Listen, I’m concerned about your finances, I am,’ and largely due in part because I had actually said to her many times about money and [Paul “PK” Kemsley]. So she actually even had more information,” Dorit shared. “It wasn’t even just because she thought I was being so reckless.”
Comparing Boz’s approach to the approach of others, Dorit said Boz was “a true friend.”
“It felt real. It felt supportive. It felt genuine. It felt like it was coming from a good place,” she noted. “I mean, Erika and I … how do you put into words?”
Although Dorit claimed she was “absolutely the most surprised and hurt” by Erika, Kyle said that she was shocked by Dorit’s words.
“To see her talk like that to Erika, that that would even come out of her mouth with one of her close friends of all these years, and then to see [Erika], it was so depressing,” she admitted. “I felt so sad. Like, what are you talking about that this is what we’ve been reduced to?”
“That just goes to show that she’s only thinking of herself right now, whether it’s being late with us, and it’s not okay,” Kyle added. “[And] she’s not the first person to be going through a divorce. Like, how can you just completely not see what other people are going through?”
Then, after Kyle suggested that Dorit was trying to “throw out any dagger just to bother [Erika] and hurt [her],” Erika said she didn’t think Dorit understood how hurt she was.
“She’s in her own thinking, and she’s in survival mode, and I understand that as well,” she stated.
Also on the After Show, Dorit confirmed that she and Erika were no longer speaking.
“I would love to work it out with her if she wants. If she doesn’t, and her stance is I don’t want to be friends, good luck to you. I wish you well … I’m not gonna beg any friend of mine that doesn’t want to be friends to be my friend,” she concluded.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills season 15 airs Thursdays at 8/7c on Bravo.
Anime has an extraordinary ability to transport its audience to places that are both unexpected and deeply unsettling. While there are plenty of series offering light-hearted escapism, there exists a subset of anime that thrives on pushing boundaries, exploring the darker recesses of storytelling. For fans seeking a more sanitized viewing experience, options abound. However, it’s widely accepted that narratives infused with sorrow and shadowy twists are essential for testing the emotional resilience of characters.
The distinction between an anime that merely includes dark twists and one that immerses itself in a bleak atmosphere from the outset is significant. Some series begin their journey in an already oppressive environment, only to amplify the intensity as the story unfolds, subjecting characters to relentless trials. Such series are not for the casual viewer looking for a quick weekend binge. Despite this, these darker anime wield their tragic narratives as a tool to evoke genuine emotional responses from the audience.
Take, for instance, Death Note. As its title implies, this is not a series filled with cheer or optimism. Instead, it offers a chilling exploration of how power can corrupt and how entitlement can masquerade as justice. From the very beginning, Death Note immerses viewers in its inherent darkness, following Light Yagami as he becomes consumed by the potential of his newfound, destructive abilities. The series compels the audience to witness Light’s descent, fostering a complex mix of complicity and resentment, while clinging to a faint hope for redemption or happiness.
Death Note’s Fatalist Power Fantasy Offers No Chance Of Redemption
Death Note, as its name suggests, is anything but a cheerful and optimistic anime. It’s a disturbing deconstruction of power’s corrupting nature and deluded exercise in entitlement and justice. There’s an inherent darkness to Death Note right from its start as Light Yagami obsesses over the appealing possibilities of his destructive power. Death Note forces the audience to be complicit with Light’s twisted actions and increasingly resent him, and to hope for some impossible sliver of happiness.
There’s some masterful work done in terms of character development and pathos as the audience is left to consider if Light’s apprehension is the best possibility once he becomes too far gone for redemption. There’s something to be said for Death Note’s cutthroat and brutal ending, in which Light’s actions finally catch up with him, and he’s left alone, afraid, and betrayed.
It’s the bleakest ending imaginable for a series of this nature, even if justice is technically served and Light’s reign of terror is brought to an end. At the same time, Death Note’s ending reflects the cyclical, unstoppable nature of violence, and that there will always be someone out there who is hungry to abuse power.
Higurashi: When They Cry Creates A Torturous Timeline Where Happiness Is Impossible
Shion goes crazy in Higurashi: When They Cry.Image via Studio Deen
Higurashi: When They Cry is a true gut-punch of an anime that catches the audience by surprise, and throws them into a death-filled time loop of slaughter and sacrifice. Part of what makes Higurashi such an overwhelming and effective experience is that it creates the impression of a friendly slice-of-life anime through its “moe” character designs and brightly colored aesthetics.
The anime begins with an unusual virus that plagues the residents of Hinamizawa, a small, quiet community. There’s a grander mystery that plays out in Higurashi as erratic actions overtake the characters and a body count starts to accrue.
Higurashi becomes even more punishing and painful when the anime reveals that Hinamizawa’s residents are trapped in a traumatic time loop that forces them to repeatedly experience psychologically damaging events. There are several Higurashi anime and expansions that build upon this foreboding framework and hammer in the impossibility of peace, and how the deck is stacked against these characters.
Any sort of happiness requires sacrifice from innocent individuals in order to secure some semblance of peace for the greater good. It’s still deeply upsetting and unfair to see these characters subjected to non-stop death and torture while they fail to grasp the enormity of this situation.
Made In Abyss’s Progressive Curse Guarantees A Tragic Journey For Its Heroes
Vueko is consoled by a monstrous Irumyuui in Made In Abyss.Image via Kinema Citrus
Made in Abyss has yet to fully finish its story, but its disturbing direction is proof enough that circumstances are only going to get much worse for Riko and Reg before they ever get better. Made in Abyss is another deliberate bait-and-switch situation, with it initially seeming like a lighthearted adventure anime, before the truth is revealed.
The anime follows Riko, an optimistic orphan who is determined to descend into the dangerous Abyss in order to find her Cave Raider mom. Unfortunately for Riko, the Abyss curses anyone who explores it, with this toxic mark growing more debilitating with each passing level.
The curse also eventually makes it so that it’s impossible to ascend once a certain level has been reached. This creates an uncomfortable structure in which Riko and company’s adventure grows progressively darker. It’s difficult to watch these pure characters with child-like designs experience physical and psychological torture.
As the series goes on, some individuals become mutated and completely lose any trace of their humanity. Made in Abyss accomplishes a rare feat in which the audience becomes more apprehensive as Riko gets closer to her goal. Each new level that she reaches brings her closer to a death sentence.
Attack On Titan Triggers Ultimate Annihilation To Prove The End Justifies The Means
Attack on Titan begins as a deceptively simple story about mankind’s efforts to survive in their walled-off community against giant man-eating monsters. However, each passing season expands Attack on Titan’s scope and illustrates that the lines between good and evil aren’t as clear as they seemed. The anime’s relationship with the Titans evolves and turns these monsters into a powerful tool for control. As the anime redefines its reality and where the truth lies, the sprawling story asks the audience to spend time with individuals who were previously presented as the enemy.
At the same time, Attack on Titan slowly pulls the rug out from under the audience as its protagonist, Eren Jaeger, is revealed to potentially be the greatest villain of all. Huge questions of morality are asked in Attack on Titan’s final season, which becomes a stunning deconstruction of war, manipulation, and control. A monumental tragedy is triggered under the pretense of salvation that leaves the world irrevocably changed.
Devilman Crybaby Erases Humanity To Leave The Earth With Empty Abandonment
Devilman spreads its wings and screams in Devilman Crybaby.Image via Science SARU
Devilman Crybaby, Masaaki Yuasa’s modern reimagining of Go Nagai’s classic Devilman series, is only ten episodes long, and yet it still manages to build to one of anime’s most depressing apocalypses. The anime explores Akira Fudo’s complicated awakening as Devilman, a fated figure who can destroy the world’s demons or damn humanity into endless suffering.
Akira struggles to make sense of his powers and figure out what he truly wants out of life, all while vicious violence and dangerous demons overwhelm the world. Devilman Crybaby presents Ryo as Akira’s safe sounding board, but this emotional support festers into toxic betrayal when Ryo’s true origins come to light.
The Devilman franchise is all about understanding and empathy overpowering evil, yet Devilman Crybaby avoids such a neat conclusion in favor of a truly tragic endgame. Akira and Ryo are forced to fight to the bitter end, at which point all that’s left is death, sadness, and loneliness. Existence is deemed an abject failure, and even God himself proves to be as monstrous as anyone else.
Mami Tomoe about to be killed by a witch in Madoka Magica: Beginnings.Image via Studio Shaft
There’s been a growing trend over the past several decades where magical girl anime have shed their sunny, shojo trappings in order to delve into psychological torture and endless suffering. Madoka Magica, the progenitor of this trend, takes something as special and sacred as a magical girl contract, and instead equates it with eternal suffering. The anime’s magical girls may seem empowered, but their strength and resilience are linked to cyclical destruction that seems impossible to overcome.
These magical girls give their all while they watch their friends perish or transform into the very monsters that they must destroy. There are brief moments of victory and solace in Madoka Magica, but the series’ problematic puppet master, Kyubey, is always present to reset the slate and trap its magical girls in a new, darker purgatory. Madoka Magica’s impossible odds make it feel pointless for these heroic characters to fight for what they believe in, as their souls are already doomed.
Neon Genesis Evangelion Descends Into Depressing Darkness & Stares Into The Abyss
Out of the many anime that subject their audience to existential dread and deep psychic pain, Neon Genesis Evangelion is arguably the most celebrated. The mecha series gradually lets its depressing, intrusive thoughts overtake the narrative as Shinji Ikari’s frail mental state reigns supreme.
Shinji is just a young teenager who suddenly finds the weight of the world on his shoulders, and matters grow more dire when vengeful Angels threaten to trigger an apocalypse. Neon Genesis Evangelion’s final episodes, and the concluding End of Evangelion film that follows, were incredibly polarizing upon their release, due to the unconventional ways they wrapped up the young, broken hero’s story.
It’s rare to see a mainstream anime express such overwhelming angst and disdain. Shinji may ultimately reject Human Instrumentality and choose to live in a world with palpable pain, but it’s hard to view the anime’s ending as anything other than tragic.
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