- Trump rallies at site of failed assassination: 'Never quit'
- Too hot by day, Dubai's floodlit beaches are packed at night
- Is music finally reckoning with #MeToo?
- Fans hail Trump's 'guts' as he returns to site of rally shooting
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Miami on track for MLS record points after win in Toronto
- Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes
- Madrid beat Villarreal to level Liga leaders Barca
- Thuram treble fires Inter past Torino and up to second
- 'Fight': defiant Trump jets in to site of rally shooting
- Mexico City's new mayor sworn in with pledges on water, housing
- Israel on alert ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Guardians maul Tigers in MLB playoff series opener
- Macron criticises Israel on Gaza, Lebanon operations
- French rugby player whistled but 'serene' on return amid ongoing rape case
- Retegui hat-trick fires five-star Atalanta to hammering of Genoa
- Heavyweights Australia, England off to World Cup winning starts
- Visiting UN refugee agency chief decries 'terrible crisis' in Lebanon
- Spinners come to party as England defeat Bangladesh at T20 World Cup
- Search continues for missing in deadly Bosnia floods
- Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- France's Auradou whistled on Pau return in Perpignan loss amid ongoing rape case
- A 'forgotten' valley in storm-hit North Carolina, desperate for help
- Arsenal hit back in style after Southampton scare
- Hezbollah heir apparent Safieddine out of contact after strikes
- Liverpool stay top of Premier League as Arsenal, Man City win
- In dank Tour of Emilia, Pogacar shines in rainbow jersey
- DR Congo launches mpox vaccination drive, hoping to curb outbreak
- Trump returns to site of failed assassination
- Careless Leverkusen held to Bundesliga draw
- O'Brien's 'superstar' Kyprios posts landmark win on Arc weekend
- Liverpool suffer Alisson injury blow
- Habosi helps Racing beat Vannes before Auradou's playing return
- Thousands march in London in support of Palestinians, 1 year after Oct 7
- Israel readying response to Iran missile attack
- Schutt, Mooney help Australia beat Sri Lanka in Women's T20 World Cup
- Liverpool extend Premier League lead with win at Palace
- Djokovic 'shakes rust off' to make third round of Shanghai Masters
- 'Imperfect' PSG fighting on all fronts - Luis Enrique
- Struggling Pakistan look to thwart adaptable England
- Child 'trampled to death' in asylum seekers' Channel crossing: minister
- Gauff fights back to set up Beijing final against Muchova
- Guardiola claims Premier League won't delay season for Man City
- Israel to mark October 7 attack as Gaza war spreads
- Gauff fights back to reach China Open final
- Recovering Stokes ruled out of first Pakistan Test
- Hezbollah battles troops on border as Israel pounds Lebanon
- Alcaraz, Sinner breeze into third round of Shanghai Masters
- Bagnaia wins Japan MotoGP sprint to cut Martin's lead
- Alcaraz breezes into third round of Shanghai Masters
Five charged over ketamine death of 'Friends' star Matthew Perry
US prosecutors said Thursday they have charged five people, including two doctors, over the death of "Friends" star Matthew Perry, who died at his Los Angeles home last year after years of struggling with addiction.
"These defendants took advantage of Mr Perry's addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was wrong. They knew what they were doing was risking great danger to Mr Perry, but they did it anyway," said US Attorney Martin Estrada.
The five include two doctors and the actor's assistant.
"In the end, these defendants were more interested in profiting off Mr Perry than caring for his well-being."
One of the doctors, Salvador Plasencia, faces up to 120 years in federal prison, Estrada said.
Perry, who played the character Chandler Bing on the hit TV sitcom from 1994-2004, was found unresponsive in his swimming pool in October last year at the age of 54, sparking a global outpouring of grief from fans and colleagues.
An autopsy found the cause of his death was "the acute effects of ketamine," a controlled drug which the recovering addict was understood to be taking as part of supervised therapy.
While only small amounts were found in his stomach, a high level was detected in his bloodstream.
Just how the actor -- who had reportedly not had a supervised infusion session for several days -- obtained the drug became the subject of a legal investigation, with Los Angeles police confirming in May that they were probing the death.
Doctors and veterinarians often employ ketamine as an anesthetic, and researchers have explored its use as a treatment for depression. Underground users take it illicitly for its hallucinogenic effects.
"Friends," which followed the lives of six New Yorkers navigating adulthood, dating and careers, drew a massive global following and made megastars of previously unknown actors who became a fixture in the lives of millions of viewers.
One of the biggest draws was Perry's Chandler character, a sarcastic 20-something-year-old who resisted growing up.
Perry's comic talent brought him fabulous wealth, but hid a darkness that left him struggling with addiction to painkillers and alcohol.
In 2018 he suffered a burst colon, related to drug usage, and underwent multiple surgeries.
In his memoir "Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing," published in 2022, Perry described going through detox dozens of times. He dedicated the book to "all of the sufferers out there," and wrote in the prologue: "I should be dead."
"I have mostly been sober since 2001," he wrote, "save for about sixty or seventy little mishaps over the years."
His sudden death last year drew shocked reactions from Hollywood A-listers, his costars, and "Friends" fans worldwide.
"Oh boy this one has cut deep," said Jennifer Aniston, who played Rachel on the show.
X.Matos--PC