Albertans to start paying for COVID-19 shots this fall
EDMONTON - Alberta's government says residents who are not immunocompromised or on social programs will have to pay to get the COVID-19 vaccine starting this fall.
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New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Martyn, Esther claim Sea Triathlon titles, eye Sea Games next
KUALA LUMPUR: National triathletes Martyn Lim and Esther Joy rose to the occasion with commanding victories in the elite Sprint races at the Southeast Asia (Sea) Triathlon Federation Championships, held as part of the Perak Multisport Festival in Lumut on Saturday. Martyn, who finished fifth overall and was the fastest Malaysian last year, went one better this time by clocking 1:03:57s to clinch the men's title, which featured a 750m swim, 20km bike, and 5km run. He held off compatriot and former Sea Games silver medallist Rikigoro Shinozuka (1:05:25), with Singapore's Rusell Lee (1:06:10) completing the podium. "I didn't come in with big expectations — just focused on going hard in the swim and seeing who came up with me on the bike," said Martyn. "I think I had a pretty good swim by managing to latch onto some feet, which made it quite comfortable. The bike felt really good — the speed was there — and on the run I was out there alone but able to hold a strong pace and finish well." Martyn credited his familiarity with the course as an advantage, having raced here in the past few editions. "That definitely gave me an edge. I knew when to attack, when to hold back, and when to start pushing for the finish," he added. With the championships serving as the final selection race for the Sea Games, Martyn is hopeful his performance sealed the deal. In the women's race, Esther crossed the line in 1:10:25 to finish well ahead of Singaporeans Lim Wan Ting (1:12:48) and Regine Goh (1:15:07), marking a step up from her runner-up finish last year. "This was a good win — not necessarily for how fast I went, but for how I executed it," said Esther. "I really challenged myself, especially in the swim and bike. It wasn't about outright speed today — it was about racing smart, and I'm quite proud of that." Fresh off her win at the national championships in Putrajaya, Esther is also vying for a Sea Games return. "I'm not too sure what the coaches will decide, but based on the results, I hope I get in." Esther, who made her debut at the 2021 Sea Games in Hanoi just six months into competitive triathlon, brings an unlikely background to the sport. "I actually come from wushu," she revealed. "I was in the national team for Nanquan discipline for a half years before COVID-19 struck. I was losing interest after a while as we could not train and there wasn't any competition. "I eventually picked up triathlon. Interestingly, I never cycled before triathlon, but the leg strength from wushu helped a lot, especially on the bike. "Power wasn't the issue — it was just learning the skills." RESULTS *Malaysia unless stated Men's elite sprint: 1. Martyn Lim 1:03:57s, 2. Rikigoro Shinozuka 1:05:25, 3. Rusell Lee (SGP) 1:06:10. Women's elite Sprint: 1. Esther Joy Chen 1:10:25. 2. Lim Wan Ting (SGP) 1:12:48. 3. Regine Goh (SGP) 1:15:07. Men's Olympic distance: 1. Khairil Azhar 2:16:10, 2. Timotius Justin 2:27:27, 3. Mohd Azmir Abdullah Sani 2:32:02. Women's Olympic distance: 1. Serena Yang 2:49:08. 2. Chang Wei Ying 2:56:50, 3. Nursya Jusoh 3:05:44. Men's 113: 1. Hakim Che Sharuji 4:33:08, 2. Muhamad Rabani Hashim 4:46:51, 3. Thong Wing Yew 4:56:17. Women's 113: 1. Wong Ee Va 5:02:57, 2. Nuur Syafyka Shafie 5:37:07, 3. Mimi Ruslan 5:43:18.
Business Upturn
an hour ago
- Business Upturn
Blue Eye Samurai Season 2: Release date speculation, cast and plot details – Everything we know so far
By Aman Shukla Published on June 14, 2025, 18:30 IST Last updated June 14, 2025, 12:15 IST Blue Eye Samurai took the streaming world by storm with its stunning animation, gripping storyline, and complex characters when it debuted on Netflix in November 2023. The R-rated animated series, set in Edo-period Japan, follows Mizu, a mixed-race samurai voiced by Maya Erskine, on a bloody quest for revenge. After a critically acclaimed first season, Netflix swiftly greenlit Blue Eye Samurai Season 2, leaving fans eager for more. Here's everything we know so far about Season 2. Release Date Speculation for Blue Eye Samurai Season 2 While Netflix confirmed the renewal of Blue Eye Samurai for Season 2 in December 2023, no official release date has been announced. Based on production timelines and statements from the creators, fans may need to exercise patience. The first season was greenlit in October 2020 and took three years to produce, partly due to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. With production for Season 2 already underway, the timeline is expected to be slightly shorter, but high-quality animation remains time-intensive. Executive Producer Jane Wu and co-creators Michael Green and Amber Noizumi have hinted at a 2026 release window during interviews. Wu noted that the team is working on the first episode, with four of the six episodes already written. Given the complexity of the 2D/3D hybrid animation style, which aims to resemble a 'moving painting,' a 2026 premiere seems realistic. Some reports speculate a late 2025 release, but most evidence points to 2026 as the earliest likely date. Blue Eye Samurai Season 2 Expected Cast The voice cast for Blue Eye Samurai Season 2 is expected to feature many returning stars from the first season. Here's a breakdown of the likely cast: Maya Erskine as Mizu : The titular blue-eyed samurai, a half-Japanese, half-white warrior disguised as a man, will continue her vengeance-driven journey. Erskine's performance has been a cornerstone of the series' success. Kenneth Branagh as Abijah Fowler : The Shogun-allied Irish smuggler, spared by Mizu in Season 1, is expected to return as a key antagonist. Masi Oka as Ringo : The loyal, optimistic cook and Mizu's companion is likely to continue his journey alongside her. Brenda Song as Princess Akemi : The strong-willed princess, whose arc intertwined with Mizu's in Season 1, is expected to return. Darren Barnet as Taigen : Mizu's rival-turned-uneasy ally, a proud samurai, is likely to feature prominently. Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as The Swordmaker : Mizu's mentor figure is expected to return. Stephanie Hsu as Ise and Ming-Na Wen as Madame Kaji : Both supporting characters are likely to reprise their roles. Harry Shum Jr. as Takayoshi : Another key figure expected to return. Freddie Fox as Poet: A new character introduced for Season 2, though details about whether Poet is a friend or foe remain undisclosed. Plot Details for Blue Eye Samurai Season 2 The first season of Blue Eye Samurai ended with a major cliffhanger, setting the stage for a bold new direction in Season 2. Mizu, having confronted and spared Abijah Fowler, learns that her quest for revenge against the three remaining white men who could be her father leads her beyond Japan. The season finale sees Mizu embarking for London, marking a significant shift from the Edo-period Japan setting to Europe, likely England. This change promises to explore how Mizu navigates Western culture and whether her perceptions of Europeans as 'monsters' hold true. Season 2 will consist of six episodes, down from the eight in Season 1, but each episode will average around 44 minutes, ensuring substantial storytelling. The narrative will continue to focus on Mizu's quest for vengeance, with new challenges and enemies emerging as she pursues the remaining traffickers. Ahmedabad Plane Crash Aman Shukla is a post-graduate in mass communication . A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication ,content writing and copy writing. Aman is currently working as journalist at
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
A historian of fascism is asked whether this was week was a turning point
Do you remember that day in March 2020 — five years and several eternities ago — when Tom Hanks tested positive for COVID-19, the NBA announced they were suspending their season and profound upheaval suddenly seemed inevitable? I've felt echoes of that feeling the past few days, as downtown businesses boarded up their windows and the facts on the ground grew ever more fantastical. Are we at the edge of some irreparable rupture in American democracy? Or is this just another strange and absurd chapter in a long series of them? On Sunday, the president sent federalized National Guard troops into a city against the will of the state's governor for the first time in 60 years. On Thursday, California's senior senator was tackled to the ground by federal agents and handcuffed at a news conference. Hundreds of active duty Marines were sent into the Los Angeles area, where for days they appeared to be performing heavily armed training exercises on what looked like a high school sports field. (A looming scoreboard, palm trees and jacaranda blooms were all visible behind their riot shields, according to a social media post from the U.S. Northern Command.) The president and the governor are having a momentous fight about constitutional rights in the courts, and flaming each other with insults and photoshopped memes on Truth Social and X. The ICE raids have thrown some Angelenos into a state of fear and virtual hiding. But for many others, ordinary life continues apace. Mayor Karen Bass has repeatedly cautioned that L.A. is being treated like 'a grand experiment' — a testing ground for President Trump to see if he can usurp the authority of Democratic mayors or governors in other states. Warning signs of democratic breakdown have been pointed out by scholars and Trump's critics since he took office for his first term in 2017 — so much so that many have grown numb to them. Has this week been any different? I called Federico Finchelstein, a historian of fascism and dictatorships who chairs the history department at the New School for Social Research in New York, to ask whether he saw this week as a turning point for the country. Finchelstein characterized Trump's federalizing of the California National Guard as a clear turn toward authoritarianism. He cited the move, along with attacks on the press and the judiciary and the manhandling of Sen. Alex Padilla on Thursday, as assaults on democratic norms that 'create the conditions for a further erosion of democracy.' But he hesitated about categorizing recent events as a turning point. It's hard while living in the middle of history to know precisely where you stand, he explained. 'It's very difficult to know what is the exact outcome of this sort of militarization of politics,' Finchelstein said. 'What we know is that democracy is at the other end, and this path is towards either disabling, denigrating or even destroying democracy. It's hard to know where it ends.' The outcome would also depend on more than Trump's next move, according to the historian. History has shown that when anti-democratic attempts are met with institutional and public resistance, they are less likely to succeed, Finchelstein said. 'In other words, this is not the end of the story,' he told me. A selection of the very best reads from The Times' 143-year archive. Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team Julia Wick, staff writerKevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@ Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on
