UK police arrest four over pro-Palestinian protest at air base
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Asharq Al-Awsat
an hour ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
‘Ketamine Queen' Accused of Selling Fatal Dose to Matthew Perry Agrees to Plead Guilty
A woman known as the 'Ketamine Queen,' charged with selling Matthew Perry the drug that killed him, agreed to plead guilty Monday. Jasveen Sangha becomes the fifth and final defendant charged in the overdose death of the 'Friends' star to strike a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, avoiding a trial that had been planned for September. She agreed in a signed statement filed in court to plead guilty to five federal criminal charges, including providing the ketamine that led to Perry's death. In a brief statement, Sangha's lawyer Mark Geragos said only, 'She's taking responsibility for her actions.' Prosecutors had cast Sangha, a 42-year-old citizen of the US and the UK, as a prolific drug dealer who was known to her customers as the 'Ketamine Queen,' using the term often in press releases and court documents. She agreed to plead guilty to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury. The final plea deal came a year after federal prosecutors announced that five people had been charged in Perry's Oct. 28, 2023 death after a sweeping investigation. Sangha admitted in the agreement to selling four vials of ketamine to another man, Cody McLaury, hours before he died from an overdose in 2019. McLaury had no relationship to Perry. Prosecutors will drop three other counts related to the distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of methamphetamine that was unrelated to the Perry case. Sangha will officially change her plea to guilty at an upcoming hearing, where sentencing will be scheduled, prosecutors said. She could get up to 45 years in prison. The judge is not bound to follow any terms of the plea agreement, but prosecutors said in the document that they will ask for less than the maximum. She and Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who pleaded guilty last month, had been the primary targets of the investigation. Three other defendants — Dr. Mark Chavez, Kenneth Iwamasa and Erik Fleming — pleaded guilty in exchange for their cooperation, which included statements implicating Sangha and Plasencia. Perry was found dead in his Los Angeles home by Iwamasa, his assistant. The medical examiner ruled that ketamine, typically used as a surgical anesthetic, was the primary cause of death. Sangha presented a posh lifestyle on Instagram, with photos of herself with the rich and famous in cities around the globe. Prosecutors said she privately presented herself as a dealer who sold to the same kind of high-class customers. Perry had been using ketamine through his regular doctor as a legal, but off-label, treatment for depression, which has become increasingly common. Perry, 54, sought more ketamine than his doctor would give him. He began getting it from Plasencia about a month before his death, then started getting still more from Sangha about two weeks before his death, prosecutors said. Perry and Iwamasa found Sangha through Perry's friend Fleming. In their plea agreements, both men described the subsequent deals in detail. Fleming messaged Iwamasa saying Sangha's ketamine was 'unmarked but it's amazing,' according to court documents. Fleming texted Iwamasa that she only deals 'with high end and celebs. If it were not great stuff she'd lose her business.' With the two men acting as middlemen, Perry bought large amounts of ketamine from Sangha, including 25 vials for $6,000 in cash four days before his death. That purchase included the doses that killed Perry, prosecutors said. On the day of Perry's death, Sangha told Fleming they should delete all the messages they had sent each other, according to her indictment. Her home in North Hollywood, California, was raided in March 2024 by Drug Enforcement Administration agents who found large amounts of methamphetamines and ketamine, according to an affidavit from an agent. She has been held in federal custody for about a year. None of the defendants has yet been sentenced. Sangha also agreed in her plea deal not to contest the seizure of her property that went with the investigation, including more than $5,000 in cash. Perry struggled with addiction for years, dating back to his time on 'Friends,' when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing. He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC's megahit series.
Arab News
15 hours ago
- Arab News
Fact Check: Flag-raising at Pakistani consulate in UK shared in misleading posts about ‘Islamic invasion'
A video showing Pakistan's flag being raised in the grounds of its Glasgow consulate to celebrate the South Asian country's Independence Day has been shared in posts that misleadingly say it shows an 'Islamic invasion' of Britain. 'In every city in UK, Pakistani flag is being raised to celebrate Pakistan's independence. This is what an Islamic invasion looks like,' said an August 15 post on Facebook, sharing a video of the flag-hoisting ceremony. The video shows a ceremony on August 14 to mark Pakistan's independence from British rule in 1947. The houses and trees visible in the background of the video correspond with Google Maps imagery of the street opposite the consulate. The footage is also consistent with a video of the ceremony published on the consulate's Facebook page on August 14. 'The claim suggesting a 'Pakistan takeover of the UK' in connection with the flag hoisting ceremony in Glasgow on August 14 is entirely false and misleading,' a spokesperson for the Consulate of Pakistan said in an email. 'Flag hoisting ceremonies are a standard diplomatic practice and are held by embassies and consulates of countries all around the world to celebrate their national days. 'The event was conducted peacefully, with members of the Pakistani community in attendance, and was no different from similar observances held by diplomatic missions globally.' Earlier in 2025, a Reuters fact-check found a video of Pakistan's independence celebrations in August 2022 had been shared with false captions to claim it showed Pakistani nationals protesting over military clashes between Pakistan and India in May 2025. VERDICT Misleading. The video shows Pakistan's flag being raised at its consulate in Glasgow to mark the country's Independence Day.
Arab News
17 hours ago
- Arab News
UK politicians urge PM Starmer to impose sanctions on Israel
LONDON: A group of politicians from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have urged British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to impose immediate sanctions on Israel. In a letter, the 12 lawmakers expressed their 'deep concern and opposition' to what they described as the UK government's support for Israel's actions in Gaza. They want Starmer to recall parliament from its summer recess so that he can impose sanctions and immediately end all arms sales to Israel. They said also that the UK should support a ceasefire to protect civilians, back an independent war crimes and genocide investigation and press for the 'unimpeded' delivery of aid to Gaza. The signatories include Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill, Social Democratic and Labour Party leader Claire Hanna, Scottish National Party Westminster leader Stephen Flynn and Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth. For the first time, devolved parties across these islands have united behind a clear call to act on Gaza, led by the SDLP. Every day of silence from the UK Government costs lives. — The SDLP (@SDLPlive) August 18, 2025 Hanna told the BBC: 'Today the SDLP is leading parties in giving expression to the despair and anger at the UK government's failure to stand up to Netanyahu. 'Our voice may be the only tool we have but together it is a powerful one — reflecting the depth of feeling of our constituents and highlighting the failure of the prime minister and his government to do all in their power to protect the people of Gaza.' Starmer has been accused of failing to take strong action against Israel for its military action in Gaza that has killed more than 62,000 people since October 2023. Israel has been widely accused of perpetrating a genocide against Palestinians, not only through its bombing of the territory but also by mass forced displacement and the cutting off of humanitarian aid. The UK last year suspended 30 out of 350 arms export licenses for weapons used in Gaza but this did not include parts for the F-35 fighter jet. Starmer said last month that the UK would recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agreed to a ceasefire and committed to a two-state solution. The letter sent to him described this deadline as 'far too late.' 'Every day of delay means more children starve, more families are torn apart and more lives are lost,' it said. 'As a signatory to the Genocide Convention, the United Kingdom has a binding obligation to prevent acts that may amount to genocide and to ensure accountability for those responsible. 'Continued political, diplomatic and military support to a government accused of committing such acts is not only morally indefensible but risks placing the UK in breach of its international legal duties.' Starmer has also faced growing pressure from within his own party. More than 100 Labour politicians signed a letter last month calling for the UK to recognize a Palestinian state.
