Latest news with #Nightlife
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ray J To Host 'TMZ After Dark' This Weekend, Says It's Hottest Ticket In Town
The "TMZ After Dark" tour is rolling back through Hollywood ... and guess who's riding shotgun Saturday night? Yep, Ray J's crashing the party as your host! Ray popped on "TMZ Live" Friday to hype the epic ride, cruising through L.A.'s hottest spots -- Sunset, Hollywood and Santa Monica Blvds., with stops along the way and free shots at bars! Ray told Harvey and Charles he's all about letting the good times roll with the best bash in Hollywood. You gotta watch the vid for the full scoop ... 'cause if you weren't already sold, longtime L.A. guy Ray steers "TMZ After Dark" home as the ultimate weekend plan -- plus, he settles the burning question ... shades on or off for the tour? Wanna hit iconic spots, party under neon lights, sip the night away, and roll with Ray himself? Catch the full interview and head over to to book your tickets! Solve the daily Crossword
News.com.au
11-07-2025
- News.com.au
‘Violated': Sydney's dark, hidden night-life truth
Nightlife in Sydney feels like a ghost of what it once was; over-regulated, underwhelming, and the energy that once pulsed through the city after 1am has been replaced by silence and the frustrating reality that you probably can't find a train home. But the danger once linked to places like Kings Cross hasn't vanished. Real threats still linger, reminding us that letting our guard down in the name of a little fun can come at a cost. I'd arrived at a busy Newtown club in August 2024, briefly separated from my friends to order a gin and tonic at the bar, and my memory cuts off right there. Later, friends found me slumped on a stool, head down on a table, with a man standing too close for comfort. They carried me out to a mate's car, and I woke up the next morning with a pounding headache that felt like I'd downed 20 drinks. I was told the security guard who escorted us out clearly thought I was just another drunk. It's not surprising. These days, security might as well be venue HR – there to protect the establishment and its image, not the people inside it. I escaped the situation physically unharmed, and in some ways, I'm grateful I blacked out. I don't have to replay it in my dreams. But from that night on, I never went out in the city after dark without my partner, and crowded bars now leave me feeling claustrophobic and uneasy in a way they never used to. I was one of the lucky ones. For many others, the outcome is far worse. Sydney woman Taylor*, 28, has shared her harrowing story exclusively with 'There was this guy hanging around our group. I really didn't think anything of it, he was alone and just chatting to us. My friend handed me a drink and I literally had one sip,' Taylor recalled of her terrifying night out in Sydney in May 2024. 'Within minutes I lost feeling in my legs and fell to the ground. 'I told my friend to take me home. When we arrived I got out of the taxi and my legs and arms didn't work. I smacked the ground face first and couldn't get up. 'The next moment I knew I was in my house in the bathroom covered in blood. My chin had split and I spat my tooth out. I had post-traumatic concussions for weeks after. 'I think the guy hanging around our group slipped something in the drink when I was sitting at the bar. I wasn't drunk, I was with people I trusted. To be honest it ruined me for a long time.' Taylor said after her drink spiking ordeal, she struggled to go out, have a drink or trust others. 'The damage it did to my face made me feel really embarrassed. I felt violated,' she said. 'The consequences lasted a long time afterwards, it wasn't just that moment.' Taylor emphasised that it is never the fault of the person getting their drink spiked, saying 'you can do everything right and this still happens'. She added: 'I was dressed head-to-toe in warm weather gear, I was with my family and my closest friends and it still happened so fast I didn't see. 'All I can think about is that I was out with my younger stepsister at the time and I am so glad it was me and not her, I'd never forgive myself.' For anyone reading this and wondering, 'why didn't she report it?' I asked Taylor the same thing. Her response was heartbreaking, but explains exactly why many victims cannot report these crimes. 'By the time the sickness and concussion had worn off the drugs were out of my system. I didn't have any evidence to prove what had happened,' she said. 'My friend was an ex-police officer and she said there was little they could or would do. I was in so much pain, my jaw was out of place, I was violently ill and broken … I just didn't have the energy.' Taylor's experience is far from unique. Many women and men in Sydney have faced the same terrifying ordeal. journalist Claudia Poposki wrote in 2022 about a night out celebrating her friend's birthday that almost 'derailed her life'. 'I remember feeling terrified, unable to trace my steps and alarm bells ringing danger screaming in my head,' she wrote. 'I thought I was dying. 'Ordering off the QR code was the 'mistake' I'd made.' Is Sydney no longer safe? The NSW Bureau of Crime confirmed that there have been 209 spiking incidents across NSW in the 12 months to March 2025. Of these cases, 17 involved assault with a syringe as the weapon. Data shows a generally stable number of annual recorded incidents from April 2015 to March 2020, followed by a marked increase in April 2021 – March 2022 and April 2022 – March 2023. Sydney has consistently recorded the highest number of incidents, with recent spikes also emerging in Newcastle and the Inner West. The incidents occurred in a range of locations – including homes, outdoor areas, and vehicles – but licensed venues made up the majority of cases. Drink and needle spiking is not rare, but it is underreported, often due to the fact it is difficult to prove as most substances exit the system quickly - as Taylor said. Alcohol is the most common substance used to spike drinks. More and more victims are being left not just with physical marks, but with long-term trauma, shame, and unanswered questions. Sydney at night might not feel dangerous in the way it once did years ago, but that doesn't mean it's safe. Safer Sips, a Melbourne-based company that created alcohol detection strips to detect drink spiking drugs such as GHB and Ketamine, published an investigation into spiking in Australia earlier this year. 'Drink spiking is a crime that leaves its victims vulnerable, violated, and too often, unheard. '(It) isn't just an isolated act – it's a gateway to further harm, including sexual assault and theft,' the report reads. 'Despite countless personal stories and growing awareness, the true scope of drink spiking in Australia remains alarmingly underreported and poorly understood. 'It's time to demand change.' The report includes a petition calling on the Australian Government to conduct an investigation into this crime, demanding stronger legislation, venue accountability, government backed research and greater victim support and awareness. For now, everyday Aussies like Taylor, Claudia, and countless others carry the burden of staying alert. Tracking every sip, scanning every room, and watching each other. The city has changed. But that doesn't mean the risk has.
South China Morning Post
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
11 new Hong Kong restaurants and bars to try in July 2025, from hotpot to pork rice soup
July sees two big new Korean restaurant openings in Hong Kong, with one specialising in pork rice soup and another in Korean beef offal. Meanwhile, Causeway Bay sees a spicy new addition in a Sichuan hotpot restaurant that promises to go beyond fiery mala flavours. Breathing fresh air into the nightlife scene is a bar that promises great beats as well as a mean cocktail. Read on for this month's newest restaurants. 1. Sichuan Rouge Mapo tofu with whole lobster at Sichuan Rouge. Photo: Sichuan Rouge Causeway Bay's restaurant scene has a hot new addition in Sichuan Rouge, at Soundwill Plaza II – Midtown.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Classic Rock Guitarist, 74, Reveals He ‘Actually Died' During Recent Operation
The rock world nearly lost Thin Lizzy's Scott Gorham. Gorham, who joined Phil Lynott's band in 1974, is recuperating after nearly dying on the operating table. "I had a health issue scare about a year ago with a kidney that had to be removed, and I got sepsis from it," Gorham said on the May 21 episode of Darren Paltrowitz's Paltrocast podcast. "And the second surgeon said I actually died on the operating table and all that. And I was, like, 'Really, man? What the hell is all that about?'" Though Gorham wasn't a founding member, he's considered an essential part of Thin Lizzy. He was one of the band's "twin lead guitarists" and Scott played on albums like Nightlife, Fighting and Jailbreak (which featured the band's biggest U.S. hit, "The Boys Are Back In Town"). Gorham reformed Thin Lizzy in 1996, 13 years after the band broke up and a decade after Lynott's death. He also played in the Thin Lizzy spin-off band, Black Star Riders, before departing in 2021 to focus strictly on Thin Lizzy. In November, Gorham discussed putting together "just an absolute kick-[explicative] Thin Lizzy band" together for a tour, but he told Paltrocast that he's not ready to get back on the road. "And now I had a third operation, and [my doctor] said, 'Maybe you should take some time out and just kind of rehabilitate and all that, get your strength back and all that.' So that's what I'm doing," said Gorham. "And in the meantime, I've got the drawing to keep me occupied," he said. Last year, Gorham revealed his secret passion as an artist and held his first art exhibition in London. "[Drawing] is the new thing for me," said Gorham. "It's something that I thought I'd never really do as a constant thing. So I'm kind of enjoying this kind of break from the music right now and going into this little bit of a different direction." This doesn't mean his music career is over. Scott said that he hopes to "get my buns back out on the road" sometime Rock Guitarist, 74, Reveals He 'Actually Died' During Recent Operation first appeared on Parade on May 23, 2025
