NoireTV -American Cable TV network –Global Politics, HipHop/Afrobeat/Dancehall music

Burkina Faso’s transitional parliament has passed a controversial new law criminalizing homosexuality, with offenders facing up to five years in prison. The legislation, part of amendments to the Persons and Family Code, makes Burkina Faso the latest African nation to tighten restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights. The law also includes stricter provisions on nationality and statelessness. Since seizing power in a 2022 coup, Burkina Faso’s military leadership has grown increasingly intolerant of dissent while battling worsening Islamist insurgencies. The 71-member unelected transitional parliament unanimously approved the measure on Monday. It now awaits the signature of junta leader Ibrahim Traoré. Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala announced on state television that offenders will face prison terms of two to five years and heavy fines. He added that repeat offenders who are foreign nationals will be deported, while condemning same-sex relations as “bizarre behavior.” The law, which ...

American rap icon Snoop Dogg has responded to backlash following his criticism of LGBTQ+ representation in Disney and Pixar’s 2022 animated film Lightyear . The rapper sparked controversy after admitting during an appearance on the It’s Giving podcast that seeing a same-sex couple in the movie left him “scared to go to the movies,” because he wasn’t prepared to answer his grandson’s questions about same-sex relationships. The episode’s editing fueled even more outrage online, with many accusing Snoop of being homophobic. Addressing the criticism, Snoop took to the comments section of a Hollywood Unlocked Instagram post to clarify his stance: “I was just caught off guard and had no answer for my grandsons. All my gay friends know what’s up — they’ve been calling me with love. My bad for not knowing the answers for a 6-year-old. Teach me how to learn, I’m not perfect.” On the podcast, Snoop recalled feeling stunned when his grandson asked how a female character in Lightyear had ...

Hollywood star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has shared an emotional reflection on his turbulent relationship with his late father, wrestling legend Rocky “Soulman” Johnson, revealing a story filled with both deep love and lingering conflict. Speaking at the Venice Film Festival, Johnson admitted that while preparing for his latest role, he couldn’t look to his father for guidance when it came to tenderness. “I don’t think my dad was an inspiration in terms of tenderness. That wasn’t really him,” Johnson said. “He was homeless by the age of 13, so his capacity for love was very limited — and that’s the man who raised me.” The two famously had a falling out on Christmas Eve in 2019 after a heated phone argument. Tragically, they never reconciled before Rocky Johnson passed away in January 2020 at the age of 75. Reflecting on the loss, Johnson confessed that regret still lingers: “Man, I just wish I could hug him one more time, kiss him on the cheek, look him in the eyes and say, ‘We’re...

Bose Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy’s mother and manager, is celebrating 35 years of marriage with her husband. The proud wife took to Instagram to mark the milestone, sharing stunning throwback photos from their wedding day and the early years of their union. She also posted recent heartwarming pictures with her husband, capturing the beauty of their journey together. In her caption, Bose poured out love for her partner, expressed gratitude for their 35-year bond, and celebrated the three wonderful children they’ve raised along the way.

Serena Williams may be absent from this year’s US Open, but she’s still very much involved—cheering (and coaching) from afar as her sister Venus stages an unexpected run in the women’s doubles. On Monday, Venus Williams and her partner, Canadian star Leylah Fernandez, stormed into the quarterfinals with a commanding 6-3, 6-4 win over Zhang Shuai and Ekaterina Alexandrova. Impressively, the pair have yet to drop a set in the competition. Next up is a blockbuster showdown with top seeds Taylor Townsend and Kateřina Siniaková—a match Serena, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, will be watching closely from home. “She’s definitely coaching from afar,” Venus told reporters. “She’s so excited, but she gets so nervous watching. She’s got the kids watching too. They’re all at home, just really on our side.” That naturally raises the question: will Serena make a surprise courtside appearance in New York? “If she came, it would be a dream for both of us, and we’d have her on the court ...

Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif has filed an appeal against World Boxing’s decision to bar her from future competitions unless she undergoes genetic sex testing. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed on Monday that the Algerian boxer lodged her appeal last month. Khelif had hoped to compete in the World Boxing Championships beginning this Thursday, but CAS rejected her request to suspend the ruling while the case is under review. Khelif rose to global prominence after clinching gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics, alongside Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, another champion who faced similar scrutiny. Both athletes were controversially disqualified from the 2023 World Championships by the now-discredited International Boxing Association (IBA), which accused them of failing vague “eligibility tests.” The IBA has since been sidelined by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) due to years of corruption scandals, with the IOC directly overseeing boxing at the past two Olympic Games. ...

Nestlé has abruptly dismissed CEO Laurent Freixe after failing to disclose a romantic relationship with a subordinate, the Swiss food giant announced Monday—marking a stunning leadership shake-up exactly one year after he took charge. The company, maker of KitKat and Nesquik, swiftly appointed longtime insider Philipp Navratil , former head of Nespresso, as Freixe’s successor with immediate effect. Freixe’s ouster adds fresh turmoil for Nestlé as it navigates a tough consumer climate and the fallout from U.S. trade tariffs. According to Nestlé, the dismissal followed an investigation led by Chairman Paul Bulcke and Lead Independent Director Pablo Isla , which confirmed that Freixe had engaged in an undisclosed relationship with a direct subordinate—violating the company’s code of conduct. “This was a necessary decision,” Bulcke said. “Nestlé’s values and governance remain the strong foundation of our company. We thank Laurent for his years of service.” The scandal surfaced ear...

Indonesia’s worst wave of violent protests in years has temporarily eased after the government unleashed military and police crackdowns on rioters and looters. Some student groups and civil society organizations called off their demonstrations on Monday, fearing harsher reprisals after a bloody weekend of unrest. Still, hundreds pressed on with protests at universities in Bandung, West Java, despite threats of police raids, local media reported. At least eight people have been killed so far. The protests began peacefully last week over lawmakers’ lavish housing perks but spiraled into chaos on Thursday after an armored police vehicle fatally struck a rideshare driver. By the weekend, the unrest had spread across the archipelago: protesters torched legislative buildings, looted politicians’ homes, and clashed with security forces. Police have arrested more than 3,000 people nationwide, including over 1,200 in Jakarta alone, according to state news agency Antara. A President Under Pr...

A catastrophic landslide has obliterated an entire village in Sudan’s western Darfur region, killing an estimated 1,000 people in what is feared to be one of the country’s deadliest natural disasters in recent history. The tragedy struck on Sunday in the village of Tarasin , nestled in the Marrah Mountains of Central Darfur, following days of relentless rainfall in late August, according to a statement from the Sudan Liberation Movement-Army (SLM-A) , which controls the area. “Initial reports indicate the death of nearly all the village’s residents—over 1,000 people. Only one person survived,” the group revealed. The SLM-A described the village as being “completely leveled to the ground” and issued an urgent plea to the United Nations and humanitarian agencies for assistance in recovering bodies. Footage shared by the Marrah Mountains news outlet showed a flattened expanse of land between the mountain ranges, with desperate survivors combing through the debris. Disaster Amid War a...

Afghanistan has been plunged into fresh despair after a powerful earthquake ripped through the country, killing at least 1,411 people and injuring more than 3,100. Entire villages were flattened, thousands of homes destroyed, and rescue efforts hampered by rain, landslides, and crumbling roads. The 6.0-magnitude quake struck late Sunday near the Pakistan border, shaking towns and villages across Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, and even sending tremors into neighboring Pakistan. Taliban officials say more than 5,400 homes were reduced to rubble, leaving countless families homeless. “This disaster has taken lives, destroyed homes, and left survivors in desperate need,” Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Tuesday, appealing for urgent international assistance. A Nation Already in Crisis The quake’s devastation adds to the misery of a country already battling poverty, hunger, and dwindling aid. Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban’s hardline rule has triggered a steep decl...

Social media users, without evidence, pushed claims that President Donald Trump had died in recent days after not being seen publicly.   President Donald Trump on Saturday was photographed leaving for his golf course in Virginia, dispelling unfounded rumors spread on social media that Trump had died in recent days after not being seen publicly. Key Facts Trump, seen with his granddaughter Kai Trump, was seen entering a vehicle on the White House’s south lawn Saturday morning while en route to his Trump National golf course in northern Virginia. Search inquiries for “Trump,” “is Trump dead” and “Trump dead” were among the top searches on Google as of noon Saturday while “Where is Donald Trump” was trending on X. Trump’s previous most recent public appearance came Wednesday as he headed a televised Cabinet meeting and was previously seen golfing earlier in the week, yet Trump also remained active online while posting periodically on his Truth Social platform. Trump loads the motorcad...

Trump challenged the appellate court ruling and claimed the Supreme Court would likely keep his tariffs in place.   An appellate court ruled most tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump are illegal, backing a lower court’s argument that the levies exceeded Trump’s authority, though the duties will remain in place for weeks as the Trump administration brings the case to the Supreme Court. Key Facts The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit  ruled  7-4 late Friday that Trump overstepped his authority by issuing tariffs, as the court wrote the power to impose such tariffs is “vested exclusively in the legislative branch” and a “core Congressional power.” Dissenting judges argued Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)—a 1977 law allowing the president to regulate international trade—to justify his tariffs is not an “unconstitutional delegation of legislative authority.” The IEEPA neither mentions tariffs nor has “procedural safeguards...

  Kim Keon Hee, the wife of ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol, was indicted Friday on bribery and other charges, prosecutors announced, as investigations deepen into the couple’s role in South Korea’s recent political turmoil. Both Kim and Yoon are currently in jail. Yoon is already on trial for charges including insurrection after his removal from office in April, following a failed attempt to impose martial law in December. Indictment and Apology The special prosecution team said Kim faces multiple counts, ranging from stock fraud to bribery involving business figures, religious leaders, and a powerful political broker. If convicted, she could face years in prison. In a statement released through her lawyers, Kim offered an apology without directly addressing the charges: “Just as moonlight shines brightly in the darkest night, I too will endure this time, looking to my truth and heart,” she said, adding she would make “no excuses” as she prepares for trial. Her attorneys hav...

  The leaders of three of the world’s biggest powers will gather in Tianjin, China, this weekend for the 25th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping will join other heads of state — but absent will be U.S. President Donald Trump, whose policies are expected to dominate conversations regardless. U.S. Policies Cast a Shadow Analysts say the summit’s undercurrent will be the United States, its tariffs, and its foreign policy. Prime Minister Modi, for example, arrives in Tianjin just days after Washington imposed a steep 50% tariff on Indian goods — one of Trump’s harshest trade measures yet. The White House framed the tariff in part as punishment for India’s continued purchase of Russian oil. The move, combined with Trump’s dismissive comments about India’s economy, has strained relations and pushed Modi toward cautiously engaging with China. His visit marks his firs...

  The British government has barred Israeli officials from attending a major arms exhibition in London next month, citing Israel’s expanded military campaign in Gaza. “The Israeli government’s decision to further escalate its military operation in Gaza is wrong. As a result, no Israeli delegation will be invited to attend DSEI UK 2025,” a government spokesperson said. Israel has traditionally maintained a significant presence at the Defense and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition, which brings together governments, military officials, and the global arms industry for a four-day event in the UK capital every two years. Israeli Response Israel’s defense ministry condemned the move, calling it “a deliberate and regrettable act of discrimination against Israel’s representatives.” The ministry confirmed that Israel will withdraw from the exhibition, arguing the decision “plays into the hands of extremists” and injects politics into what it described as a professional defe...

  Thailand’s Constitutional Court removed suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office on Friday, ruling that a leaked phone call with Cambodia’s former leader violated ethics standards. The decision throws the country back into political uncertainty. Paetongtarn, 38, became Thailand’s youngest prime minister in August 2024 but lasted just one year in the role. In a 6–3 ruling, the court declared she “lacks the qualifications and possesses prohibited characteristics” under the constitution. The Phone Call at the Center of the Case The case stemmed from a June 15 call between Paetongtarn and former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen, during a period of escalating border clashes. In the recording, Paetongtarn referred to Hun Sen as “uncle,” appeared to criticize Thailand’s military response, and told him, “If you want anything, just tell me, and I will take care of it.” Her remarks, confirmed as authentic by both sides, sparked outrage inside Thailand, where nationalist ...

  Israel’s military announced Friday that it had recovered the body of one hostage and the remains of another in Gaza, while declaring Gaza City a “dangerous combat zone” ahead of a wider assault. The identified body was that of Ilan Weiss, 56, from Kibbutz Be’eri. The other remains have not yet been identified, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. Weiss was kidnapped alongside his wife, Shiri, and daughter, Noga, during the Hamas-led attack on Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023. His wife and daughter were released during the November ceasefire, but Weiss’s fate remained unclear. In January 2024, Kibbutz Be’eri confirmed that he had been killed during the initial assault and that his body had been taken into Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not disclose the exact location in Gaza where the remains were recovered. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said that while the discovery brought “grief and pain,” it also gave the Weiss family “some comfort after 692 days of ...

Amsterdam’s world-famous Van Gogh Museum — home to the largest collection of Vincent van Gogh’s works — may be forced to shut its doors unless the Dutch government helps fund urgent repairs, its director warned this week. Since opening in 1973, nearly 57 million visitors have flocked to the museum to see masterpieces like Sunflowers, The Potato Eaters, Almond Blossom, and Van Gogh’s intimate Bedroom in Arles. But now, the building that safeguards these treasures is itself in crisis. “If We Don’t Fix It, We Close” Director Emilie Gordenker sounded the alarm in an interview, saying the 50-year-old state-owned building is deteriorating and in need of “major maintenance” — from failing elevators and outdated air conditioning to sewage system repairs. “If we don’t address the major maintenance that needs to happen, we will have to close,” she warned. The planned renovations, set to begin in 2028, could take three years and cost around €104 million ($121 million). The museum says it cannot c...

Ashli Babbitt — the Air Force veteran and Capitol rioter fatally shot while storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 — will now be laid to rest with full military honors, according to a statement from the Air Force. Babbitt, 35, was shot by a Capitol Police officer as she attempted to climb through a shattered window into the Speaker’s Lobby, just steps away from lawmakers being evacuated. The officer’s actions were later ruled justified. From Denial to Approval Initially, under the Biden administration, military funeral honors were denied. At the time, Air Force Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly argued that honoring Babbitt would “bring discredit upon the Air Force.” But after years of lobbying by Judicial Watch, a conservative legal group, the Air Force reversed course. “After reviewing the circumstances of SrA Babbitt’s death, the Air Force has offered Military Funeral Honors to SrA Babbitt’s family,” the department confirmed. Judicial Watch praised the move, citing Babbitt’s service record ...

The White House has weighed in after Russia’s massive overnight strike on Kyiv left at least 21 people dead — including four children — and hundreds injured. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that while President Donald Trump was “not happy” about the attack, he was also “not surprised.” “It’s not about if I agree, it’s about what the President thinks,” Leavitt explained. “He was not happy about this news, but he was also not surprised.” A Brutal Night in Kyiv In the early hours of August 28, Russian forces unleashed nearly 600 drones and 31 missiles on Ukraine, with Kyiv as the primary target. The onslaught was one of the most severe in recent months, underscoring how far peace remains out of reach. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strikes, saying the attack proves that Russian leader Vladimir Putin “chooses missiles over peace.” The Bigger Picture Leavitt reminded reporters that while Russia pounded Kyiv, Ukrainian forces continued targeting Russian...

In Minneapolis, grief and resilience collided this week after a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School’s morning Mass claimed the lives of two children and injured dozens more. Eight-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski were remembered Thursday not for the violence that cut their lives short, but for the joy, love, and light they brought to those around them. A Family’s Unimaginable Loss Harper’s parents called her “a bright, joyful, and deeply loved 10-year-old,” adored by her little sister. In a statement, they urged leaders to finally take meaningful action on gun violence and the mental health crisis. “No family should ever have to endure this kind of pain,” they wrote. Standing outside the church, Fletcher’s father, Jesse Merkel, tearfully described his son as a boy who loved fishing, cooking, and sports. “Please remember Fletcher for the person he was and not the act that ended his life,” he said. Acts of Courage Amid Chaos Even as families mourned, stories of...

  For decades, the tiny town of Newbern, Alabama, never held elections. Leadership was simply passed down — one mayor choosing the next, councils quietly reappointing themselves — in a system residents described as “hand-me-down government.” That all changed this week. Patrick Braxton, the first Black mayor in Newbern’s history, won the town’s long-awaited election in a landslide — 66 votes to his opponent’s 26. His victory marks the end of a bitter four-year fight that began in 2020, when he first earned the title of mayor but was locked out of town hall and barred from serving. “The people came out and spoke and voted. Now, there ain’t no doubt what they want for this town,” Braxton told reporters after his win. A Town Without Elections With just 133 residents, Newbern sits quietly west of Selma, its downtown defined by a library, town hall, a small mercantile, and a flashing caution light. But beneath its sleepy surface, Newbern carried a troubling reality: it hadn’t held ...

  United States Special Envoy Tom Barrack drew widespread anger on Tuesday after telling Lebanese journalists to act “civilized, not animalistic” during a press conference in Beirut. Barrack, who was accompanied by Deputy Envoy Morgan Ortagus, is visiting Lebanon as part of U.S. efforts to pressure the government into disarming Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant and political group. Tensions flared during the briefing when multiple reporters asked questions at once — a standard practice in crowded Middle Eastern press conferences. Barrack interrupted, rebuking the journalists: “Please, be quiet for a moment. The moment this starts becoming chaotic, like animalistic, we’re gone. So, you want to know what’s happening? Act civilized, act kind, act tolerant, because this is the problem with what’s happening in the region,” he said. He went further, venting frustration over the trip itself: “Do you think this is fun for us? Do you think this is economically beneficial for Morgan and I...