Latest news with #Bastien
Miami Herald
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
‘Protection, not deportation': Miami Haitian leaders call for reversal of TPS decision
Miami-Dade and Broward community leaders and activists said Monday they are sending a letter to President Donald Trump asking for a sit-down to discuss the recent decision by the administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Haiti. North Miami Beach Councilwoman Mary Estimé-Irvin called the administration's decision 'outright unjust.' She hopes the meeting with the president, if it happens, will help him understand both how the Haitian community contribution to South Florida's economy has been 'inmeasurable' and how dire the crisis is in Haiti. Haitians 'deserve protection, not deportation,' she said. The leaders and activists hosted a press conference organized by the National Haitian American Elected Officials Network at Griffin Park Community Center in North Miami. They called not only for the Trump administration to reverse the TPS decision but also to extend Deferred Enforced Departure, another kind of protection from deportation, to Haitians. Miami-Dade County Commissioner Marlein Bastien said her phone has been constantly ringing from concerned residents asking her what to do. Bastien said she has never received this many calls and questions in her 42 years living in Miami. 'People are depressed,' she said. Bastien said that some of the people affected by the TPS decision have been living in the United States for 50 years. 'You've built your life here. You have a job, your businesses, your homes, your essential workers, and they are calling me, asking me, Commissioner Bastien, 'What am I to do?'' On Friday, the Trump administration ended TPS for Haiti, affecting as many as half-a-million Haitians living and working in the United States. The administration said Haiti had become safe for Haitians to return, but in a document to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, Homeland Secretatry Kristi Noem said providing TPS for Haiti does not align with the United State's national interests — citing gang violence in Haiti and a lack of a functionming fovernment ass the reasons. The termination of TPS for Haiti will be effective Sept 2. Long-time immigration and civil-rights attorney Ira Kurzban said the decision by the Trump administration was unprecedented in only giving 60 days' notice of the termination. 'The treatment that they are now giving Haitians in regards to TPS has never been done in the history of Temporary Protected Status,' he said. Kurzban told the crowd of attendees that Haiti was a 'quintessential example' of the people TPS was designed to protect. 'We will continue to fight this in the courts,' he said. The network of community leaders and officials all questioned the administration's determination that Haiti is now safe enough for people to return. They cited the State Department's recent warning that Americans should not travel to Haiti. Florida state Senator Shevrin Jones called it a policy failure. 'This administration wants us to believe it is safe to send people back,' Jone said. 'That's not policy. That's reckless. That's dangerous. And that is inhumane.'
Time Out Dubai
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out Dubai
Dreamy daycations and moonlight swims: One&Only Royal Mirage has you covered
Ready to treat yourself this summer? Jumping into the rescue to ensure you're slowing down over the next few months, the One&Only Royal Mirage has just launched some new packages that scream relaxation. If you're looking for some luxury that won't break the bank, here are the experiences absolutely have to try this summer. Summer Daycation Package For a full-on day of pure relaxation, opt on for the special summer daycation, which starts with a generous breakfast buffet at the Olives restaurant. Filled with Mediterranean dishes, once you've finished feasting on fresh fruit and pastries, it's time to sip a freshly-brewed coffee while overlooking the terrace. From there, all you need to do is drift down to the Palace pool and private beach for a day of lounging paired with the occasional dip in the pool. But that's not all. Also included in the package is a 60-minute spa or salon treatment, offering everything from a traditional hammam to a Bastien manicure or blow-dry. Whisking you away for the day, this is a summer offer you can't afford to miss. Available until Sep Dhs750. Daily 7am-5pm, Moonlight Swim at Al Janoub Pool If you prefer to spend your summer days indoors, then venture out by night to enjoy a glittering night swim at the adults-only pool. Set to the sound of some electric beats, you can float around the infinity pool, stare up at the stars from your cabana or enjoy a mixed-drink or two. Coming alive at night, this is a seriously tranquil way to spend an evening. Offering luxury experiences both by day and by night, a few hours at One&Only Royal Mirage is definitely what you need this summer. Dhs250 min spend (poolside access), Dhs500 min spend (cabana). Fri-Sat 7pm-11pm,
The Review Geek
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
K.O. (2025) Ending Explained – Does Leo survive the gang?
K.O. Plot Summary The premise of K.O. clings to all the usual tropes you'd expect from a flick like this, jumping straight into the action. Here, we follow aspiring MMA fighter Bastien, who finds himself in the ring with his bitter rival, Enzo. The pair go toe-to-toe in a relentless and pretty brutal sequence that immediately sets the tone and mood for the rest of the movie. Bastien's fight ends in tragedy when he counters a triangle hold into a full-on slam to the mat. Enzo's head crunches against the canvas, and unfortunately, he passes away as a result. Guilt-stricken, Bastien hangs up his gloves and disappears into exile. Fast-forward two years, and our reclusive hero is called back into action by Enzo's widowed wife, Emma. Her son, Leo, has gone missing after getting mixed up in the drug trade, and it seems he may be the target of some particularly nasty gangsters. With a bullseye on his back, Leo is in big trouble—and Bastien feels a moral obligation to do right by Emma. Who are the rival gang? Bastien heads off to find out the truth about Leo's whereabouts, where he winds up indirectly working with Captain Alaoui. The rival gang are called the Manchours. They're vicious and a lot of people are scared of them. They're fronted by a man named Abdul, a relentless gangster determined to grow his empire in Marseille – no matter the cost. Alaoui loses her badge thanks to getting too aggressive with a couple of gang members outside. She teams up with Bastien to get info on Leo's whereabouts, and they soon realize that he has valuable intel that could take down the Manchours. This explains why the gang are so interested in the kid – and why they want him dead. What is driving Alaoui and Bastien to fight so hard? Alaoui lives alone and doesn't have a partner. She's consumed by her grief though, still torn up over the passing of her brother. She has a history with the Manchours, stemming from her childhood. She grew up in the same neighbourhood as the gang and her brother began working with kids on the street. Unfortunately, when the Manchours started dealing drugs and getting the kids involved, her brother pissed them off badly. In fact, one night they tied him to a chair and burned him alive. Even worse, they sent the video to Alaoui and disappeared, until a year ago when they returned. They're smart and always one step ahead, building a criminal enterprise in Marseille – which Alaoui is determined to stop. What happens at the police station? After reuniting with Leo and a tense chase sequence at the apartment complex, the group make it back to the police station where Bastien explains why he's doing all of this. His father passed away when he was a kid and since then he was angry at the world and lashed out. Bastien chose fighting as an outlet and the irony is, this accident has caused Leo's father, Enzo, to die. He recognizes that Leo is going down a dark path and although Bastien didn't mean to kill the fighter, he feels responsible for making sure he steers the kid in the right direction. Bastien was lucky, having surrounded himself with good people and managing to turn a corner, away from a potential life of misery and crime. Who is the mole? Leo reveals in his police interview that the Manchours organized a big meeting with their contacts. Leo was new and shouldn't have been there but he showed up anyway. Here, the Manchour gang met with Andalou and his gang – the same guy we saw earlier tortured for the whereabouts of the drugs earlier in the movie. This was all a trap, organized by Andalou's contact. Leo saw Abdel Manchour kill a man right in front of him but unfortunately, was spotted spying on them and he decided to run. Leo got freaked when he saw the cops because that informant working with the gang happens to be 'The Cop'. It's here where Alaoui realizes there's mole in the midst… and it happens to be Vasseur. He immediately stabs Benoit in the neck before he's shot down. This explains why Leo never went to the police – he didn't trust them. Who survives the final fight? Outside, shots are fired at Sebastopol and the surrounding areas, sending officers out to check. Unfortunately, this leaves the station severely lacking in staff, prompting the Manchour gang to come in all guns blazing and shoot the place up. Alaoui does her best to fight back but Abdul is leading the charge. Through the fighting, Alaoui and Abdul wind up duking it out while Bastien handles Abdul's right-hand man, Driss. Bastien just about comes out on top while Alaoui kills Abdul after stabbing him in the eye and driving this through his skull. With police heading back, the gang breathe a sigh of relief after coming out in one piece. How does K.O. end? Leo is finally free and no longer hunted by the (presumably defunct) Manchour gang, while Emma is reunited with her son. It seems he'll now have a way of handling and channelling his anger, courtesy of Bastien's guidance too. As for Bastien, he intends to head out and carve a new name for himself, deciding that it's time to find something new to fight, looking out at the sunset ready for another day. Read More: K.O. Movie Review
The Review Geek
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
K.O. (2025) Movie Review – A sleeper hit for Netflix?
A sleeper hit for Netflix? Another week rolls around and, of course, another Netflix action thriller hits the platform. Like a well-oiled machine, the streaming giant doesn't look like it's about to stop pumping out these hits any time soon. There are already plenty of options in this field, with bigger-name titles like The Old Guard, The Gray Man, and Extraction mixed in with under-rated hits like Burn Out and Badland Hunters. Trying to stand out is not easy. That unenviable task falls to French director Antoine Blossier. For the most part, K.O. is quite happy to revel in its mediocrity—offering little in the way of originality, but playing things competently enough across its 85-minute runtime to make for an enjoyable watch all the same. The premise of K.O. clings to all the usual tropes you'd expect from a flick like this, jumping straight into the action. Here, we follow aspiring MMA fighter Bastien, who finds himself in the ring with his bitter rival, Enzo. The pair go toe-to-toe in a relentless and pretty brutal sequence that immediately sets the tone and mood for the rest of the movie. Bastien's fight ends in tragedy when he counters a triangle hold into a full-on slam to the mat. Enzo's head crunches against the canvas, and unfortunately, he passes away as a result. Guilt-stricken, Bastien hangs up his gloves and disappears into exile. Fast-forward two years, and our reclusive hero is called back into action by Enzo's widowed wife, Emma. Her son, Leo, has gone missing after getting mixed up in the drug trade, and it seems he may be the target of some particularly nasty gangsters. With a bullseye on his back, Leo is in big trouble—and Bastien feels a moral obligation to do right by Emma. Bastien is thrown into the investigation alongside a detective named Alaoui, and together they work to find Leo and stop the gang before it's too late. It's all rather simple stuff. The first half of the movie follows a standard formula of investigative groundwork to establish the stakes. Of course, we also get some action scenes thrown in for good measure—including a particularly impressive nightclub fight (which seems to be a staple of action movies recently, for some reason) and a tense chase across an apartment complex. Like clockwork, the midpoint of the film tightens the screws, with Bastien and Alaoui's backstories explored while the search for Leo closes in, leading to a climactic fight at the police station. K.O.'s story is very by-the-numbers, and there's really not a whole lot to write home about here. You'll see most of the big plot beats coming a mile off. The action is gritty and visceral enough to keep you watching, but even when twists arrive, they lean into genre clichés too heavily to really land. The characters are archetypal almost to a fault, with both Alaoui and Bastien following straightforward arcs but lacking in original personality. Bastien is your typical 'tortured hero looking to make amends,' while Alaoui is the 'tortured hero looking to get vengeance.' There's certainly potential for a tighter bond between Leo and Bastien in the midst of all this, and perhaps leaning heavier into a guardian/protector dynamic could have given the story some much-needed emotional energy. However, K.O. never really seems all that interested in going down that route. It's a shame, because with a runtime of under 90 minutes, even an extra 10 minutes to develop this relationship would have helped. The saving grace of the film, beyond its perfunctory story and underwhelming character writing, comes from the action. The camerawork and general choreography are solid, and there are natural pauses in the combat where the fighters catch their breath. It's a detail we've seen in titles like John Wick, and it adds a welcome layer of realism that works well for this genre. Although it does offer some well-executed action, it's not enough to make K.O. a knock-out hit. Instead, this one feels more like a 10-round pummelling session—landing a few clean strikes but ultimately feeling ineffective when the final bell sounds.
Tom's Guide
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
Netflix just added a new action thriller movie featuring some brutal brawls — and it'll get your pulse racing
Netflix is home to an impressive array of action thrillers already, but action fans might have spotted that the streaming service has just dropped a brand-new release designed to get your blood pumping. As of today (June 6), Netflix is now home to a new French action thriller from director Antoine Blossier. Introducing: "K.O.," a new Netflix original that takes us to the streets of Marseille alongside a hulking MMA fighter who's come out of retirement to earn a shot at redemption. Wondering whether the streamer's newest arrival is worth your time? Well, you can find a little bit more info about "K.O." (and my initial reaction after streaming the new release) below, which should help you decide whether to stream "K.O." on Netflix or not. Antoine Blossier's "K.O." sees former MMA fighter Bastien (Ciryl Gane) being tasked with searching for a missing boy. Bastien accidentally killed one of his opponents, Enzo, in the ring. He's been a recluse ever since, though three years on from that fateful match, Enzo's widow, Emma (Anne Azoulay), tracks Bastien down and implores him to help find her teen son, Léo (Maleaume Paquin), an informant who's gone missing after witnessing a murder. Bastien sets off to do just that. En route, he joins forces with police chief Kenza (Alice Belaïdi), a woman determined to find justice after Marseilles' most violent criminals murdered her own brother. In addition to Gane, Azoulay, Paquin and Belaïdi, "K.O." also stars Foued Nabba, Samuel Jouy, Virgile Bramly and Malone Ettori. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. "K.O." is a solid addition to Netflix's roster of action movies. Having checked it out myself, I don't think Netflix's new arrival is about to become anyone's all-time favorite watch, but it has enough fun up its sleeves that should satisfy action-starved viewers. Going in, I wasn't aware that Gane was a real-life MMA fighter, but that physicality is on display here. When the fists are flying, "K.O." packs in some decent thrills, and it has some surprisingly grim moments packed in courtesy of the villains. Action-wise, it might feel a little light; "John Wick," this ain't, and the story isn't anything to write home about (it's simple gangster fodder, and only exists to string the setpieces together), but the stuff we've all come to see is sufficiently exciting (especially the big clash that closes the final act). In other words, "K.O." should make for a disposable, tight 90-minute watch for anyone on the hunt for a quick dose of adrenaline this weekend (though if it's big-screen action you want, make sure you go see "Ballerina" soon, too). Need a second opinion before committing to add "K.O." to your Netflix watchlist? Well, seeing as the movie's only just hit our screens, "K.O." doesn't have a Rotten Tomatoes score to shout about at the time of writing (one may come later down the line). However, there are a couple of reactions to the movie online already. Ready Steady Cut's Jonathon Wilson says there's "only one point of a movie like this" (the action) and likens "K.O." to "Ad Vitam" and Exterritorial", describing them collectively as "barebones movies with serviceable set-pieces." Not quite sold on streaming "K.O." on Netflix? We can still help you find your next Netflix watch. Check out our guides to the best Netflix action movies and overall round-up of the best movies on Netflix for tons more streaming recommendations.
