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Bangkok (dpa) – In late December, Myanmar’s military rulers opened a month-long election that has been the subject of widespread criticism for excluding opponents of the junta that seized power almost four years ago. According to the London-based Business and Human Rights Centre (BHRC), "global fashion brands" are helping the regime to suppress dissent as part of a nexus of "military repression, collapsing labour protections, and workplace-level exploitation" put in place since the February 2021 coup, a period that has seen the land once known as Burma riven by civil war. In a report published in December shortly before voting started, the BHRC said it had counted almost 700 incidents of abuse at garment factories in the country since the military takeover.  The centre listed rights infringements such as "forced and excessive overtime, unsafe working conditions, wage deductions, gender-based harassment and retaliation against union members and worker representatives." "Some factories cooperate with security forces to suppress organising and conceal violations," the BHRC said, adding that some some brands "have adjusted elements of their due diligence" or even exited the country. Others fashion brands, however, continue to source supply from the country's garment factories as if nothing has changed since before the army, which ran the country for most of the period between a 1962 coup and elections in 2010 and retook power again four years ago. Since then, according to the BHRC, the country has seen not only a "collapse of democratic institutions" but also an "erosion" of freedoms and "near-total impunity" for violations of workers’ rights. "Brands sourcing from Myanmar will be remembered for whether they used their leverage to protect workers or enabled conditions under which violations deepened," the BHRC asserted, without naming any fashion labels. The following information is not intended for publication dpa spr coh

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Heated Rivalry, a six-part drama about a secret fling between two hockey rivals, became a streaming hit in the US and Canada in late 2025. Los Angeles (tca/dpa) – “Heated Rivalry” the novel is the kind of smutty romance read that’s thoroughly enjoyable but slightly ephemeral, a tale of angst and love and outlandish situations that doesn’t linger long in your mind once you get to the happily ever after-ish ending. “Heated Rivalry” the TV series, however, is anything but: An effervescent combination of faithful adaptation, standout acting and gorgeous cinematography, it’s one of the best shows of the year — and one you won’t be forgetting anytime soon. Originally meant for just the Canadian streaming service Crave (and only picked up by HBO Max a week before the Nov. 28 premiere), “Heated Rivalry” adapts the novel of the same name by Rachel Reid. (It’s the second in the six-part “Game Changers” series; Season 2, based on the sequel “The Long Game,” has already been greenlit.) Created and written by Jacob Tierney, best known for “Letterkenny” and “Shoresy,” the six-episode adaptation is not your typical love story; honestly, it’s hard to call it a romance most of the time. It follows two young hockey phenoms — Canadian Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Russian Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) — over the course of nearly a decade as they navigate being rivals on the ice and then, well, something more heated off it. The pair are the textbook definition of polar opposites: Shane — fastidious, a bit of a loner with expressive brown eyes; Ilya — chaotic, a total charmer with a head full of golden curls. But from the moment they meet — “You’re supposed to smoke over there,” Shane tells Ilya on a cold December day before they’re even drafted to the fictional Major Hockey League — the chemistry between the two is electric, almost palpable. It doesn’t take long (eight minutes into the first episode) before the sexual tension starts to rise, and only a few minutes more before they have sex for the first time. (Sex scenes in “Heated Rivalry” are legion and explicit — one lasts five straight minutes — with arms, legs and creative camera angles providing the only modesty.) From there, their story is told in moments and text chains, with months and years passing by in between: Ilya drafted to the Boston Raiders, Shane to the Montreal Metros (and furious to be picked second); a shared meal of tuna melts and ginger ale; a heartbreaking conversation held across an ocean. And while their situationship starts as purely physical — if nothing else, these two never question whether they’re attracted to one another — it’s obvious how this will all end up. The journey there, though, is wondrous. You just can’t help but fall in love with Shane and Ilya as they contend with their feelings, deal with the secret nature of their relationship (even in this fictional universe, professional sports isn't the most inclusive space) and discover themselves along the way. Hearing Shane say out loud that he’s gay is a joy. Watching Ilya turn to Shane for comfort after talking about his terrible family is breathtaking. The show is a font of queer authenticity, taking pains to realistically portray their struggles and successes. (And on that note: Can I just say how refreshing it is to watch a queer romance that doesn’t end in miserable grief? Sure, there’s angst and yearning aplenty, moments of heartbreak alongside the physicality especially as the season progresses. But there’s no all-consuming tragedy, no “Brokeback Mountain” or “Fellow Travelers”-level of devastation.) While adaptations can be tricky, creator Tierney pulls off a bit of a hat trick here. 1. His version mostly sticks to the original, from the most memorable lines — “I’m coming to the cottage,” “Stupid Canadian wolf bird” — to the general sequences of events. 2. He treats important events with proper care without having the show take itself too seriously. (Ilya is a hilariously sarcastic delight.) 3. There’s enough creative license to differentiate itself from the source material, with the highlight being Episode 3, which focuses on another couple from the “Game Changers” series. On the level of the masterful third episode of “The Last of Us” Season 1 with its impact and payoff, it’s a genius, moving inclusion, anchored by François Arnaud’s devastating performance as fellow gay hockey player Scott Hunter. Speaking of performances, Storrie and Williams, each with only a few credits to their name, are revelatory here. Storrie’s Ilya is a pool of nuance, deeply vulnerable one moment and obnoxiously charming the next. (And you would never know Storrie was born in Texas instead of Russia — his accent is that good.) Williams’ Shane feels like he was lifted perfectly from the book, down to his neurotic need to fold his clothes before sex. Together, they’re a tour de force, completely mesmerizing in their dazzling chemistry. Also dazzling? The one-two punch (wrong sport, I know) of gorgeous cinematography and inspired score/soundtrack. Jackson Parell’s visuals are utterly showstopping, from the intimate framing of Shane and Ilya to the clever focus on sunlight and shadow. And Peter Peter’s original compositions and the show’s needle drop songs deserve special kudos for elevating already captivating scenes. (I still have goose bumps from the brilliant pairing of a meaningful line of dialogue in Episode 3 with Wolf Parade’s “I’ll Believe in Anything” in Episode 5.) My only complaint for “Heated Rivalry”? That it’s already over, and now I have to wait for Season 2. But consider me in it for the long game, because it turns out, even in a year of fantastic shows, “Heated Rivalry” has no rival. The following information is not intended for publication tca dpa coh

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New York (dpa)  – The recent abduction and arrest of Nicolás Maduro has inadvertently become a major advertisement for Nike tracksuits, thanks to a photo posted by US President Donald Trump of the Venezuelan president in US custody. The image seen by millions around the world shows a handcuffed Maduro holding a water bottle, with his ears and eyes covered while wearing distinctive grey sweatpants and hoodie. The eyes of many watching the news appear to have fallen on the trademark Nike swoosh on the captive's chest, and the tracksuit, worn in a loose and oversized style by Maduro, is now sold out in larger sizes in several markets, including the US and parts of Europe. On his flight to be arraigned in New York after being extracted during Saturday's surprise military attack on Caracas, Maduro appears to have been wearing the men'sNike Tech fleece , a two-piece tracksuit which Nike describes as "an injection of premium comfort." Searches for this tracksuit have surged on Google since the photo of Maduro appeared across news media worldwide, with global searches rising fourfold in the hours after Trump posted the picture. The hoodie of the tracksuit, which costs around $140 in the US or €120 in Europe, has become a bestseller on Nike's online store. Reviews posted in the wake of the Saturday military operation are overwhelmingly positive. "It's really comfortable for long flights," one buyer wrote. "Fortunately, this is comfy. I just had the worst day of my life, but this outfit made it a little better." Another gave the Nike Tech Fleece a new name: "Nike Operation Absolute Resolve Freedom Tech Fleece". Trump ordered a special military operation to seize Maduro, after which he and his wife Cilia Flores were taken to New York on Saturday, where they face charges related to drug trafficking. The photo of Maduro, which Trump posted with the text "Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima," had an unusually tall vertical format, showing almost the full length of the leader in grey sweatpants and hoodie. Although Trump has repeatedly shared AI-generated images on his Truth Social account, many experts believe this photo of Maduro to be authentic. The following information is not intended for publication dpa coh era

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)