Nearly six years to the day after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis sparked racial protests across the U.S., something similar is happening across the pond. The death of a Congolese man in Dublin has led people throughout the Irish capital to take to the streets in what many are calling the country’s own George Floyd-like reckoning.

What happened?
The protests began over an incident on May 15, when Yves Sakila was detained by “several security guards who suspected him of shoplifting at Arnotts, Ireland’s oldest and largest department store, in the heart of Dublin” after he “allegedly stole a bottle of perfume,” said The Associated Press. Sakila, a 35-year-old native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was seen on video “struggling and crying out in distress as he was held down by several men for nearly five minutes.”

Police eventually arrived on scene, and Sakila was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Sakila’s death was seen by many as reminiscent of the murder of George Floyd, who died in 2020 after “being arrested by police outside a shop in Minnesota, prompting widespread protests under the Black Lives Matter banner,” said The Times.

How has Ireland reacted?
Following Sakila’s death, at least “several hundred people attended a rally” in Dublin organized by Black Coalition Ireland, said The Irish Times. The protesters are demanding “proper transparent investigation into his death,” as well as “racial training for all gardaí,” Ireland’s national police force, said Black Coalition Ireland spokeswoman Cllr Yemi Adenuga to The Irish Times.

Sakila’s death raises “urgent and serious questions” that “require comprehensive examination,” said Irish Special Rapporteur on Racism and Racial Equality Ebun Joseph in a statement, per Irish broadcaster RTÉ. Micheál Martin, the country’s prime minister, has also called for an investigation. 

The incident will likely cause tensions to grow in a country that “continues to grapple with increasing political tension around immigration, following anti-immigrant protests and riots that erupted in Dublin in 2023,” said The Grio. David ​Kaliba, a former high school classmate of Sakila, said to Reuters, “I can't believe ​it happened in America in 2020 and happened in Ireland in 2026.” 

CBS needed a replacement after controversially canceling “The Late Show” hosted by Stephen Colbert and found a longstanding media name to fill the gap: Byron Allen, a billionaire industry mainstay whose “Comics Unleashed” panel comedy show is now running in place of “The Late Show.” But unlike Colbert, Allen, who began his career in standup, has vowed to shy away from political humor.

Comedy roots
Allen, 65, was born in Detroit and eventually moved to Los Angeles with his mother. At a young age, he had an obsession with “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” and at 18 became “one of the youngest comedians to perform stand-up on Carson’s show, making his debut on May 17, 1979, a week before graduating high school,” said CNN.

He eventually transitioned from the stage to a behind-the-scenes role and soon “developed a business model that would define his career: producing reality shows and selling them directly to local stations,” said CNN. He also owns The Weather Channel and recently “acquired a ‘majority stake’ in BuzzFeed,” said USA Today. 

‘I’m not trying to replace him’
When it was announced in July 2025 that Colbert‘s show would be ending, Allen originally “urged CBS to ‘not put on another show’ if it went through with canceling the cancellation,” instead offering to buy the block of time, said NBC News. Under his deal with CBS, Allen “leases the hour and sells the advertising inventory himself.”

In another departure, Allen’s “Comics Unleashed,” which ran in syndication from 2006 to 2016, focuses “strictly on comedy and roundtable storytelling with no political content,” said NJ.com. There’s “nothing like it on TV right now where you have five comedians sitting around with one purpose: making people laugh,” Allen said to The Guardian. “No political humor, nothing racist, nothing sexist, nothing antisemitic, nothing homophobic, just be funny.” 

Despite the controversy, the late-night slot is an opportunity Allen has long wanted. “If they are looking for a show, my hand is already up,” Allen said in October 2025 to Variety. “Fifty years I have been waiting for this moment.”

Arsenal fans covered in red powder gather in Nairobi’s central business district to celebrate the club’s first Premier League title in 22 years. The North London football club has endured years of near misses, with Kenya’s capital emerging as one of its strongest support centers outside Europe.
Daniel Irungu / EPA / Shutterstock

The benefits of bird-watching are plenty — it is relaxing, can offer a mental health boost, gets you outside in the fresh air, teaches you about new types of species, and helps you focus. Start in your backyard or local park, then consider these global hot spots, where opportunities to zero in on avian splendor are plentiful.

Cape Town, South Africa
The Cape sugarbird, Cape rockjumper, orange-breasted sunbird and bank cormorant are some of the endemic birds that draw nature lovers to Cape Town. The best place to do some serious birding is Strandfontein Sewage Works, where visitors may count “more than 50 species on any given morning,” said Afar. Flamingos, African marsh harriers and Cape longclaws all gather in and around the ponds, and in the summer, gray and purple herons arrive in droves.

Colombia
Nearly 2,000 avian species call the mountains, forests and beaches of Colombia (pictured above) home, making the country a “veritable paradise” for birders, said Forbes. Don’t overlook the cities, either. Cartagena is an “underrated gem for avitourism” and a great “jumping-off point” for birding adventures.

Hokkaido, Japan
During winter, bird-watching in Hokkaido is “spectacular,” said National Geographic Traveler. The “remarkable” red-crowned cranes can be found performing “elaborate mating dances against snowy landscapes,” while Steller’s sea eagles dive into the chilly water for fish. The Blakiston’s fish owl is the rarest nocturnal bird in Japan but often visits the Yoroushi onsen in the evening.