Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the acclaimed actor who rose to prominence in the 1980s playing Theo Huxtable in The Cosby Show, has died in a drowning accident at the age of 54.

Warner became a household name thanks to his breakout role on NBC’s The Cosby Show, where he played the only son of Cliff and Clair Huxtable, portrayed by Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad.

The sitcom, which debuted in 1984, quickly became a cultural phenomenon, finishing its first season as the third most-watched programme in the United States behind Dynasty and Dallas. By the 1985-86 season, it had climbed to the top of the ratings, holding the number one spot for five consecutive years.

Widely credited with revitalising the American sitcom genre, The Cosby Show not only reshaped television programming but also propelled NBC into its “Must See TV” era.

Warner remained with the show for its entire run, appearing in nearly 200 episodes until its conclusion in 1992. His portrayal of Theo earned him an Emmy nomination in 1986.

Reflecting on the show’s cultural impact during a 2013 interview with the Television Academy Foundation, Warner said, “The Cosby Show was the first time on television you saw a Black family where the humour was not predicated upon how hard it is to be Black in America, or Black affectations and Black slang. Bill Cosby said the humour is in the truth. When you play the truth of the moment you’ll find the humour. That way you can make anything funny.”

During and after The Cosby Show, Warner made numerous appearances on popular television programmes including Tour of Duty, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Touched by an Angel, and Sliders. He also appeared briefly in the spinoff A Different World and starred in the short-lived NBC comedy Here and Now, which aired for one season in 1992-93 and was executive produced by Cosby.

Warner later co-starred with Eddie Griffin in the sitcom Malcolm & Eddie, which aired for four seasons on UPN between 1996 and 2000. Set in Kansas City, the series followed two mismatched roommates navigating life’s absurdities, eventually winning the lottery and purchasing their run-down apartment building.

In addition to his live-action work, Warner voiced the character of The Producer in over 40 episodes of the acclaimed PBS animated series The Magic School Bus, alongside Lily Tomlin, from 1994 to 1997.

He continued to build a versatile career, appearing in the post-apocalyptic Showtime drama Jeremiah with Luke Perry from 2002 to 2004.

In more recent years, Warner was a series regular on the medical drama The Resident, further showcasing his enduring presence in television.

Summary Sanseito, birthed on YouTube, makes election gains

Party has also pledged tax cuts and welfare spending

Leader says he wants to expand lower house presence

TOKYO, July 21 (Reuters) – The fringe far-right Sanseito party emerged as one of the biggest winners in Japan’s upper house election on Sunday, gaining support with warnings of a “silent invasion” of immigrants, and pledges for tax cuts and welfare spending.

Birthed on YouTube during the COVID-19 pandemic spreading conspiracy theories about vaccinations and a cabal of global elites, the party broke into mainstream politics with its “Japanese First” campaign.

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The party won 14 seats adding to the single lawmaker it secured in the 248-seat chamber three years ago. It has only three seats in the more powerful lower house.

“The phrase Japanese First was meant to express rebuilding Japanese people’s livelihoods by resisting globalism. I am not saying that we should completely ban foreigners or that every foreigner should get out of Japan,” Sohei Kamiya, the party’s 47-year-old leader, said in an interview with local broadcaster Nippon Television after the election.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito lost their majority in the upper house, leaving them further beholden to opposition support following a lower house defeat in October.

“Sanseito has become the talk of the town, and particularly here in America, because of the whole populist and anti-foreign sentiment. It’s more of a weakness of the LDP and Ishiba than anything else,” said Joshua Walker, head of the U.S. non-profit Japan Society.

In polling ahead of Sunday’s election, 29% of voters told NHK that social security and a declining birthrate were their biggest concern. A total of 28% said they worried about rising rice prices, which have doubled in the past year. Immigration was in joint fifth place with 7% of respondents pointing to it.

“We were criticized as being xenophobic and discriminatory. The public came to understand that the media was wrong and Sanseito was right,” Kamiya said.

Kamiya’s message grabbed voters frustrated with a weak economy and currency that has lured tourists in record numbers in recent years, further driving up prices that Japanese can ill afford, political analysts say.

Japan’s fast-ageing society has also seen foreign-born residents hit a record of about 3.8 million last year, though that is just 3% of the total population, a fraction of the corresponding proportion in the United States and Europe.

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Item 1 of 5 Japan’s Sanseito party leader Sohei Kamiya delivers a speech during the party’s rally in Tokyo, Japan, July 21, 2025, a day after the upper house election. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon [1/5] Japan’s Sanseito party leader Sohei Kamiya delivers a speech during the party’s rally in Tokyo, Japan, July 21, 2025, a day after the upper house election. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab

Kamiya, a former supermarket manager and English teacher, told Reuters before the election that he had drawn inspiration from U.S. President Donald Trump’s “bold political style”.

He has also drawn comparisons with Germany’s AfD and Reform UK although right-wing populist policies have yet to take root in Japan as they have in Europe and the United States.

Post-election, Kamiya said he plans to follow the example of Europe’s emerging populist parties by building alliances with other small parties rather than work with an LDP administration, which has ruled for most of Japan’s postwar history.

Sanseito’s focus on immigration has already shifted Japan’s politics to the right. Just days before the vote, Ishiba’s administration announced a new government taskforce to fight “crimes and disorderly conduct” by foreign nationals and his party has promised a target of “zero illegal foreigners”.

Kamiya, who won the party’s first seat in 2022 after gaining notoriety for appearing to call for Japan’s emperor to take concubines, has tried to tone down some controversial ideas formerly embraced by the party.

During the campaign, Kamiya, however, faced a backlash for branding gender equality policies a mistake that encourage women to work and keep them from having children.

To soften what he said was his “hot-blooded” image and to broaden support beyond the men in their twenties and thirties that form the core of Sanseito’s support, Kamiya fielded a raft of female candidates on Sunday.

Those included the single-named singer Saya, who clinched a seat in Tokyo.

Like other opposition parties, Sanseito called for tax cuts and an increase in child benefits, policies that led investors to fret about Japan’s fiscal health and massive debt pile, but unlike them it has a far bigger online presence from where it can attack Japan’s political establishment.

Its YouTube channel has 400,000 followers, more than any other party on the platform and three times that of the LDP, according to socialcounts.org.

Sanseito’s upper house breakthrough, Kamiya said, is just the beginning.

“We are gradually increasing our numbers and living up to people’s expectations. By building a solid organization and securing 50 or 60 seats, I believe our policies will finally become reality,” he said.

Reporting by Tim Kelly and John Geddie and Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Clarence Fernandez, Dale Hudson and Lincoln Feast.

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TAIPEI — Taiwan and the European Union (EU) share the same values of freedom and democracy, but both also face similar threats from “external infiltration”, President Lai Ching-te told visiting European lawmakers on Tuesday (July 22).

Taiwan views the EU as one of its most important like-minded democratic partners, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties, and the bloc has had to balance its support for the Chinese-claimed island with relations with Beijing, which views Taiwan as its own territory.

China confirmed on Monday it will hold a top-level summit with the EU in Beijing this week marking 50 years of diplomatic ties as both sides seek to navigate trade disputes amid broader global trade uncertainties.

Lai, meeting members of the European Parliament’s Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield at the presidential office in Taipei, said Taiwan and the EU not only have close economic and trade ties, but also share the values of democracy and freedom.

“But in recent years, both have encountered information interference and infiltration by external forces which have attempted to manipulate the results of democratic elections, create confrontation in society, and shake people’s confidence in democracy,” he said, according to a statement from his office.

Taiwan, which rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, has repeatedly accused China of interfering in its democracy, spreading fake news and undermining public trust in the government.

China denies the accusations, but says Taiwan’s government is seeking foreign support to push its own “separatist” agenda.

For their part, many European countries say Russia has similarly been seeking to discredit European governments and destabilise the EU. Moscow rejects the allegations.

Lai said that democracies work not to fight against anyone, but to safeguard a “treasured” way of life, just as Europe strives to promote the spirit of pluralism and human rights.

“Standing at the forefront of the world’s defence of democracy, Taiwan is determined to work to safeguard democracy, peace and prosperity around the world, and hopes to share its experience with Europe,” he added.

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Dodoma. A resident of Mgomwa hamlet in Matumbulu ward, Frank Sanga, 32, has died after being shot by police officers on patrol. The incident occurred when he attempted to assist his brother, who had been arrested on traffic offences, to avoid being taken to the police station.

The shooting happened on July 19, 2025, at around 1:30pm in Matumbulu, Dodoma. Frank sustained gunshot wounds to his left thigh and ankle and later died while receiving treatment in hospital.

Dodoma Regional Police Commander, Gallus Hyera, confirmed the incident in a phone interview with The Citizen’s sister publication, Mwananchi on July 21. He said two police officers were being held for questioning but did not disclose their names.

According to Mr Hyera, the officers had arrested a motorcyclist for traffic violations, including riding without a licence, not wearing a helmet and using a defective motorcycle. The arrested man contacted his relatives, who arrived at the scene and tried to forcibly seize the motorcycle to prevent its confiscation.

“The group arrived on five motorcycles, each carrying more than two people, and demanded the release of the motorcycle and their relative. The officers were forced to open fire as the group appeared ready to confront them. Frank Sanga was shot in the left thigh and ankle and rushed to hospital, where he later died,” said Commander Hyera.

Investigations started immediately, with statements taken from witnesses. The commander assured that action would be taken based on evidence and in accordance with the law.

He warned residents against attacking police officers, noting that officers carry firearms legally to maintain peace and protect themselves.

“I urge the public in Dodoma to stop attacking officers, whether in uniform or plain clothes, especially when they are armed, to prevent tragic incidents like this,” said Commander Hyera.

He also denied claims that Frank was herding cattle at the time of the shooting, clarifying that he was part of a group called by his arrested brother and was at the forefront of the confrontation, holding a stick.

Family reaction

David Sanga, Frank’s younger brother, said they rushed to the scene after receiving a call from their relative, who was arrested for transporting charcoal without a licence. They intended to arrange bail.

“They told us the officers wanted Sh100,000 to release him, even though he had a valid permit for transporting the charcoal,” David said.

During an argument with police, Frank, holding a stick, tried to retrieve a handcart. An officer, seeing him approach, fired three shots, one into the air and two that hit Frank’s left leg.

“The officers stopped us from helping him and warned anyone who approached would be shot. We waited for about 30 minutes before they left. We then took Frank to hospital but later received news of his death,” said David.

Noah Zakayo, chairman of Mgomwa hamlet, confirmed the shooting and death, saying doctors confirmed gunshot wounds.

Frank’s mother, who preferred to remain anonymous, said she received calls informing her of the shooting and later his death.

Taipei. As Taiwan gears up for a recall vote that could reshape its parliament, opposition lawmakers being challenged at the ballot box are getting two unusual supporters: Chinese officials and state media outlets rallying to their cause.

While President Lai Ching-te won the election last year, his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lost its legislative majority. The opposition has flexed its muscles since then to pass laws the government has opposed and impose budget cuts, complicating efforts to boost defence spending in particular.

The political drama has been happening against a backdrop of China ramping up its own military and diplomatic pressure campaign against Taiwan to assert territorial claims Lai and his government resolutely reject. Lai has offered talks with Beijing many times, but been rebuffed.

Civic groups formally started the recall campaign earlier this year, and on Saturday voters will decide on the fate of 24 lawmakers from Taiwan’s largest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), around one-fifth of all lawmakers.

The recall groups say theirs is an “anti-communist” movement, accusing the KMT of selling out Taiwan by sending lawmakers to China, not supporting defence spending, and bringing chaos to parliament. The KMT rejects those accusations, denouncing Lai’s “dictatorship” and “green terror” – the DPP’s party colour.

China has not sat quietly on the sidelines, to the KMT’s unease, ever wary of being “painted red” by its opponents.

In June, two senior Chinese officials overseeing Taiwan policy denounced the recalls as a “political scheme” of Lai’s.

Lai is “engaging in dictatorship under the guise of democracy” and “using every means possible to suppress the opposition,” China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian told a news briefing in June.

Taiwanese tycoon Robert Tsao, one of the most prominent recall campaigners, said such comments would only support their cause.

“It shows they (the KMT) are together with the communist party. It helps us,” he told reporters at a campaign event on Monday.

‘Our business’

The KMT says it neither asked for nor wants China’s support, can’t control what China says, and that it is not pro-Beijing.

“We feel the same way as all the people of Taiwan – this is our business. It is the two parties, the DPP and the KMT, fighting for public support, for public recognition. It has nothing to do with the mainland,” party spokesperson Crystal Yang told Reuters.

Chinese state media outlets and their affiliated social media accounts published some 425 articles or videos describing the recall campaign as “dictatorship” or “green terror” in the first half of 2025, according to Taiwan research organisation IORG, which analyses Chinese state media.

In an April commentary, China’s ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily said Lai was “presumptuously abusing the recall system to crack down on the opposition party, attempting to establish a ‘green dictatorship.'”

Pointing to the similarity between China and the KMT’s arguments against the recalls, Wu Szu-yao, secretary general of the DPP’s legislative caucus, said Beijing is “offering ammunition” to the KMT to sway voters.

“China is really concerned that the mass recall will be successful and win the support of Taiwan’s public,” she said.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office did not respond to a request for comment.

The KMT says its China engagement is vital given Beijing’s refusal to talk to Lai, who it says is a “separatist”, and to advocate for Taiwan’s interests, such as promoting agricultural exports.

“This is an unfair criticism,” Tony Lin, chair of the KMT’s Culture and Communication Committee, said, referring to the accusations they are pro-Beijing. “What we have always stressed is that we are pro-communication.”

The KMT hopes people will turn out to also express their dissatisfaction with Lai, whom they say is incompetent and has stoked tensions with China.