International News
Matthew Perry Died From An Unintentional Ketamine Overdose – Examiner
On Friday, medical examiners concluded their examination into the death of the adored but troubled American and Canadian TV star Matthew Perry, revealing that the actor from “Friends” passed away due to an accidental overdose of ketamine.
The popular TV comedy star Perry, who portrayed Chandler Bing from 1994 to 2004, passed away at the age of 54 after being discovered unresponsive in the swimming pool at his Los Angeles home in October.
He had battled drug addiction for decades, including ketamine addiction, and associated severe health problems; nevertheless, before to his death, he had apparently been drug-free for 19 months.
“Matthew Perry’s cause of death is determined to be from the acute effects of ketamine,” the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office said in a statement.
“Contributory factors in his death include drowning, coronary artery disease and buprenorphine effects. The manner of death is accident. ”
Ketamine is illegally used as a recreational drug for its numbing and hallucinogenic effects.
The drug can also be used by doctors as an anesthetic, and researchers are exploring its use as a mental health treatment.
Perry wrote in his memoirs of how he had relied on using ketamine daily at points during his battles with addiction. He said the drug eased his pain and helped with depression.
“Has my name written all over it — they might as well have called it ‘Matty,'” he wrote, of ketamine.
“Taking K is like being hit in the head with a giant happy shovel. But the hangover was rough and outweighed the shovel,” explained Perry.
“Friends,” which followed the lives of six New Yorkers navigating adulthood, dating and careers, drew a massive global following.
But even as he delivered on-air gag after gag — and earned a fortune — Perry was struggling.
He attended multiple rehabilitation clinics to combat addiction to painkillers and alcohol. In 2018 he suffered a burst colon, related to drug usage, and underwent multiple surgeries.
In his memoir “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” published last year, Perry described going through detox dozens of times. He dedicated the book to “all of the sufferers out there,” and wrote in the prologue: “I should be dead.”
“I have mostly been sober since 2001,” he wrote, “save for about sixty or seventy little mishaps over the years.”
The examiner’s report does not specify how or when Perry had consumed the fatal dose of ketamine.
But it found that trace amounts were detected in his stomach, and that prescription medications and loose pills were present at his home.
Perry was undergoing medical treatment involving ketamine — but his most recent known infusion was more than a week before his death, meaning that dose would no longer have been in his system.
The examiner’s report says the levels of ketamine in Perry’s blood were comparable to higher-range levels used as general anesthetic in surgeries, and would cause overstimulation of the heart and problems breathing.
This could have caused Perry to lapse into unconsciousness, with drowning then becoming a contributory cause of death.
According to the research, Perry would have been more susceptible to the effects of ketamine because of his coronary artery disease and his usage of buprenorphine to manage severe pain.
The autopsy results revealed that he had no alcohol in his system. Additionally, there were no evidence of any other narcotics like fentanyl, heroin, or cocaine.
Matthew was an American and Canadian actor. He gained fame for starring as Chandler Bing on the NBC television sitcom Friends (1994–2004). Perry also appeared on Ally McBeal (2002) and received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his performances in The West Wing (2003) and The Ron Clark Story (2006).
He played a leading role in the NBC series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006–2007). He also became known for his leading film roles in Fools Rush In (1997), Almost Heroes (1998), Three to Tango (1999), The Whole Nine Yards (2000), Serving Sara (2002), The Whole Ten Yards (2004), and 17 Again 2009.
The United Kingdom is considering sweeping new restrictions that could limit or completely block children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms, as part of a broader push to improve online safety and reduce excessive screen time among young users.
The proposal, currently under government consultation, is being led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and focuses on addressing concerns over how teenagers interact with platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.
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Officials say the move is driven by growing evidence and public concern that algorithm-driven feeds and “endless scrolling” features may be negatively affecting children’s sleep patterns, concentration levels, and overall well-being.
The government is also reviewing whether additional measures such as app curfews and time limits should be introduced.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said the consultation has already attracted widespread public input, with tens of thousands of responses from parents, teenagers, and advocacy groups.
She noted that the government is particularly interested in feedback on addictive platform design features and the use of AI tools targeting younger users.
The UK is also studying policies already implemented in other countries. Australia has introduced stricter age-based restrictions, while Greece and Indonesia have also moved toward tighter regulation of children’s access to social media.
Authorities emphasize that no final decision has been made, but the consultation process is expected to shape future legislation on how tech companies operate and how young users are protected online in the digital age.
U.S. President Donald Trump has sparked global reactions following his remarks about Pope Leo XIV after the Pope’s recent anti-war message calling for peace in conflict-hit regions.
The controversy began after Pope Leo XIV delivered a strong appeal at the Vatican, urging world leaders to end ongoing wars and prioritise dialogue over violenceviolence.
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The pontiff warned against the “idolatry of power” and called for global cooperation to restore peace.
Reacting to the message, Trump told reporters he is “not a big fan” of Pope Leo XIV, describing him as “very liberal” and questioning his views on crime and international security.
The U.S. President further criticised the Pope’s stance on global conflicts, suggesting his message overlooks serious security challenges linked to rising geopolitical tensions, including nuclear concerns.
In a follow-up post on Truth Social, Trump intensified his criticism, accusing the Pope of taking a weak position on foreign policy matters and suggesting political factors influenced his leadership position.
The comments have since triggered widespread debate across political and religious circles, adding to ongoing tensions between Washington and the Vatican over issues such as immigration policy, military action, and global diplomacy.
While both sides have previously denied any formal rift, the latest exchange has renewed global attention on their differing positions regarding war and peace efforts.
The Israeli military said on Thursday that Mohammed Wishah, an Al Jazeera journalist killed in a strike in Gaza on Wednesday, was a Hamas operative “operating under the guise of a journalist.”
According to Israeli forces, Wishah was “a key terrorist in Hamas’ rocket and weapons production headquarters” and had been planning attacks against soldiers in the area.
The military said he used his journalist identity to advance Hamas’ operations against Israel.
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Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based broadcaster, strongly condemned the killing. In a statement, the network described the attack as a “heinous crime of targeting and killing” its correspondent and insisted the strike was deliberate, not accidental.
The channel vowed to pursue “all necessary legal action to prosecute those responsible for the killing of its correspondents and staff in Gaza.”
Media rights organization Reporters Without Borders also condemned the incident, stating that Wishah’s name now joins “more than 220 journalists killed in two and a half years by Israeli forces in Gaza, at least 70 of whom were killed while performing their duties.”
The killing occurred despite a US-backed ceasefire in Gaza that has been in effect since October 2025, highlighting ongoing tensions and frequent accusations of truce violations by both Israel and Hamas.
Al Jazeera listed Wishah among 11 of its journalists killed in Gaza since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel that triggered the Gaza war.
Past incidents include the killing of Mohammad Salama in August 2025 and the deaths of four Al Jazeera staff and two freelancers outside Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City earlier that year, prompting widespread condemnation.
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