Jordan Neely, NYC subway rider choked to death, to be mourned at Manhattan church
The Toronto Star
23-05-19 04:12
The death of Jordan Neely, who was choked to death on a New York subway by a fellow rider, will be marked by a funeral service on 28 May. The event will be led by senior pastor Rev. Dr Johnny Green, who previously delivered the eulogy at the funeral of Neely’s mother. Neely, who was homeless and reportedly had mental health issues, was pinned to the subway floor by 22-year-old Daniel Penny, who was charged with manslaugher a week after the incident. The arrest set off a debate about public safety, vigilantism and homelessness.
The Sydney Morning Herald is offering a 10% discount to subscribers who buy books from Australian online bookstore Booktopia. Books Editor Jane Cadzow has recommended the titles Anam by Andre Dao, Personal Score by Ellen van Neerven, Naked Ambition by Robert Gott, The Wager by David Grann and Knowing What We Know by Simon Winchester. The offer applies when subscribers purchase books using a special link.
Civil rights organizations that truly care about black lives should focus on promoting stronger families instead of pushing abortion on demand, according to a report in The Federalist. The piece argues that, despite the high levels of abortion among black women, reproductive rights activists and progressive figures do not discuss the issue because such groups believe systemic factors cause inequality, rather than individual decisions.
UEFA is expected to investigate the disorder that occurred after West Ham United's Europa Conference League semi-final victory against AZ Alkmaar. The match was disrupted by a group of black-clad hooded AZ "ultras", who provoked a confrontation by attempting to enter the area behind the dugout reserved for friends and family. No arrests have been made by the Dutch police, who are investigating footage of the incident in an attempt to identify the supporters. Possible sanctions could include heavy punishment against the club.
Police in the US have yet to identify any suspects or find the weapon used in the killing of the UK astrophysicist Matthew Willson, who was shot dead in January 2022 in Brookhaven, Georgia while sleeping beside his girlfriend Katherine Shepard. The single bullet that killed him travelled 200 metres from a park next to her apartment, through a 10-centimetre gap in the handrail of a stairwell walkway, piercing her bedroom wall and headboard before striking Willson in the head as he lay in bed beside her. Sixteen months after Willson’s death, no one has been held accountable for his murder despite contributions from his family and Atlanta Crime Stoppers, which is offering rewards to anyone who can provide information about his killers. The 28-year-old astrophysicist, who was described in an academic memorial as “a pioneer and explorer in the realm of imaging young planets”, had been preparing to publish his research on the development of software tools for the European Extremely Large Telescope when he died.
Aunty B's House sitcom for preschoolers all about life in foster care
CBC
23-05-19 08:00
A new Canadian children's show about growing up in the foster care system, Aunty B's House, is set to air after recently wrapping production in Toronto. The show will follow a foster mom and her group of kids navigating difficult topics such as losing a parent and entering the foster care system but with humor. Aunty B's House creator Khalilah Brooks, who plays Aunty B, drew on her own experiences in the Nova Scotia foster care system to create the character. She hopes to help other children who have gone through similar experiences by demonstrating that families come in different shapes and sizes and that everyone's story is unique. Brooks is doing it with a TV show shot entirely in a Toronto studio with a cast of young children who play her foster children. Many of the show's topics will include themes of resilience and belonging, something Brooks believes will inspire viewers and "let them know that even in difficult conversations, there's somebody here to listen and someone here to see them through those."
Pedal to the metal and running on fumes, Fast X is furiously flawed
CBC
23-05-19 08:00
The tenth instalment of the Fast and Furious franchise entitled F9 has arrived on the big screen, continuing the story of Dominic Toretto and his extended family of gearheads who battle to save the world with muscle cars. The film introduces Jason Momoa as Dante, the son of a former crime lord who is out for revenge against the Toretto family. While presenting a flirtatious character with a Joker-like quality, the moment brings a “fresh zest of fun to the testosterone-fuelled films,” mentions the CBC. With an uneven 120-minute duration, the film has started hinting at a potential trilogy which could incorporate familiar elements that seek to surprise fans of the series. Despite its plot weaknesses, performances by Michelle Rodriguez among others help F9 remain watchable.
Skipton Building Society has launched a zero-deposit mortgage aimed at renters seeking to become homeowners. The mortgage, called the “track record” mortgage, is available to those with a minimum of 12 months of rental history and that pass affordability and credit checks. Barclays, Lloyds, and Halifax also offer no-deposit mortgages, but normally require additional financial backing from family or friends. However, no-deposit mortgages can prove more expensive than those which require a deposit, and come with the additional risk of negative equity.
Transgender people in El Salvador continue to face discrimination and violence due to their gender identity, exacerbated by weak legal protection, a lack of social acceptance and the influence of Catholicism and evangelicalism. El Salvador’s supreme court ruled in 2022 that people should be able to alter the gender markers on their official documentation, but the government failed to meet a 2021 deadline to enact reform to facilitate that process. LGBTQ rights are said to be under threat in the country following a swing to the right in elections, with activists reporting increased homophobia and transphobia. Transgender citizens face practical challenges in their daily life due to misgendering or a lack of official documents that match their gender identity. Hospitals, banks and insurers are among those who refuse to respect the gender identities of transgender citizens. Violence against trans women in particular has increased in El Salvador in recent years, with police officers among those said to be operating with impunity.
A British man, Robert Campbell, has been found dead in Lanzarote, after disappearing on his first ever holiday abroad. The 44-year-old was due to travel back to Scotland, however, he became unwell and did not fly with his friend Paddy, and later disappeared. The family is now launching an appeal to raise funds of up to £10,000 ($13,000) to cover funeral expenses. His family wrote on the GoFundMe appeal: "We are desperate to get him home ASAP so I am writing this to reach out from my heart to help us bring him home".
A couple's sentencing for the gross-negligent manslaughter of their daughter, who died from ulceration after being allowed to rot in bed with weeping sores, has been increased after it was decided the original sentences were too lenient. Kaylea Titford, 16, weighed nearly 23 stone and was confined to a wheelchair with spina bifida, David Titford and Sarah Lloyd-Jones had previously been sentenced to seven and a half years and six years in prison respectively, but have now had their sentences increased to 10 and eight years.
For Palestinians in refugee camps in Lebanon, each anniversary of “nakba,” or “catastrophe,” is a reminder of the forced mass-displacement and dispossession of homes and land that became Israel in 1948. This year, commemorations on 15 May were limited by renewed conflict between Palestinians and Israeli forces, preventing the annual march towards the Israeli-Lebanese border. Nonetheless, refugees such as Ghassan el-Shouly still gathered to organise a march within Rashidieh camp, frustrated by their lack of right to return to their homeland or many essential professions.
Soleiman Faqiri's family expects 'full story' of his death in Ontario jail cell as province sets inquest
CBC
23-05-19 10:25
An inquest will be held in Ontario, Canada to determine how Soleiman Faqiri died while awaiting a bed at a mental health facility. Faqiri, who had schizophrenia and had not been convicted of a crime, was charged with aggravated assault, assault, and uttering threats following an altercation with a neighbor in December 2016. After twice being pepper-sprayed, having a spit hood put on him, and being restrained in a face-down position in a segregation cell at the Central East Correctional Center, he stopped breathing. Despite a post-mortem examination finding that Faqiri had sustained over 50 injuries or signs of injury, and his death being attributed to restraint whilst in a face-down position, no charges have ever been brought. Video evidence at the inquest may shed some light on what happened.
The Austrian actor Helmut Berger has died at the age of 78, following a career of dazzling performances in arthouse movies and TV soaps, as well as a private life which delighted gossip columnists. Berger was most famous as the lover of Luchino Visconti, the Italian director who cast him in a trio of films in the 1960s and early '70s: The Damned, in which Berger's character rapes his own mother; Ludwig, about the mad Bavarian king; and Conversation Piece, a portrayal of Visconti's own relationship with the younger man. Berger was also known for “dolce vita” style playboy antics, having a string of famous lovers of both sexes that included everyone from Ursula Andress to Jerry Hall, and both Bianca and Mick Jagger. Berger's later career was marred by breakdowns caused by drug and alcohol issues.
Yvonne Pless, the first confirmed victim of the American serial killer Samuel Little has been identified after almost five decades. Little confessed to the murders of 93 women from 1970 to 2005. Pless’s remains were discovered in Little’s home state of Georgia in 1977, but her identity remained unknown and she was referred to as "Macon Jane Doe". Using the forensic genetic genealogy on a sexual assault kit, investigators were able to identify Pless, stating her age to be 20 when she was last alive. Little died in prison in December 2020, and had managed to evade justice for years despite a criminal history peppered with arrests.
Dutch football club AZ Alkmaar have issued an apology for the violence that occurred after West Ham’s Europa Conference League semi-final win, in which a group of black-shirted, hooded AZ ultras attempted to storm the area reserved for friends and family behind the dugout. A statement from AZ described the evening as a “pitch-black evening” and noted that the club would be working with law enforcement and local government to investigate the events and improve security measures. UEFA is expected to launch an investigation into the incident.
Kyle Dubas has confirmed that he is to leave his role as general manager at the Toronto Maple Leafs. Team president Brendan Shanahan will hold a press conference to discuss the departure. Dubas was hired in 2014 as an assistant and worked as interim co-general manager in 2015 before being promoted to the general manager position in 2018. During his tenure, the team has amassed 221 wins, fifth in the NHL. However, Dubas was criticised for coddling the team's big stars while offering them large money deals.
A Utah mother-of-three has been charged with the poisoning and murder of her husband, with allegations that she took out multiple life-insurance policies on his life without his knowledge. The wife, Kouri Richins, has been held at Summit County Jail since her arrest earlier this year. It is alleged that in the fourteen months since her husband’s passing, Kouri wrote a children’s book on grief and loss, promoting it on local TV. Prosecutors allege that Kouri removed her husband as a beneficiary from his wife and estate and tried to poison him prior to his death. Court documents suggest that Kouri contacted an acquaintance with drug convictions and asked them to procure “some pain medication for an investor who had a back injury,” ultimately leading to the purchase of fentanyl pills. Kouri has been charged with murder and profiting from her husband’s death. In court, the Richins family has filed a petition to invoke Utah's “slayer statute,” to prevent killers from profiting from their crimes.
The Bevan Family Consort, a group of 15 cousins in their twenties and thirties, has released an album of family favourites to continue the family’s musical legacy. The cohort is the descendant of the original Bevan Family Choir, established by the grandfather of the current posse, 50 years ago. The family choir toured Europe and now credits their success for inspiring the present day cohort to a life of music. Although their jobs range from an artist to a former sailor, half of the current choir are professional singers. This album features Holst’s Ave Maria and a composition by former director of the family choir David Bevan, to whom the album is dedicated along with the mother of two of the present group. The album is seen by the family as providing inspiration and giving joy to choral music fans and in encouraging newcomers to take part in the genre. This is timely with the UK's first-ever National Youth Choirs Festival being held this month.
An attorney for the family of the Marathon Petroleum refinery worker who died in a fire earlier this week has called the facility "dangerous" and claimed that safety at the Texas plant has not improved in a decade. The legal representative also confirmed that the family of 55-year-old Scott Higgins plan to file a gross negligence lawsuit against the company and the firms responsible for the plant's maintenance. Marathon Petroleum has said that an investigation into the incident which killed Higgins is ongoing, but has not released any information from its findings.
