Rebekah Vardy, known in the UK as the former spouse of a footballer and the central figure in a recent tabloid libel case, has presented a serious investigation into allegations of abuse and cover up within the Jehovah’s Witness community. Vardy was raised as a Witness, and details in the programme her experience of sexual abuse from the age of 12, alongside the lack of support from the church beyond blame. The documentary is being taken seriously by campaigners about alleged abuse within the community.
The Republican-controlled Senate of North Carolina voted to override the Democratic governor's veto of a bill banning most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy with only this veto needing to be overridden to make the policy law. This move comes as lawmakers debate laws to limit or restrict access to abortion in many southern states. Abortion is either banned or severely restricted in many southern states, with nine states throughout the US banning abortions throughout the entire pregnancy. If the recent bills proposed in the Carolinas, Florida and Virginia become law, it is seen as "just devastating for abortion access in the South," said Jamie Lockhart, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia. The limitations would make the Carolinas two of the few states left that still have relatively easy access to abortions that did not undergo significant restrictions.
Relatives of victims killed in a terrorist attack in New York are set to speak at a sentencing hearing for the terrorist, Sayfullo Saipov. The Uzbekistani citizen carried out his attack on Halloween in 2017, killing five tourists, a Belgian woman and two Americans, as well as injuring 18 others. Following a recent hearing, Saipov was sentenced to life in prison without parole. The full sentence requested by prosecutors was for eight consecutive life sentences – one for each death – and an additional 260 years in prison.
'My heart is so much hurting': Kenyan father facing deportation pleads to stay
CBC
23-05-17 09:00
David Kipkoech Keter is facing deportation from Canada, despite claiming refugee status on the grounds of being gender non-conforming. Keter arrived in Canada as a visitor in 2016 and claims that persecution would await him if he were to return to Kenya, which Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada denies. Keter has complied with all the demands of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) but is still facing deportation on 9 June, despite a humanitarian and compassionate claim and a pre-removal risk assessment application being denied. Keter's wife has applied for spousal sponsorship of his permanent residency but has yet to receive a response. His predicament highlights one of the main challenges facing people fleeing persecution based on their gender identity, sexual orientation, or gender expression; they may not have sufficient evidence to support their claims.
A recent study in Japan found that men who expressed a strong sexual interest had a lower mortality risk than those who reported a lack of sexual interest. Sexual activity has been linked to a number of other health benefits, such as an enhanced immune system and memory, a reduction of migraines and arthritis pain, a lower likelihood of heart problems, and potentially even a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Intimacy in general can also have positive effects on hormone levels, such as increased production of oxytocin and decreased levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
A UK single mother suffering from pelvic congestion syndrome has been told by the National Health Service (NHS) that she won't be able to see a blood specialist about her condition until 2024. Lolita Vaciete has been prescribed strong painkillers to manage agonising pain caused by veins in her lower abdomen becoming congested, making everyday tasks highly challenging. She has set up a crowdfunding page to raise the £4,000 it will cost to pay for the treatment she needs privately. Experts have raised concerns that the long waiting times for medical consultations could be contributing to a rise in anxiety levels among UK patients. Data for 2021 reveals that 7.6 million people in England are now on waiting lists for routine hospital procedures, an increase of 4.2%, while 5.3 million have waited longer than 18 weeks for treatment. It is estimated that cases of backlogged treatment lists in parts of the country could take two years or more to resolve.
Halim Ali Flowers, who was convicted as an adult at the age of 16 for a crime he did not commit and who served over 20 years in jail until he was released in 2019, is now making his mark as an artist, selling his work for over $1m. Flowers' colourful paintings, which sell at Champop gallery in Paris until this Sunday, are a take on the lives of those on the margins of society, including prisoners, the homeless and those struggling with mental health issues, and embody his mission to change perceptions, especially with regard to justice in the US.
Pugilist Pride: A Boxer's Life shows the connections and camaraderie of the sport
CBC
23-05-17 11:00
An exhibit at the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame titled Pugilist Pride: A Boxer's Life is set to open, chronicling the experiences of boxers in the Fredericton Boxing Club. Consisting of 16 black-and-white photos on canvas mounted with nylon rope, the collection is meant to evoke the boxing ring. Artist Gary Weekes aimed to capture the often-overlooked moments at the side of the ring, focusing on the interactions between boxers and their coaches. The exhibit is free to the public and will be on display until the end of August 2021.
Seven primary school children in Melbourne have suffered life-changing injuries including amputations, after the bus they were travelling in collided with a truck and rolled over. The students, aged between five and 11, were on their way home from Exford Primary School on Tuesday afternoon when the crash happened. Eleven other children were also taken to hospital and seven, who are in a stable condition, remain at Royal Children's Hospital. The bus driver was injured and subsequently charged with four counts of dangerous driving. Victoria Police Superintendent Michael Cruse said: "This incident was avoidable".
The vast majority of Americans see risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI), according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. Two-thirds of people polled were concerned about negative effects from AI, with 61% believing that the technology could threaten civilization. This compares with just 22% of respondents who didn't agree. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman voiced concerns about the misuse of AI during a virtual hearing in front of US Congress on Tuesday, pressing for the introduction of regulation for the sector. Meanwhile, Elon Musk co-signed an open letter calling for a six-month pause in AI research.
Artificial sweeteners may actually increase risk of conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The WHO report comes on the back of a number of similar studies. This revelation will be particularly concerning to the US, where the artificial sweetener market is the largest in the world, but increasingly to the UK with its 2021 sugar tax. However, many nutritionists warn that low-fat products that have replaced sugar with sweeteners, such as curry sauce or mayonnaise, are often highly processed foods struggling to meet government targets for salt, fat and sugar. Experts suggest the best sugar-free sweeteners are Stevia and erythritol, a naturally-derived sugar alcohol obtained through fermentation. However, all acidic and fruit drinks can contribute to dental erosion if consumed frequently, so water is still the best option.
Indigenous talent in the music industry is creating a 'beautiful resistance'
CBC
23-05-17 16:47
The Canadian music industry is full of talented indigenous artists who are bringing their communities' stories to life through a range of genres, according to Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) News. For musicians such as Raven Kanatakta of Digging Roots, incorporating traditional elements such as the use of drums and indigenous language in contemporary sounds is a form of resistance. Others, such as rising Cree artist Aysanabee, are focused on highlighting transcendence and generational trauma within their culture. Jayli Wolf’s upcoming album, God is an Endless Mirror, explores spirituality with a mix of sound elements that inspire her daily.
TV presenter Jake Humphrey has discussed the success of his podcast The High Performance Podcast, which he co-hosts with organisational psychologist Professor Damian Hughes. With almost 200 episodes, the podcast, which explores the lives of successful individuals, including Jonny Wilkinson, Stephanie Shirley, Matthew McConaughey and Keir Starmer, has reached the summit of the Apple Chart, gained over 1.6 million downloads per month and spawned a bestselling book and live tour. The podcast focuses on “lived experience” rather than a fixed formula for success and aims to provide insights that the hosts believe can be applicable in daily life. Politicians are increasingly looking towards podcasts to communicate with their core electorate, with big political interviews being regularly conducted on programmes such as Full Disclosure with James O’Brien and The News Agents with Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel. Humphrey revealed that Sir Keir was a guest on the show following an invitation from his team.
"Occupied City," a documentary directed by Steve McQueen and Dutch documentarian Bianca Stigter, uses the methodical approach of Stigter's illustrated book "Atlas of an Occupied City (Amsterdam 1940-1945)" to describe the city's Nazi occupation, name by name and door to door. But instead of archival footage, the movie shows present-day Amsterdam, juxtaposing civic harmony with atrocities of the past. The movie is about remembering and forgetting and erasure and invites viewers to consider the distance between history's darkest chapter and modernity. It premiered at the Cannes Festival on 14 July.
A new Netflix documentary about the late model, actor, and television personality Anna Nicole Smith, titled "You Don’t Know Me," challenges the tabloid myth surrounding Smith's marriage to J Howard Marshall, the billionaire who was her then-boyfriend and eventual husband. The documentary highlights her personal ambition, her sense of humor and her commitment to carving out her own identity. The film portrays Smith's life as being very complex and dealing with a number of challenges, including psychological ones related to her family. The documentary shows that Pierce Marshall, who inherited the bulk of his father’s estate before his own death in 2006, may have maneuvered to keep Smith from receiving any of her late husband's money. The filmmaker, Ursula Macfarlane, describes how she found Smith to be "terribly complex," noting that she didn't just want to tell the story of somebody who is a "human being, and not just an icon.”
Australian golfer Jason Day is adopting a different approach to manage expectations ahead of the PGA Championship after suffering from back problems, a decline in his game and his mother’s death from lung cancer last year. His win in the Byron Nelson last week, his first in five years, felt like a “good step in the right direction” rather than anything more significant. Day had won 13 PGA Tour events and a major by 2015, but has struggled in recent years with just 16 top-10 finishes and 29 missed cuts in 79 events.
New legislation approved in Illinois could protect access to abortion for individuals who face penalties in their own state for seeking the procedure. Measures passed by the General Assembly include penalties for pregnancy centres that distribute inaccurate information, requiring colleges to provide emergency contraception in dispensers at a reduced price and demanding Illinois insurers cover abortion-inducing drugs. Another measure approved by the House would insist that interstate agreements to share number plate recognition technology be accompanied by promises that it would not be used to track patients arriving from other states for an abortion.
This year, the Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Australian Novelists prize has been awarded to Katerina Gibson for short fiction collection Women I Know, George Haddad, for his debut novel Losing Face, and Jay Carmichael for second novel, Marlo. Previous winners include Christos Tsiolkas. Tsiolkas won the award in 1995 for his debut, Loaded, which was released the previous year. The awards are open to Australian fiction writers aged 35 and younger at the time of publication of their nominated books. The prize encourages emerging writers and attracts entrants from a range of genres. It helps bring new talent to recognition and is designed to give early career writers the boost they need and the financial means to keep writing. Each of the winners of the prize receive a $5,000 award. The judges of the award were critic and novelist Fiona Kelly McGregor and Bram Presser, as well as Spectrum SMH editor Melanie Kembrey.
Illinois politicians have passed legislation that aims to extend access to abortions in the state and protect patients seeking the procedure from being tracked by license-plate reading technology. The law would require companies selling accident or health insurance to provide coverage for abortifacients, such as hormonal therapies or immunodeficiency virus prevention drugs. Crisis pregnancy centres that distribute misinformation about abortions would also potentially face fines of up to $50,000. Pro-choice groups in Illinois said their actions were intended to send a message that even if abortion rights are curtailed in other states, the Illinois judiciary would protect the practice.
The expectations for the United Conservative Party's (UCP) leader in the Alberta provincial election debate are lower than they are for NDP Leader Rachel Notley, increasing the stakes for Notley. The campaign has mainly focused on past errors in UCP's Danielle Smith's judgment and her tendency to explore controversial issues while speaking. Alberta Premier Notley has had higher approval ratings amongst the public and is perceived as the more trustworthy and stable presence. A good performance by Smith will be viewed positively, whereas Notley will have to perform much better than decent in the debate.
