A kiss that led to a years-long nightmare, the Dull Men's Club, and a famous feminist mother
Happy Saturday! There was a lot to take in this week. Spacing out for a whole 90 minutes is the kind of challenge I need. Or perhaps a trip to the cinemas. But before I do that, let me bring you five stories worth your time.
After a heart attack, Andrew McKean moved to a care facility. While stuck in the confines of a room for most of the day, McKean started writing about 'the slow unfolding of a life'. Sounds dull, right? Well, no actually – not once he started posting about it in the Dull Men's Club.
What is it? An international club where people share online the tedium of everyday lives.
Where? The idea originated in the 1980s in New York, when founder Grover Click and some friends decided to 'embrace their dullness', Susan Chenery writes.
And now? It is immensely popular, with 1.9 million Facebook members on Click's original page.
How long will it take to read: three minutes.
Further reading: and then you must meet 'the dullest man in Britain'.
Since retaking power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have enforced repressive laws on Afghan women through their 'morality police'. But now Afghan fathers, brothers and husbands say they are under pressure to ensure women in their families observe the restrictions.
'Changing attitudes and behaviours': the Guardian, with Rukhshana Media, interviewed men and young women about how morality laws are affecting families.
One man from Bamyan province said: 'Men have become unpaid soldiers of the Taliban.'
How long will it take to read: three minutes.
Seventeen years ago, Nathan Dunne took a midnight swim in the icy waters of Hampstead Heath in London with his then girlfriend. As she kissed him in the cold, something inside him abruptly shifted.
'It was like being struck. Like something came down … The flip of a switch.' – Nathan Dunne.
Dunne was locked out of his body, or at least that's how it felt, and had a sudden fear of water. Years later, he was diagnosed with depersonalisation disorder.
How long will it take to read: five minutes.
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Guardian readers love architecture, but throw in some 'weekend-long parties and carnal pleasure', as Oliver Wainwright suggests, and you've got yourself a fabulous read on the hedonistic party palaces of New York's Fire Island.
A 'queer Xanadu': Wainwright celebrates the legacy of late architect Horace Gifford, who defined the area's modernist beach-houses.
'It was made for sex': Calvin Klein is name dropped, including the time he bought one of Gifford's houses and had it renovated into a home 'made for sex'.
How long will it take to read: four minutes.
When Erica Jong's autobiographical novel Fear of Flying was published in 1973, it catapulted her to fame. The American author broke ground by writing openly about women's sexual desires – rarely done at the time. She quickly became known for her candour and wit.
But for her daughter, Molly Jong-Fast, growing up as Erica's only child told a different story.
A compelling read: In this excerpt from her new memoir, Jong-Fast reflects on the lingering pain of being 'still stuck in the mire of childhood', despite having 'created a different life' as an adult.
How long will it take to read: nine minutes.
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The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
UK investigators arrive in India as tributes pour in for plane crash victims
UK air accident investigators have arrived in India as tributes continue to pour in for victims of the Air India disaster. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off on Thursday in what is one of the deadliest plane accidents in terms of the number of British nationals killed. It struck a medical college hostel in a residential part of Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 people on board. At least 25 more bodies were found in the debris by recovery crews working at the site until Friday evening, officials said, and it is unclear whether they had been on the flight or on the ground. The Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad has received 270 bodies, Dr Dhaval Gameti told the Associated Press. The sole surviving passenger, British man Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, is still under observation for some of his injuries but is 'doing very well and will be ready to be discharged any time soon', Dr Gameti said. The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) announced on Friday night that four of its investigators had arrived in India and have expertise in aircraft operations, engineering and recorded data. The 'release of information on the investigation rests solely with the Indian authorities', it added. The black box flight recorder was recovered from a roof near the crash site and could reveal vital clues about the cause of the accident. Hundreds of relatives have provided DNA samples to help officials identify victims' remains A radiologist from Derby who had a 'newly discovered love of fish and chips' was on the flight with his family, the city's Hindu Temple said. Dr Prateek Joshi, who worked at the Royal Derby Hospital, moved to the UK from India in 2021, a colleague said. Dr Rajeev Singh said: 'He often entertained colleagues with stories about his passions outside of work, including his newly discovered love of fish and chips and enthusiasm for walking in the Peak District. 'It is hard to accept that a man with such a passion for life, and his beautiful young family, have been taken in this way.' Two sisters in their early 20s on their way home to London after surprising their grandmother for her birthday are also said to be among the victims. A cousin who lives in Ahmedabad said fashion designer Dhir and product manager Heer Baxi had an 'amazing aura'. 'They both had aspirations to be successful enough to roam around the world along with the parents,' Ishan Baxi said. Both women knew 'what is right and what is wrong', he added. 'Right now, no one is able to come to terms because they both came here just to celebrate grandma's birthday but… they came, they celebrated, and they both left the world, everything is vanished right in front of our eyes.' A couple who had already lost their only son in a previous aviation tragedy were on the plane, said Shri Rajrajeshwar Guruji, who leads the Siddhashram Shakti Centre in Harrow, north-west London. 'This couple had gone to India for a religious celebration – they were coming back and now this has happened,' he said. 'After what has happened to their son as well – it's just terrible to think about.' A family of three from Gloucester were also on the flight, their family said. Akeel Nanabawa, Hannaa Vorajee and their four-year-old daughter Sara Nanabawa were 'widely loved and deeply respected'. Ms Vorajee volunteered at a local Islamic school and was also a director of an organisation promoting understanding of the religion, an imam said. Mr Nanabawa ran a recruitment firm called Iceberg Recruitment Services which had a branch in Ahmedabad, according to the company's website. Speaking in Gloucester on Friday, Zaheera Nanabawa said her cousin Akeel was the 'glue' that held the family together. 'They were away as part of their trip to Singapore and Malaysia, before they went to India,' she said. 'This whole news is absolutely shocking and devastating for us, and it will leave a hole within our family.' Their imam, Abdullah Samad, said: 'This young family was incredibly close-knit – devoted parents and their beautiful young daughter.' The British survivor spoke of the horror of watching people 'dying in front of my eyes'. From his hospital bed on Friday, Mr Ramesh told DD News: 'I still can't believe how I survived.' The 40-year-old told the broadcaster the plane felt like it was 'stuck in the air' shortly after take-off before lights began flickering green and white, adding: 'It suddenly slammed into a building and exploded.' The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has been in contact with him to offer consular support, Downing Street said. The crash site was visited by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, with video footage showing him talking to Mr Ramesh in hospital.
NBC News
5 hours ago
- NBC News
He chose to serve longer in the Army. Now he's saddled with $40,000 in moving costs.
Charles Levine was blindsided in February when he was about to retire from the Army and found out it would not cover more than $40,000 in final moving costs — an end-of-service benefit given to retirees. The lieutenant colonel had served for 30 years, deploying five times and leading an airborne infantry company in Iraq and Afghanistan. But because he chose to continue serving after he was eligible to retire in 2022, he was stripped of moving and storage perks promised to nearly every retired soldier. 'It was a broken promise,' Levine, 59, said. 'I was incredulous.' News of the noncoverage delivered a sharp emotional sting and a financial gut punch. Levine and his wife, Ginger, were relying on the benefit. They have been renting an apartment in Charlottesville, Virginia, for $2,800 a month, thinking the military would help them vacate their on-post housing at West Point, the military academy in New York. By the couple's estimates, it would cost at least $42,000 to pack, transport and store a lifetime of belongings themselves, so they feel stuck at West Point, paying another $4,400 a month for rent. 'We cannot afford to move and we cannot afford to stay,' Ginger said. To save money, Ginger, 53, has been driving around, scrounging up used cardboard boxes and paper from new neighbors, while 'feeling humiliated that this is how our service ends.' Levine said he had a fulfilling career. But when he thinks about the toll the last few months has taken on him and his wife of 18 years, he questions his choice to stay longer in the military. 'That's the one thing that rises to the level where perhaps I did make a mistake,' he said. Levine served in the National Guard from 1995 to 2001, when, three months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, he started active duty in the Army. During the next 21 years, he crawled through enemy caves; participated in more than two dozen air assaults looking for Taliban-captured soldier Bowe Bergdahl, who was in his battalion; rose to battalion executive officer; and earned several medals, including three Bronze Stars. In that time, back home, he missed the entirety of his first year of marriage, many holidays, the birth of his first grandchild, the death of his father-in-law, and all of his son's high school football games. "We've given everything we have," said Levine, who spent the last six years of his service teaching calculus to cadets at West Point. In fall 2022, Levine had served the maximum number of years in active duty and could retire. But, he said, senior Army Reserve leaders convinced him to transition to the Reserve and continue teaching at West Point instead. Levine officially separated from active duty and went on to teach for two more years as part of the Army Reserve. Just before he officially retired from the military in March, he learned he had lost the moving benefits. 'We were told, without warning, that our family would not receive any support for our final move,' Ginger said. 'No shipment of household goods, no storage, and no recognition of the circumstances.' In a statement, Lt. Col. Orlandon Howard, an Army spokesperson, said soldiers like Levine who choose to be released from active duty after at least 20 years of service, deferring retirement to continue working for the Reserve, have about six months to use their moving benefits. Those who elect to retire from active duty have three years. To guide their decision-making, Howard said the Army provides soldiers with 'significant resources, education and support,' including transition assistance programs across the country. 'Transitioning Soldiers must weigh their options, and associated advantages and disadvantages to make the best decision for their circumstances,' Howard said in his statement. Levine said he did not choose to be released from active duty and was instead involuntarily separated, which he said should have afforded him moving benefits for three years. Levine, a doctoral candidate at Northeastern University and a visiting scholar at the University of Virginia, also said a section of the regulation allows those who pursue advanced education four years to move. The Army said soldiers who leave active duty and join the Reserve are not considered involuntarily separated, but Levine said his separation papers show otherwise. After fighting their case for more than three months, the Levines have reached their breaking point. They've decided to dip into their savings to move themselves, fearing they were already wasting so much money paying two rents. 'I broke,' Ginger said. 'I was emotionally broken.' The couple crunched estimates from multiple moving and storage companies. On the low end, if they pack themselves, they'd pay about $42,000 out of pocket. Their regular income is the roughly $5,000 Levine gets each month from his pension, and the severance Ginger has until the end of September after resigning from her federal job. 'For the first time in our life, we have debt now,' Levine said. He thinks back to the sheer happiness and pride he felt in February during his retirement ceremony. A retired four-star general flew in from the Middle East to preside over the event, and Levine was celebrated for his feats while surrounded by loved ones and senior leaders. 'It was amazing. I was dreading leaving. I felt really fulfilled,' he said. 'All those things went away and evaporated.'
BreakingNews.ie
5 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
UK investigators arrive in India as tributes pour in for plane crash victims
UK air accident investigators have arrived in India as tributes continue to pour in for victims of the Air India disaster. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off on Thursday in what is one of the deadliest plane accidents in terms of the number of British nationals killed. Advertisement It struck a medical college hostel in a residential part of Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 people on board. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspecting the scene (Narendra Modi on X/AP) At least 25 more bodies were found in the debris by recovery crews working at the site until Friday evening, officials said, and it is unclear whether they had been on the flight or on the ground. The Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad has received 270 bodies, Dr Dhaval Gameti told the Associated Press. The sole surviving passenger, British man Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, is still under observation for some of his injuries but is 'doing very well and will be ready to be discharged any time soon', Dr Gameti said. Advertisement The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) announced on Friday night that four of its investigators had arrived in India and have expertise in aircraft operations, engineering and recorded data. The 'release of information on the investigation rests solely with the Indian authorities', it added. The black box flight recorder was recovered from a roof near the crash site and could reveal vital clues about the cause of the accident. Hundreds of relatives have provided DNA samples to help officials identify victims' remains Advertisement A radiologist from Derby who had a 'newly discovered love of fish and chips' was on the flight with his family, the city's Hindu Temple said. Dr Prateek Joshi, who worked at the Royal Derby Hospital, moved to the UK from India in 2021, a colleague said. Dr Prateek Joshi (University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust/PA) Dr Rajeev Singh said: 'He often entertained colleagues with stories about his passions outside of work, including his newly discovered love of fish and chips and enthusiasm for walking in the Peak District. 'It is hard to accept that a man with such a passion for life, and his beautiful young family, have been taken in this way.' Advertisement Two sisters in their early 20s on their way home to London after surprising their grandmother for her birthday are also said to be among the victims. A cousin who lives in Ahmedabad said fashion designer Dhir and product manager Heer Baxi had an 'amazing aura'. 'They both had aspirations to be successful enough to roam around the world along with the parents,' Ishan Baxi said. Heer and Dhir Baxi with their grandmother (Family handout/PA) Both women knew 'what is right and what is wrong', he added. Advertisement 'Right now, no one is able to come to terms because they both came here just to celebrate grandma's birthday but… they came, they celebrated, and they both left the world, everything is vanished right in front of our eyes.' A couple who had already lost their only son in a previous aviation tragedy were on the plane, said Shri Rajrajeshwar Guruji, who leads the Siddhashram Shakti Centre in Harrow, north-west London. 'This couple had gone to India for a religious celebration – they were coming back and now this has happened,' he said. Shri Rajrajeshwar Guruji (Yui Mok/PA) 'After what has happened to their son as well – it's just terrible to think about.' A family of three from Gloucester were also on the flight, their family said. Akeel Nanabawa, Hannaa Vorajee and their four-year-old daughter Sara Nanabawa were 'widely loved and deeply respected'. Ms Vorajee volunteered at a local Islamic school and was also a director of an organisation promoting understanding of the religion, an imam said. Mr Nanabawa ran a recruitment firm called Iceberg Recruitment Services which had a branch in Ahmedabad, according to the company's website. Speaking in Gloucester on Friday, Zaheera Nanabawa said her cousin Akeel was the 'glue' that held the family together. 'They were away as part of their trip to Singapore and Malaysia, before they went to India,' she said. 'This whole news is absolutely shocking and devastating for us, and it will leave a hole within our family.' Their imam, Abdullah Samad, said: 'This young family was incredibly close-knit – devoted parents and their beautiful young daughter.' The British survivor spoke of the horror of watching people 'dying in front of my eyes'. From his hospital bed on Friday, Mr Ramesh told DD News: 'I still can't believe how I survived.' The 40-year-old told the broadcaster the plane felt like it was 'stuck in the air' shortly after take-off before lights began flickering green and white, adding: 'It suddenly slammed into a building and exploded.' The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has been in contact with him to offer consular support, Downing Street said. The crash site was visited by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, with video footage showing him talking to Mr Ramesh in hospital.
