Latest news with #Hyacinth
USA Today
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Strands hints today: Clues and answers on Monday, April 14 2025
Strands hints today: Clues and answers on Monday, April 14 2025 WARNING: THERE ARE STRANDS SPOILERS AHEAD! DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT THE APRIL 14, 2025 STRANDS ANSWER SPOILED FOR YOU. Ready? OK! Have you been playing Strands, the super fun game from the New York Times, the makers of Connections and other brain-teasers like Wordle in which you have to do a search in a jumble of letters and find words based on a theme? It's pretty fun and sometimes very challenging, so we're here to help you out with some clues and the answers, including the "Spangram" that connects all the words. Let's start with the clue: April showers. If you want our help? Think about what comes from April showers! As for the answers, scroll below the photo below: Crocus, Lily, Hyacinth, Tulip, Daffodil, Iris The Spangram is ... SPRING FLOWERS. Play more word games Looking for more word games?
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Yahoo
Mysterious disappearances spook residents of Caribbean island
The worst part is the mental torture, Patricia Joseph says. The "gut-wrenching" flashes of wondering what her mother's last moments were. The infinite state of limbo. Six years after her mother's mysterious disappearance, Patricia still catches herself looking out for the distinctive orange-lined raincoat that Hyacinth Gage, 74, was wearing the day she vanished, in the hope it may hold a clue. Tragically, Hyacinth is just one of an ever-increasing number of people on the tiny Caribbean island of Antigua to disappear without trace in what some have dubbed an epidemic, others a crisis. At least nine have vanished in the last two years alone. That day back in May 2019 started out ordinarily enough. Hyacinth, described as sprightly and self-sufficient, had gone for a routine check-up at the public hospital, but failed to return. She has never been seen since. It was to trigger an excruciating series of fruitless, island-wide searches and desperate appeals for help. "We became detectives. My sister and I teamed up to look for leads. I went back to the hospital asking questions," Patricia explains. She was able to verify that while her mother had completed scheduled blood tests, she had not shown up for an electrocardiogram. Further investigations revealed she had apparently handed her handbag briefly to another patient to keep an eye on, but never returned. The bag was found by security staff the next day. The family were also able to track down a motorist who said she had given Hyacinth a lift to a location a short distance from the hospital. "The police got angry at us for investigating and told us to stop," Patricia recalls. "Then they became annoyed at our constant questions, so eventually we had to back off and just pray." Anniversaries are particularly painful: 6 March would have been Hyacinth's 80th birthday, a milestone for which the family had long planned a big celebration. Instead, Patricia took the day off work to spend in quiet reflection. The number of people to vanish in Antigua appears to be disproportionately high compared with neighbouring islands, Patricia says, a notion supported by sources in several of the islands who spoke to the BBC. In St Kitts, for example, which has a population of 48,000, official police stats provided show that of the total 54 people reported missing in 2023 and 2024, all but two are accounted for. The remaining two are believed to be Haitian migrants who have since left the country. Antigua's small size of just 108 sq miles, home to fewer than 100,000 people, makes the phenomenon particularly perplexing. Read more: Antigua and Barbuda country profile Speculation is rife. Theories range from the banal - a lack of will to investigate by an under-resourced and under-paid police force - to the sinister. "Other islands find bodies eventually," Patricia says. "My mind goes all over the place wondering what happened. People suggest organ trafficking. I've even thought of gang activity. Is it something they're required to do as an initiation?" The disappearance of a nine-year-old girl on 12 March sent the nation reeling and sparked extensive searches. Chantel Crump's body was found two days later in a case that has caused widespread public outrage and protests - and sent rumours into overdrive. A woman has been charged with Chantel's murder. Antigua's Acting Police Commissioner Everton Jeffers acknowledges there is "room for improvement" when it comes to the force's public relations, but rejects the idea that it is uncaring. He also says he is keeping an open mind on the reason for the high number of disappearances, including a possible organ trade operating on the island. "It's something we've been hearing and something we will look into. There's no evidence to support it, but it's very important we don't dismiss anything," he explains. Patricia has found some solace in connecting with families of other missing people and now plans to set up an action group to ask for international help. "This isn't a random thing any more, this is serious, there's a crisis," she adds. Aaron (not his real name) has collated a list of almost 60 people missing in Antigua – more than a third in the last decade alone – and believes there are several more. Men account for roughly two in three of the disappearances, ranging from teenagers to people in their 70s. "I've personally experienced this pain. One of my family members went missing and another was murdered," he says, speaking on condition of anonymity because of threats he says he has received for highlighting the issue. "Families are suffering. Many have gone to their graves without ever seeing justice for their loved ones. "While some may have disappeared due to their involvement in criminal activities, there's growing concern that an organised organ harvesting ring could be operating behind the scenes," Aaron adds. Police say they are collating official figures for missing people covering the last two decades but by the time of publication had not provided any figures. This year has already seen two more. In late January, Orden David did not return home after a night out at a local casino. Orden's burnt-out car has since been recovered, but there have been few other clues. Alline Henry recalls Orden as her "best friend of 23 years". "The worst part is not knowing if he's being held against his will," Alline says. "Is someone abusing him, torturing him? Every day my thoughts run wild. If, God forbid, it's the worst case scenario, we need closure," she adds. Orden, 39, is well known in Antigua as a key litigant in a landmark 2022 case that overturned legislation criminalising same-sex acts. "I can't explain how much it hurts that instead of focussing on the fact he's missing, some people focus on him being gay. "I believe the case may have made him a target," Alline says sadly. With swathes of bushland and ocean all around, the ostensible ease of concealing a body in Antigua may partly explain the absence of answers many families suffer. "Clearly the local police can't solve these disappearances. They need to bring in outside help. How many more people have to go missing before they do something. Who's next?" Alline adds. Keon Richards, 38, who works for the national school meals programme, was last seen leaving work on 26 February. His mother Dian Clarke says she is "trying to stay positive", adding: "You hear about people going missing in the news and then it creeps up on you." With the exception of a 43-year-old woman, all those to vanish without trace in the last two years are men, aged between 18 and 76. Hindering investigations is the lack of a local forensic lab which means crucial DNA samples must be sent overseas for analysis, equating to lengthy waits for results. Director of Forensic Services Michael Murrell tells the BBC that a new lab capable of analysing trace evidence such as hair, blood and semen will become operational within months, but admits DNA capabilities are some way off because of meagre finances. Updated technology cannot come soon enough for some. Gregory Bailey's son Kevorn, 26, has not been seen since he received a phone call from an unknown person who he apparently left his home to meet in August 2022. Gregory says the telecoms firm claims to have given the caller's name to police long ago, but "up to now the police can't tell me who it was". His frustration and despair are evident. "It's like a part of me is missing. Some people talk about closure, but I couldn't handle seeing him in a coffin; I prefer to picture him alive," he says. "It's emotionally aggravating to pursue the police. If I don't call them I don't hear anything; if I do, I get sweet nothings," he adds. "I want the government to know people are grieving; I don't know if they appreciate that. "I put up missing posters everywhere, but I couldn't put up any around my home; I couldn't bear it. It's the most painful experience of my life." Gregory believes the high number of disappearances is largely due to the extent with which criminal factions get away with murder. Aaron has also collated a list of more than 100 unsolved killings. "People don't trust the police; corruption is rampant in law enforcement," Gregory says. Aaron agrees: "There've been cases where perpetrators have retaliated against the families of victims when reports were made." Police Chief Jeffers says "no police force in the world is perfect". But adds: "I can guarantee 90% of our officers are good." He also admits limited finances impede investigations. "There's no police force in the Caribbean that has enough resources to do everything we have to do. "We do a lot to look for people, get leads from the public and matter and pledged a raft of new measures including the establishment of a designated missing persons' task force and the acquisition of dogs trained to detect bodies. But that may not be enough to appease those desperately awaiting answers. "It's time to take serious action," Patricia urges. "I hope this doesn't happen to someone close to them before they take a good fresh look at these disappearances."
BBC News
29-03-2025
- BBC News
Vanished: The mystery of Antigua and Barbuda's missing people
The worst part is the mental torture, Patricia Joseph says. The "gut-wrenching" flashes of wondering what her mother's last moments were. The infinite state of years after her mother's mysterious disappearance, Patricia still catches herself looking out for the distinctive orange-lined raincoat that Hyacinth Gage, 74, was wearing the day she vanished, in the hope it may hold a Hyacinth is just one of an ever-increasing number of people on the tiny Caribbean island of Antigua to disappear without trace in what some have dubbed an epidemic, others a crisis. At least nine have vanished in the last two years day back in May 2019 started out ordinarily enough. Hyacinth, described as sprightly and self-sufficient, had gone for a routine check-up at the public hospital, but failed to return. She has never been seen since. It was to trigger an excruciating series of fruitless, island-wide searches and desperate appeals for help."We became detectives. My sister and I teamed up to look for leads. I went back to the hospital asking questions," Patricia was able to verify that while her mother had completed scheduled blood tests, she had not shown up for an electrocardiogram. Further investigations revealed she had apparently handed her handbag briefly to another patient to keep an eye on, but never returned. The bag was found by security staff the next family were also able to track down a motorist who said she had given Hyacinth a lift to a location a short distance from the hospital."The police got angry at us for investigating and told us to stop," Patricia recalls. "Then they became annoyed at our constant questions, so eventually we had to back off and just pray."Anniversaries are particularly painful: 6 March would have been Hyacinth's 80th birthday, a milestone for which the family had long planned a big celebration. Instead, Patricia took the day off work to spend in quiet reflection. The number of people to vanish in Antigua appears to be disproportionately high compared with neighbouring islands, Patricia says, a notion supported by sources in several of the islands who spoke to the BBC. In St Kitts, for example, which has a population of 48,000, official police stats provided show that of the total 54 people reported missing in 2023 and 2024, all but two are accounted for. The remaining two are believed to be Haitian migrants who have since left the small size of just 108 sq miles, home to fewer than 100,000 people, makes the phenomenon particularly more: Antigua and Barbuda country profileSpeculation is rife. Theories range from the banal - a lack of will to investigate by an under-resourced and under-paid police force - to the sinister."Other islands find bodies eventually," Patricia says. "My mind goes all over the place wondering what happened. People suggest organ trafficking. I've even thought of gang activity. Is it something they're required to do as an initiation?"The disappearance of a nine-year-old girl on 12 March sent the nation reeling and sparked extensive searches. Chantel Crump's body was found two days later in a case that has caused widespread public outrage and protests - and sent rumours into overdrive. A woman has been charged with Chantel's Acting Police Commissioner Everton Jeffers acknowledges there is "room for improvement" when it comes to the force's public relations, but rejects the idea that it is also says he is keeping an open mind on the reason for the high number of disappearances, including a possible organ trade operating on the island."It's something we've been hearing and something we will look into. There's no evidence to support it, but it's very important we don't dismiss anything," he has found some solace in connecting with families of other missing people and now plans to set up an action group to ask for international help."This isn't a random thing any more, this is serious, there's a crisis," she adds. Aaron (not his real name) has collated a list of almost 60 people missing in Antigua – more than a third in the last decade alone – and believes there are several more. Men account for roughly two in three of the disappearances, ranging from teenagers to people in their 70s."I've personally experienced this pain. One of my family members went missing and another was murdered," he says, speaking on condition of anonymity because of threats he says he has received for highlighting the issue."Families are suffering. Many have gone to their graves without ever seeing justice for their loved ones."While some may have disappeared due to their involvement in criminal activities, there's growing concern that an organised organ harvesting ring could be operating behind the scenes," Aaron say they are collating official figures for missing people covering the last two decades but by the time of publication had not provided any figures. This year has already seen two late January, Orden David did not return home after a night out at a local casino. Orden's burnt-out car has since been recovered, but there have been few other clues. Alline Henry recalls Orden as her "best friend of 23 years"."The worst part is not knowing if he's being held against his will," Alline says. "Is someone abusing him, torturing him? Every day my thoughts run wild. If, God forbid, it's the worst case scenario, we need closure," she 39, is well known in Antigua as a key litigant in a landmark 2022 case that overturned legislation criminalising same-sex acts."I can't explain how much it hurts that instead of focussing on the fact he's missing, some people focus on him being gay."I believe the case may have made him a target," Alline says swathes of bushland and ocean all around, the ostensible ease of concealing a body in Antigua may partly explain the absence of answers many families suffer. "Clearly the local police can't solve these disappearances. They need to bring in outside help. How many more people have to go missing before they do something. Who's next?" Alline Richards, 38, who works for the national school meals programme, was last seen leaving work on 26 February. His mother Dian Clarke says she is "trying to stay positive", adding: "You hear about people going missing in the news and then it creeps up on you."With the exception of a 43-year-old woman, all those to vanish without trace in the last two years are men, aged between 18 and investigations is the lack of a local forensic lab which means crucial DNA samples must be sent overseas for analysis, equating to lengthy waits for of Forensic Services Michael Murrell tells the BBC that a new lab capable of analysing trace evidence such as hair, blood and semen will become operational within months, but admits DNA capabilities are some way off because of meagre technology cannot come soon enough for Bailey's son Kevorn, 26, has not been seen since he received a phone call from an unknown person who he apparently left his home to meet in August says the telecoms firm claims to have given the caller's name to police long ago, but "up to now the police can't tell me who it was".His frustration and despair are evident."It's like a part of me is missing. Some people talk about closure, but I couldn't handle seeing him in a coffin; I prefer to picture him alive," he says."It's emotionally aggravating to pursue the police. If I don't call them I don't hear anything; if I do, I get sweet nothings," he adds. "I want the government to know people are grieving; I don't know if they appreciate that."I put up missing posters everywhere, but I couldn't put up any around my home; I couldn't bear it. It's the most painful experience of my life."Gregory believes the high number of disappearances is largely due to the extent with which criminal factions get away with has also collated a list of more than 100 unsolved killings."People don't trust the police; corruption is rampant in law enforcement," Gregory agrees: "There've been cases where perpetrators have retaliated against the families of victims when reports were made."Police Chief Jeffers says "no police force in the world is perfect". But adds: "I can guarantee 90% of our officers are good."He also admits limited finances impede investigations."There's no police force in the Caribbean that has enough resources to do everything we have to do."We do a lot to look for people, get leads from the public and matter and pledged a raft of new measures including the establishment of a designated missing persons' task force and the acquisition of dogs trained to detect that may not be enough to appease those desperately awaiting answers."It's time to take serious action," Patricia urges. "I hope this doesn't happen to someone close to them before they take a good fresh look at these disappearances."
Telegraph
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Lavender, Hyacinth, Violet, Yew: An affecting portrait of male friendship and grief
'When these hyacinths pop up, they'll stand stronger and brighter than any flower out here,' an ailing Duncan observes as his best friend Craig plants bulbs in the flowerbed that he is no longer fit enough to tend to. It is 1993, and we learn that the hyacinths will bloom at the end of the year. By that time, though, Duncan – who is only in his early 30s – has died from an Aids-related illness. Coral Wylie's moving debut deals with the ripple effects that this loss has on one family. Twenty years later, a 19-year-old Pip (played by Wylie) finds a bright orange jacket belonging to Duncan and, inside that jacket, discovers his diary. Pip wants to feel closer to the man who was their parents' best friend and, in turn, to Craig, who is a distant father. In an attempt to contain his grief, Craig has scrubbed the house almost entirely of reminders of Duncan's existence – flowers that should blossom in the garden have been replaced by concrete and fake grass, while the house itself is denoted by an almost bare white traverse stage, scattered with dried-up plants. Omari Douglas found fame as the spirited Roscoe in Russell T Davies's It's a Sin (set in the 1980s at the beginning of the Aids crisis). He brings a similar vim to the role of Duncan. As we are transported back to the Nineties, Douglas sparkles with energy and humour. Along with tracks from Prince and the Pet Shop Boys playing to set the mood, the lighting changes from the harsh white of a family suffocating under the weight of unspoken heartbreak to warm, uplifting yellows. Wil Johnson's brusque Craig and Pooky Quesnel as his worn-down wife Lorin are joyful and more carefree in his presence. 'You've made complete strangers of my parents. What did you have that brought such vibrancy out of him?' Pip wonders while reading about their exploits. This four-hander tries to cover a lot of ground – Craig struggles to get to grips with Pip's queer identity; Lorin confronts something buried in her past; Pip (occasionally overly preachy) uses gardening and Duncan's diaries as tools for self-discovery. There's a nuanced examination of how Lorin's grief has been sidelined and silenced because she does not hold the title of 'best friend'. But what is most compelling is the portrait of male friendship. The dynamic of gay-straight male friendship is one that is not often explored but, in recent years, has been expertly tackled in Channel 4's Big Boys (which has just returned for its final series). In this play, when Duncan's health deteriorates (and he switches from stylish earrings and blouses to a grey cardigan and pyjama bottoms), there's a tenderness to his and Craig's relationship – the pair still joke around and dance together, but a struggling Craig now also shows his love by trying to find solutions to 'fix' his friend. Wylie's writing is generally astute, with witty everyday observations that ring true, but at two-and-a-half hours, Hyacinth, Lavender, Violet, Yew could do with some pruning. This is a play built on metaphors – there is a flower metaphor for almost every situation; naturally, once the family allow Duncan's memory to live and breathe again, the white walls are removed to cleverly transform the space into a colourful botanical paradise. At times, though, the metaphors can feel laboured. Still, across the room I spotted quite a few tears and tissues. I can't recall ever crying at the theatre but, I have to admit, I had a lump in my throat. There are some devastating lines on loss, superbly delivered, that should make this a work worth seeing.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Members-only dining club will expand to the Twin Cities
A members-only dining club is coming to the Twin Cities. Tasting Collective, a New York-based club that hosts private meals in 18 other cities, is heading to Minnesota, arranging five-course diners at some of the most talked-about local restaurants. The first dinner will take place at Bûcheron in Minneapolis' Kingfield neighborhood. It'll follow that up with events at Hyacinth in St. Paul and Oro by Nixta in Northeast Minneapolis to kick off its entry into Minnesota. Each of its five-course meals will run $75 per person, which looks like a deal. However, there are also membership fees. (Members can bring up to three non-members, but they'll have to pay $20 more than members at each dinner.) Memberships cost $165 per person per year — except when there are promotions — with proceeds going to restaurants that host the tasting events. Tasting Collective offers members at least one dining experience each month. The dinners aren't typically what you'll find on the restaurants' standard menu, offering a unique experience at dining hubs that may be familiar to regulars. Additionally, chefs step out of the kitchen to discuss dishes and the stories behind them with club members. Tasting Collective also hosts clubs in Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York City, and elsewhere. The Twin Cities club will start at Bûcheron with chef and co-owner Adam Ritter on Feb. 25 and March 5.
