Latest news with #JamesWright
UPI
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Watch: Scott Adkins dominates underground fights in 'Prisoner of War'
1 of 5 | James Wright's (Scott Adkins) war isn't over in "Prisoner of War," in theaters and VOD Sept. 19. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA July 25 (UPI) -- Well Go USA released the trailer for Prisoner of War on Friday. The film opens in theaters and video-on-demand Sept. 19. Scott Adkins plays James Wright, a British SAS officer shot down during World War II. Captured and put in a Japanese prisoner of war camp in the Philippines, Wright is enlisted in the camp's brutal no holds barred fights. As Wright, Adkins displays his formidable martial arts skills to the chagrin of the Japanese Lt. Col. Ito (Peter Shinkoda). Louis Mandylor directed Prisoner of War. As an actor, Mandylor co-starred with Adkins in the Debt Collector movies. Adkins also shares writing credit with Mark Clebanoff. Michael Chapon and Masanori Mimoto also star. Prisoner of War will screen at the Big Bad Film Festival in August ahead of its release.
Washington Post
09-07-2025
- Washington Post
Inside the home of a Texas flood survivor
National Inside the home of a Texas flood survivor July 9, 2025 | 8:38 AM GMT James Wright, a resident of Hunt, Texas, described how he and his wife survived the deadly flash flooding at their home. At least 161 people missing in Texas floods as death toll rises to 109 Related
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Ray Lonsdale says Gretna Green work copied in New Zealand
A British sculptor who claims his work was stolen by an artist abroad has raised thousands of pounds ahead of a legal challenge to "protect his livelihood".Ray Lonsdale, from South Hetton, County Durham, believes his 2010 sculpture The Big Dance, in Gretna Green, Scotland, has been replicated by New Zealand sculptor James Wright.A similar piece of art, featuring two clasped hands with a finger pointing and also made from corten steel, appeared some 3,531 miles away (5,682km) in Clevedon, south-east of Wright, who calls his own artwork Togetherness, told the BBC his artwork was independently researched and there had been "no copyright infringement". However, Mr Lonsdale, who has created work including Seaham's Tommy and Fiddler's Green in North Shields, North Tyneside, argued his work was copied without any credit, or acknowledgment, to him. "You think it's cheeky at first, but then it's a bit beyond cheeky," he told the BBC."This piece has only appeared in the last few months, so there's a massive difference timewise and there's no way this one [The Big Dance] is a copy of theirs."Mr Lonsdale, who runs a business with his son Sam making art from corten steel, which is known for its rusty appearance. He said any potential copy could undermine his work in creating original sculptures."They [the owners of The Big Dance] commissioned a bespoke piece of art and suddenly, it's not... there's another one."Imagine putting yourself in that position, you pay a lot of money for art that's unique and somebody copies and claims it as unique, it doesn't sit very well." 'Anything to help' He is selling limited edition prints of The Big Dance to help meet legal fees, some of which have been spent on a solicitor's letter asking the artist for what he believes should be a credit or acknowledgment of his said, if this was unsuccessful, he would take the case to a court, which could potentially be heard in the UK or New Zealand."[This] is to protect our livelihoods, we've worked for 20-odd years at this," he said, adding: "We're not prepared to take aspects of it without a fight." More than 60 prints, which cost £85, have already been Stott travelled with her husband Michael from Newmarket in Suffolk to buy one of the prints because they wanted to do "anything to help"."I can imagine how I'd feel if I was doing something and somebody had taken that idea and was owning it as their original work," she said."If he'd even said based on an idea, but no, to be saying anybody can do this is not right." Mr Wright denied that his sculpture was copied from Mr Lonsdale's, and was "conceived and executed independently" with its "distinct style".He admits, while there "may be a visual similarity", this was because both are sculptures showing joined argued it was a "globally recognised motif", adding "no single artist holds ownership over such a universal symbol" and it was "not a copy of anyone else's" work. Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
News.com.au
28-06-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
‘We never spoke about it, ever': How rock bottom triggered Sydney man's life-changing conversation
James Wright always knew there was something a bit different about his dad. 'His energy would change from time to time,' recalls the 46-year-old Sydney man. 'Our Saturday morning bike rides would stop, and he'd withdraw socially, spending hours upon hours locked in his study.' Now, James recognises his father's episodes for what they were – major depressive episodes – but at the time, he was simply made aware that there were problems with his dad's health. 'When I was about 13, I remember being picked up early from school by mum, and she took my sister and I into the hospital, where Dad had been admitted to undergo electroconvulsive shock therapy (ECT),' James said. 'I remember being warned by the doctors that Dad might not really be able to recognise us or say anything, as he'd only had the procedure the day before.' Growing up in the UK, James says despite his dad's severe struggles with mental health, conversations about it weren't commonplace. In fact, it wasn't until his twenties that James discovered his Nonna – his dad's mother – had also been admitted for ECT. Australia is in the grips of a mental health crisis, and people are struggling to know who to turn to, especially our younger generations. Can We Talk? is a News Corp awareness campaign, in partnership with Medibank, equipping Aussies with the skills needed to have the most important conversation of their life. 'She never spoke about it, ever,' he recalls. 'She lived up in the North of England in Hartlepool, and she must have been one of the first rounds of women to receive that therapy.' It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that James' own mental health began to decline in his mid-teens. According to studies, the heritability of major depressive disorder is between 30 and 50 per cent. Coupled with this, new research by News Corp's Growth Distillery with Medibank found that 28 per cent of parents of 16- to 30-year-olds have never discussed their mental wellbeing with their children. In addition, half of all parents of 16-30 year olds (49 per cent) agree that 'I do/would find it hard to tell my children I'm having challenges or struggling with my mental wellbeing', with only 39 per cent disagreeing with this statement. For James, it meant that for a long time, he struggled alone. 'I was at an all-boy's Catholic school in North London, and I was just beginning to realise that I'm gay,' he said. There were a number of challenges in his life that combined to have a big impact on his mental health, but knowing what his dad had experienced, James didn't hesitate to seek help, first from the school, and then from a GP. 'Even though I didn't discuss it with mum and dad, I think my awareness of dad's condition meant that there wasn't any shame attached to seeking help – it was more just something I knew I needed to do,' he said. 'I knew there wouldn't have been any judgment from them if they had known.' James started taking medication, something he continued throughout his years at university. His mental health was what he describes as 'up and down' for much of his twenties, including a period of intense burnout that preceded a breakdown of sorts. 'I'm an ambitious person,' he said. 'I easily turn myself into a workaholic, particularly if I'm desperately passionate about what I'm doing, and I got myself into a real mess in my mid-twenties, and I think that's probably part of the reason I decided to move to Australia and give myself a fresh start.' Once settled in Sydney, James discovered a fulfilling new career in a workplace where he thrived, and felt his mental health stabilise for years. Then, in 2014, life threw James another curve ball. He contracted HIV. While early detection and antiviral treatment soon rendered the disease undetectable (and therefore non-transmissible) in James' body, the stress and shock of the experience sent him into a spiral of shame and self-destruction. 'I was too ashamed to tell my friends or family,' he recalls. 'I was drinking too much, stopped all forms of exercise and was hiding from the world.' This self-isolation – a tactic reminiscent of his father's – had become something of a hallmark of James' mental health struggles. 'That urge to withdraw socially has been a behaviour I'd been aware of repeating at several points during my life,' says James. 'And once you get better at recognising what's going on, you realise that pulling away is the last thing you should be doing to get better, but at the time, it feels like the only option.' Over the next few years, James' self-imposed exile from Sydney (he bought an ill-fated restaurant in the country in order to justify moving away) and determination to deal with his mental health forced him to face his demons head-on. Eventually, he realised that he needed to open up to his family – and his dad in particular – if he was to properly heal. 'It was in that one conversation – where I told him about my diagnosis and explained what I'd been going through – that we were able to be truly authentic with each other,' he says. That was about six years ago. Today, James describes his dad as his 'best friend'. 'We've had some incredible, raw, beautiful conversations about mental health, our emotions, about what it was like for him when I was growing up,' says James, who speaks about his father's struggles with pure empathy and understanding. 'I completely understand how hard it was for him, and why he needed to withdraw when he did. I feel like I'm able to have a lot of that relationship back now, as an adult, that I missed out on as a kid.' James, who now works as a positive psychology/strengths coach, says embracing authentic communication with his dad has been one of the biggest gifts of his adult life, and something he has adopted as a philosophy. 'Opening up to my family was the final piece of the puzzle,' he says. 'It means I can show up completely authentically, which in turn helps my clients be vulnerable and authentic in return.'
The Advertiser
22-06-2025
- General
- The Advertiser
Coming out an 'indelible memory' with lasting impacts
Coming out as LGBTQI to friends and family can be one of the most vulnerable times in a person's life. Despite growing acceptance culturally, research shows almost half - 49 per cent - of young people who come out experience heartbreaking parental rejection. James Wright was 19 years old when he decided to tell his mum and dad he was gay. Now 46, the memory of that experience remains clear. "I would say for all gay people, coming out becomes an indelible memory, whether it's a good or bad experience," he told AAP. "I came out to mum and dad separately, within a few weeks of each other, and it really shocked me the difference in their response." Mr Wright's father, a devout Catholic with Italian heritage, was completely accepting. "He said loving his son was the priority over adhering to what the Catholic Church told him," Mr Wright said. "It brought us so much closer together ... I felt relieved and that he made it so easy was so beautiful." His mother, who Mr Wright had expected to be more accepting, did not respond the same way. "She was horrified," he said. "We've not had a great relationship since then." Almost 45 per cent of LGBTQI youth experience high or very high levels of psychological distress and almost half (48 per cent) have seriously considered suicide - more than three times the rate of their heterosexual peers. The impact of rejection could be particularly devastating for young people beginning to understand and explore their identities, Online Psychologists Australia clinical psychologist Michelle Olaithe said. "We are seeing increasing numbers of youth questioning their sexuality or gender, reaching out to us out of fear of a lack of acceptance from the adults in their life, or are already facing discrimination and prejudice," she said. "The impacts of this experience can continue to be damaging for the rest of their lives if they do not get support." Three in four LGBTQI people have experienced a mental disorder at some point in their lives. This is not due to a predisposition to poor mental health within the community but rather stigma, discrimination and a lack of acceptance, particularly from those closest to them. Many people did not realise just how much their first reaction impacted someone who has come out to them, Online Psychologists Australia chief executive Sarah Richardson said. "The truth is, when someone comes out to you, they're opening up in an incredibly vulnerable way - they're not just telling you something personal, they're asking for acceptance and for safety," she said. "The best response is to lead with love: say 'thank you for trusting me', tell them you support them. "You don't need to have all the answers. Just being warm, open and non-judgmental can mean everything in that moment." The psychologists' platform has released a free guide for parents, teachers, carers and friends as part of Pride Month, celebrated each June. The guide includes tips on what to say and what not to say, how to be a "safe person" and how to support someone after they come out. "This guide is for people who care but maybe aren't sure how to respond when someone comes out," Ms Richardson said. "It's here to take the fear and awkwardness out of that moment and replace it with empathy and confidence." Mr Wright said he had one piece of advice for the parents of LGBTQI children. "My advice to parents would be to be brave," he said. "If you have your suspicions, choose a safe time to raise it, because the child or young adult is probably aching for you to give them permission to talk about it. "It's your responsibility as a parent to have these conversations and gently give them that opportunity." Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Coming out as LGBTQI to friends and family can be one of the most vulnerable times in a person's life. Despite growing acceptance culturally, research shows almost half - 49 per cent - of young people who come out experience heartbreaking parental rejection. James Wright was 19 years old when he decided to tell his mum and dad he was gay. Now 46, the memory of that experience remains clear. "I would say for all gay people, coming out becomes an indelible memory, whether it's a good or bad experience," he told AAP. "I came out to mum and dad separately, within a few weeks of each other, and it really shocked me the difference in their response." Mr Wright's father, a devout Catholic with Italian heritage, was completely accepting. "He said loving his son was the priority over adhering to what the Catholic Church told him," Mr Wright said. "It brought us so much closer together ... I felt relieved and that he made it so easy was so beautiful." His mother, who Mr Wright had expected to be more accepting, did not respond the same way. "She was horrified," he said. "We've not had a great relationship since then." Almost 45 per cent of LGBTQI youth experience high or very high levels of psychological distress and almost half (48 per cent) have seriously considered suicide - more than three times the rate of their heterosexual peers. The impact of rejection could be particularly devastating for young people beginning to understand and explore their identities, Online Psychologists Australia clinical psychologist Michelle Olaithe said. "We are seeing increasing numbers of youth questioning their sexuality or gender, reaching out to us out of fear of a lack of acceptance from the adults in their life, or are already facing discrimination and prejudice," she said. "The impacts of this experience can continue to be damaging for the rest of their lives if they do not get support." Three in four LGBTQI people have experienced a mental disorder at some point in their lives. This is not due to a predisposition to poor mental health within the community but rather stigma, discrimination and a lack of acceptance, particularly from those closest to them. Many people did not realise just how much their first reaction impacted someone who has come out to them, Online Psychologists Australia chief executive Sarah Richardson said. "The truth is, when someone comes out to you, they're opening up in an incredibly vulnerable way - they're not just telling you something personal, they're asking for acceptance and for safety," she said. "The best response is to lead with love: say 'thank you for trusting me', tell them you support them. "You don't need to have all the answers. Just being warm, open and non-judgmental can mean everything in that moment." The psychologists' platform has released a free guide for parents, teachers, carers and friends as part of Pride Month, celebrated each June. The guide includes tips on what to say and what not to say, how to be a "safe person" and how to support someone after they come out. "This guide is for people who care but maybe aren't sure how to respond when someone comes out," Ms Richardson said. "It's here to take the fear and awkwardness out of that moment and replace it with empathy and confidence." Mr Wright said he had one piece of advice for the parents of LGBTQI children. "My advice to parents would be to be brave," he said. "If you have your suspicions, choose a safe time to raise it, because the child or young adult is probably aching for you to give them permission to talk about it. "It's your responsibility as a parent to have these conversations and gently give them that opportunity." Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Coming out as LGBTQI to friends and family can be one of the most vulnerable times in a person's life. Despite growing acceptance culturally, research shows almost half - 49 per cent - of young people who come out experience heartbreaking parental rejection. James Wright was 19 years old when he decided to tell his mum and dad he was gay. Now 46, the memory of that experience remains clear. "I would say for all gay people, coming out becomes an indelible memory, whether it's a good or bad experience," he told AAP. "I came out to mum and dad separately, within a few weeks of each other, and it really shocked me the difference in their response." Mr Wright's father, a devout Catholic with Italian heritage, was completely accepting. "He said loving his son was the priority over adhering to what the Catholic Church told him," Mr Wright said. "It brought us so much closer together ... I felt relieved and that he made it so easy was so beautiful." His mother, who Mr Wright had expected to be more accepting, did not respond the same way. "She was horrified," he said. "We've not had a great relationship since then." Almost 45 per cent of LGBTQI youth experience high or very high levels of psychological distress and almost half (48 per cent) have seriously considered suicide - more than three times the rate of their heterosexual peers. The impact of rejection could be particularly devastating for young people beginning to understand and explore their identities, Online Psychologists Australia clinical psychologist Michelle Olaithe said. "We are seeing increasing numbers of youth questioning their sexuality or gender, reaching out to us out of fear of a lack of acceptance from the adults in their life, or are already facing discrimination and prejudice," she said. "The impacts of this experience can continue to be damaging for the rest of their lives if they do not get support." Three in four LGBTQI people have experienced a mental disorder at some point in their lives. This is not due to a predisposition to poor mental health within the community but rather stigma, discrimination and a lack of acceptance, particularly from those closest to them. Many people did not realise just how much their first reaction impacted someone who has come out to them, Online Psychologists Australia chief executive Sarah Richardson said. "The truth is, when someone comes out to you, they're opening up in an incredibly vulnerable way - they're not just telling you something personal, they're asking for acceptance and for safety," she said. "The best response is to lead with love: say 'thank you for trusting me', tell them you support them. "You don't need to have all the answers. Just being warm, open and non-judgmental can mean everything in that moment." The psychologists' platform has released a free guide for parents, teachers, carers and friends as part of Pride Month, celebrated each June. The guide includes tips on what to say and what not to say, how to be a "safe person" and how to support someone after they come out. "This guide is for people who care but maybe aren't sure how to respond when someone comes out," Ms Richardson said. "It's here to take the fear and awkwardness out of that moment and replace it with empathy and confidence." Mr Wright said he had one piece of advice for the parents of LGBTQI children. "My advice to parents would be to be brave," he said. "If you have your suspicions, choose a safe time to raise it, because the child or young adult is probably aching for you to give them permission to talk about it. "It's your responsibility as a parent to have these conversations and gently give them that opportunity." Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Coming out as LGBTQI to friends and family can be one of the most vulnerable times in a person's life. Despite growing acceptance culturally, research shows almost half - 49 per cent - of young people who come out experience heartbreaking parental rejection. James Wright was 19 years old when he decided to tell his mum and dad he was gay. Now 46, the memory of that experience remains clear. "I would say for all gay people, coming out becomes an indelible memory, whether it's a good or bad experience," he told AAP. "I came out to mum and dad separately, within a few weeks of each other, and it really shocked me the difference in their response." Mr Wright's father, a devout Catholic with Italian heritage, was completely accepting. "He said loving his son was the priority over adhering to what the Catholic Church told him," Mr Wright said. "It brought us so much closer together ... I felt relieved and that he made it so easy was so beautiful." His mother, who Mr Wright had expected to be more accepting, did not respond the same way. "She was horrified," he said. "We've not had a great relationship since then." Almost 45 per cent of LGBTQI youth experience high or very high levels of psychological distress and almost half (48 per cent) have seriously considered suicide - more than three times the rate of their heterosexual peers. The impact of rejection could be particularly devastating for young people beginning to understand and explore their identities, Online Psychologists Australia clinical psychologist Michelle Olaithe said. "We are seeing increasing numbers of youth questioning their sexuality or gender, reaching out to us out of fear of a lack of acceptance from the adults in their life, or are already facing discrimination and prejudice," she said. "The impacts of this experience can continue to be damaging for the rest of their lives if they do not get support." Three in four LGBTQI people have experienced a mental disorder at some point in their lives. This is not due to a predisposition to poor mental health within the community but rather stigma, discrimination and a lack of acceptance, particularly from those closest to them. Many people did not realise just how much their first reaction impacted someone who has come out to them, Online Psychologists Australia chief executive Sarah Richardson said. "The truth is, when someone comes out to you, they're opening up in an incredibly vulnerable way - they're not just telling you something personal, they're asking for acceptance and for safety," she said. "The best response is to lead with love: say 'thank you for trusting me', tell them you support them. "You don't need to have all the answers. Just being warm, open and non-judgmental can mean everything in that moment." The psychologists' platform has released a free guide for parents, teachers, carers and friends as part of Pride Month, celebrated each June. The guide includes tips on what to say and what not to say, how to be a "safe person" and how to support someone after they come out. "This guide is for people who care but maybe aren't sure how to respond when someone comes out," Ms Richardson said. "It's here to take the fear and awkwardness out of that moment and replace it with empathy and confidence." Mr Wright said he had one piece of advice for the parents of LGBTQI children. "My advice to parents would be to be brave," he said. "If you have your suspicions, choose a safe time to raise it, because the child or young adult is probably aching for you to give them permission to talk about it. "It's your responsibility as a parent to have these conversations and gently give them that opportunity." Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
