Latest news with #WaronTerror
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
New historical fiction novel inspired by a folk song about a Scottish hero.
John Ogden has just published his new novel which tells the story of Jack the Painter, a man who single-handedly almost succeeded in bringing the Royal Navy to its knees. The story is interwoven with that of Will, a modern-day veteran, who is teetering on the edge of life. Over one night they tell each other their stories. Jack's tale of his role in the American War of Independence, and how he almost single-handedly brought it to an early end; Will's of fighting for freedom in a world which soon forgets the fallen and fractured. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Paint it Jack Tired of his dead-end factory job, Will - a lad from the North-East of England - joins the army where he goes to fight in the War on Terror. He becomes a man able to save and take lives until one day his world falls apart. Broken and despairing he meets Jack, another lost soul, in the shadows of Old Portsmouth. Jack, born and brought up in Edinburgh's Cowgate and once England's most wanted man, also fought for freedom but his fight was many years ago. As the night passes they tell each other their stories: Jack's tale of his role in the American War of Independence, and how he almost single-handedly brought it to an early end; Will's of fighting for freedom in a world which soon forgets the fallen and fractured. The historical fiction novel Paint it Jack is set in Scotland, England, the USA and France of the late 18th century, and Portsmouth, Afghanistan and Durham of the early 21st century; it is a story of hopes, heroes, fear, loss and redemption. The author. How did the book come about? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A few years ago John came across a book of folk songs in a Hampshire Museum. The most modern of the songs was from the 1960s it was 'The ballad of Jack the Painter'. In it the songwriter celebrates – 200 or so years after the event - the death and grisly afterlife of Jack the Painter. Why would someone feel the need to celebrate something long past? John needed to understand who Jack was, where he came from, what he did and why he still inspired resentment, these themes inspired the writing of the book. As John researched Jack's story and travelled across the country he came across more and more homeless veterans who were living on the edge of life, He felt compelled to tell their story. The book interweaves two stories Jack's and Will's the latter a composite of many of the homeless veterans John met. Author Biography John Ogden was born in North-East England. On leaving school he went to work in a factory spending his evenings playing drums with a number of bands. In his early twenties he headed towards London in search of musical fame and fortune, something which never materialised. He eventually put down his drumsticks and as he was already able to count to four became an accountant. Always fascinated by words he began to write and perform poetry appearing regularly on Vanessa Feltz's popular BBC Radio 2 show and at Open Mic sessions. After half a lifetime away he returned to his native North-East in 2022. John now lives with his wife Janet in the beautiful North Yorkshire coastal town of Whitby, where he hopes to add to its considerable stock of stories. Paint it Jack is John's first book. James Aitken AKA Jack the Painter Where can people buy the book? If readers find themselves in Whitby, Paint it Jack can be bought from Holman's Bookshop and the Captain Cook Memorial Museum, from the publisher's website or from Amazon.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Bernie Kerik, New York City's 9/11 police chief who fell from grace, dies at 69
By Jasper Ward (Reuters) -Bernard Kerik, who was hailed for his role in leading the New York City Police Department during the September 11, 2001, attacks but later went to prison for tax evasion, died on Thursday at the age of 69. His death followed a private battle with illness, FBI Director Kash Patel said. During Republican Mayor Rudy Giuliani's administration, he spent two years as the city's commissioner of the Department of Corrections starting in 1998 before being appointed police commissioner in 2000. He oversaw the response, rescue, recovery during the September 11 attacks before leaving the NYPD in December 2001. Kerik was later nominated by President George W. Bush to lead the Department of Homeland Security during the early stages of the United States' War on Terror. "Bernie Kerik understands the duties that came to America on September the 11th. The resolve he felt that morning will guide him every day on his job," Bush said in 2004. The nomination was short-lived as Kerik withdrew from consideration days after. His employment of an undocumented migrant as a nanny was later stated as the reason for his withdrawal. In 2007, he was charged with lying to White House officials and with tax evasion. He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years in prison. He was pardoned by President Donald Trump in 2020.
New York Post
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Marc Copani talks journey from WWE's controversial Muhammad Hassan to history teacher: ‘Blurred the lines'
Marc Copani was on the verge of potentially becoming a world champion in WWE before arguably the company's most controversial character collided with real-life tragedy Copani, an Italian American, had been playing the hated Middle Eastern character Muhammad Hassan so well since September 2004 that he became one of WWE's top bad guys at the time. Hassan began as someone railing against the mistreatment of Arab Americans three years after 9/11 and the beginning of the War on Terror and more than a year after the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. By 2005, the Syracuse native found himself in a feud with The Undertaker, with the payoff planned to be him beating World Heavyweight champion Batista at SummerSlam in Washington D.C. in August.
The Hill
6 days ago
- General
- The Hill
This Memorial Day, let's remember the veterans still fighting
Memorial Day has always been a solemn day in my family. I grew up the descendant of six generations of career Army officers. My father often reminded my siblings and me that we 'never missed a meal or heard a shot fired in anger,' and that it was our job to thank those who had. His point was clear: Our comfort was made possible by the sacrifices of others. But in recent years, I have come to believe that Memorial Day needs a broader lens. Even as we rightly honor those who died while serving their country, we must also acknowledge the quieter, often invisible losses here at home. Since the start of the War on Terror in 2001, more than 7,000 U.S. service members have died during their service, mostly in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, 140,000 veterans took their own lives between 2001 and 2022 — well over 6,000 veterans every year, or an average of more than 17 each day. These deaths may not be the result of enemy fire, but they are casualties of war just the same. Research has consistently shown that suicide among veterans is closely linked to their military experience — particularly exposure to combat, post-traumatic stress disorder, and the often abrupt loss of identity and purpose following discharge. Veterans are most at risk immediately after leaving the service, when many many feel most disconnected from the fellowship and mission that once defined their lives. During deployment, servicemembers develop extraordinary bonds. Many of the veterans I have worked with over the past decade say that their primary mission in combat was not glory or medals — it was getting their people home safely. That sense of unity is a kind of armor. But when they return home, that armor often disappears. They leave their unit, lose their support system and face a civilian world that doesn't always understand the war they're still fighting. Lt. Col. Charley Watkins, my dad's Vietnam chopper pilot who now works with veterans in transition, calls this their 'new norm.' It's when the camaraderie fades, and the isolation begins. That isolation is often the most dangerous battlefield. In my work leading filmmaking workshops for veterans, I've seen the power of collaboration up close: Men and women who have never met coming together to craft narratives that express shared service experiences and help them begin to make sense of things that no longer make sense. These aren't just creative exercises. They are personal, hopeful, often transformative opportunities for veterans to feel heard, valued, and part of a team again. Dr. Rachel Yehuda, Mental Health Chief at the Bronx VA Medical Center has said of our workshops, 'Once these struggling veterans begin to see the world differently, anything is possible.' The films themselves are also a potent way for the rest of us to empathize through a medium we all understand. Of course, filmmaking is only one of many collaborative tools for healing. The real solution starts with awareness and then action. Civilians don't need to be experts in trauma to make a difference. Often, the most powerful thing we can do is simple: show up. A call. A coffee. An invitation to a family cookout. These seemingly small gestures can offer the lifeline that keeps someone connected. One of my closest friends, Capt. Rich Barbato, a decorated Iraq War veteran, has lost 42 soldiers from his airborne battalion to suicide. 'If there had been more opportunities and ways to recreate a sense of community when I came home,' he told me recently, 'many more of my brothers in arms would be alive today.' That should haunt us. And it should move us to act. Millions of men and women have courageously served this country so that others like me wouldn't have to. So that we could choose to forget the fact that so many went to war and made the ultimate sacrifice; so that we could pursue prosperity and live our lives in peace. And maybe that's okay. Maybe the ability to lose ourselves in a festive, gorgeous May weekend is simply proof of the value and purity of that gift. And yet that is precisely why it is so important that we do acknowledge our veterans on Memorial Day and every day. So this Memorial Day, while we honor those who died in service to our country, let us also remember those who died after their service — casualties of a war that never truly ended for them. Let us support the families they left behind. And let us recognize that preventing future loss is not just the responsibility of the VA or the Pentagon. It's on all of us. 782 words Benjamin Patton is the Founder and Executive Director of the Patton Veterans Project. He is the grandson of World War II commander General George S. Patton, Jr. and son of Major General George S. Patton IV, a veteran of the Korean and Vietnam conflicts.
Gulf Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Trump has a new battle on his hands to win Nobel Prize
Michael Day, The Independent Ending a war in 24 hours is tricky — as self-proclaimed peacemaker Donald Trump is discovering. Even four months isn't a long time when the conflict you've offered to help resolve involves a maniacal head of a nuclear-armed, mafia state determined to take over a plucky democratic neighbour. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky's refusal to wave a white flag presents a serious obstacle not only to Trump's peace plans, but more importantly to his hopes of a Nobel Prize — an award that the narcissist in the Oval Office desperately wants and thinks he deserves. For Trump, the global gong would be the ultimate recognition. It would make him only the fifth US president to ever win one. His nemesis, Barack Obama, had been in power for less than eight months when he was awarded his, in 2009; his acceptance speech came days after he had sent an additional 30,000 US troops into Afghanistan and launched drone attacks on Pakistan, all part of his expansion of the War on Terror. In Trump's bid to be the one to bring peace to Ukraine and Russia, he has a rival. There is now another US citizen of the world in the running. Step forward, Pope Leo XIV. There are already signs that Leo wants to use his new-found global influence in conflict resolution. This week, it emerged that the Pope has told Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni of his desire for the Vatican to host the next round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. During his first speech, at his inauguration Mass, he called for peace in three war-torn regions: Gaza, Myanmar and Ukraine, which "awaits negotiations for a fair and lasting peace" — not a short-lived, shabby ceasefire. The first North American pontiff has at least nationality in common with the US president. But their CVs reveal somewhat different life choices. Leo has spent decades as an Augustinian priest, helping people; Trump, less so. Pope Francis had been nominated for this year's peace prize before his death last month — but the award is never given posthumously. Might the Nobel Committee be persuaded to offer it to the position of Pope, or the institution of the Papacy as a whole, rather than the man himself? It is quite possible the well of credit built up by his predecessor may aid the Vatican's chances of being recognised by the committee. After helping revive relations between the US and Cuba, Francis worked hard to build dialogue between Iran and the West, and in 2015 oversaw the Holy See's historic first treaty with Palestine, which recognised it as a state. Leo's willingness to use his authority as the world's most powerful religious leader to push for a meaningful peace in Ukraine appears in stark contrast to Trump's cynicism. This week, the US president ignored Europe's push for new sanctions on Moscow in his eagerness to win new business deals with Putin and weaken China's hold on the Kremlin. Perhaps Trump thinks the election of a US Pope can work in his favour; maybe some of that Papal peace stuff might rub off on him? He wasted no time in parading Leo's Maga-supporting brother, Louis Prevost, in the Oval Office, just a day after the vice president met the new pontiff in Rome. But it will take more than staged Oval Office meetings or absurd declarations to bridge the gulf between the Trump administration and the Vatican on a range of issues, from appeasement of Putin and indifference to Israel's onslaught against Gazan civilians, to migrants' rights. The piquant details are not going to enamour the Nobel Peace Prize jury. If, in the unlikely event, the race for the Prize came down to a choice between the leader of a political cult and head of a religious movement, there would be only one winner. And if Leo got the award, his satisfaction would come not from the recognition, but the peace he'd helped bring about.
