Global Pulse

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  • Jorden Turney: Man charged with murder of woman, 29, sobs and calls for ‘justice’ in court

    Jorden Turney: Man charged with murder of woman, 29, sobs and calls for ‘justice’ in court

    A fatal domestic violence incident in suburban Melbourne has led to an emotional first court appearance for the man accused of killing his partner, 29-year-old Brooke Timmins. The tragedy unfolded on Sunday evening, when emergency responders were dispatched to a residential address on Generation Drive in Clyde North just after 6:30 p.m. following reports of a violent incident. At the scene, first responders found Timmins with severe, life-threatening injuries, and rushed her to a nearby hospital for urgent medical intervention. Despite medical teams’ best efforts, she could not be saved and was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

    Victoria Police confirmed that a 32-year-old man, who was already known to the victim and identified as her partner, was taken into custody directly at the scene without resistance. The next day, on Monday morning, the accused, Jorden Turney, appeared before Melbourne Magistrates Court for his initial filing hearing, where his visible emotional distress became the central focus of the proceedings.

    Flanked by two custody officers and dressed in a plain blue t-shirt, Turney was observed wiping tears from his eyes with a tissue, his face flushed with emotion as he openly sobbed through the early stages of the hearing. Court observers noted he took repeated deep, steadying breaths and nodded along as procedural details of the case were read out. His legal representation submitted an additional request during the hearing: asking that Turney be evaluated by a custody nurse, citing a pre-existing documented history of psychiatric illness that requires ongoing monitoring.

    Prosecutors, acting on behalf of Victoria Police, requested an extended period to prepare the full case against Turney. They explained that the extension was necessary to allow time for complex forensic testing and full analysis of digital evidence extracted from mobile devices, two processes that are expected to take longer than standard case preparation timelines.

    Magistrate Vincenzo Caltabiano granted the remand order, remanding Turney into official custody until his next scheduled court appearance on November 30. Before being led out of the courtroom, Turney addressed the magistrate directly, thanking him and adding a public statement: “Make sure you bring this case to justice.” The incident has renewed quiet attention to domestic violence fatalities in the state of Victoria, with police yet to release further details about the circumstances leading up to Timmins’ death as investigations remain ongoing.

  • Rapper Yung Filly tells trial ‘vibes were good’ with woman who accuses him of rape

    Rapper Yung Filly tells trial ‘vibes were good’ with woman who accuses him of rape

    A high-profile UK entertainer and rapper has taken the witness stand in an Australian courtroom to push back against serious sexual and physical assault charges laid against him, telling the court that interactions with his accuser were always consensual and friendly.

    Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, professionally known as Yung Filly, appeared at the District Court of Western Australia on Monday, one week into his ongoing trial. The 30-year-old creator is facing a total of 10 charges: six counts of non-consensual sexual penetration, three counts of assault causing bodily harm, and one count of strangulation. He has entered a firm not guilty plea to every count.

    The allegations center on an incident that prosecutors say unfolded in September 2024, shortly after Barrientos performed at a nightclub in Hillarys, a coastal Perth suburb. The accuser, who was 20 years old at the time of the alleged incident, claims she was assaulted by Barrientos in his hotel room after the show. The court previously heard the accuser’s account that the pair first had consensual sexual activity before Barrientos became violent and ignored repeated requests to stop, according to earlier testimony.

    Taking the stand on Monday, Barrientos laid out his own version of events, telling the court he had felt a mutual attraction to the woman when they first met at the concert venue. He recalled that he was in the venue’s VIP section, and the woman approached the barrier separating VIP from general admission to speak with him. He admitted to placing a hand on her waist during that initial interaction, but denied any inappropriate touching. Under questioning, he explicitly refuted the accuser’s claims that he touched her breast and digitally penetrated her without consent at the venue.

    When the pair moved to his hotel after the performance, Barrientos told the court, the atmosphere between them remained entirely positive. “The vibes were good,” he told the court, repeating the phrase that has become a focal point of his testimony. Addressing the detail that his security team confiscated the woman’s phone upon entry to the hotel, Barrientos called the move a standard operating procedure for him when meeting fans privately, implemented to protect his personal privacy.

    Beyond his music career, Barrientos has built a massive following through digital content and mainstream UK media. He is a prominent member of the popular YouTube creator collective Beta Squad, has appeared on Channel 4’s celebrity edition of *The Great British Bake Off*, and hosted original series for BBC Three. Across his social media platforms, he boasts a combined audience of more than 7 million followers: 1.8 million on YouTube, 3 million on TikTok, and 2.4 million on Instagram.

    Following his charging in the case, Barrientos was released on bail. He was granted permission to return to his home in the UK shortly after his initial court appearance, where he remained for four months before traveling back to Western Australia to appear for the start of his trial. The trial is ongoing as the court hears evidence from both sides.

  • Three dead and five injured in shooting at food festival near Seattle’s Space Needle

    Three dead and five injured in shooting at food festival near Seattle’s Space Needle

    On a Sunday evening in July, a violent mass shooting shattered the calm of a popular annual food festival at Seattle Center, steps from the city’s iconic Space Needle, leaving three people dead and five others wounded, according to official updates from the Seattle Fire Department. The gunfire erupted at approximately 6:00 PM local time, in the middle of the weekend-long Bite of Seattle food festival, an event that draws thousands of attendees each year to sample local cuisine and celebrate community connection.

    Officials initially confirmed two fatalities at the scene of the attack, with a third victim succumbing to their injuries after being transported to a local hospital. Among the five injured survivors are a two-year-old toddler and a 56-year-old woman, the Seattle Fire Department confirmed. Four of the injured were admitted to area hospitals in stable condition, while the fifth victim declined medical transport and treatment. Multiple videos circulated on social media in the immediate aftermath captured the chaos of the moment, showing hundreds of festival attendees scrambling for shelter inside the Space Needle’s lobby. Footage shows visitors crouching behind concrete pillars and display shelves to avoid stray gunfire, as panic spread through the crowded venue.

    Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson confirmed in an official statement that one suspect has been taken into custody by responding law enforcement officers. Wilson initially issued an update saying two suspects had been apprehended, before correcting her statement later Sunday evening to clarify only one suspect is in custody. The Seattle Police Department has launched a full ongoing investigation into the attack, and has issued a public appeal for residents and visitors to avoid the Seattle Center area while investigative work continues.

    In the wake of the tragedy, local and state leaders have united to condemn the attack as an act of senseless, horrific violence, and have offered condolences to the families of the victims. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson shared his sympathies via social media, writing, “My prayers are with the families of the victims, and the responders as they work to keep people safe.” Seattle’s U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal also released a statement expressing her grief, saying, “Our hearts go out to all those impacted by this senseless violence. We are in close touch with Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and Governor Bob Ferguson, and co-ordinating across multiple levels of government to get updates on the situation.”

    Mayor Wilson echoed that condemnation, reflecting on the senseless loss of life at an event meant to bring the community together. “Impacted families are living through the worst moment of their lives, and an entire community is trying to understand how a gathering built around culture, connection, and joy ended in gunfire,” she said. “Tonight, our attention belongs to the people whose lives were taken, those fighting to recover, and the families beside them. Seattle grieves with you, and we will stand with you in the difficult days ahead.”

    Witnesses who were at the festival described the immediate aftermath of the shooting as a scene of sheer terror and chaos. One attendee told local media the situation was “pure chaos” after the first shots rang out, with crowds stampeding toward exits to escape the gunfire. As a mark of respect for the victims, the American flag flying atop the Space Needle has been lowered to half-mast.

  • Witnesses describe ‘horrible’ and ‘chaotic’ Seattle shooting

    Witnesses describe ‘horrible’ and ‘chaotic’ Seattle shooting

    A horrific act of gun violence has shaken Seattle, leaving two people dead and a minimum of five others wounded, according to initial reports from the scene. Eyewitnesses who were present when the gunfire erupted have described the incident as both terrifying and chaotic, painting a grim picture of sudden panic and confusion that spread through the area in seconds.

    Local authorities have not yet released full details about the motive of the shooter, the identity of the victims, or the specific location where the attack unfolded, but preliminary accounts confirm that emergency responders rushed to the scene immediately after the first 911 calls were received. Paramedics quickly triaged the injured and transported those with critical wounds to nearby medical facilities for urgent treatment.

    Witnesses who spoke to media outlined how a routine public setting quickly turned into a nightmare, with people scrambling for cover as repeated gunshots rang out. Many described enduring minutes of terror before law enforcement arrived to secure the area, with bystanders stepping in to help the wounded before first responders got to the scene.

    The shooting has once again sparked conversations about gun violence in public spaces across the United States, though no official policy discussions have been tied to this specific incident as investigators continue to piece together what led to the attack.

  • In a German forest, 2 brothers keep the ancient tradition of charcoal burning alive

    In a German forest, 2 brothers keep the ancient tradition of charcoal burning alive

    Nestled deep in the wooded landscapes of Germany’s Harz Mountains near the quiet town of Hasselfelde, a millennia-old craft is being kept alive by one family, who tend to smoldering earthen mounds to produce traditional charcoal the same way their ancestors did centuries ago.

    Immo Feldmer, one of the stewards of this historic trade, recently walked AP through the time-honored process as he initiated a new batch by carefully tipping smoldering charcoal into a carefully constructed mound of earth. Inside this mound, tightly stacked high-density beech wood will slowly smolder for weeks, slowly transforming into high-quality charcoal through a method that has remained largely unchanged for more than 1,000 years in this region.

    Feldmer and his brother Sascha inherited the family business, Harzköhlerei Stemberghaus, from their father, and they employ a small team of workers to maintain constant watch over the smoldering mounds around the clock. This 24/7 vigil is critical: too much oxygen can spark an open flame that reduces the entire load of wood to useless ash, ruining weeks of patient work. Once the mound is sealed with earth, controlled airflow through intentional vents lets the beech burn slowly from top to bottom. When the carbonization process is complete, workers clear any soil from the finished charcoal, let it cool fully, then package it into 22-pound bags for commercial sale.

    Historically, charcoal production was the backbone of the Harz region’s dominant mining industry. For centuries, local miners relied on charcoal to generate the extreme, consistent heat required to smelt silver, lead, copper, and zinc extracted from the region’s hard rock deposits. At the peak of the trade, hundreds of local families made their entire living as charcoal burners, the craft woven into the cultural and economic fabric of the mountain region.

    Today, commercial ore mining has ended in the Harz Mountains, and the ancient craft has all but disappeared across Germany, with only a handful of practicing charcoal burners remaining. Unlike their ancestors, the Feldmers now sell nearly all of their product to domestic consumers for backyard barbecuing. The brothers distinguish their product from mass-market alternatives: Feldmer notes that most charcoal sold in German hardware stores is imported, produced from cheap blends of mixed wood, scrap lumber, and industrial waste wood to cut production costs. Their charcoal, by contrast, is made entirely from local, pure beech wood, which delivers higher heat output ideal for grilling.

    Even with this niche market, annual production of roughly 40 tons of charcoal is not enough to support the brothers on its own. To supplement their income and share the history of their craft with visitors, they have expanded their business to include a charcoal-burning history museum, a small retail shop, and a casual restaurant. The eatery serves local regional specialties, including steaks grilled over the family’s own handmade beech charcoal, drawing tourists interested in traditional culture and culinary experiences.

    Despite the challenges facing the ancient trade, Feldmer remains optimistic that the tradition will outlive his generation. He says the family’s core hope is that their children will carry on the business, keeping the craft alive for future generations and preserving this piece of Harz Mountain cultural heritage.

  • Abdurhman Jemal death: Father and son Luke and Brodi Picking face court for roles in family man’s killing

    Abdurhman Jemal death: Father and son Luke and Brodi Picking face court for roles in family man’s killing

    A shocking fatal shooting case in Melbourne’s north has moved into the critical pre-sentencing phase, with the Victorian Supreme Court hearing detailed accounts of how a petty dispute escalated into a deadly public attack that left a beloved community member dead.

    Abdurhman Jemal, a 33-year-old family man widely remembered for his kindness and community spirit, was gunned down in the early hours of March 29, 2024, outside a shopping strip on Justin Avenue in the suburb of Glenroy. The two accused — father-and-son pair Luke James Picking, 42, and his son Brodi Picking, 20 — appeared before the court on Monday for ongoing pre-sentence submissions.

    Following a jury trial held in late 2024, Luke Picking was found guilty of Jemal’s murder, while Brodi Picking was acquitted of the murder charge but convicted of manslaughter. Court documents outline that the conflict traces back two weeks before the shooting, when Brodi, who had only just turned 18 at the time, accused Jemal of stealing his wallet during a gathering at a shared friend’s home. Tensions boiled over during a chance encounter at a local Bunnings Warehouse around 8:40 p.m. on March 28, when the two men clashed before parting ways.

    Six hours after that confrontation, closed-circuit television footage captured Luke Picking meeting his son and retrieving a loaded shotgun from the bonnet of his vehicle. Crown prosecutor Patrick Bourke KC told the court that just one hour after that meeting, at 3:30 a.m., the pair actively sought out Jemal and located him outside the Glenroy shopping strip. “You want to be a sick c–t, hey,” Luke Picking shouted from his vehicle before firing a shot that struck Jemal in the neck, killing him almost immediately.

    During the earlier trial, Luke Picking insisted he never had the intention to kill anyone, while Brodi Picking maintained he had no knowledge that the firearm his father brought was loaded. In sentencing submissions on Monday, Brodi’s barrister Rishi Nathwani KC argued that aligned with the jury’s manslaughter verdict, his client only agreed to confront Jemal with the loaded gun to scare him, not to cause harm. Nathwani further noted that Luke Picking had already been carrying the firearm for reasons completely unconnected to the Bunnings argument, and only learned of the confrontation after meeting up with his son. “Had his father not brought a gun … The plan would never have been to scare with a loaded gun,” Nathwani told the court, adding that Justice should consider Brodi’s disadvantaged background when determining his sentence.

    Bourke pushed back on that framing, pointing out that multiple hours passed between the Bunnings clash and the fatal shooting, meaning the attack “cannot be said to be an impulsive decision.” In a particularly startling revelation, Bourke also told the court that just one week after Jemal’s death, Brodi Picking traveled to the home of Jemal’s widow to deny any involvement in the killing, even offering fake comfort to the grieving family.

    As the court heard victim impact statements from Jemal’s family, they painted a portrait of a man who was deeply loving, protective, and devoted to rebuilding his family unit in Australia. Jemal’s sister told the court he was widely known across their community for his consistent kindness and work as a mentor to younger community members, adding that “His greatest dream was to work hard, support our parents and reunite our family here in Australia.”

    Jemal’s brother described the irreversible harm the killing has inflicted on their entire family, telling the court “He was hopeful for the future, he had hope for a better future and plans and dreams … they were taken away by selfish actions outside of his control. I live with the weight of his absence every single day.”

    Luke Picking, who has announced he plans to appeal his murder conviction and now intends to represent himself in court proceedings, was unprepared to proceed with sentencing submissions on Monday. The court has adjourned his part of the hearing to early September, while submissions for Brodi Picking’s sentencing continue.

  • British rapper Yung Filly to testify in Perth District Court rape trial

    British rapper Yung Filly to testify in Perth District Court rape trial

    A high-profile sexual assault trial of British rapper Yung Filly, real name Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, has entered its second week in Western Australia, with the 30-year-old influencer and performer set to take the witness stand after prosecutors wrapped up their case last week. The 30-year-old artist, who counts millions of followers across his social media platforms, has repeatedly pleaded not guilty to 10 criminal charges, including counts of sexual assault, common assault and choking. The allegations stem from an alleged incident involving a 20-year-old female fan during Yung Filly’s tour of Australia nearly two years ago.

    Opening arguments and witness testimony from the complainant during the first week of the trial at Perth District Court have painted a detailed picture of the encounter the woman says led to the violent, non-consensual assault. According to court records, the Perth local had traveled to Bar1 Nightclub, located in Perth’s northern suburbs, wearing what she called her lucky outfit, hoping to meet the rapper, whom she identified as her celebrity crush. Videos the woman recorded inside the venue, which were played for the court during testimony, captured her saying, “I am going to get married and have his baby,” “I got touched by Yung Filly in a good way,” and “I love Filly” before their interaction turned to what she says was abuse.

    The complainant told the court she encountered Yung Filly in the club’s VIP section, where he allegedly put his hands down her pants and told her, “You’re coming home with me tonight.” After she pushed his hand away and told him she was not interested in that kind of interaction, the rapper is accused of touching her breast. When she told him “You can’t do that,” he responded, “Really shows your age,” according to the woman’s testimony.

    Later that night, the woman told the court she agreed to join the rapper and his entourage in a van, believing they were heading to a scheduled after-party. It was only when the group arrived at Perth’s luxury InterContinental Hotel that she realized no event was planned, she said. Inside Yung Filly’s hotel room, the woman told the court the pair began consensual sexual activity, but the encounter quickly escalated into non-consensual violence. She alleged the rapper bit her, slapped her, and ultimately raped her. The bite injury was severe enough that the woman required a tetanus shot after the alleged incident, the court has heard, and she has testified that she feared Yung Filly would harm her again before she was able to escape the room.

    Yung Filly has denied all allegations against him, and his legal team has not yet presented their full defense, as the trial is still ongoing. Now that prosecution has closed its case, all eyes are on the upcoming week of proceedings, when the rapper is expected to give his own testimony under oath. The trial is scheduled to continue through the coming days as the court hears the full scope of evidence from both sides.

  • Grounded Lonsdale sparks backlash after telling customers to switch off phones during AusAlert test

    Grounded Lonsdale sparks backlash after telling customers to switch off phones during AusAlert test

    A small Adelaide-based cafe has become the epicenter of a heated online debate after its anti-AusAlert policy pushed by conspiracy theories about the national emergency alert system ignited widespread public backlash.

  • Investigation after man’s body found in recycling centre

    Investigation after man’s body found in recycling centre

    A suspicious death investigation is now underway in the Republic of Ireland after the body of a 35-year-old homeless man was recovered at a Clondalkin recycling facility in west Dublin late last week.

    Local law enforcement with An Garda Síochána confirmed that Andrew Haire’s remains were located at the site at approximately 9:00 PM local time on Friday, July 25, two days before the official announcement of the investigation. In the week leading up to his death, Haire had traveled repeatedly between three Irish counties, moving between settlements in Cork, Kilkenny, and Dublin, according to reporting from Ireland’s national public service broadcaster RTÉ.

    Initial forensic testing has not yielded a clear cause of death, with RTÉ citing official sources that note post-mortem examination results remain inconclusive. Investigators have outlined a working theory that Haire may have climbed inside a waste bin for shelter before the container was emptied and transported to the Clondalkin recycling center, though this line of inquiry remains unconfirmed.

    Law enforcement officials confirmed that Haire had recently accessed government welfare support and emergency housing services for unhoused people in both Dublin and Cork city centers, indicating he was engaged with existing support systems in the weeks before his death. A dedicated family liaison officer has already been assigned to support Haire’s next of kin as the investigation progresses.

    To coordinate the probe, investigators have set up a dedicated incident room at Lucan Garda Station, and senior officers have issued a public appeal for any information connected to Haire’s movements or activities in the week before his body was discovered. Members of the public with any details that could assist the investigation are urged to contact the incident room directly.

  • A fatal attack on Berlin’s Pride festival leaves locals wondering how their city will recover

    A fatal attack on Berlin’s Pride festival leaves locals wondering how their city will recover

    BERLIN — On a warm July Saturday night, what was supposed to be a joyous celebration of love, equality, and queer identity at Berlin’s annual Pride parade turned into a scene of terror. A vehicle ramming and stabbing attack near the festival’s route left one person dead and multiple others injured, in what German authorities have confirmed is an Islamic extremist-motivated act of violence. As of Sunday, the prime suspect remains at large, prompting a widespread manhunt and public safety warning across the capital.

    Law enforcement has issued an urgent wanted notice for 21-year-old Abdul Ballout, a German citizen of Lebanese descent. Officials have warned the public not to approach the suspect, noting he is considered armed and extremely dangerous.

    For 34-year-old Ali Darwich, a Berlin-born police officer of Lebanese and Palestinian heritage who identifies as both gay and Muslim, the attack is not just an act of violence against a community — it is a direct assault on every part of who he is, and on everything the city of Berlin claims to represent.

    Choking back tears during an interview at the attack site in Tiergarten Park on Sunday, Darwich reflected: “Born a Muslim, living as a gay man, working as a police officer — this terror attack touches so many aspects of who I am. This was an attack on Berlin itself, on the diversity, tolerance, and commitment to freedom this city has always stood for.”

    Just hours before the attack, Darwich had marched alongside thousands of other Pride attendees, calling for equal rights and raising the alarm about a documented surge in hate crimes targeting LGBTQ+ people across Germany. “I was wearing my rainbow shirt, carried a banner that asked ‘why are some people afraid of love but not of hate,’ and was heading to an afterparty when friends started flooding my phone to check if I was safe,” he recalled. He immediately canceled his plans and returned home, overwhelmed by grief, but said the full weight of the attack did not hit him until he woke the next morning.

    At the cordoned-off crime scene on Sunday, hundreds of community members gathered for an impromptu vigil, laying flowers, embracing one another, and staring in quiet disbelief at the wrecked van still held by police forensics teams. Darwich, who also builds a following as a positive-focused gay Muslim influencer on social media, left him grappling with layered questions and deep anxiety.

    “I asked myself, why as a police officer did I not run to the scene to help my colleagues? I asked myself as a gay man if we will now have to live with even more fear, on top of the bullying and hatred we already face every day. And I asked myself as a Muslim if our entire community will now be targeted with even more racism,” he explained.

    Darwich’s greatest fear is that the attack will deepen existing polarization across German society, at a time when far-right extremism and anti-minority sentiment are already on the rise. “I’ll be honest, this morning I felt desperate. We cannot seem to root out the hatred some people carry, and it just keeps getting worse and worse,” he said. Yet even amid his grief, he refused to cede ground to extremism, emphasizing that he would not let hate win. “Deep down, I still hope the people of Berlin will come together, that we will support one another, and that out of this horror we can build an even stronger, more inclusive Berlin,” he added.

    Darwich is far from alone in balancing grief with unyielding resolve. Andre Lehmann, a senior leader of LSVD+, Germany’s largest national LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, joined the Sunday vigil and spoke to the impact of the attack on the entire queer community.

    “We are simply stunned by what happened yesterday. This suspected attack hits the heart of the queer community,” Lehmann said. “This attack targeted people who took to the streets this weekend to fight for their rights and celebrate diversity. This is a deliberate political act, not just an attack on people celebrating a parade.”

    Lehmann also drew attention to a growing crisis that he says has long been ignored by mainstream German society: “We have seen a tenfold increase in anti-queer hate crime in Germany over just a few years. For years, honestly, nothing was done to address this, and there has been no widespread public outcry to demand change.”

    Ashley Jump, a 26-year-old visitor from the United Kingdom who had traveled to Berlin specifically for the Pride parade, left the event shortly before the attack and returned to the site on Sunday to lay flowers in memory of the victim. Still shaking with emotion, Jump reaffirmed the community’s refusal to be intimidated.

    “They’ll never erase us, we’ll never be gone,” they said. “As long as humanity has existed, we’ve existed. And as long as humanity exists, we will exist. We will not be removed.”

    Across Berlin, the attack has sparked shock and solidarity, with crowds gathering outside the iconic Brandenburg Gate on Sunday to demonstrate support for the LGBTQ+ community and condemn the act of terror, as law enforcement continues its urgent search for the suspect.