Wikinews:Briefs/March 25, 2014

March 25, 2014

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Today on Wikinews: We briefly recap some of the stories appearing on Wikinews during the last two weeks and from around the world.

Today is Wednesday, March twenty five - twenty fourteen. I am Jordan Bayes and this is Wikinews.

Community members host fundraiser to help family of slain Texas woman
After the body of missing nineteen-year-old Alicia Benefield of Deberry, Texas was discovered, community members hosted a bake sale to support her family. Benefield was allegedly killed by her boyfriend Rodris Webster, who was arrested last week. Webster was charged with one count of murder and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. The bake sale was organized by Sharon Jernigan and was a big success.

Kansas anti-gay church leader Fred Phelps dies at 84
The founder and leader of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas died last Wednesday. Fred Phelps founded the church in nineteen fifty-five. Since then, the church has gained a reputation by picketing funerals of dead US soldiers and other events like concerts by famous pop acts. The Church has received many negative responses from community members, but the US Supreme Court has upheld their right to petition at funerals in twenty eleven. Phelps was excommunicated from the Church last year.

Docudays UA eleventh edition opens
On Friday, The Eleventh International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival opened in Kyiv, Ukraine. The films entered into the festival are separated into different categories and will be judged by famous human rights activists, writers, film producers, critics, etc. The festival will continue until Friday, March twenty-eight. The best films in the festival will also be shown at the Docudays UA Traveling Festival.

Arch Enemy singer Angela Gossow quits
Angela Gossow announced her departure from Swedish extreme metal band Arch Enemy via the band’s Facebook page Monday, March seventeen. Gossow intends to pursue other goals and interests in her life. Arch Enemy will replace Gossow with Alissa White-Gluz, the lead singer of a Canadian extreme metal band, The Agonist. Fans of Arch Enemy have had mixed reactions about the replacement; the most popular Facebook comment read: “Arch Enemy without Angela Gossow is not Arch Enemy anymore.” Gossow does intend to stay and manage Arch Enemy and other acts as well.

Labour politician Tony Benn dies aged 88
A British Labour Party politician and left-wing campaigner died in his London home Friday, March fourteen due to health issues. Tony Benn’s health had been weakening since a stroke in twenty twelve. Benn became a Member of Parliament in 1950 following in his father's and both grandfathers’ footsteps. Benn was often referred to as “the most dangerous man in Britain” because of his strong left-wing political views.

Fire burns at Barangaroo construction site, Sydney, Australia
An apparent welding accident in the basement of a building caused a large fire at the Barangaroo construction site in Sydney, Australia on Wednesday, March twelve. A large traffic jam developed in the Sydney Central Business District as the Western Distributor motorway and part of the Sydney Harbour Bridge were closed. All workers at the site and people in the neighboring buildings were evacuated with no injuries reported.

Guantanamo inmate challenges force-feeding practices by suing U.S. president
On Tuesday, March eleven, Guantanamo Bay inmate Emad Hassan filed a lawsuit against US president Barack Obama regarding the military’s practice of force-feeding inmates while on hunger strikes. Hassan and other inmates reported experiencing water torture techniques, having large nose tubes inserted to deliver food, and force-feeding. Hassan has been on a hunger strike since two thousand seven, and this lawsuit is the first of its kind to proceed.

Israel jails teen bomber Mohammed Mafarja for 25 years
During a brief war between Israel and Gaza in twenty twelve, Mohammed Mafarja, a minor at the time, placed a bomb on a bus in Tel Aviv, severely injuring two, wounding eight, and sending fourteen into shock. On Monday, March ten, twenty fourteen, Mafarja was sentenced to twenty-five years in jail by Israel's court. By dropping a charge of aiding an enemy in war in December twenty thirteen, Mafarja was spared a life sentence.

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And those are the headlines from Wikinews.

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