Latest news with #Brother'sKeeper
IOL News
24-06-2025
- IOL News
Mining operator fired for vulgar language during safety meeting
The Labour Court has determined that the foul language used by a mining operator during a safety meeting, warranted him being fired. Image: File Vulgar language used by a mining operator during a "Brother's Keeper' safety meeting towards a female colleague had cost him dearly when he was fired, and that ruling was now endorsed by the Johannesburg Labour Court. Siyabonga Buthelezi turned to the court in a bid to get his job back, as he said being fired was too harsh under the circumstances. Buthelezi had told the female employee during the meeting that she was talking 'f…s…'. This took place in front of a number of other employees from other departments and sub-contractors. Buthelezi worked for AEL Mining Services at the time and was an operator in the bagging department. The workplace safety awareness training was presented by a safety practitioner, only identified as Ms Z Mmboneni. A PowerPoint presentation was displayed, and Mmboneni explained it, after which questions were invited from attendees about the issues raised in the presentation. However, some employees from the bagging department began raising questions concerning plant issues, which were not related to the presentation. Mmboneni responded by saying the meeting was not the right forum to address those issues and asked them to curtail these questions. The meeting turned volatile, and some workers left. Buthelezi raised the need for a separate gathering room so that they could discuss these issues. Mmboneni suggested that the issues should be discussed during a plant meeting. According to Mmboneni, Buthelezi started raising his voice, and she reiterated it was not the forum to discuss issues not pertaining to the safety meeting. It was at that point that Buthelezi said what she was saying was 'f…s...' while looking directly at her. She said a shop steward then rebuked Buthelezi and told him to apologise to her, which he did not do. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Mmboneni said she believed that if the shop steward had not intervened, he would have continued to insult her. She recalled someone else who tried to stop him using vulgar language but could not identify the person. According to her, there was a reaction from the meeting when Buthelezi uttered the objectionable words. She testified that she had felt embarrassed by being threatened and insulted in front of employees and contractors at the meeting. The bagging shed manager, who was an attendee at the meeting, gave a similar version of the events to that given by Mmboneni. Buthelezi denied being angry or raising his voice, but he agreed that Mmboneni was not responding to the questions raised. He wanted to say the showers at the plant where they were working were 'f…dirty' but decided not to finish what he was going to say because he realised he might have been perceived as rude when he used the swear word 'f…'. He disputed that anyone had tried to close his mouth or that the shop steward had apologised on his behalf. Following an internal hearing, Buthelezi was fired for using vulgar language. His dismissal was confirmed during arbitration proceedings. It was not disputed that on either version, Buthelezi's use of vulgar language was unacceptable.
Independent Singapore
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Independent Singapore
Actor Chapman To celebrates 20 years of marriage to Kristal Tin with heartfelt post
HONG KONG: As reported by The Star , Hong Kong-born Taiwanese actor Chapman To and former TVB star Kristal Tin recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in a small party with good friends. Photo: Instagram/Kristal Tin Even fellow actor Anthony Wong made the journey all the way to Taiwan just to celebrate with the happy couple. Famous faces On June 7, To, 53, gave everyone a peek into the past, sharing an old photo from his wedding to Tin, 47. The picture showed him surrounded by some pretty famous faces, including Andy Lau, Wong Jing, and Shawn Yue, who were all reportedly his groomsmen. They dated for a good six years before To and Tin said 'I do' in June of 2005. 'It's been two decades, and while some of us are still here, others have gone their separate ways. I truly wish everyone finds their happiness. For me, that means truly living in the now – letting go of what's happened and not stressing about what's next,' said To in a Facebook post. Still in touch with Anthony Wong To shared a photo on his Instagram story with Anthony Wong, mentioning that out of all his groomsmen, the 63-year-old is the only one he's still in touch with after all this time. The actor concluded the festivities by sharing a brief video of Tin speaking about how he had changed her life. Meanwhile, over on Instagram, Tin opened up about how her own understanding of what 'tolerance' means has really evolved through the years. The actress from Brother's Keeper (2012) opened up, admitting she once had a pretty strong negative reaction to the whole idea of 'tolerating' things in a marriage. She actually thought, 'If we were so head-over-heels in love to start with, why on earth would we suddenly need to just 'put up with' things once we're married?' Embracing one's imperfections Tin revealed that her perspective has now changed, and she now sees tolerance as gently embracing one's imperfections rather than putting up with them. See also Jonathan Scott flirts with Zooey Dechanel on Instagram 'Can you believe it's been 20 years? Happy anniversary! I'm so grateful for your guidance and hope you'll continue to show me the way,' posted Tin together with a photo of To and their dog. Chapman To, whose real name is Edward Ng Cheuk-cheung and who was born on June 8, 1972, is an actor with roots in both Hong Kong and Taiwan. You might recognise him from his memorable roles in movies like Infernal Affairs and Initial D. Interestingly, he officially became a Taiwanese citizen in 2022. Beyond acting, To is also the founder of a multimedia platform called Chapman To's Late Show . He began his career in TV soap operas before transitioning to the big screen in 2000. He was also a radio personality for Commercial Radio 2 (CR2), hosting a morning show, but he lost that job in 2006.
New Straits Times
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: HK actor Chapman To celebrates 20th wedding anniversary with actress Kristal Tin
HONG KONG: Taiwanese actor based in Hong Kong Chapman To and former TVB star Kristal Tin recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary with a small gathering of close friends. Among the guests was veteran actor Anthony Wong, who travelled specifically to Taiwan to join the couple for their milestone celebration. On 7 June, To, 53, shared a throwback photo on social media from his 2005 wedding to Tin, 47. The picture showed them surrounded by famous friends like Andy Lau, Wong Jing, and Shawn Yue. The couple originally tied the knot in June 2005 after dating for six years. "Today, 20 years later, some people remain while others have moved on. I wish everyone happiness. To me, happiness means letting go of the past, not worrying about the future, and simply embracing the present moment," To captioned his Facebook post. The Hong Kong-born artiste also uploaded a photo with Anthony Wong to his Instagram Story, noting that the 63-year-old is the only groomsman he's still in touch with after two decades. He rounded off the celebration by posting a short video of Tin speaking about how he had transformed her life. Meanwhile, Tin took to Instagram to reflect on how her understanding of the word "tolerance" has changed over the years. The Brother's Keeper (2012) star admitted she once viewed the term negatively, saying: "Why do I have to tolerate things after marriage? Didn't we love each other so much that we couldn't help but be together in the first place?" However, Tin shared that her perspective has now shifted. She no longer sees tolerance as putting up with flaws, but rather as peacefully accepting them. "Happy 20th anniversary. Please continue to give me your guidance in the future," she wrote, alongside a photo of herself with To and their pet bulldog.
The Star
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
HK-born actor Chapman To celebrates 20th wedding anniversary with ex-TVB star Kristal Tin
Hong Kong-born Taiwanese actor Chapman To and former TVB star Kristal Tin recently marked their 20th wedding anniversary with an intimate gathering of close friends. Among the guests was actor Anthony Wong, who made a special trip to Taiwan to join the pair in celebrating the milestone. On June 7, To, 53, shared a throwback photo from his wedding to Tin, 47, surrounded by famous friends such as Andy Lau, Wong Jing and Shawn Yue – all of whom reportedly served as his groomsmen. The couple tied the knot in June 2005 after six years of dating. 'Today, 20 years later, some people remain while others have moved on. I wish everyone happiness. To me, happiness means letting go of the past, not worrying about the future and simply embracing the present moment,' To captioned his Facebook post. He also uploaded a photo with Anthony Wong on his Instagram Story, adding that the 63-year-old is the only groomsman he still keeps in touch with after all these years. The actor then capped off the celebration by posting a short video of Tin talking about how he had transformed her life. Meanwhile, Tin reflected on Instagram how her perception of the word 'tolerance' has evolved over the years. The Brother's Keeper (2012) star admitted that she once perceived the term negatively, saying: 'Why do I have to tolerate things after marriage? Didn't we love each other so much that we couldn't help but be together in the first place?' However, Tin shared that her perception has now shifted, and she views tolerance not as putting up with one's flaws but peacefully accepting them. 'Happy 20th anniversary. Please continue to give me your guidance in the future,' she wrote, alongside a photo with To and their dog.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Gary man on trial for kidnapping, assaulting teen from Michael Jackson home
Within two minutes, a woman called 911 reporting a man was 'pointing a gun' at tourists outside the Michael Jackson Childhood Home in Gary. The property — at 2300 Jackson Street — for years has been one of the city's most popular tourist attractions. That day, Deputy Prosecutors Tara Villarreal and Chris Bruno allege Oasia Barnes used it to target an unsuspecting local man and his 16-year-old daughter. Is anyone in danger, the dispatcher asks. 'The girl,' the woman responds. Barnes, 69, of Gary, was charged in August with several felonies, including Level 1 felony rape. Prosecutors added gun, habitual offender and repeat sexual offender enhancements, which would add additional time if convicted. Defense lawyer Robert Varga said Monday the evidence — including police statements, identification, hospital records, and DNA — didn't conclusively match up. The victim's father told Gary Police Detective Olivia Vasquez he was snapping pictures at the tourist attraction in the city's Midtown section on Aug. 9, when Barnes walked up and stuck a handgun toward his daughter's ribs demanding money. The man gave him about $300. When Barnes told him he needed a ride, the father said he could take their vehicle. Barnes said he wanted to have sex with the 'pretty' girl, according to the affidavit. He threatened to kill her if they didn't get in the car. In the car, Barnes repeatedly threatened to shoot them both. He directed the man to an alley behind an abandoned home. At first, he said he wanted to watch the girl 'do sex things' to her father, and threatened to kill the man if she didn't. The father told him she didn't want to do it. Barnes got out of the car with the girl. The father said he thought about running over Barnes, but didn't want to hit the girl. The man ran to Maryland Street and called 911. Police later found the 16-year-old girl sitting with Barnes on a basement stairwell on the 2200 block of Washington Street. Barnes was arrested with a black Taurus handgun. The teen said he kidnapped her. The girl told investigators that Barnes forced her to touch his genitals at gunpoint as they got into her father's vehicle. When Barnes got her out of the vehicle, he forced her at gunpoint to perform a sex act. As the father got out of the car, Barnes flashed the gun and told him to get back in the car. On Monday, jurors saw bodycam footage from Gary Police Officer Tatum, who responded first to the home on the 2200 block of Washington Street where the girl, Barnes and another man were found on the back porch. She was eating food. We're just hanging out, Barnes claimed. Where are you from, Tatum asked the girl. 'New York,' she responded. What are you doing here, Tatum responded. I was visiting Michael Jackson's house, she said. He radioed that he found the missing girl. Tatum testified he handcuffed Barnes and took a gun off him. The other man was arrested, but not charged, according to public court filings. The man got a call while at Brother's Keeper and walked to the Washington Street home. He is not mentioned in Barnes' original charging affidavit. Did she appear to be held at gunpoint or crying, Varga asked on cross-examination. No, Tatum responded. Earlier, jurors heard a 911 call from a man who said he got a cell phone notification from his video security system from the Washington Street home that three people were on the back porch. Court documents indicate Barnes, a.k.a. Osia, got 70 years in 1985 for a rape conviction. Indiana law at the time required inmates to serve 50% of the sentence. It was not immediately clear Monday when he was released. The trial continues this week. mcolias@
