Newsstand: October 28, 2015

In the news: A late Canadian diplomat is honoured, teens create a vital signs monitoring device, and a London-based orgy group mingles with Toronto's sexual elite.

By Sarah Duong • Illustration by Matthew Daley

A former Canadian diplomat who sheltered Americans in Tehran during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis was honoured at funeral service at Timothy Eaton Memorial Church yesterday afternoon. Calgary-born Ken Taylor, 81, who died in a New York City hospital October 15, sheltered six Americans during the Iranian hostage crisis and arranged plane tickets and safe passage for the group. He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by the United States of American and was appointed Canadian consul general in New York City in 1980. He is survived by his wife, Patricia, his son, Douglas, Douglas’ wife, Dana, and two grandchildren.

Two Toronto teens have created a new watch-like device that monitors vital signs and summons help in emergency situations. Dubbed the HeartWatch by Danforth Tech seniors Frank Nguyen and Andre Bertram, the 24/7 device logs a user’s heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen levels, and takes ECG readings to predict oncoming heart attacks. Nguyen and Bertram met yesterday with Kathleen Wynne and Prince Edward at a young entrepreneurs event, and are working with St. Michael’s Hospital and Ryerson University to refine the tool.

London-based members-only orgy group, Killing Kittens, will be sinking its claws into the Toronto sex scene in Winter 2015. Advertised as a community for the “world’s sexual elite,” Killing Kittens will be based out of a penthouse suite either in Yorkville or the downtown core for its hard opening December 4. Franchising director and Killing Kittens “orgynizer” Gweneth Lee said about the group, “A lot of it is about female empowerment and female exploration. The term ‘killing kittens’ comes from a slang term in the porn industry that every time a woman has an orgasm, God kills kittens.” Killing Kittens has five other locations across the United States and one in Australia, with plans to open in Hong Kong and Tokyo.