This deal is a betrayal of Ukraine — yet we all bear responsibility
Roughly once a fortnight since 2022 I've clicked on Sport Angels, a website that chronicles the Ukrainian sportspeople — men and women, boys and girls — who have died since the start of the war. I do this as a way, however tenuous, of glimpsing the human stories behind the cold statistics trotted out on the news, which can desensitise us to the scale of suffering unfolding on our continent.
I've read of Yuriy Yatskiv, a 26-year-old goalkeeper, who died in battle near Toretsk; of 17-year-old Vira Birukova, an outstanding basketball player killed with her sister by shelling in the Mykolaiv region; about Nastya, eight, and her ten-year-old brother Maxym Symaniuk (Nastya was a rhythmic gymnast; Maxym practised karate), who were killed with Zoryana, their
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The Independent
3 minutes ago
- The Independent
DeSantis ally ‘MAGA Marva' named president at Florida HBCU despite campus concerns
Marva Johnson, an ally of Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, has been confirmed to serve as president of Florida A&M University, despite vigorous opposition from students and prominent alumni. It's the latest in a trend that now sees former Republican lobbyists or lawmakers leading five of the state's 12 public universities. "To the Rattler community, students, faculty, alumni, stakeholders: I am listening, and I hear your dreams, and I hear your concerns,' Johnson, a cable industry executive and lawyer, who has served appointed positions under GOP governors DeSantis and Rick Scott, said during a contentious Wednesday meeting of the state university system's Board of Governors. 'And my door will always be open." At the meeting, where officials confirmed Johnson to lead the state's sole public historically Black university (HBCU), many of those criticisms continued. "Marva Johnson is not ready to lead the nation's number one public HBCU," Florida A&M alumna and former ABC News president Kim Godwin, who served on the university's search committee, told the gathered attendees, which included alums who stood and turned their back as Johnson spoke. "She does not have the best resume. She did not have a good on-campus interview,' Godwin continued. 'She appeared unprepared and short-sighted and did not present well to our stakeholders. She had the opportunity, but failed to win the support of any stakeholder group. These are facts." DeSantis was not involved directly in Johnson's selection in May, but his attorney general praised the executive's candidacy, and his deputy chief reportedly lobbied the search committee to nominate Johnson, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. Some feared that Johnson, who served on the Florida State Board of Education for four years, did not have experience in academia, while others worried she would continue Governor DeSantis's attempts to remake public education in the state in a more conservative image. Under DeSantis, the state has enacted policies that serve as de facto book bans on materials that often include stories about Black and LGBT+ people, and has banned funding for diversity programs, while blocking an advanced placement African American history class. Critics of Johnson argued she would be a partisan in this effort, and labelled her with the nickname 'MAGA Marva,' after Donald Trump's Make America Great Again slogan. "Right this very minute, a group of activist Republicans are trying to put in the highest position of power someone who is solidly and objectively unqualified for it," alum and film producer Will Packer said in a May Instagram video after university officials chose Johnson as their pick to submit to state officials. "She is a career lobbyist with no experience in higher education administration, literally the same amount of higher education admin experience as you or I. Zero, none." During a May forum with alumni and students, Johnson insisted she wasn't a 'Trojan horse,' and pointed to her experience working in state politics as a sign of her bipartisan bona fides. 'No, I'm not a Trojan horse. I was not sent here to dismantle FAMU," she said. "I would love the opportunity to work with you and to grow FAMU.' Johnson has said she hopes to elevate Florida A&M to an R1-class research university. Florida A&M alumni have filed a lawsuit over the presidential selection process.
North Wales Chronicle
3 minutes ago
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Palestine Action to be banned after break-in at RAF base
Yvette Cooper has decided to proscribe the group, making it a criminal offence to belong to or support Palestine Action. The decision comes after the group posted footage online showing two people inside the base at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The clip shows one person riding an electric scooter up to an Airbus Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker and appearing to spray paint into its jet engine. The incident is being also investigated by counter terror police. A spokesperson for Palestine Action accused the UK of failing to meet its obligation to prevent or punish genocide. The spokesperson said: 'When our government fails to uphold their moral and legal obligations, it is the responsibility of ordinary citizens to take direct action. The terrorists are the ones committing a genocide, not those who break the tools used to commit it.' The Home Secretary has the power to proscribe an organisation under the Terrorism Act of 2000 if she believes it is 'concerned in terrorism'. Proscription will require Ms Cooper to lay an order in Parliament, which must then be debated and approved by both MPs and peers. Some 81 organisations have been proscribed under the 2000 Act, including Islamist terrorist groups such as Hamas and al Qaida, far-right groups such as National Action, and Russian private military company Wagner Group. Another 14 organisations connected with Northern Ireland are also banned under previous legislation, including the IRA and UDA. Belonging to or expressing support for a proscribed organisation, along with a number of other actions, are criminal offences carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. Friday's incident at Brize Norton, described by the Prime Minister as 'disgraceful', prompted calls for Palestine Action to be banned. The group has staged a series of demonstrations in recent months, including spraying the London offices of Allianz Insurance with red paint over its alleged links to Israeli defence company Elbit, and vandalising Donald Trump's Turnberry golf course in South Ayrshire. The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) welcomed the news that Ms Cooper intended to proscribe the group, saying: 'Nobody should be surprised that those who vandalised Jewish premises with impunity have now been emboldened to sabotage RAF jets.' CAA chief executive Gideon Falter urged the Home Secretary to proscribe the Houthi rebel group and Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, adding: 'This country needs to clamp down on the domestic and foreign terrorists running amok on our soil.' Former home secretary Suella Braverman said it was 'absolutely the correct decision'.
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4 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Highway Code: Warning over common speed camera myth in UK
A motoring expert has lifted the lid on whether the widely held belief that drivers can go ten per cent over the speed limit is true or not. For many years, many motorists have believed that there is a '10 per cent +2 rule' when it comes to speed cameras, suggesting that drivers can exceed the speed limit without facing consequences. However, the truth is that it's actually up to the area's individual forces themselves to decide, meaning drivers could find themselves with hefty fines or penalties. Andrew Jervis, CEO of leading online mechanic marketplace Click Mechanic, has urged caution. He said: 'Speeding costs lives and should never be encouraged, regardless of whether it can land you in trouble or not. "Speed limits are not arbitrary figures; they are carefully determined based on factors such as road design, traffic flow, and pedestrian activity. 'They should not be taken as a target that is there to be exceeded, and failure to adhere to the rules of the road can have serious consequences. 'In any case, the 10 percent rule is guidance for the police forces - and not a rule for members of the public. 'The misconception of a 10 percent leeway could not only see drivers getting fines and/or points on their licence but can cause fatal road traffic collisions. 'As road users, we all have a responsibility to drive with consideration for others to ensure our highways are safe for all to use.' It originates from speed enforcement guidance issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers and is designed to take into account speed guns used by the police aren't always 100 per cent accurate. However, it is also stated the guidelines 'do not and cannot replace a police officer's discretion', meaning it is no guarantee of avoiding prosecution. Here are some other common speed camera myths: No. There are no laws about visibility, so nothing is stopping an officer from operating in the dark. But they don't often choose to do this and maintain that being visible acts as a deterrent in its own right. Go Safe Casualty Reduction Officer, Gareth Thomas said: "Legally, we don't have to be visible. I could camouflage myself if I wanted to - but it's all about being fair, education and preventing an accident. Even if I parked my van and went for a walk somewhere, it would deter people from speeding right away." If drivers choose to flash to warn others about a speed van, they could be in breach of the law. Under section 89 of the Police Act 1997 it is an offence to "wilfully obstruct a constable in the execution of his/her duty". However, Gareth says while it is an offence, it is very difficult to prove. He said: "It doesn't bother me that people flash to warn them of the speed van - I just want to educate people and the van to act as a speed deterrent." It all comes down to the circumstances within which you were caught speeding, and how much you were more than the limit. The minimum penalty for being caught speeding on the UK's roads is a £100 fine. But Gareth explained in some circumstances, police can offer the option of attending a speed awareness course - an alternative to a fine and penalty points. Gareth, said: "An accredited course is far more likely to improve driver behaviour and consequently make our roads safer. "Courses are available to drivers who respond quickly to the 'notices' and who were driving at no more than 10 per cent, plus 9 mph above the posted speed limit." So for example, anyone travelling over 86mph on a motorway would not be offered the awareness course. Those who don't have a clean licence at the time of the office, or if you have been on the course in the last three years, it is unlikely you will be offered the awareness course as an option.
