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Daily Record
10 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Inspirational honorary graduates celebrated at Stirling University's summer graduation
Former Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström, SPFL Trust CEO Nicky Reid, dedicated volunteer Lynda Morrison and events supremo Paul Bush OBE will receive honorary degrees Former Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström, SPFL Trust CEO Nicky Reid, dedicated volunteer Lynda Morrison and events supremo Paul Bush OBE will receive honorary degrees at next week's summer graduation at Stirling University. Margot, a Swedish parliamentarian who pioneered the world's first feminist foreign policy and is a passionate advocate for the environment, will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate in recognition of her outstanding contribution to protecting the environment and championing women's rights at Wednesday's ceremony. Across her illustrious political career, Margot has held a number of senior roles including serving as the first ever Vice President of the European Commission, the first United Nations Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, and Chair of the Council of Women World Leaders Ministerial Initiative. The same day, Lynda Morrison, who has volunteered 20 years of her life to helping shape the delivery of social work and nursing education through the University of Stirling's Service User and Carer Group (UNITY), will receive an honorary Master of Arts degree. She will be recognised for her long and meritorious voluntary service to social work and social work education, and to improving the lives of service users nationally and internationally. The UNITY group, which Lynda was instrumental in setting up in 2005, has attracted national and international recognition for being one of the first to involve service users and carers in the design, development, and delivery of teaching to social work and nursing students. On Thursday, Paul Bush OBE, the former director of events for VisitScotland who played a vital role in bringing major spectacles including the Commonwealth Games, the Ryder Cup and UEFA Euro 2020 to Scotland, will receive an Honorary Doctorate. He will be recognised for his outstanding contribution to sport and to the events industry in the country. He is a previous chief executive of Scottish Swimming and, while in that role, worked closely with the University of Stirling in developing the state-of-the-art National Swimming Academy. Alongside the facility, he built a professional coaching and performance management structure for the sport which led to significant and continuing international success. Paul will be joined by Nicky Reid, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) Trust, who will also be made a Doctor of the University for her outstanding contribution to charity and exceptional leadership qualities. Nicky achieved a Film, Media and Sociology degree from the University of Stirling in 2007 and went on to hold the position of Learning Centre Manager at Falkirk Football Club. Professor Sir Gerry McCormac, principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Stirling, said: 'Summer graduation is always a special highlight in the university calendar, and we are delighted that those celebrating next week will be joined by four inspiring role models. 'Each of our honorary graduates has made a lasting impact in their fields, contributing in powerful and enduring ways to society. We are proud to recognise their achievements and know that they will be outstanding ambassadors for the University.'
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Tennessee man with several active warrants arrested by Priceville Police
PRICEVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — A Tennessee man with several active warrants was arrested by Priceville Police after a traffic stop on Tuesday. On Tuesday at 10:42 p.m., Priceville Police pulled a vehicle over along I-65 near mile marker 335. While officers were speaking with the individuals inside the vehicle, a man identified as Trevor Allen Armstrong, 20, of Columbia, Tennessee gave a false name to law enforcement to avoid being identified. According to police, when the false name could not be verified, Armstrong eventually told police his real name, which led to police finding out that he had several active warrants for Felony Aggravated Assault and Domestic Violence Assault issued by the Pulaski Police Department in Pulaski, Tennessee. The Priceville Police Department and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency then carried out a probable cause search of the vehicle which led to authorities finding a Glock 45 handgun, a quantity of marijuana, and various items of drug paraphernalia. Priceville Police told News 19 that Armstrong has a history of multiple convictions related to narcotics and violent crimes, including robbery, theft of property, evading arrest, and burglary of a vehicle. He is currently on probation in Tennessee due to a suspended sentence exceeding eight years. Armstrong was arrested and charged with being a certain person forbidden to possess a firearm and obstructing justice by using a false identity. He was transported to the Morgan County Jail and was issued a $80,000 bond with a hold for authorities in Tennessee. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Citizen
11-06-2025
- The Citizen
Are police winning the war on Gender-Based Violence?
Despite the challenges, police reported a strong showing in training and enforcement efforts. While nearly 100 police stations in the country still lack a dedicated Gender-Based Violence (GBV) desk, the South African Police Service (Saps) has exceeded several of its performance targets in the fight against gender-based crimes. GBV remains a crisis in South Africa, with alarming rates of women and children falling victim, often at the hands of those closest to them. On Wednesday, Saps briefed the Portfolio Committee on Police on its Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) Action Plan. The plan, finalised on 15 January 2025, is aligned with the National Strategic Plan (NSP) on GBVF and the term of the Seventh Administration (2025–2029), with an evaluation scheduled for 2028/29. Improving Services Despite the challenges, police reported a strong showing in training and enforcement efforts. 'From 1 April 2024 to 31 December 2025, 8 069 members received proactive GBV training, while 19 263 received reactive training, far exceeding the targets of 4 727 and 11,983 respectively,' the police said in their presentation. Of the country's 1 165 police stations, 1 070 have designated victim-friendly rooms (VFRs), leaving 95 stations to rely on alternative spaces. 'We completed 18 VFRs during the 2024/25 financial year and plan to add another seven in the current year,' Saps told MPs. All provinces scored 100% in meeting the performance criteria for victim-friendly services, offering some reassurance that victims are receiving adequate care where facilities are available. ALSO READ: Police rope in specialised team to probe murder of 14-year-old Lukhona Fose Investigation and Response Saps reported a detection rate of 69.84% for crimes against women (above the 68.13% target) and 63.32% for crimes against children (exceeding the 61.99% target). The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit also grew by 164 members over the past year. First responders have been trained in sexual offences (1 509 officers) and crime scene response (855 officers), strengthening frontline support. ALSO READ: GBV: Convicted Western Cape rapist on the loose a 'direct threat to women's safety' Room for Improvement However, the management of service complaints still has gaps. 'Out of 223 GBVF-related complaints received, only 175 (78.5%) were finalised within the 14-working-day window,' the report noted. Saps is also participating in intersectoral efforts to monitor femicide and is contributing monthly reports to the Department of Women, Youth and People with Disabilities. 'Action plans will be reviewed annually between February and March to incorporate emerging priorities,' police said, as they reaffirmed their commitment to ending GBV and femicide. NOW READ: 'Declare Limpopo a GBV disaster zone' – ANCWL
New York Times
27-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Israeli Forces Said They Killed a ‘Terrorist.' He Was 14 Years Old.
The clothes were strewn on a ridge dotted with olive and almond trees, perched above a highway in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. On rust-colored earth sprinkled with wildflowers were a torn black T-shirt, black Converse socks and a pair of Nike Air white sneakers. Nearby lay a pair of bloodied, gray Nike sweatpants and a black hoodie perforated with holes. Here, on April 6, near Turmus Aya, a village in the West Bank where most of the residents have U.S. citizenship, Israeli soldiers gunned down Amer Rabee a 14-year-old Palestinian American boy who was born in New Jersey. The military handed over his naked, bullet-ridden body a few hours later in a blue body bag, according to his family. The Israeli military has accused Amer and two of his friends of hurling rocks toward the highway and endangering civilians. It described the boys as 'terrorists,' and said its soldiers had 'eliminated' one and shot the two others. Amer's family and one of the surviving boys deny the accusation, saying that they were picking almonds. Amer was shot multiple times in his upper body, according to photographs his family shared with The New York Times. Amer's killing has added to accusations that the Israeli military uses excessive force and operates with impunity. It came amid a sharp spike in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, where the Israeli military has been carrying out raids and tightening control in the most sweeping crackdown on militancy there in a generation. Rampages by extremist settlers against Palestinians have also increased recently. Amer's death has also raised questions about the American response to helping its own citizens. Senators Andy Kim and Cory Booker of New Jersey have called for an American-led investigation into Amer's death, but the Trump administration has remained largely noncommittal. Last month, the State Department spokeswoman, Tammy Bruce, said at a press briefing that the Israeli military believed it was stopping an act of terrorism. 'We need to learn more about the nature of what happened on the ground,' she added. American officials did not respond to a request for further information. More than 900 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, mostly by the Israeli military and some by settlers, since the Hamas-led offensive against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the United Nations. Roughly 30 Israelis have been killed by Palestinians in the West Bank during that period. From 2018 to 2022, less than a third of complaints that soldiers had harmed Palestinians in the West Bank resulted in an investigation, according to a recent report by Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights organization. Only a fraction have led to legal action. A Hail of Gunfire The three young boys had gone out to pick green almonds, a seasonal delicacy, in a terraced orchard between Turmus Aya and Route 60, a busy north-south artery linking a patchwork of Palestinian towns and Jewish settlements, one of the friends, Ayoub Jabara, 14, told The Times at his home in Turmus Aya. He denied that they had thrown stones, saying that they had merely been throwing dried almonds at each other. Ayoub, who is also a Palestinian-American, described reaching a point very close to the main road, and finding a tree with dried-up nuts. 'Amer picked one up and was joking that it was like a stone and threw it at me. I threw it back,' he said. Amer was shot at least 11 times, according to his father, Mohammed Rabee. Photographs taken on the cellphone of a family friend who accompanied Mr. Rabee when they picked up Amer's body appeared to show several entry wounds, including one in the center of his forehead and others in his neck and upper torso. Hours after the shooting, the Israeli military issued a 10-second clip of blurry footage without a time stamp that shows three unidentifiable figures appearing to gather things from the ground. One of the figures appears to fling something in a downward motion, though no object is visible. The video cuts out as all three appear to turn and run. The military said that its footage was filmed from a military post and that the soldiers were lying in ambush in what they described as a counterterrorism operation in the area. Four days after Amer died, reporters for The Times searched the ridge where he was killed for any signs of the shooting and came across the clothes. Garments that appeared to have been cut off by soldiers and blue surgical gloves were scattered around a bloodstained rock. The military said it was standard procedure to remove clothes to ensure the body was not booby-trapped. The clothes were later identified by the family as Amer's, when the reporters returned them to the family at their home. Even if the boys did throw stones, said Mr. Rabee, Amer's father, the soldiers could have fired warning shots to scare them away, or could have chased and detained them. 'He was 14 years old,' he said. 'It takes no special training to catch a little kid.' Instead, the soldiers fired a barrage of bullets at family believes they wanted to kill him. The military declined to confirm or deny that it has a shoot-to-kill policy for stone throwers. Ayoub, Amer's friend, suffered 'multiple gunshot wounds,' according to medical records from the Istishari Arab hospital in nearby Ramallah, where he spent three days in the intensive care unit. Both Dr. Mohammad Qneibi, a physician at a local clinic where Ayoub was first taken, and Ayoub's father, Ahed Jabara, told The Times that the boy was shot at least three times in the groin area. The family of the third boy, Abdulrahman Shihada, 15, declined to be interviewed. Hopes of Living in America In Turmus Aya, Amer's parents were still reeling from their loss in the days after the shooting, and Amer's siblings and cousins from the United States had flown in to mourn him. Mr. Rabee and his wife, Majed, left the West Bank for New Jersey in 2001. They moved back to Turmus Aya in 2013, when Amer, the youngest of their five children, was a toddler. The parents wanted their children to be schooled in Arabic and to absorb Palestinian identity and culture. Amer's four older siblings had moved back to the United States after finishing high school. He had dreamed of joining them, and the night before he was killed, he had been texting in English with his siblings about his future business plans to market mini cotton candy machines. Villagers first started moving to the United States more than a century ago and relatives followed. Now, about 85 percent of Turmus Aya's residents are dual Palestinian-American citizens. Many, like the Rabee family, come and go. The evening Amer died, he left the house without saying goodbye, his mother, Majed, said. 'He didn't think he was never coming back.' Amer's father, Mr. Rabee, got a call from a friend at 6:41 p.m. saying there had been a shooting. Word had been spreading in the village that Amer was involved. Mr. Rabee called his son's phone several times but got no reply. At 6:58 p.m., he called the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem's hotline and said his son needed immediate help. He said American officials did not respond with any practical assistance. The embassy did not respond to a request for comment. At about 9:30 p.m., a Palestinian official called to say that Amer had been killed. Mr. Rabee went to an Israeli military base in the northern West Bank where, shortly before midnight, Amer's body was transferred to a Palestinian ambulance. 'I said, 'Praise be to God,' and I kissed him,' Mr. Rabee said. Mr. Rabee said that he did not trust any of the authorities to investigate and that Amer had been buried a day later, without an autopsy. 'Only God can judge; I have sent the case to God for judgment,' Mr. Rabee said. .
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
City of Savannah kicking off 100 days of summer on May 23
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – The City of Savannah, in collaboration with E-93 Radio, will kick off 100 Days of Summer programming on May 23 at Daffin Park. The program will start with a free Summer Pool Party at 3 p.m., featuring music by E-93's DJ, food, drinks, games and giveaways. Each year, City departments work together on the 100 Days of Summer initiative to offer positive and engaging programs that provide youth with meaningful alternatives during the summer months. This year, Community Services, the Savannah Police Department (SPD), and Savannah Fire Department (SFD) will offer a variety of programs during 100 Days of Summer, including camps, outdoor movie nights, and more. Community Services programming highlights include: Summer Youth Employment and Violence Intervention Program Summer visual and performing arts camps Summer sports leagues On May 23, the Sundown Cinema series will host the movie Inside Out 2 at Forest Hills Park at 7:30 p.m. This event was originally scheduled for May 16 but will be moved due to forecasted weather conditions. SFD will host the annual Camp Ignite in July. This program is a free, all-girls camp designed to introduce participants to careers in the fire service and inspire future leaders. SPD will host several activities in June, including Juneteenth events, Magic Marc summer shows, and a Citizens Police Academy. More information on 100 Days of Summer programming can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
