Latest news with #Gunning
IOL News
01-08-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
‘It's our death sentence': SA couple pleads to stay in Australia amid safety fears
Charné-Lee Gunning, 31, and Ivan Strauss, 37, are facing an anxious wait in Western Sydney, Australia, as their application for protection visas hangs in the balance. Image: / Screengrab Charné-Lee Gunning, 31, and Ivan Strauss, 37, are facing an anxious wait in Western Sydney, Australia, as their application for protection visas hangs in the balance. The South African couple claim they face a "death sentence" if they are forced to return to South Africa. Gunning and Strauss arrived in Australia on visitor visas in December 2018 after fleeing South Africa due to fears of racial violence. Now, seven years later, they are pleading with the federal government not to deport them, alleging that their lives would be at risk if they were to return to their home country. According to them, they would be targeted for being white. Gunning stated that returning would be "our death sentence, especially with what's going on in South Africa at the moment. It has gotten a lot worse since we left". The couple revealed they had been victims of crimes from an early age into their adulthood. They note that this contrasts with Australia, where they can drive with windows open. Gunning added: "The nightmares are still there, but I have a sense of safety here that I've never had before". Despite their protection visa application being initially denied, they have appealed and are currently awaiting a decision from the Administrative Review Tribunal. If their appeal is rejected, they would have only five weeks to leave Australia. The couple say they are willing to relocate anywhere in Australia, even to the most remote places, to remain in the country. The couple's case followed months after former US President Donald Trump fast-tracked visas for white South African farmers, claiming they were victims of "genocide". This claim was rejected by President Cyril Ramaphosa, who stated that "People who do get killed, unfortunately through criminal activity, are not only white people, majority of them are black people". This case brings Australia into the spotlight of whether the country should adopt a similar stance to the US and consider white South Africans as refugees from violence. Shadow Immigration Minister Paul Scarr has emphasised that asylum and humanitarian visa applications should be assessed equally, regardless of the applicant's origin. A spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs declined to comment on individual cases due to privacy reasons. TikTok user Edlin (edlin1344) shared the couple's plight on the social media platform, igniting a heated debate online, drawing comments of mockery while others acknowledged the crime rate. Many comments expressed strong scepticism and denial of the couple's claims. Some also accused the couple of dishonesty, suggesting they should be upfront about simply wanting to stay in Australia for "great career opportunities" rather than "acting like you are hunted". Others speculated they might be "running away from their debts". The claim of a "death sentence" was often met with disbelief or mockery. While many disputed the extreme nature of the couple's fears, some acknowledged high crime rates in South Africa, but reminded the internet community that it as a universal issue or one disproportionately affecting poorer communities. IOL NEWS
Sky News AU
30-07-2025
- Sky News AU
‘Death sentence': Sydney couple facing deportation to South Africa fear being racially targeted on their return
A South African couple living in western Sydney are terrified they may soon be forced back to the country, saying it will be their 'death sentence'. Charné-Lee Gunning, 31, and Ivan Strauss, 37, are pleading with the Australian Government to let them stay, as they wait to hear whether their application for protection visas will be approved. The pair were exposed to violence from a young age and moved around a lot in South Africa in search of safety. When Ms Gunning was three years old, her father was shot in the head. She holds on to the blood-stained blanket which was used to cover his lifeless body. 'There was sightings of the men who came to his door and then left the foyer area but it was never followed up on. There was no proper forensics that was taken. His death certificate just says unnatural causes,' Ms Gunning said. Raised by a single mother, Ms Gunning recalls a group of men trying to break into the granny flat she shared with her mum at the back of a horse farm in Drummond, in the KwaZulu-Natal province. 'They were threatening what they were going to do to us when they got through the window. It was of a sexual nature,' Ms Gunning said. Ivan also remembers he and his father being held up by two men while working at a scrap metal yard in Spring. 'They both had weapons in their hands, they pulled us out of the car. I was lying on the floor, facing towards my dad, seeing my dad on the other side, also with weapon to his head and all I could think is, this is the moment, we are not going to make it,' Ivan said. In 2016, Ms Gunning and Ivan were forced off the road while driving a motorbike in Pinetown. The incident left Ivan with a fractured foot. 'You have to watch your back the whole time. When we came to Australia, the simple thing of just driving with a window open is amazing… You can't do that back in South Africa. When you stop at a traffic light, you stop a car length away from the car in front of you so that you can get away,' Ivan said. Ms Gunning added, 'The nightmares are still there but I have a sense of safety I've never had before.' For the past six years, the pair have been clinging to the hope they will one day be allowed to remain in Australia. The couple arrived in Sydney in December 2018 as visitors and applied for protection visas in early 2019. Their request was denied later that year. They then appealed the decision and their case was heard in July, 2025. They were given until July 30 to submit final paperwork and will wait to hear back from the Administrative Review Tribunal. Ms Gunning said she can't bear to think about the prospect of having to return to South Africa, out of fear of being racially targeted. 'I feel like that would be our death sentence, especially with what's going on in South Africa at the moment. It has gotten a lot worse since we left and we also go back to nothing,' she said. 'We feel home here, we feel safe and I can't begin to explain how grateful we are for the few years we've had. It is like an extension on our lives basically.' A spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs told Sky News the Department cannot comment on individual cases due to privacy reasons. If the couple's application for protection visas are not approved, they could be given 35 days to leave the country. People applying for a protection visa in Australia must be found to be a refugee or show they would face serious harm if returned to their home country, in line with Australia's complementary protection obligations. All claims are assessed in accordance with the Migration Act 1958 (the Act), which gives effect to Australia's non-refoulement (non-return) obligations. All applications are assessed on an individual basis, with consideration of contemporary information about the applicant's country of origin. Head of Migration and Immigration Lawyer at Citation Group Yvette Gasic said the couple could have other options. 'That is not necessarily the end of the road for them. If they depart and apply for 482 (Skills in Demand) visa, those visas generally take a couple of months to be finalised and determined,' Ms Gasic said. 'The other pathway of ministerial intervention can be fairly quick but again the Minister may decide, and there are very prescriptive grounds as to when a Minister might decide to intervene.' Ms Gunning is an Estimating Manager and Ivan is an air conditioning technician. His skill is in demand in Australia. Ivan's former boss, logistics manager at Rexel, David Colbran, said the Australian Government should allow the couple to stay. 'Give someone a fair go. They're not a burden, they work hard. I've known them for six years now, they work hard, don't take sick leave, don't sponge off the government, they work hard, they want to contribute,' Colbran said. Ms Gunning added, 'We will move anywhere in Australia, even most remote place, where skills needed, we will go there.' Despite the US President's widespread crackdown on immigration, Donald Trump recently expedited refugee visas for a cohort of white South African farmers. He has alleged that the group are facing 'genocide', claims which have been rejected by South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa. 'It's a genocide taking place that you people don't want to write about,' President Trump said. 'Farmers are being killed, they happen to be white but whether they are white or black it makes no difference to me.' In a televised meeting with President Trump at the White House, President Ramaphosa said: 'People who do get killed, unfortunately through criminal activity, are not only white people, majority of them are black people." Asked whether Australia should follow the lead of the United States in helping to fast-track visas for the cohort, Shadow Immigration Minister Paul Scarr said: 'I think it is important that the laws are applied the same way across people seeking asylum or humanitarian visas from anywhere in the world.' Sky News has contacted the Prime Minister's office for comment.
STV News
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- STV News
Baby Reindeer scoops early Bafta win with prize for Jessica Gunning
Baby Reindeer has snapped up an early Bafta win, with Jessica Gunning earning the best supporting actress prize for playing a stalker in the hit Netflix series. The Netflix hit, said to be inspired by the real-life experiences of creator Richard Gadd, sees his character Donny being hounded by a woman called Martha, played by Gunning, after he serves her a free cup of tea in the pub where he works. Elsewhere, the Bafta for limited drama was awarded to ITV's Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, which has renewed public attention on the subpostmasters who fought to clear their names in the wake of the Horizon scandal. PA Media Mr Bates Vs The Post Office star Toby Jones attending the 2025 Bafta TV Awards at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall (Jordan Pettitt/PA). The best supporting actor prize went to Ariyon Bakare for the BBC LGBT+ drama Mr Loverman, based on the Bernardine Evaristo novel of the same name. In the comedy performance categories former EastEnders star Danny Dyer won for Sky's Mr Bigstuff, with Welsh actress Ruth Jones winning for her role playing Vanessa Shanessa 'Nessa' Jenkins in the Gavin And Stacey finale. Yorkshire-born Gunning beat her fellow Baby Reindeer star, trans actress Nava Mau, who played Donny's girlfriend Teri. On stage on Sunday at London's Royal Festival Hall, Gunning said: 'Hello, cheeky chops, gosh, thank you Bafta, wow', before joking that she used to pretend to be a dog in her garden. 'I sometimes do this kind of cheesy thing where I look back on the younger me and moments in my life, and I imagine the kind of then me, seeing me now, and think, 'little did we know',' she said. She said last year, her and Gadd were at the ceremony, and 'little did we know what the year had in store', while thanking him for changing 'her life'. Gunning has previously picked up an Emmy, Sag award and Golden Globe for playing Martha, whose interference in Donny's life makes his world unravel, as the show also dramatises the failing comedian character's other traumas. Baby Reindeer hit the headlines after it was released on Netflix last year when a woman, claiming to be the 'real' Martha, came forward to bring a lawsuit against the streaming company. PA Media Ariyon Bakare (PA). Mr Loverman follows Barrington Walker, played by Lennie James, as he contemplates leaving his wife for Bakare's character. Accepting the best supporting actor prize, Bakare said: 'This award stands on the shoulders of those who came before me, those who might have been afraid to come out, to be who they want to be.' Collecting the limited drama prize, Mr Bates producer Patrick Spence said that they would never have been able to make the show without ITV and the journalists who had covered the scandal. He said that people such as Sir Alan Bates 'demanded action with such rage' and that the airing of the drama proved the public 'cannot abide liars and bullies'. Mr Spence also said that 'maybe it is a warning' to others in power, adding: 'Our show didn't change the law, the people of this nation did that.' More than 900 subpostmasters were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after faulty Horizon accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their accounts. Toby Jones is nominated in the leading actor category for his role playing Sir Alan, a former subpostmaster and lead campaigner. PA Media The cast of Gavin and Stacey (left to right) Ruth Jones, James Corden, Joanna Page and Mathew Horne attending the 2025 Bafta Television Awards (Jordan Pettitt/PA). Jones, co-creator of BBC series Gavin And Stacey, became emotional as she thanked her writing partner and friend James Corden as she picked up the female performance in a comedy gong. She said: 'The person I would like to thank most is my dear, dear, talented, lovely, kind, funny friend, James Corden with whom I have shared this astonishing journey for the past 17 years, and without whom, Nessa Shanessa Jenkins would simply not exist. I love you, James. I love writing with you. Long may it continue. Thank you so much.' The ceremony also saw BBC comedy series Alma's Not Normal, starring and created by Bolton actress Sophie Willan, win best scripted comedy for its second season, while The Jury: Murder Trial beat popular BBC series The Traitors to the Bafta reality prize. The BBC also won the sport award for its coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympics and an award in the live coverage category for Glastonbury Festival. Best specialist factual went to BBC Two's Atomic People, which heard from those who witnessed the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Director Benedict Sanderson said: 'We hope the film is a reminder that nuclear warfare should never be an option again.' The factual series winner was To Catch A Copper, a Channel 4 series that unearthed cases of corrupt officers in Avon and Somerset Police. BBC's Ukraine: Enemy In The Woods, which follows Ukrainian soldiers fighting against Russia, won best single documentary while the current affairs gong went to State Of Rage, about Palestinian and Israeli families in the West Bank, from Channel 4. BBC Breakfast: Post Office Special scoped up the news coverage award for the programme which saw former sub-postmasters share their stories. The international Bafta was won by American historical drama Shogun while EastEnders picked up best soap. The ceremony was opened by host and Scottish actor Alan Cumming, who referenced his presenting role on The Traitors US in a sketch with footage of him shown in the Scottish Highlands castle where the hit reality series takes place. On stage, Cumming also joked about his acting career, Facebook, and brought out a fake children's book about long speeches and who winners are supposed to thank. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
ITV News
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ITV News
Baby Reindeer and Mr Bates vs the Post Office take early Bafta wins
Baby Reindeer has snapped up an early Bafta win, with Jessica Gunning earning the best supporting actress prize for playing a stalker in the hit Netflix series as Ariyon Bakare picked up the corresponding male gong for Mr Loverman. The Netflix hit, said to be inspired by the real-life experiences of creator Richard Gadd, sees his character Donny being hounded by a woman called Martha, played by Gunning, after he serves her a free cup of tea in the pub where he works. Elsewhere, the Bafta for limited drama was awarded to ITV's Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, which has renewed public attention on the subpostmasters who fought to clear their names in the wake of the Horizon scandal. In the comedy performance categories former EastEnders star Danny Dyer won for Sky's Mr BigStuff, with Welsh actress Ruth Jones winning for her role playing Vanessa Shanessa 'Nessa' Jenkins in the Gavin And Stacey finale. Yorkshire-born Gunning beat her fellow Baby Reindeer star, trans actress Nava Mau, who played Donny's girlfriend Teri. On stage on Sunday at London's Royal Festival Hall, Gunning said: 'Hello, cheeky chops, gosh, thank you Bafta, wow', before joking that she used to pretend to be a dog in her garden. 'I sometimes do this kind of cheesy thing where I look back on the younger me and moments in my life, and I imagine the kind of then me, seeing me now, and think, 'little did we know',' she said. She said last year, her and Gadd were at the ceremony, and 'little did we know what the year had in store', while thanking him for changing 'her life'. Gunning has previously picked up an Emmy, Sag award and Golden Globe for playing Martha, whose interference in Donny's life makes his world unravel, as the show also dramatises the failing comedian character's other traumas. Baby Reindeer hit the headlines since being released on Netflix last year after a woman claiming to be the 'real' Martha came forward to bring a lawsuit against the streaming company. Picking up the best supporting actor prize was Ariyon Bakare for the BBC LGBT+ drama Mr Loverman, based on the Bernardine Evaristo novel of the same name. The programme follows Barrington Walker, played by Lennie James, as he contemplates leaving his wife for Bakare's character. Accepting the prize, Bakare said: 'This award stands on the shoulders of those who came before me, those who might have been afraid to come out, to be who they want to be.' Collecting the limited drama prize, Mr Bates producer Patrick Spence said that they would never have been able to make the show without ITV and the journalists who had covered the scandal. He said that people such as Sir Alan Bates 'demanded action with such rage' and that the airing of the drama proved the public 'cannot abide liars and bullies'. Mr Spence also said that 'maybe it is a warning' to others in power, adding: 'Our show didn't change the law, the people of this nation did that.' More than 900 subpostmasters were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after faulty Horizon accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their accounts. Toby Jones is nominated in the leading actor category for his role playing Sir Alan, a former subpostmaster and lead campaigner. Jones, co-creator of BBC series Gavin And Stacey, became emotional as she thanked her writing partner and friend James Corden as she picked up the female performance in a comedy gong. She said: 'The person I would like to thank most is my dear, dear, talented, lovely, kind, funny friend, James Corden with whom I have shared this astonishing journey for the past 17 years, and without whom, Nessa Shanessa Jenkins would simply not exist. I love you, James. I love writing with you. Long may it continue. Thank you so much.' The ceremony also saw BBC comedy series Alma's Not Normal, starring and created by Bolton actress Sophie Willan, win best scripted comedy for its second season, while The Jury: Murder Trial beat popular BBC series The Traitors to the Bafta reality prize. The BBC also won the sport award for its coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympics and an award in the live coverage category for Glastonbury Festival. The international Bafta was won by American historical drama Shogun while EastEnders picked up best soap. Best specialist factual went to BBC Two's Atomic People, which heard from those who witnessed the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Director Benedict Sanderson said: 'We hope the film is a reminder that nuclear warfare should never be an option again.' The factual series winner was To Catch A Copper, a Channel 4 series that unearthed cases of corrupt officers in Avon and Somerset Police. The ceremony was opened by host and Scottish actor Alan Cumming, who referenced his presenting role on The Traitors US in a sketch with footage of him shown in the Scottish Highlands castle where the hit reality series takes place. On stage, Cumming also joked about his acting career, Facebook, and brought a fake children's book about long speeches and who winners are supposed to thank. The Bafta TV Awards will air on BBC One at 7pm.
The Herald Scotland
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Baby Reindeer's Bafta win as Gunning earns best supporting award
Elsewhere, the Bafta for limited drama was awarded to ITV's Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, which has renewed public attention on the subpostmasters who fought to clear their names in the wake of the Horizon scandal. The best supporting actor prize went to Ariyon Bakare for the BBC LGBT+ drama Mr Loverman, based on the Bernardine Evaristo novel of the same name. In the comedy performance categories former EastEnders star Danny Dyer won for Sky's Mr Bigstuff, with Welsh actress Ruth Jones winning for her role playing Vanessa Shanessa "Nessa" Jenkins in the Gavin And Stacey finale. Yorkshire-born Gunning beat her fellow Baby Reindeer star, trans actress Nava Mau, who played Donny's girlfriend Teri. On stage on Sunday at London's Royal Festival Hall, Gunning said: "Hello, cheeky chops, gosh, thank you Bafta, wow", before joking that she used to pretend to be a dog in her garden. "I sometimes do this kind of cheesy thing where I look back on the younger me and moments in my life, and I imagine the kind of then me, seeing me now, and think, 'little did we know'," she said. She said last year, her and Gadd were at the ceremony, and "little did we know what the year had in store", while thanking him for changing "her life". Gunning has previously picked up an Emmy, Sag award and Golden Globe for playing Martha, whose interference in Donny's life makes his world unravel, as the show also dramatises the failing comedian character's other traumas. Baby Reindeer hit the headlines after it was released on Netflix last year when a woman, claiming to be the "real" Martha, came forward to bring a lawsuit against the streaming company. Mr Loverman follows Barrington Walker, played by Lennie James, as he contemplates leaving his wife for Bakare's character. Accepting the best supporting actor prize, Bakare said: "This award stands on the shoulders of those who came before me, those who might have been afraid to come out, to be who they want to be." Collecting the limited drama prize, Mr Bates producer Patrick Spence said that they would never have been able to make the show without ITV and the journalists who had covered the scandal. He said that people such as Sir Alan Bates "demanded action with such rage" and that the airing of the drama proved the public "cannot abide liars and bullies". Mr Spence also said that "maybe it is a warning" to others in power, adding: "Our show didn't change the law, the people of this nation did that." More than 900 subpostmasters were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after faulty Horizon accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their accounts. Ruth Jones, co-creator of BBC series Gavin And Stacey, became emotional as she thanked her writing partner and friend James Corden as she picked up the female performance in a comedy gong. (Image: PA) She said: "The person I would like to thank most is my dear, dear, talented, lovely, kind, funny friend, James Corden with whom I have shared this astonishing journey for the past 17 years, and without whom, Nessa Shanessa Jenkins would simply not exist. I love you, James. I love writing with you. Long may it continue. Thank you so much." The ceremony also saw BBC comedy series Alma's Not Normal, starring and created by Bolton actress Sophie Willan, win best scripted comedy for its second season, while The Jury: Murder Trial beat popular BBC series The Traitors to the Bafta reality prize. The BBC also won the sport award for its coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympics and an award in the live coverage category for Glastonbury Festival. Best specialist factual went to BBC Two's Atomic People, which heard from those who witnessed the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Director Benedict Sanderson said: "We hope the film is a reminder that nuclear warfare should never be an option again." The factual series winner was To Catch A Copper, a Channel 4 series that unearthed cases of corrupt officers in Avon and Somerset Police. READ MORE: BBC's Ukraine: Enemy In The Woods, which follows Ukrainian soldiers fighting against Russia, won best single documentary while the current affairs gong went to State Of Rage, about Palestinian and Israeli families in the West Bank, from Channel 4. BBC Breakfast: Post Office Special scoped up the news coverage award for the programme which saw former sub-postmasters share their stories. The international Bafta was won by American historical drama Shogun while EastEnders picked up best soap. The ceremony was opened by host and Scottish actor Alan Cumming, who referenced his presenting role on The Traitors US in a sketch with footage of him shown in the Scottish Highlands castle where the hit reality series takes place. On stage, Cumming also joked about his acting career, Facebook, and brought out a fake children's book about long speeches and who winners are supposed to thank.
