Latest news with #Ivan
Sky News AU
8 hours ago
- 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.
Edinburgh Reporter
5 days ago
- Sport
- Edinburgh Reporter
City businessman backs football shirt giveaway
The club has produced a unique kit for this season to mark the 50th anniversary of winning the Highland League title for the only time and as part of the celebrations, every P3 pupil across Nairnshire is to be given a top. Pupils going into primary three in August from Millbank, Rosebank, Auldearn, Cawdor, Ardersier and Croy primary schools will become the proud owners of the jersey which recalls the club's finest hour since its formation in 1909 with the names of the victorious squad included on the front. The initiative is rooted in the message of the club's 'Past, Present and Future' shirt campaign, honouring the iconic 1975/76 title-winning squad, being proud of today's squad, and looking forward to the next generation of County players and supporters. The delivery of the project has been made possible by the generous support of club partner, Edinburgh-based solicitors and estate agents Ralph Sayer, whose owner Ivan Ralph is a life-long Wee County fan having grown up in the town before leaving for university. Having seen his boyhood heroes lift the title as a youngster, Ivan was delighted to help bring the idea to fruition. 'County have always retained a special place in my heart and I am delighted to help with this initiative as the club marks the 50th anniversary of becoming Highland League champions,' said Ivan. 'I was actually in Primary 3 myself when I went with my dad to see Nairn win the title in a play-off against Fraserburgh and remember the occasion well. I went on to be a ball boy at Station Park and that coincided with the likes of Bryan Gunn, Eric Black and John McGinley, who all went on to become big-name players, being at Station Park. 'It's a great way to help encourage the next generation of supporters of Nairn County and we're all looking forward to seeing the kids come along to the matches this season proudly wearing the special tops.' Explaining the inspiration behind the giveaway, chairman Kevin Reid said: 'We wanted to do something truly meaningful to celebrate this milestone. We wanted something that brings the community into the heart of the club's history. Research shows that around Primary Three age is when many children start to form lifelong loyalties in football. 'We don't expect Nairn County to be every child's first team, but we'd love to be their second. More than that, we want them to feel part of their local club and to become regular faces at Station Park for years to come.' Pic shows Theo Chemonges-Murzynowski from the Nairn County Community Football Programme in the new kit. Like this: Like Related
Euronews
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
One killed, dozens injured after Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities
A ten-year-old boy was killed and dozens injured after Russian strikes hit multiple Ukrainian cities overnight into Tuesday, ahead of talks between the two countries scheduled for Wednesday. In the early hours of Tuesday morning, a Russian FAB-250 aerial bomb struck a residential apartment building in Kramatorsk. The strike killed a 10-year-old boy, and injured at least eight civilians. Additional Russian drones damaged garages, houses, vehicles and an industrial area in the wider Donetsk region, hitting at least nine settlements overall in the barrage. Apartment buildings, a kindergarten, private garages, cars, and parts of an industrial zone were also damaged. The Black Sea port city of Odesa was targeted by more than ten drones overnight, according to the Southern Air Command. The strike damaged civilian infrastructure, including administrative building, vehicles and public facilities. In one impacted district, several cars caught fire in a parking lot near a multi-storey building which saw its windows blown out due to the blast. More than 30 cars were damaged in the attack, as well as a building housing a gym. The gym's owner, Ivan, said not a single window had survived the blast. "The security guard who was in the gazebo near the blast site is safe and unharmed. My cat has lived here since the beginning — he was rescued around 3 am, there was smoke, but they carried him out. I'm glad he's alive and no one was hurt — that's the most important thing. Everything else we'll rebuild and keep working," Ivan said. State Emergency Services in the Odesa region said that a 41-year-old woman sustained a head injury in the blast and was later hospitalised. In the north-eastern city of Sumy, a strike hit residential buildings and vehicles, injuring at least twelve people. The most severe damage in the city was reported at an apartment building on Peremohy Avenue, where five apartment blocks and 18 vehicles were damaged according to the Ukrainian State Emergency Services. A humanitarian NGO operating near the building stepped in to help residents, providing psychological support and advice for claiming property damage compensation. The Russian strikes come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in his evening address on Monday that there would be another round of talks between Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday. Two previous rounds of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have resulted in large scale prisoner swaps, but little concrete progress on ending the war. US President Donald Trump has been putting further pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has evaded agreeing to a US-backed ceasefire proposal and continued to ramp up long-range attacks on Ukrainian towns and cities.
Los Angeles Times
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Oleksandr Usyk knocks out Daniel Dubois to become undisputed world heavyweight champion
LONDON — Oleksandr Usyk disagreed with the idea that he's become one of boxing's all-time greats, but the evidence is mounting after his fifth-round knockout of Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium on Saturday. The victory, sealed with a crunching left hook to Dubois' jaw, made Usyk the undisputed world heavyweight champion for a second time. The undefeated southpaw retained his WBA, WBC and WBO belts and regained the IBF belt he relinquished just over a year ago. The bad news for opponents — especially the British ones that he keeps beating — is that the 38-year-old Ukrainian has no plans to stop anytime soon. He said he's still a 'young guy' and named Tyson Fury, Derek Chisora, Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker as possible next foes. Jake Paul threw his own hat in the ring. 'I will continue boxing and I will continue training, but now I cannot say who my next opponent will be,' Usyk said at his press conference. 'I prepared 3 1/2 months, I've not seen my family, my wife. Every day I live with my team — 14 guys in one house. Now I want to go back home.' Usyk dropped Dubois twice in the fifth — the second time with a lunging left hook midway through the round after Dubois missed with a right. The London native looked stunned on the canvas and couldn't beat the count before about 90,000 spectators at Wembley. Usyk, best known as a slick tactician rather than a power puncher, certainly answered questions about his age and whether he'd slow down. He said that hook is called an 'Ivan.' 'Ivan is like a big guy who lives in [the] village and work in (a) farm... it's a hard, hard punch,' Usyk said. Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) beat Dubois for the second time in under two years and this time there was no low-blow drama. It was a ninth-round stoppage in Poland with, of all things, a straight jab. But the finishing shot Saturday was a no-doubter. Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs) joined British countrymen Fury and Joshua in having lost twice to Usyk, who was an undisputed world champion as a cruiserweight before he moved up in weight six years ago. The 27-year-old Dubois' last fight — also at Wembley — had been a stunning knockout of Joshua last September. He couldn't muster the same magic, telling DAZN: 'I gave everything I had. Take no credit away from that man, I'll be back.' The Briton gave a better showing than two years ago, when Usyk peppered him with jabs and won almost every round. Between the fourth and fifth rounds Saturday, Dubois' corner was urging him to use a double jab but there was not time to carry out the orders as Usyk ended it shortly thereafter. Dubois was hoping to become the first British heavyweight to hold every major belt since Lennox Lewis just over 25 years ago. Dubois had inherited the IBF title that Usyk vacated last year when the Ukrainian chose to focus on his rematch with Fury. Usyk said flatly 'No' in response to whether he thinks he's one of the sport's all-time greats. He said he's just disciplined. 'I don't have motivation, I have discipline. Motivation is temporary,' he said. Usyk said Britain has been like a 'second home' to him. He won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. He dethroned Joshua at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2021. 'I'm very grateful for this country. Thank you so much, you're the best,' he said. In 2008 in Liverpool, Usyk was crowned European amateur champion in the light heavyweight category. In his last fight at the cruiserweight level, Usyk knocked out Liverpool's Tony Bellew in Manchester. He remains undefeated as a professional and hasn't lost any bout in 16 years. Unsurprisingly, Paul had his share of the spotlight Saturday. He was loudly booed during his entrance to the stadium — shown on the big screens. The YouTuber-turned-boxer told DAZN that a fight against Joshua is 'going to happen,' possibly at Wembley. After the ring cleared out, Paul and Usyk engaged in a brief 'stare down.' Paul posted a message on his social media accounts: 'Congrats to one of the greatest heavyweights of all time... I respect you a lot. Now we do an MMA match for the world.' He added: 'First AJ then OU. Book it.' Frank Bruno was among the VIPs. The London native won the WBC heavyweight belt 30 years ago at the old Wembley Stadium when he beat Oliver McCall. He was knocked out by Mike Tyson six months later. Usyk entered the stadium with an 'Eeyore' stuffed donkey from the 'Winnie the Pooh' books tucked into his jumpsuit. He brought it to past fights as well, apparently given to him by his daughter. Maguire writes for the Associated Press. AP boxing:
Daily Mirror
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Oleksandr Usyk reveals his name for punch which knocked out Daniel Dubois
Oleksandr Usyk took the IBF belt off Daniel Dubois with a devastating knockout at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night - and the Ukrainian said he owed it all to "Ivan" Daniel Dubois was on the receiving end of "Ivan" at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night. Oleksandr Usyk knocked Dubois out to become the three-time undisputed heavyweight champion. Dubois, 27, suffered his third career defeat - and his second against Usyk - as he surrendered the IBF heavyweight crown to the Ukrainian. Usyk claimed the 24th win of his glittering career and his seventh consecutive triumph over British fighters. He reclaimed the IBF title to add to his WBA, WBO, and WBC belts - and said he owed it all to Ivan. 'Listen, we prepare for this fight with my team. We learn from first fight, we have a long time, two years, and we prepare a combination. You know the punch is named 'Ivan',' Usyk revealed. 'Left hook? A hook is like this (gesture), that is Ivan. It is Ukrainian name. Ivan is you know a big guy, who lives in a village, he is Kozak, you say, 'what is your name?' And he says, 'my name is Ivan,'. 'Yeah, it is a hard, hard punch, Ivan. It is a long time. Maybe first time is 2018? Yeah, first time. It was USA in cruiserweight. 'Now I want to go back home, now I want to do a choice over what next. I will continue in boxing, I will continue in training, but now I cannot say who next.' Asked if he thought of himself as one of the best of all time, Usyk replied: 'Ha, no. For me, UK is like a second home because this I take all my trophy. European (amateur) champion (in Liverpool), London 2012, Tony Bellew, Dereck Chisora, Anthony Joshua, three-time undisputed Dubois, I am very grateful for this country.' Dubois said: 'I have to commend him on his performance. I gave everything I had, probably a few things I could have sharpened up on, but take no credit away from the man. 'I was just fighting, I was in a fight and trying to pick up round by round. It is what it is, but I'll be back. I want to thank everyone for coming out. I gave my best, we'll go back to the drawing board and come again.' Dubois' promoter, Frank Warren, lavished praise on Usyk, saying: 'We witnessed one of the true modern-day legends tonight in action. Oleksandr Usyk for me is a heavyweight in any generation that would be an outstanding fighter. "I take my hat off to him in how he coped, how he showed such mental resilience in someone's back yard, he is something special. He is a special fighter. Daniel is obviously very disappointed, he is in the dressing room at the moment but he will come back.'
