KIEV: A Ukrainian women’s rights activist stripped to the waist and seized the Euro-2012 soccer trophy while it was on public display in Kiev on Saturday in a protest against the forthcoming month-long championship.
The young woman, 23-year-old Yulia Kovpachik, is a member of the Kiev-based Femen women’s rights group, which believes
the Euro-2012 soccer tournament being played in Ukraine next month will encourage sex tourism.
Kovpachik strode up to the silver trophy, which was on display as a tourist attraction in an open air exhibition in central Kiev, ostensibly to be photographed alongside it like hundreds of other sightseers.
But she then pulled down her red T-shirt to reveal the words ‘*@#^ Euro 2012’ scrawled on her torso. As she grabbed hold of the cup with both hands, she was seized by security guards. They covered her with a sheet and took her off to a waiting police car.
Femen regularly stages bare-breast protests to highlight what it sees as political injustice, social abuse and exploitation of women in Ukraine. Femen says Euro-2012, which Ukraine is co-hosting with Poland next month will be a magnet for sex tourists and feed a booming sex industry.
Ex-teacher charged with stealing moneyHAMILTON: A former high school teacher in southwest Ohio has been charged with
stealing money meant for a school prom in a cash-strapped district.The district says a teacher on the Lakota East High School
prom committee apparently urged students to pay her directly, instead of following the ticket sale process. The Butler County sheriff’s office says the 45-year-old woman has been charged with misdemeanour theft.
The office received a report that the woman sold tickets for the April prom but failed to turn in the money. Some students complained about having trouble getting admission to the April dance.
The district says USD 800 was missing, and a relative has paid USD 160 of that.