At least seven people died including a six-year-old girl and 90 others were injured after a Russian missile strike hit a central square in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, Ukrainian officials said.

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The largest and oldest civil rights organisation in the United States has issued a formal advisory warning travelers to Florida that the state is “openly hostile” towards Black people, people of colour and LGBT+ people. An advisory issued by the NAACP on 20 May comes as a response to a series of laws signed by Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis targeting classroom instruction around race and racism, gender and sexuality, and bills and administration policy aimed at LGBT+ people. “Let me be clear – failing to teach an accurate representation of the horrors and inequalities that Black Americans have faced and continue to face is a disservice to students and a dereliction of duty to all,” NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement. “Under the leadership of Governor Desantis, the state of Florida has become hostile to Black Americans and in direct conflict with the democratic ideals that our union was founded upon,” he added. “He should know that democracy will prevail because its defenders are prepared to stand up and fight. We’re not backing down, and we encourage our allies to join us in the battle for the soul of our nation.” The advisory states that “due to this sustained, blatant, relentless and systemic attack on democracy and civil rights, the NAACP hereby issues a travel advisory to African Americans, and other people of color regarding the hostility towards African Americans in Florida.” On 17 May, Gov DeSantis approved a slate of bills that restrict gender-affirming care for minors, threaten drag shows, forbid people from using bathrooms that match their gender identity, and prevent people from using their chosen pronouns at schools. The legislation also follows administration policy targeting affirming healthcare for trans youth, over the objections of major health organisations and LGBT+ advocates. Mr DeSantis also recently expanded a measure labelled by opponents as the “Don’t Say Gay” law prohibiting classroom instruction on issues related to gender and sexuality, which critics argue will have a chilling effect on LGBT+ people in schools as part of an effort to erase LGBT+ people from public life. Mr DeSantis, who is reportedly preparing to launch his campaign for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, also has spearheaded a series of measures around honest discussions of race and racism in schools, including a law that blocks public spending on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Florida also is at the centre of a nationwide trend of challenges against books and materials in libraries and schools. This week, Penguin Random House and several prominent authors and families filed a federal lawsuit against a school district where activists have challenged dozens of books, largely involving or written by people of colour or LGBT+ people. In April, advocacy group Equality Florida issued a similar travel advisory that warned that the state may “not be a safe place to visit or take up residence”. “As an organization that has spent decades working to improve Florida’s reputation as a welcoming and inclusive place to live work and visit, it is with great sadness that we must respond to those asking if it is safe to travel to Florida or remain in the state as the laws strip away basic rights and freedoms,” according to a statement from Nadine Smith, Equality Florida’s executive director. The Independent has requested comment from the governor’s office. Read More Disney cancels $1bn Florida theme park extension amid war with DeSantis Penguin Random House sues Florida school district over ‘unconstitutional’ book bans DeSantis v Disney: Why Florida’s governor is at war with the Mouse

When it comes to sex and romance TV and film, Gen Z has had enough of it, according to new research. The ‘Teens and Screens’ study from UCLA collected responses from 1,500 Zoomers aged between 10-24 who believe there is too much of a focus on romantic relationships - 47.5 per cent to be exact. In fact, over half (51.5 per cent) of those surveyed said that they would like to see more platonic relationships being depicted on screen. Meanwhile, many (39 per cent) would like to see asexual relationships being represented in media. “We know that young people are suffering an epidemic of loneliness and they’re seeking modeling in the art they consume," Dr. Yalda T. Uhls, founder and director of CSS and co-author of the study said. "While some storytellers use sex and romance as a shortcut to character connection, it’s important for Hollywood to recognize that adolescents want stories that reflect the full spectrum of relationships." Uhls also referenced the fact that young people nowadays are having less sex than their parents did at their age. Stephanie Rivas-Lara, CSS youth engagement manager and a first author on the study (and a fellow Zoomer) provided some context as to why her generation are seeking friendship over romance in their entertainment. “As a member of gen Z myself, I wasn’t surprised by some of what we’re seeing this year,” Rivas-Lara told IndieWire. “There has been a wide-ranging discourse among young people about the meaning of community in the aftermath of Covid and the isolation that came with it. She added: "Adolescents are looking to media as a ‘third place’ where they can connect and have a sense of belonging – and with frightening headlines about climate change, pandemics and global destabilization, it makes sense they are gravitating towards what’s most familiar in those spaces.” Meanwhile in the battle between old and new, 56 per cent of respondents said they prefer original content over franchises, remakes or adaptations. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen plans to visit Beijing in early July for the first high-level economic talks

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