Will Smith was always going to be able to keep his Oscar. Or at least that's what Whoopi Goldberg predicted not so long ago on the talk show The View.
“He’ll be fine, he’ll be back. No worries,” she's said.
When people such as Harvey Weinstein and Roman Polanski have kept hold of their Oscars, Goldberg has a point. It was perhaps never in question that Smith would lose his.
Smith got the coveted gong for Best Actor, for his role in King Richard, about 30 minutes after he slapped comedian Chris Rock live on stage during the 94th Academy Awards.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences faced backlash as it failed to act during the live telecast, allowing Smith to simply saunter back to his seat and then even pick up his prize, make a speech and frivolously attend after-parties unscathed.
On Friday, however, Smith, who has since apologised for his actions and resigned from the academy, was banned from attending the Oscars for 10 years.
'Harsher than I imagined'
Some people think this punishment fits the crime, while others believe it was going overboard.
“He’s not going to be able to present next year, and I think hurray for that," academy member Carol Connors told The Hollywood Reporter. "I don’t think he should be allowed on the academy stage. What he did on the world stage was unacceptable."
Fellow academy member Stephen Potter, however, said: “I have to say I’m surprised at the academy’s formal response of a 10-year ban on Mr Smith, which is harsher than I imagined it would be. Ten years is quite a long time and it’s possible this incident will mostly be forgotten before this term concludes."
On the other hand, some believe it didn't go far enough, particularly as Smith can still be nominated for Oscars going forward.
"So to be clear, Will Smith can still be nominated and win an Oscar, he just can't go to the show or Oscar-related events. Makes sense," wrote reporter Joe Flint on Twitter.
Racially motivated?
Some critics believe the move was racially motivated, citing inappropriate behaviour by white peers that have gone unpunished. This includes Oscar winner Adrien Brody who kissed presenter Halle Berry in 2003 and Jim Carrey, who has publicly denounced Smith's behaviour but who also made advances on a resistant Alicia Silverstone at the 1997 MTV Movie Awards.
“The ten-year ban they gave Will Smith feels very ‘make a lesson of this black person,’” tweeted author Frederick Joseph.
"How long are Harvey Weinstein and Mel Gibson banned for?" he wrote in another tweet, while Twitter user Somari agreed, saying "this is 100% racially motivated".
"They were ok with Harvey Weinstein for how long?" wrote someone on Reddit. “What they mean is that they don’t like PUBLIC assaults.”
“Crazy how the Oscars have allowed racism and harassment to happen with no consequences, but they choose to ban Will for TEN YEARS all over a slap?" wrote another user.
Even controversial British media figure Piers Morgan agrees. "Will Smith banned by the Hollywood Academy, 12 days after he slapped Chris Rock," he wrote on Twitter after the announcement. "It took the same academy 40 years to ban Roman Polanski after he was convicted of raping a child."
'The academy dropped the ball'
Others joked how, with Oscars viewership and interest in steep decline, it's not much of a punishment anyway.
“A harsher punishment would have been mandatory attendance for 10 years,” wrote Scandal star Joshua Malina.
For many, the new sentence can't make up for the fact no one took action during the event.
“The academy dropped the ball by not taking action when it happened," academy member Larry Gleason told The Hollywood Reporter. "This after-the-fact punishment is like the old saying, 'Closing the barn door…' Too late and too little. After the La La Land fiasco, you would have thought they would have handled it better. Sad event for all concerned.”
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
Quick facts on cancer
- Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular diseases
- About one in five men and one in six women will develop cancer in their lifetime
- By 2040, global cancer cases are on track to reach 30 million
- 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries
- This rate is expected to increase to 75 per cent by 2030
- At least one third of common cancers are preventable
- Genetic mutations play a role in 5 per cent to 10 per cent of cancers
- Up to 3.7 million lives could be saved annually by implementing the right health
strategies
- The total annual economic cost of cancer is $1.16 trillion
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Western Clubs Champions League:
- Friday, Sep 8 - Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Bahrain
- Friday, Sep 15 – Kandy v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
- Friday, Sep 22 – Kandy v Bahrain
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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More on Palestine-Israeli relations
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
Dubai Rugby Sevens, December 5 -7
World Sevens Series Pools
A – Fiji, France, Argentina, Japan
B – United States, Australia, Scotland, Ireland
C – New Zealand, Samoa, Canada, Wales
D – South Africa, England, Spain, Kenya
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa, Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammad Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoon Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Stamp duty timeline
December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%
April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.
July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.
March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.
April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday, February 8 v Kenya; Friday, February 9 v Canada; Sunday, February 11 v Nepal; Monday, February 12 v Oman; Wednesday, February 14 v Namibia; Thursday, February 15 final
More from Aya Iskandarani
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
How it works
A $10 hand-powered LED light and battery bank
Device is operated by hand cranking it at any time during the day or night
The charge is stored inside a battery
The ratio is that for every minute you crank, it provides 10 minutes light on the brightest mode
A full hand wound charge is of 16.5minutes
This gives 1.1 hours of light on high mode or 2.5 hours of light on low mode
When more light is needed, it can be recharged by winding again
The larger version costs between $18-20 and generates more than 15 hours of light with a 45-minute charge
No limit on how many times you can charge
