Celebrities react after Derek Chauvin found guilty of George Floyd's murder: 'Today, a jury did the right thing'


Farah Andrews
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Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was on Tuesday convicted of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. In the hours after the verdict was announced, a number of celebrities took to social media to react to the news and pay tribute to Floyd, who died after Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes.

A number of actors, politicians, artists, academics and musicians have spoken out about the verdict, including Barack Obama, Viola Davis and Amanda Gorman.

"A reminder that victory would be George Floyd being alive. Every day Black Americans worry if they will be next is another day without justice," wrote poet Gorman on Twitter.

Blackish actress Yara Shahidi shared a photo of Floyd's daughter, Gianna Floyd, holding a photo of herself with her late father.

Shahidi captioned the photo: "This is a moment of accountability, still we pursue justice as nothing will make up for the loss of light & life, except the reimagination and abolition of the systems which target us #RestInPower #GeorgeFloyd."

Former president Barack Obama issued a statement with Michelle Obama saying: "Today, a jury in Minneapolis did the right thing ... But if we're being honest with ourselves, we know that true justice is about much more than a single verdict in a single trial."

American artist Nikkolas Smith posted a portrait of Floyd on Instagram, which is being widely shared on the platform.

Smith also shared his thoughts in the caption: "While there can never be a perfect level of justice given in response to Big Floyd's life being taken, I hope his family finds some form of peace in this verdict."

Actress Whoopi Goldberg wrote that "no one wins ... George Floyd is still gone [but] finally someone was responsible."

Research professor Brene Brown wrote: "We still have so far to go. I am grateful for this verdict and devastated that George Floyd is not here today."

Captain America star Chris Evans simply wrote: "Justice. Sending love to George Floyd's family and friends."

Hair Love filmmaker Matthew A Cherry said of Floyd: "We remember your name."

Scandal star Kerry Washington wrote: "This fight for justice is not over. We have a lot of work to do. There is more fight ahead of us. But right now please take care of yourself. And let's take care of each other."

Bernice King, the youngest child of Martin Luther King Jr, wrote: "The moral arc of the universe is long, but today it bent toward justice thanks to the millions of people under the banner of #BlackLivesMatter standing up, speaking up and not letting up for humanity."

Meena Harris, the author and lawyer niece of Vice President Kamala Harris wrote: "Rest in power, George Floyd."

Actress Viola Davis shared Nikkolas Smith's portrait of Floyd and wrote: "You and your family have been vindicated."

Taking to Twitter, singer Ciara said she was "in tears", and added of Floyd: "May your legacy live on forever."

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Read more: 

Guilty on all counts: Derek Chauvin convicted in George Floyd's death

Members of Congress, civil rights leaders and others respond to guilty verdict in George Floyd murder

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Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?

The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.

The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.

He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.

He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.

He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.

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COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Lamsa

Founder: Badr Ward

Launched: 2014

Employees: 60

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: EdTech

Funding to date: $15 million

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Director: Jafar Panahi

Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr

Rating: 4/5

Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
​​​​​​​Penguin Press

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

Name: Peter Dicce

Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics

Favourite sport: soccer

Favourite team: Bayern Munich

Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer

Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates 

 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Pros%20and%20cons%20of%20BNPL
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Russia's Muslim Heartlands

Dominic Rubin, Oxford

Cases of coronavirus in the GCC as of March 15

Saudi Arabia – 103 infected, 0 dead, 1 recovered

UAE – 86 infected, 0 dead, 23 recovered

Bahrain – 210 infected, 0 dead, 44 recovered

Kuwait – 104 infected, 0 dead, 5 recovered

Qatar – 337 infected, 0 dead, 4 recovered

Oman – 19 infected, 0 dead, 9 recovered

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

Coffee: black death or elixir of life?

It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?

Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.

The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.

The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.

Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver. 

The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.

But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.

Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.

It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.

So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.

Rory Reynolds

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From Conquest to Deportation

Jeronim Perovic, Hurst

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Afghanistan squad

Gulbadin Naib (captain), Mohammad Shahzad (wicketkeeper), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

A%20QUIET%20PLACE
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Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

Fifa Club World Cup quarter-final

Kashima Antlers 3 (Nagaki 49’, Serginho 69’, Abe 84’)
Guadalajara 2 (Zaldivar 03’, Pulido 90')

EA Sports FC 26

Publisher: EA Sports

Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S

Rating: 3/5