All three white men charged in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, a black man killed while jogging, were found guilty on Wednesday.
Arbery's killing became part of a larger national reckoning in the US on racial injustice after the graphic video of his death circulated online.
Travis McMichael, the man who pulled the trigger, was found guilty on all nine counts including malice murder.
His father, Gregory McMichael, was found guilty on four counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit a felony.
William "Roddie" Bryan, their neighbour, was found guilty on three counts of felony murder, one count of aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit a felony.
All three men face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
The Department of Justice has also charged the men with federal hate crimes.
Outside the courthouse, civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton stood flanked by Arbery’s parents where he began by thanking the lawyers, prosecutors and the activists who showed up and marched.
“Let us thank the activists that you all called the mob that marched and stood up,” said Rev Sharpton.
“This one will go down in history as the one that proved that if you hang on, that justice can come. Let the word go out all over the world that a jury of 11 whites and one black come out in the Deep South, go up into court and say that black lives do matter.”
Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, said her son can finally rest in peace.
“I thought this day would never come, but God is good. You all know him as Ahmaud but I call him Quez … Now Quez can rest in peace," she said.
Ms Cooper-Jones looked up and appeared to say a silent prayer as Judge Timothy Walmsley read out the verdicts on Wednesday afternoon.
“I thought this day would never come, but God is good. You all know him as Ahmaud but I call him Quez … Now Quez can rest in peace
Wanda Cooper-Jones,
Ahmaud Arbery's mother
As the first guilty verdict was read aloud, she sobbed aloud.
Her head sank on to her chest as she wept, with Rev Sharpton gripping her hand. Marcus Arbery, Ahmaud's father, leapt up and cheered.
Sheriff's deputies came over and told him he had to leave.
"It's been a long time coming," Mr Arbery said as he left.
In a statement, President Joe Biden said that the US still has work to do to commit itself to racial justice.
"Ahmaud Arbery’s killing – witnessed by the world on video – is a devastating reminder of how far we have to go in the fight for racial justice in this country," Mr Biden said.
"While the guilty verdicts reflect our justice system doing its job, that alone is not enough. Instead, we must recommit ourselves to building a future of unity and shared strength, where no one fears violence because of the colour of their skin."
Prominent civil rights lawyer Ben Crump said Arbery's family "finally has some justice".
"Nothing will bring back Ahmaud, but his family will have some peace knowing that the man who killed him will remain behind bars and can never inflict their brand of evil on another innocent soul," Mr Crump said in a statement.
During the trial, defence laywer Kevin Gough strenuously objected to the presence of Rev Sharpton, Rev Jesse Jackson and Martin Luther King III, whom Mr Gough misidentified as Martin Luther King Jr, his deceased father.
He also tried and failed to prevent "high-profile African Americans" from sitting with Ms Cooper-Jones.
"We don't want any more black pastors coming in here," Mr Gough said.
That same day, he questioned what would happen "if a bunch of folks came in here dressed like Colonel Sanders with white masks sitting in the back" — apparently equating African-American civil rights and faith leaders to the Ku Klux Klan. The judge admonished the remark as "reprehensible".
Defence lawyers argued the McMichaels were performing a legal citizen's arrest when they went after Arbery, seeking to detain and question him as a suspected burglar after he was seen running from a nearby home under construction.
The younger McMichael argued that he had acted in self-defence, saying the jogger attacked him with fists and tried to take his gun.
Bryan joined the pursuit in his own pickup and recorded cellphone video of Travis McMichael fatally shooting Arbery.
Prosecutors argued that the defendants could not claim self-defence since they initiated contact while committing a string of felonies against Arbery.
Agencies contributed to this report
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
Specs
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Winner: Kidd Malibu, Sandro Paiva, Musabah Al Muhairi
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Race 3
Produced: Salman Khan Films and Tips Films
Director: Remo D’Souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Salem
Rating: 2.5 stars
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UAE v Zimbabwe A
Results
Match 1 – UAE won by 4 wickets
Match 2 – UAE won by 5 wickets
Match 3 – UAE won by 25 runs
Match 4 – UAE won by 77 runs
Fixture
Match 5, Saturday, 9.30am start, ICC Academy, Dubai
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
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THE SPECS
Engine: AMG-enhanced 3.0L inline-6 turbo with EQ Boost and electric auxiliary compressor
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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