The former Atlanta police officer who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks can be free on bail while his case is pending, a judge ruled on Tuesday.
Fulton County Judge Jane Barwick set bail of $500,000 (Dh1.8m) for Garrett Rolfe, who faces charges including felony murder in the killing of Brooks, a 27-year-old black man. The shooting by the white officer happened against the backdrop of demonstrations nationwide over police brutality and systemic racism.
Appearing via teleconference because of the coronavirus, lawyers for Mr Rolfe argued that he is a native Georgian with strong ties to the community who is not at risk of fleeing or failing to show up for court, and is not a danger to the community.
A prosecutor argued that Mr Rolfe, 27, had committed an unjustified fatal shooting and was a flight risk and might intimidate witnesses.
Brooks's wife, Tomika Miller, sobbed throughout an emotional plea to the judge, asking her not to grant bail.
“I say no to it,” she said. “I say no because, mentally, I’m not able to handle it.”
The judge thanked Ms Miller, noting that her appearance required a lot of bravery, but said she found that Mr Rolfe met the conditions required for bail. The judge said he “is not a flight risk and I do not believe he is a danger to the community”.
The conditions of his bail include wearing an ankle monitor, complying with a curfew, surrendering his passport, not possessing any guns and having no contact with victims, witnesses or Atlanta police officers.
New York
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Tuesday that he and lawmakers had agreed on a $1-billion (Dh3.67bn) shift in the city budget, as New York grapples with multibillion-dollar losses because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The city council met on Tuesday, with a midnight deadline to pass a budget before the fiscal year that begins on Wednesday.
Protesters want money moved from policing to community and social programmes, saying the shift would advance racial justice and curb a police force that the activists say has been given too much power.
The cuts would come from cancelling the next police recruiting class of nearly 1,200 new officers, slashing overtime spending, redeploying officers from administrative functions to sustain patrol levels and moving responsibility for school crossing guards and some homeless outreach from police to other city agencies.
Money would go instead to education, social services in communities hit hard by the virus, and summer youth programming for more than 100,000 young people.
The bulk of the cuts are being made to the city police department’s capital budget, including cancelling plans to build a new police precinct in Jamaica, Queens, and instead using the money to build a community centre nearby.
The city is also planning to shift some police capital funding to install broadband internet in public housing complexes.
“This is real redistribution. This is taking resources and putting them where they’re needed most with a particular focus on our young people,” Mr de Blasio said.
The NYPD budget is now about $6bn, plus several billion dollars more in shared city expenses such as pensions.
Adidas
The head of human resources at Adidas stepped down after a group of black employees called for an investigation over her handling of racism at the company, which she had described last year as "noise" only discussed in America.
The German sportswear company said Karen Parkin was leaving Adidas after 23 years in mutual agreement with the supervisory board, effective June 30.
Chief executive Kasper Rorsted is taking over her role on an interim basis.
"It has become clear to me that to unify the organisation it would be better for me to retire and pave the way for change," said Ms Parkin, 55.
Earlier this month, Adidas rebuffed criticism from a group of employees that asked the supervisory board to investigate Ms Parkin's approach to racial issues, noting that she had apologised and was working on the diversity issue.
Ms Parkin was appointed to the Adidas executive board in 2017, the first woman to join the company's top leadership since 1993. Her departure leaves five white men at the helm of the German company.
Adidas has admitted that it has not given enough credit in the past to the many prominent black athletes and celebrities – like James Harden and Kanye West – as well as black employees and consumers who have helped make it successful.
It made a series of commitments this month, including that black and Latino people will fill at least 30 per cent of all new US jobs, with a target for them to make up 12 per cent of US leadership positions by 2025.
This week, Adidas and its Reebok subsidiary joined the growing number of companies boycotting social-media advertising on Facebook and Instagram.
"Racist, discriminatory, and hateful online content have no place in our brand or in society," the company said.
Colorado
Several police officers in suburban Denver have been placed on paid leave during an investigation into photos that were taken near a memorial for Elijah McClain, who died last summer after three white officers stopped the black man as he walked down the street and one put him in a chokehold.
The interim police chief of the city of Aurora, Vanessa Wilson, said on Monday night that the suspended officers were "depicted in photographs near the site where Elijah McClain died". She did not provide more details about what the images show or how many officers were on leave.
The photos reportedly involve officers re-enacting the restraint that preceded McClain's death.
The two photos were taken near where police stopped the 23-year-old McClain on August 24, 2019, as they responded to a report of a suspicious person walking down the street wearing a face mask.
An officer reported the photos to the department's internal affairs division Thursday. Ms Wilson said she learnt of the investigation that day and ordered investigators to make it their top priority.
McClain’s death generated new attention after the death of George Floyd stirred worldwide protests over racial injustice and police brutality.
In McClain's case, police body-camera video shows an Aurora officer getting out of his car, approaching Mr McClain and saying: "Stop right there. Stop. Stop … I have a right to stop you because you're being suspicious."
As other officers join to restrain McClain, he begs them to let go and says: "You guys started to arrest me, and I was stopping my music to listen."
Aurora police said McClain refused to stop walking and fought back when officers tried to take him into custody. The officers used a chokehold – a tactic recently banned in several places after Floyd's death.
In the video, McClain tells officers: "Let go of me. I am an introvert. Please respect the boundaries that I am speaking."
Paramedics administered 500 milligrams of a sedative to calm him down, police said. He was on the ground for 15 minutes as several officers and paramedics stood by. McClain, a massage therapist and self-taught violinist, suffered cardiac arrest and was later declared brain-dead and taken off life support.
A forensic pathologist could not determine what exactly led to his death but said physical exertion during the confrontation likely contributed.
The investigation was completed on Monday and the results, including the photos, will be made public after police officials give a review and Ms Wilson makes a decision on how to respond. The chief’s decision could be appealed by the officers under investigation, which would delay the results being released.
The three officers who stopped McClain did not face any criminal charges after an investigation by the district attorney, but Governor Jared Polis directed the state attorney last week to reopen the investigation and possibly prosecute them.
How do Sim card scams work?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards by claiming to be the victim, often pretending their phone has been lost or stolen in order to secure a new Sim.
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
Five hymns the crowds can join in
Papal Mass will begin at 10.30am at the Zayed Sports City Stadium on Tuesday
Some 17 hymns will be sung by a 120-strong UAE choir
Five hymns will be rehearsed with crowds on Tuesday morning before the Pope arrives at stadium
‘Christ be our Light’ as the entrance song
‘All that I am’ for the offertory or during the symbolic offering of gifts at the altar
‘Make me a Channel of your Peace’ and ‘Soul of my Saviour’ for the communion
‘Tell out my Soul’ as the final hymn after the blessings from the Pope
The choir will also sing the hymn ‘Legions of Heaven’ in Arabic as ‘Assakiroo Sama’
There are 15 Arabic speakers from Syria, Lebanon and Jordan in the choir that comprises residents from the Philippines, India, France, Italy, America, Netherlands, Armenia and Indonesia
The choir will be accompanied by a brass ensemble and an organ
They will practice for the first time at the stadium on the eve of the public mass on Monday evening
Keane on …
Liverpool’s Uefa Champions League bid: “They’re great. With the attacking force they have, for me, they’re certainly one of the favourites. You look at the teams left in it - they’re capable of scoring against anybody at any given time. Defensively they’ve been good, so I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t go on and win it.”
Mohamed Salah’s debut campaign at Anfield: “Unbelievable. He’s been phenomenal. You can name the front three, but for him on a personal level, he’s been unreal. He’s been great to watch and hopefully he can continue now until the end of the season - which I’m sure he will, because he’s been in fine form. He’s been incredible this season.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s instant impact at former club LA Galaxy: “Brilliant. It’s been a great start for him and for the club. They were crying out for another big name there. They were lacking that, for the prestige of LA Galaxy. And now they have one of the finest stars. I hope they can go win something this year.”
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Results
6pm: Dubai Trophy – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
Winner: Silent Speech, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby
(trainer)
6.35pm: Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m
Winner: Island Falcon, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Dirt)
1,400m
Winner: Rawy, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
7.45pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Desert Fire, Hector Crouch, Saeed bin Suroor
8.20pm: Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Naval Crown, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.55pm: Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Al Tariq, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watsons
9.30pm: Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Dubai Icon, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others
Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.
As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.
Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.
“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”
Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.
“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”
Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.
