UEFA on Friday said that they were investigating the incidents that took place during the Europa League match between Rangers and Slavia Prague. Rangers' midfielder Glen Kamara complained of being racially abused by a visiting player in Thursday's 2-0 defeat in Glasgow.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/juve-star-cristiano-ronaldo-named-serie-as-player-of-the-year-371813" hreflang="en">Juve star Cristiano Ronaldo named Serie A's Player of the Year</a>

Steven Gerrard's Rangers crashed out of the tournament after a 3-1 aggregate loss in the round of 16 stages. Two players from the team were shown red card after a heated argument which saw a melee on the pitch and clashes in the tunnel after the game.

"An Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector will conduct an investigation regarding the incidents that occurred," European soccer's governing body UEFA said in a statement.

<img alt="kk" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="92529ee7-24f2-4ff9-9781-82166227aa80" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/2021-03-19T110829Z_1_LYNXMPEH2I0LV_RTROPTP_4_SOCCER-EUROPA-RFC-SLP-REPORT.JPG" />

Kamara was left fuming after Slavia centre back Ondrej Kudela leaned into his ear and said something while covering his mouth, sparking the fracas in the final stages of the match in Europe's second-tier club competition.&nbsp;

However, the Slavian defender denied making any racist comments and went on to say that he was assaulted by Kamara after the game and have officially complained to Scottish police.

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard called on UEFA to take action.

"My player tells me he was racially abused," Gerrard said. "I feel angry ... I know Glen and I trust him 100% and it is extremely disappointing.

"It is over to UEFA now this situation and I just hope it doesn't get brushed under the carpet."

Kamara issued a statement through his solicitor which said: "There is no place for racism or any form of bigotry in football," the statement read. "Since (the) summer many of us have taken the knee in solidarity with those who have lost their lives to racial violence.

"If UEFA genuinely wants to 'show racism the red card', then it's time to stop the tokenism and take a zero-tolerance approach. As a player, I do not expect myself, nor any other to have to tolerate racial hatred on or off the pitch in 2021."

(Agency inputs)

UEFA on Friday said that they were investigating the incidents that took place during the Europa League match between Rangers and Slavia Prague. Rangers' midfielder Glen Kamara complained of being racially abused by a visiting player in Thursday's 2-0 defeat in Glasgow.

UEFA on Friday said that they were investigating the incidents that took place during the Europa League match between Rangers and Slavia Prague. Rangers' midfielder Glen Kamara complained of being racially abused by a visiting player in Thursday's 2-0 defeat in Glasgow. ALSO READ: Juve star Cristiano Ronaldo named Serie A's Player of the Year Steven Gerrard's Rangers crashed out of the tournament after a 3-1 aggregate loss in the round of 16 stages. Two players from the team were shown red card after a heated argument which saw a melee on the pitch and clashes in the tunnel after the game. "An Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector will conduct an investigation regarding the incidents that occurred," European soccer's governing body UEFA said in a statement. Kamara was left fuming after Slavia centre back Ondrej Kudela leaned into his ear and said something while covering his mouth, sparking the fracas in the final stages of the match in Europe's second-tier club competition. However, the Slavian defender denied making any racist comments and went on to say that he was assaulted by Kamara after the game and have officially complained to Scottish police. Rangers boss Steven Gerrard called on UEFA to take action. "My player tells me he was racially abused," Gerrard said. "I feel angry ... I know Glen and I trust him 100% and it is extremely disappointing. "It is over to UEFA now this situation and I just hope it doesn't get brushed under the carpet." Kamara issued a statement through his solicitor which said: "There is no place for racism or any form of bigotry in football," the statement read. "Since (the) summer many of us have taken the knee in solidarity with those who have lost their lives to racial violence. "If UEFA genuinely wants to 'show racism the red card', then it's time to stop the tokenism and take a zero-tolerance approach. As a player, I do not expect myself, nor any other to have to tolerate racial hatred on or off the pitch in 2021." (Agency inputs)

UEFA to investigate Rangers vs Slavia Prague match after racism and assault claims

After eight people, six of them Asian women, were fatally shot this week in a rampage near Atlanta, a law enforcement official said that in the gunman’s own words, his actions were “not racially motivated,” but caused by “sexual addiction.”

The official, Capt. Jay Baker of the Sheriff’s Office in Cherokee County, where one of the three massage businesses targeted by the gunman was located, cautioned that the investigation of the shootings at three massage businesses was in its early stages. But the implication was clear: It had to be one motive or the other, not both.

That suggestion was met with incredulity by many Asian American women, for whom racism and sexism have always been inextricably intertwined. For them, racism often takes the form of unwanted sexual come-ons, and sexual harassment is often overtly racist.

With reports of anti-Asian attacks surging after the Trump administration repeatedly emphasized China's connection to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is evidence that most of the hate, unlike other types of bias crime, has been directed at women.

“People on here literally debating if this was a misogynistic attack against women or a racist attack against Asians,” Jenn Fang, founder of a long-running Asian American feminist blog, Reappropriate, wrote in a scathing Twitter thread. “What if — wait for it — it was both.”

Baker’s briefing on Wednesday included an assertion that the accused gunman, who is white, had been having “a really bad day,” which many women took as yet another way of excusing violence against them. His comments were widely criticized, and he was found to have promoted sales of an anti-Asian T-shirt.

The Sheriff’s Office later said in a statement that Baker’s remarks were “not intended to disrespect any of the victims” or to “express empathy or sympathy for the suspect.”

But the apology seemed to do little to quell a sense that the authorities were missing the point.

“Law enforcement and society in general tends to really not understand how racism and hate and prejudice is directed toward Asian Americans, and certainly not understand how it’s directed toward Asian American women,” said Helen Zia, an activist and author who has tracked anti-Asian violence. “So the instant reaction is generally to discount and dismiss it.”

There is a long history of misogyny and violence directed specifically at Asian women by men of all races — including Asian men. Asian American women have long been stereotyped as sexually submissive, portrayed in popular culture as exotic “lotus blossoms” and manipulative “dragon ladies,” or as inherently superior to other women in a way that erases their individuality. They have been subjected to backlash for any failure to conform to those stereotypes and trolled for choosing non-Asian partners.

Despite vast economic inequality among Asian Americans, they are often assumed to be accomplished, financially successful members of a “model minority,” a fabrication sometimes used to denigrate other racial groups by contrast.

Sung Yeon Choimorrow, executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, an advocacy group, said that when she first came to the United States to attend college in 2000, she was “stunned, dumbfounded, horrified” by the way she was frequently approached by male strangers who professed to love Korean women.

“It is the ‘Me so horny, I love you long time,’ in like weird accents, and ‘Oh, are you Korean? I love Korea,’” she said, adding that she began to wonder if American men were crazy. They would “go into this whole thing about how they served in the military in Korea and how they had this amazing Korean girlfriend that was just like me. And will I be their girlfriend?”

The men, she said, ranged in age from the very young to the very old, and seemed never to understand that their attention was not flattering. “I’ve experienced racism. I’ve experienced sexism. But I never experienced the two like that as I have when I came to the United States.”

She said many Asian American women viewed Tuesday’s shooting rampage as the culmination of this racialized misogyny.

“I’m telling you, most of us didn’t sleep well last night,” she said. “Because this was what we had feared all along — we were afraid that the objectification and the hypersexualization of our bodies was going to lead to death.”

Federal data suggest that across the country, the victims of most violent hate crimes are men. Yet a recent analysis by a group called Stop AAPI Hate, which collects reports of hate incidents against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, said that out of nearly 3,800 incidents recorded in 2020 and 2021, more than two-thirds of the reports came from women.

Hate crimes against Asian women are almost certainly undercounted, and Zia said one reason is that those with a sexual dimension tend to be classified as sex offenses, in effect erasing the racial aspect. Stereotypes of Asian women as submissive may embolden aggressors, she said. “We’re seen as vulnerable,” she said. “You know — the object that won’t fight back.”

Very little is known about the motives of the Atlanta gunman, but organizations that track hate crimes have paid increasing attention to misogyny as a “gateway drug” to other types of extremism, such as violent racism, in the wake of mass shootings at yoga and fitness studios frequented by women and the slaughter of 10 people in Toronto in 2018 by a self-described “incel,” or involuntary celibate.

The deaths of 77 people in Norway in a shooting and bombing attack in 2011 were widely portrayed as a result of right-wing extremism, but the attacker, Anders Breivik, also viewed feminism as a significant threat.

In 2018, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism began to track what they call male supremacist terrorism, fueled by aggrieved male entitlement and a desire to preserve traditional gender roles, according to a brief by the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism. The Anti-Defamation League published a report called “When Women are the Enemy: The Intersection of Misogyny and White Supremacy.”

Scholars say the fetishization of Asian women, and a corresponding emasculation of Asian men, have long histories shaped by United States law and policy. The Page Act of 1875, which ostensibly banned the importation of women for prostitution, effectively prevented Chinese women from entering the United States, while laws prohibiting mixed-race marriages left male Chinese immigrants perpetual bachelors.

Kyeyoung Park, a professor of anthropology and Asian American studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, said Asian immigrants have historically been viewed exclusively through the lens of their labor or businesses.

In the case of the spas in Georgia, she said capitalism based on racial exploitation has been intertwined with the sexualization of Asian women, and particularly Korean women, over many decades. The police have not said whether any of the three spas had ties to sex work.

“I think the origin of these massage parlors can be traced back to Korean War brides and military wives,” Park said.

Overseas, poverty and the privations of war gave rise to a prostitution industry that provided inexpensive sex to U.S. servicemen in Korea, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, compounding stereotypes of Asian women as exotic sex objects or manipulators trying to entrap American husbands.

Sexual imperialism was not limited to Americans; the Japanese also forced Chinese, Filipino and Korean women into prostitution as so-called “comfort women” in the 1930s and ’40s.

Many women who were in the sex trade were brought to the United States as brides, and some of them who were later separated or divorced from their husbands started massage parlors, a history that likely helped shape a perception of all Asian-run spas as illicit and the women who work in them as sex workers, Park said.

The fetishization of Asian women was reinforced in popular culture, most notably with the lines spoken by a sex worker in a scene in “Full Metal Jacket,” a Vietnam War movie, as two soldiers try to bargain down her price: “Me so horny. Me love you long time.”

Divorced from their origin, those lines have become a come-on used in what Ellen Wu, a historian at Indiana University Bloomington and author of “The Color of Success: Asian-Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority,” called a “racially specific type of catcalling.”

“A few words pack an entire history into a sentence,” she said.

Several advocates said they had spent the last year combating the notion that hate and violence against Asian Americans, and particularly Asian American women, were something new.

“There are many women who have died because of sexual violence directed at them that was also racialized, but it has never been at the scale where the whole country is watching and talking about it,” Choimorrow said. “And what really upsets me is that it has taken something this tragic for me to be able to tell the story.”

After eight people, six of them Asian women, were fatally shot this week in a rampage near Atlanta, a law enforcement official said that in the gunman’s own words, his actions were “not racially motivated,” but caused by “sexual addiction.

After eight people, six of them Asian women, were fatally shot this week in a rampage near Atlanta, a law enforcement official said that in the gunman’s own words, his actions were “not racially motivated,” but caused by “sexual addiction.” The official, Capt. Jay Baker of the Sheriff’s Office in Cherokee County, where one of the three massage businesses targeted by the gunman was located, cautioned that the investigation of the shootings at three massage businesses was in its early stages. But the implication was clear: It had to be one motive or the other, not both. That suggestion was met with incredulity by many Asian American women, for whom racism and sexism have always been inextricably intertwined. For them, racism often takes the form of unwanted sexual come-ons, and sexual harassment is often overtly racist. With reports of anti-Asian attacks surging after the Trump administration repeatedly emphasized China's connection to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is evidence that most of the hate, unlike other types of bias crime, has been directed at women. “People on here literally debating if this was a misogynistic attack against women or a racist attack against Asians,” Jenn Fang, founder of a long-running Asian American feminist blog, Reappropriate, wrote in a scathing Twitter thread. “What if — wait for it — it was both.” Baker’s briefing on Wednesday included an assertion that the accused gunman, who is white, had been having “a really bad day,” which many women took as yet another way of excusing violence against them. His comments were widely criticized, and he was found to have promoted sales of an anti-Asian T-shirt. The Sheriff’s Office later said in a statement that Baker’s remarks were “not intended to disrespect any of the victims” or to “express empathy or sympathy for the suspect.” But the apology seemed to do little to quell a sense that the authorities were missing the point. “Law enforcement and society in general tends to really not understand how racism and hate and prejudice is directed toward Asian Americans, and certainly not understand how it’s directed toward Asian American women,” said Helen Zia, an activist and author who has tracked anti-Asian violence. “So the instant reaction is generally to discount and dismiss it.” There is a long history of misogyny and violence directed specifically at Asian women by men of all races — including Asian men. Asian American women have long been stereotyped as sexually submissive, portrayed in popular culture as exotic “lotus blossoms” and manipulative “dragon ladies,” or as inherently superior to other women in a way that erases their individuality. They have been subjected to backlash for any failure to conform to those stereotypes and trolled for choosing non-Asian partners. Despite vast economic inequality among Asian Americans, they are often assumed to be accomplished, financially successful members of a “model minority,” a fabrication sometimes used to denigrate other racial groups by contrast. Sung Yeon Choimorrow, executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, an advocacy group, said that when she first came to the United States to attend college in 2000, she was “stunned, dumbfounded, horrified” by the way she was frequently approached by male strangers who professed to love Korean women. “It is the ‘Me so horny, I love you long time,’ in like weird accents, and ‘Oh, are you Korean? I love Korea,’” she said, adding that she began to wonder if American men were crazy. They would “go into this whole thing about how they served in the military in Korea and how they had this amazing Korean girlfriend that was just like me. And will I be their girlfriend?” The men, she said, ranged in age from the very young to the very old, and seemed never to understand that their attention was not flattering. “I’ve experienced racism. I’ve experienced sexism. But I never experienced the two like that as I have when I came to the United States.” She said many Asian American women viewed Tuesday’s shooting rampage as the culmination of this racialized misogyny. “I’m telling you, most of us didn’t sleep well last night,” she said. “Because this was what we had feared all along — we were afraid that the objectification and the hypersexualization of our bodies was going to lead to death.” Federal data suggest that across the country, the victims of most violent hate crimes are men. Yet a recent analysis by a group called Stop AAPI Hate, which collects reports of hate incidents against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, said that out of nearly 3,800 incidents recorded in 2020 and 2021, more than two-thirds of the reports came from women. Hate crimes against Asian women are almost certainly undercounted, and Zia said one reason is that those with a sexual dimension tend to be classified as sex offenses, in effect erasing the racial aspect. Stereotypes of Asian women as submissive may embolden aggressors, she said. “We’re seen as vulnerable,” she said. “You know — the object that won’t fight back.” Very little is known about the motives of the Atlanta gunman, but organizations that track hate crimes have paid increasing attention to misogyny as a “gateway drug” to other types of extremism, such as violent racism, in the wake of mass shootings at yoga and fitness studios frequented by women and the slaughter of 10 people in Toronto in 2018 by a self-described “incel,” or involuntary celibate. The deaths of 77 people in Norway in a shooting and bombing attack in 2011 were widely portrayed as a result of right-wing extremism, but the attacker, Anders Breivik, also viewed feminism as a significant threat. In 2018, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism began to track what they call male supremacist terrorism, fueled by aggrieved male entitlement and a desire to preserve traditional gender roles, according to a brief by the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism. The Anti-Defamation League published a report called “When Women are the Enemy: The Intersection of Misogyny and White Supremacy.” Scholars say the fetishization of Asian women, and a corresponding emasculation of Asian men, have long histories shaped by United States law and policy. The Page Act of 1875, which ostensibly banned the importation of women for prostitution, effectively prevented Chinese women from entering the United States, while laws prohibiting mixed-race marriages left male Chinese immigrants perpetual bachelors. Kyeyoung Park, a professor of anthropology and Asian American studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, said Asian immigrants have historically been viewed exclusively through the lens of their labor or businesses. In the case of the spas in Georgia, she said capitalism based on racial exploitation has been intertwined with the sexualization of Asian women, and particularly Korean women, over many decades. The police have not said whether any of the three spas had ties to sex work. “I think the origin of these massage parlors can be traced back to Korean War brides and military wives,” Park said. Overseas, poverty and the privations of war gave rise to a prostitution industry that provided inexpensive sex to U.S. servicemen in Korea, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, compounding stereotypes of Asian women as exotic sex objects or manipulators trying to entrap American husbands. Sexual imperialism was not limited to Americans; the Japanese also forced Chinese, Filipino and Korean women into prostitution as so-called “comfort women” in the 1930s and ’40s. Many women who were in the sex trade were brought to the United States as brides, and some of them who were later separated or divorced from their husbands started massage parlors, a history that likely helped shape a perception of all Asian-run spas as illicit and the women who work in them as sex workers, Park said. The fetishization of Asian women was reinforced in popular culture, most notably with the lines spoken by a sex worker in a scene in “Full Metal Jacket,” a Vietnam War movie, as two soldiers try to bargain down her price: “Me so horny. Me love you long time.” Divorced from their origin, those lines have become a come-on used in what Ellen Wu, a historian at Indiana University Bloomington and author of “The Color of Success: Asian-Americans and the Origins of the Model Minority,” called a “racially specific type of catcalling.” “A few words pack an entire history into a sentence,” she said. Several advocates said they had spent the last year combating the notion that hate and violence against Asian Americans, and particularly Asian American women, were something new. “There are many women who have died because of sexual violence directed at them that was also racialized, but it has never been at the scale where the whole country is watching and talking about it,” Choimorrow said. “And what really upsets me is that it has taken something this tragic for me to be able to tell the story.”

For Asian women, racism and sexism are inseparable

White supremacist propaganda in the United States, including racist, anti-Semitic and anti-LGBTQ messages, nearly doubled last year to a record level, according to a report in the Anti-Defamation League.

The ADL said in a report on its website that supremacist propaganda appeared in every US state except Hawaii last year, with the highest levels of activity in Texas, Washington, California, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

“The barrage of propaganda, which overwhelmingly features veiled white supremacist language with a patriotic slant, is an effort to normalize white supremacists’ message and bolster recruitment efforts while targeting minority groups including Jews, Blacks, Muslims, non-white immigrants, and the LGBTQ community,” the report said.

Critics say this white supremacism got a boost from US President Donald Trump’s recently-ended presidency though he denied racism and said he was smeared by political opponents.

The New York-based advocacy group’s data showed 5,125 cases were reported in 2020, compared to 2,724 in 2019 -- even though incidents on college campuses dropped by more than half, possibly due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Trump's successor, President Joe Biden, has on his part, ordered an assessment of the risk of domestic terrorism in the wake of the January 6 attack on the US Capitol by Trump supporters, some of whom displayed supremacist symbols.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned last month that white supremacy and neo-Nazi movements were becoming a “transnational threat” and had exploited the coronavirus pandemic to boost their support.

White supremacist propaganda in the United States, including racist, anti-Semitic and anti-LGBTQ messages, nearly doubled last year to a record level, according to a report in the Anti-Defamation League.

White supremacist propaganda in the United States, including racist, anti-Semitic and anti-LGBTQ messages, nearly doubled last year to a record level, according to a report in the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL said in a report on its website that supremacist propaganda appeared in every US state except Hawaii last year, with the highest levels of activity in Texas, Washington, California, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Virginia and Pennsylvania. “The barrage of propaganda, which overwhelmingly features veiled white supremacist language with a patriotic slant, is an effort to normalize white supremacists’ message and bolster recruitment efforts while targeting minority groups including Jews, Blacks, Muslims, non-white immigrants, and the LGBTQ community,” the report said. Critics say this white supremacism got a boost from US President Donald Trump’s recently-ended presidency though he denied racism and said he was smeared by political opponents. The New York-based advocacy group’s data showed 5,125 cases were reported in 2020, compared to 2,724 in 2019 -- even though incidents on college campuses dropped by more than half, possibly due to COVID-19 restrictions. Trump's successor, President Joe Biden, has on his part, ordered an assessment of the risk of domestic terrorism in the wake of the January 6 attack on the US Capitol by Trump supporters, some of whom displayed supremacist symbols. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned last month that white supremacy and neo-Nazi movements were becoming a “transnational threat” and had exploited the coronavirus pandemic to boost their support.

White supremacist propaganda in US hit record in 2020, group says

The 21-year-old suspect, Robert Aaron Long, held for Atlanta shootings — which killed eight people, of which six women were Asian-Americans.

On Wednesday, the Cherokee County Sheriff Captain Jay Baker revealed that the suspect's parents came forward and helped the police catch their son.

Baker said that after the first shooting at Young's Asian Massage in Acworth, local authorities released a screenshot of Long that they procured from security camera footage.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/motive-in-georgia-shootings-uncertain-former-roommate-says-suspect-expressed-shame-over-sex-addiction-371264">Motive in Georgia shootings uncertain; former roommate says suspect expressed shame over sex addiction</a>

After the screenshot, Long's parents called the police and turned over a GPS tracking device that helped track his location through his car.

While the police are unsure as to why Long's parents were tracking him, they agreed that the cooperation from his parents was one of the most essential aide in tracking Long's Hyundai Tucson in Crisp County, which is 150 miles away from Atlanta.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sex-addiction-not-racial-hatred-may-have-driven-suspect-in-georgia-spa-shootings-371233">Also read |&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sex-addiction-not-racial-hatred-may-have-driven-suspect-in-georgia-spa-shootings-371233">Sex addiction, not racial hatred, may have driven suspect in Georgia spa shootings</a>

"This could've been significantly worse," Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said. "It's very likely there would've been more victims."

It was reported that Long was on his way to Florida, but the reports have not been confirmed yet.

Baker revealed that after the reporting of the first shooting, while the police officers were meeting with Long's parents, another call about a robbery at Gold's massage parlor was received. Upon arrival, the police officers found four people killed at two spas.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/violence-against-asian-americans-very-troublesome-says-biden-after-atlanta-shootings-371254">Violence against Asian Americans 'very troublesome', says Biden after Atlanta shootings</a>

The police officers also had to engage in a short chase with Long while he tried to flee to the South.

In addition to this, a 35-year-old former roommate of Long, Tyler Bayless, said the shooter told him of an addiction that compelled him to visit massage parlours seeking sex.

"In the halfway house he would describe several of his sexual addiction 'relapses' as he called them. He would have a deep feeling of remorse and shame and say he needed to return to prayer and to return to God," he said, describing Long as a "deeply religious" man.

Long has been charged with eight counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault in connection to the three attacks

The 21-year-old suspect, Robert Aaron Long, held for Atlanta shootings — which killed eight people, of which six women were Asian-Americans. On Wednesday, the Cherokee County Sheriff Captain Jay Baker revealed that the suspect's parents came forward and helped the police catch their son.

The 21-year-old suspect, Robert Aaron Long, held for Atlanta shootings — which killed eight people, of which six women were Asian-Americans. On Wednesday, the Cherokee County Sheriff Captain Jay Baker revealed that the suspect's parents came forward and helped the police catch their son. Baker said that after the first shooting at Young's Asian Massage in Acworth, local authorities released a screenshot of Long that they procured from security camera footage. Also read | Motive in Georgia shootings uncertain; former roommate says suspect expressed shame over sex addiction After the screenshot, Long's parents called the police and turned over a GPS tracking device that helped track his location through his car. While the police are unsure as to why Long's parents were tracking him, they agreed that the cooperation from his parents was one of the most essential aide in tracking Long's Hyundai Tucson in Crisp County, which is 150 miles away from Atlanta. Also read | Sex addiction, not racial hatred, may have driven suspect in Georgia spa shootings "This could've been significantly worse," Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said. "It's very likely there would've been more victims." It was reported that Long was on his way to Florida, but the reports have not been confirmed yet. Baker revealed that after the reporting of the first shooting, while the police officers were meeting with Long's parents, another call about a robbery at Gold's massage parlor was received. Upon arrival, the police officers found four people killed at two spas. Also read | Violence against Asian Americans 'very troublesome', says Biden after Atlanta shootings The police officers also had to engage in a short chase with Long while he tried to flee to the South. In addition to this, a 35-year-old former roommate of Long, Tyler Bayless, said the shooter told him of an addiction that compelled him to visit massage parlours seeking sex. "In the halfway house he would describe several of his sexual addiction 'relapses' as he called them. He would have a deep feeling of remorse and shame and say he needed to return to prayer and to return to God," he said, describing Long as a "deeply religious" man. Long has been charged with eight counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault in connection to the three attacks

Parents of Atlanta shooter handed over GPS to police to track him

After a horrifying gun shooting at a spa in Atlanta which left six Asian women dead, the former US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/barack-obama">Barack Obama</a> has condemned the rising hatred towards the Asian community in the US.

"Although the shooter's motive is not yet clear, the identity of the victims underscores an alarming rise in anti-Asian violence that must end," Obama tweeted.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-eyes-next-stage-of-covid-19-fight-slams-attacks-on-asian-americans-during-pandemic-369816">Biden eyes next stage of Covid-19 fight, slams attacks on Asian-Americans during pandemic</a>

He also reminded people about the rising cases of gun violence in the country, which had been earlier an important topic in the US politics before the pandemic hit.

"Even as we’ve battled the pandemic, we’ve continued to neglect the longer-lasting epidemic of gun violence in America," he tweeted.

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Michelle and I pray for the victims, their families, everyone grieving these needless and devastating killings—and we urge meaningful action that will save lives.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) <a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/1372191748554952714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 17, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"Yesterday's shootings are another tragic reminder that we have far more work to do to put in place commonsense gun safety laws and root out the pervasive patterns of hatred and violence in our society."

Eight people were killed in gun shootings that took place at three different spas and massage parlors on Tuesday around Georgia's largest city.

Although it has not been confirmed that the shootings were racially motivated, people have raised concerns about the issue, especially as the country has been battling with increasing anti-Asian sentiment in the recent weeks.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-fineprint-8-people-killed-at-3-massage-parlors-in-atlanta-suspect-arrested-371221">Watch |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-fineprint-8-people-killed-at-3-massage-parlors-in-atlanta-suspect-arrested-371221/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

As of now, a 21-year-old white man has been taken into custody on suspicion of carrying out the shootings.

"This is still early, but (the suspect) does claim it was not racially motivated," Captain Jay Baker of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office said.

After a horrifying gun shooting at a spa in Atlanta which left six Asian women dead, the former US President Barack Obama has condemned the rising hatred towards the Asian community in the US.

After a horrifying gun shooting at a spa in Atlanta which left six Asian women dead, the former US President Barack Obama has condemned the rising hatred towards the Asian community in the US. "Although the shooter's motive is not yet clear, the identity of the victims underscores an alarming rise in anti-Asian violence that must end," Obama tweeted. Also read | Biden eyes next stage of Covid-19 fight, slams attacks on Asian-Americans during pandemic He also reminded people about the rising cases of gun violence in the country, which had been earlier an important topic in the US politics before the pandemic hit. "Even as we’ve battled the pandemic, we’ve continued to neglect the longer-lasting epidemic of gun violence in America," he tweeted. Michelle and I pray for the victims, their families, everyone grieving these needless and devastating killings—and we urge meaningful action that will save lives. — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 17, 2021 × "Yesterday's shootings are another tragic reminder that we have far more work to do to put in place commonsense gun safety laws and root out the pervasive patterns of hatred and violence in our society." Eight people were killed in gun shootings that took place at three different spas and massage parlors on Tuesday around Georgia's largest city. Although it has not been confirmed that the shootings were racially motivated, people have raised concerns about the issue, especially as the country has been battling with increasing anti-Asian sentiment in the recent weeks. Watch | As of now, a 21-year-old white man has been taken into custody on suspicion of carrying out the shootings. "This is still early, but (the suspect) does claim it was not racially motivated," Captain Jay Baker of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office said.

Obama condemns rising anti-Asian violence after Atlanta shooting

India will raise the issue of racism with the UK. This comes after Indian student Rashmi Samant was cyberbullied into resigning as President of the Oxford University Student Union. WION's Palki Sharma has the details.

Gravitas: India to raise racism with the UK

Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has addressed the racism row at Oxford University. He said that India can 'never turn eyes away from racism' and will champion the fight against it. The controversy follows the resignation of Rashmi Samant, the Indian student who resigned as the president of Oxford University's students’ union last month.

Oxford University racism row: Jaishankar says we will raise the issue when required

Breonna Taylor was killed a year ago. Now, protests are on. What happened to her?

Following recent reports of increased hatred and racism towards the Asian-Americans in the US, technology giant Microsoft Corporation and its CEO, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/satya-nadella">Satya Nadella</a>, have taken a stand against this reported ill-treatment.

Microsoft took to Twitter to openly condemn "hate, racial discrimination, and violence in all forms".

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-slams-microsoft-over-stance-in-media-payments-370105" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/google-slams-microsoft-over-stance-in-media-payments-370105&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjk-rXVwa3vAhXDX3wKHRT_BpgQFjAAegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw20cFtSXiAUEvLgmjamzZuL" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-slams-microsoft-over-stance-in-media-payments-370105" target="_blank">Google slams&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;over stance in media payments</a>

With a caption stating the popular hashtag '#StopAsianHate', the tech giant wrote, "the Asian American Pacific Islander community, and the Asian community in regions around the world — including at Microsoft — continue to experience acts of hate and violence," the statement read.

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Microsoft condemns hate, racial discrimination, and violence in all forms. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StopAsianHate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StopAsianHate</a> <a href="https://t.co/RIVsoLxiv7">pic.twitter.com/RIVsoLxiv7</a>
— Microsoft (@Microsoft) <a href="https://twitter.com/Microsoft/status/1370503857608998920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"Microsoft is united with the Asian community globally and is committed to taking action to help confront racial injustice," it added.

This statement by Microsoft has come after the US' Department of Justice reported an alarming increase in hate crime towards the Asian-American and Asian communities in the US. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) claimed that more than 3,000 cases of abuse were reported between March and December 2020 — during the lockdown period — which is alarmingly high in comparison to 216 cases reported in 2019.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/first-indian-woman-president-of-oxford-student-union-resigns-over-offensive-posts-370039">First Indian woman President of Oxford student union resigns over 'offensive' posts</a>

"No one in America should fear violence because of who they are, what they look like or what part of the world they or their families came from," said Acting Deputy Attorney General John Carlin, who hosted a meeting with more than a dozen Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community groups.&nbsp;

"The Department of Justice and our component agencies are committed to bringing all of our tools to bear in supporting AAPI communities as we address the horrific rise in hate and bias incidents occurring across the country."

Following this, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who belongs to the Indian-American community, also raised concerns over the increase in racial injustice.

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I am appalled by the ongoing acts of hate against Asian Americans and the Asian community globally. Racism, hate and violence have no place in our society. I am united with the Asian and Asian American community in standing against this injustice. <a href="https://t.co/77z6gQqgBt">https://t.co/77z6gQqgBt</a>
— Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) <a href="https://twitter.com/satyanadella/status/1370510338760744961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"I am appalled by the ongoing acts of hate against Asian Americans and the Asian community globally. Racism, hate and violence have no place in our society. I am united with the Asian and Asian American community in standing against this injustice," he tweeted.

Following recent reports of increased hatred and racism towards the Asian-Americans in the US, technology giant Microsoft Corporation and its CEO, Satya Nadella, have taken a stand against this reported ill-treatment.

Following recent reports of increased hatred and racism towards the Asian-Americans in the US, technology giant Microsoft Corporation and its CEO, Satya Nadella, have taken a stand against this reported ill-treatment. Microsoft took to Twitter to openly condemn "hate, racial discrimination, and violence in all forms". Also read | Google slams Microsoft over stance in media payments With a caption stating the popular hashtag '#StopAsianHate', the tech giant wrote, "the Asian American Pacific Islander community, and the Asian community in regions around the world — including at Microsoft — continue to experience acts of hate and violence," the statement read. Microsoft condemns hate, racial discrimination, and violence in all forms. #StopAsianHate pic.twitter.com/RIVsoLxiv7 — Microsoft (@Microsoft) March 12, 2021 × "Microsoft is united with the Asian community globally and is committed to taking action to help confront racial injustice," it added. This statement by Microsoft has come after the US' Department of Justice reported an alarming increase in hate crime towards the Asian-American and Asian communities in the US. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) claimed that more than 3,000 cases of abuse were reported between March and December 2020 — during the lockdown period — which is alarmingly high in comparison to 216 cases reported in 2019. Also read | First Indian woman President of Oxford student union resigns over 'offensive' posts "No one in America should fear violence because of who they are, what they look like or what part of the world they or their families came from," said Acting Deputy Attorney General John Carlin, who hosted a meeting with more than a dozen Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community groups. "The Department of Justice and our component agencies are committed to bringing all of our tools to bear in supporting AAPI communities as we address the horrific rise in hate and bias incidents occurring across the country." Following this, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who belongs to the Indian-American community, also raised concerns over the increase in racial injustice. I am appalled by the ongoing acts of hate against Asian Americans and the Asian community globally. Racism, hate and violence have no place in our society. I am united with the Asian and Asian American community in standing against this injustice. https://t.co/77z6gQqgBt — Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) March 12, 2021 × "I am appalled by the ongoing acts of hate against Asian Americans and the Asian community globally. Racism, hate and violence have no place in our society. I am united with the Asian and Asian American community in standing against this injustice," he tweeted.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says 'appalled' by hate crime against Asian-Americans

The largest public school system in the United States has been accused of perpetuating racism. A group of students in New York City claim that the admission process for students is racist, and favours white students.

Brought to state court by multiple civil rights attorneys, the lawsuit claims that children are sorted academically using a “rigged system” as early as when they’re four-years-old. This process in turn benefits white students, while denying minority students the opportunity and access to programmes.

"Nearly every facet of the New York City public education system operates not only to prop up, but also to affirmatively reproduce, the artificial racial hierarchies that have subordinated people of color for centuries in the United States," the lawsuit reads.

The complaint urges the judge to get rid of the ongoing admissions process - especially in terms of programmes that recognise talent and that may open up access to better schools.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/school-in-new-york-asks-parents-to-rate-their-whiteness-364281" hreflang="en">School in New York asks parents to rate their 'whiteness'</a>

The lawsuit alleges that for many Black and Latino students, many high schools and programmes continue to remain out of reach. New York City’s school system - the country’s largest has approximately 1 million students, and is perceived as a deeply divided entity in terms of race and access.

According to data collected by the City Council, over three-quarters of Black and Latino students go to schools that have less than 10 per cent white students. Similarly, over a third White students go to schools that have majorly white populations.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/a-governor-in-isolation-how-andrew-cuomo-lost-his-grip-on-new-york-368705" hreflang="en">A governor in isolation: How Andrew Cuomo lost his grip on New York</a>

In 2019, city Mayor Bill de Blasio tried to abolish the admissions exam for specialised schools, but the proposal was rejected by state legislature.

The lawsuit’s plaintiffs include IntegrateNYC, a nonprofit led by youth focused on the integration of school systems.

The largest public school system in the United States has been accused of perpetuating racism. A group of students in New York City claim that the admission process for students is racist, and favours white students.

The largest public school system in the United States has been accused of perpetuating racism. A group of students in New York City claim that the admission process for students is racist, and favours white students. Brought to state court by multiple civil rights attorneys, the lawsuit claims that children are sorted academically using a “rigged system” as early as when they’re four-years-old. This process in turn benefits white students, while denying minority students the opportunity and access to programmes. "Nearly every facet of the New York City public education system operates not only to prop up, but also to affirmatively reproduce, the artificial racial hierarchies that have subordinated people of color for centuries in the United States," the lawsuit reads. The complaint urges the judge to get rid of the ongoing admissions process - especially in terms of programmes that recognise talent and that may open up access to better schools. Also read: School in New York asks parents to rate their 'whiteness' The lawsuit alleges that for many Black and Latino students, many high schools and programmes continue to remain out of reach. New York City’s school system - the country’s largest has approximately 1 million students, and is perceived as a deeply divided entity in terms of race and access. According to data collected by the City Council, over three-quarters of Black and Latino students go to schools that have less than 10 per cent white students. Similarly, over a third White students go to schools that have majorly white populations. Also read: A governor in isolation: How Andrew Cuomo lost his grip on New York In 2019, city Mayor Bill de Blasio tried to abolish the admissions exam for specialised schools, but the proposal was rejected by state legislature. The lawsuit’s plaintiffs include IntegrateNYC, a nonprofit led by youth focused on the integration of school systems.

New York City's public school system perpetuates racism, a lawsuit claims

It was well worth the wait. The first joint interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle since they stepped down from royal life last year (a process that became officially permanent last month) did not disappoint.

I, for one, watched this tell-all with Oprah Winfrey while texting with many of the same Black women with whom I watched their wedding in 2018. Back then, we shared OMG emojis because we were pleasantly surprised by the way Black culture was so powerfully celebrated and Markle’s African American identity so thoughtfully integrated into their ceremony at St. George’s Chapel.

Now, we were aghast at the couple’s allegations that racism toward Markle and its various consequences were a primary reason they fled their home to find freedom in sunny California.

Based on Markle’s deep commitment to women’s rights and the interview’s promo clip — Winfrey asks her, “Were you silent or were you silenced?” — I went into this assuming it would be a feminist revision of the couple’s fairy tale romance.

“The latter,” Markle responded in the interview. Later, she’d compare her life as a royal to Princess Ariel losing her voice after falling in love with a human in “The Little Mermaid.” In that analogy, this interview is the final breaking of that spell, with Markle now fully in control of her voice. It reminded us that she never needed a Prince Charming to rescue her, while showing us that their very modern marriage is what saved and ultimately liberated them both from the trappings and the trap that it is the Crown.

But therein lies the true catalyst for their radical reinvention: Harry’s racial awakening. Here, I do not just mean the accusations from the couple about the deep anxiety some royals had about the potential skin color of their son, Archie — which resulted, they said, in him not being offered the traditional rituals of the royal hospital picture, the title “Prince” and the security that comes with that status. Rather, the second hour of the interview was a culmination of a process that Harry had been undergoing since their first date in 2016, when he was becoming more clear-eyed, confrontational and emboldened to take on the British monarchy into which he was born, and the white privilege that holds it up and has benefited him his entire life.

Typically, we see racial awakenings as a tragic rite of passage for Black people. In slave narratives and early 20th-century African American autobiographies and novels, there is often a moment in which a Black child realizes she is not only different from her white peers but that her darker skin or African American parentage makes her inferior to them. Literary critic Henry Louis Gates Jr. once described it as a “scene of instruction.” In books like W.E.B. DuBois’ collection “The Souls of Black Folks,” from 1903, or Nella Larsen’s novel “Passing,” from 1929, this traumatic rupture is always intimate and severe, the first and most formative experience in a lifetime of racist insults.

As Black parents, we try to prepare our children for these inevitable encounters with The Talk, the sage advice and survival strategies we hope might blunt the damage of these betrayals. But every Black person I know has had such a moment. Mine was my senior year in high school when my white classmates charged that the only reason I had been admitted to the University of Pennsylvania was because of affirmative action, an insinuation that equated being Black with being underqualified, and an injury that has caused me to obsessively overachieve in almost every aspect of my professional life.

I’ve rarely heard white friends discuss their parallel experiences of first realizing their privilege. In fact, this past summer was unprecedented in the sheer number of public figures and predominantly white organizations that released statements or tweets acknowledging their role in perpetuating systemic racism. In private, I and many of my Black friends received more sympathetic emails or Black Lives Matter solidarity texts from our white colleagues than ever before. It seemed, suddenly, white people too were having their own version of The Talk.

And in popular culture, these awakenings are appearing with more frequency. In this season of NBC’s “This Is Us,” Randall’s white siblings, Kate and Kevin, are, as a result of the Black Lives Matter protests this past summer, slowly coming to terms with how much their own white household, and their ongoing refusal to deal with racism, has harmed their African American brother, who was adopted.

Without such recognition by our white family members and friends, racial inferiority is merely thrust onto Black people as a unique burden that we must bear, disprove of and reject. This innocence is at the core of white privilege, and by extension, white power.

Back in 2005, when Harry wore a Nazi uniform to a costume party, it would have been impossible to predict his trajectory. By last fall, however, his awakening was well underway, with him talking about how his marriage to Markle immediately changed his understanding of race.

“I had no idea it existed,” he said of unconscious bias in British GQ. “And then, sad as it is to say, it took me many, many years to realize it, especially then living a day or a week in my wife’s shoes.”

Sunday night, he took it a step further. First, he noted how “the race element” distinguished the tabloid frenzy surrounding Markle from others in the past.

“It wasn’t just about her, it was about what she represents,” he said. Next, he indicted his family for not taking on the racist attacks hurled at their own, and then linked their institutionalized reticence or refusal to intervene to Britain’s much longer history of imperialism.

That the couple landed in the United States during a pandemic that has disproportionately harmed African American and Latino families, and in a period of racial protest and rising white nationalism, feels a bit like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.

But maybe that’s the point.

Freed from the constraints of not being able to confront racism head-on might mean that he will dedicate his life to dismantling it, not just out of necessity but also as a way of writing a new chapter in his family’s history and bequeath his children a legacy of anti-racism.

And if that is the case, it really will be better than any fairy tale ever imagined.

It was well worth the wait. The first joint interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle since they stepped down from royal life last year (a process that became officially permanent last month) did not disappoint.

It was well worth the wait. The first joint interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle since they stepped down from royal life last year (a process that became officially permanent last month) did not disappoint. I, for one, watched this tell-all with Oprah Winfrey while texting with many of the same Black women with whom I watched their wedding in 2018. Back then, we shared OMG emojis because we were pleasantly surprised by the way Black culture was so powerfully celebrated and Markle’s African American identity so thoughtfully integrated into their ceremony at St. George’s Chapel. Now, we were aghast at the couple’s allegations that racism toward Markle and its various consequences were a primary reason they fled their home to find freedom in sunny California. Based on Markle’s deep commitment to women’s rights and the interview’s promo clip — Winfrey asks her, “Were you silent or were you silenced?” — I went into this assuming it would be a feminist revision of the couple’s fairy tale romance. “The latter,” Markle responded in the interview. Later, she’d compare her life as a royal to Princess Ariel losing her voice after falling in love with a human in “The Little Mermaid.” In that analogy, this interview is the final breaking of that spell, with Markle now fully in control of her voice. It reminded us that she never needed a Prince Charming to rescue her, while showing us that their very modern marriage is what saved and ultimately liberated them both from the trappings and the trap that it is the Crown. But therein lies the true catalyst for their radical reinvention: Harry’s racial awakening. Here, I do not just mean the accusations from the couple about the deep anxiety some royals had about the potential skin color of their son, Archie — which resulted, they said, in him not being offered the traditional rituals of the royal hospital picture, the title “Prince” and the security that comes with that status. Rather, the second hour of the interview was a culmination of a process that Harry had been undergoing since their first date in 2016, when he was becoming more clear-eyed, confrontational and emboldened to take on the British monarchy into which he was born, and the white privilege that holds it up and has benefited him his entire life. Typically, we see racial awakenings as a tragic rite of passage for Black people. In slave narratives and early 20th-century African American autobiographies and novels, there is often a moment in which a Black child realizes she is not only different from her white peers but that her darker skin or African American parentage makes her inferior to them. Literary critic Henry Louis Gates Jr. once described it as a “scene of instruction.” In books like W.E.B. DuBois’ collection “The Souls of Black Folks,” from 1903, or Nella Larsen’s novel “Passing,” from 1929, this traumatic rupture is always intimate and severe, the first and most formative experience in a lifetime of racist insults. As Black parents, we try to prepare our children for these inevitable encounters with The Talk, the sage advice and survival strategies we hope might blunt the damage of these betrayals. But every Black person I know has had such a moment. Mine was my senior year in high school when my white classmates charged that the only reason I had been admitted to the University of Pennsylvania was because of affirmative action, an insinuation that equated being Black with being underqualified, and an injury that has caused me to obsessively overachieve in almost every aspect of my professional life. I’ve rarely heard white friends discuss their parallel experiences of first realizing their privilege. In fact, this past summer was unprecedented in the sheer number of public figures and predominantly white organizations that released statements or tweets acknowledging their role in perpetuating systemic racism. In private, I and many of my Black friends received more sympathetic emails or Black Lives Matter solidarity texts from our white colleagues than ever before. It seemed, suddenly, white people too were having their own version of The Talk. And in popular culture, these awakenings are appearing with more frequency. In this season of NBC’s “This Is Us,” Randall’s white siblings, Kate and Kevin, are, as a result of the Black Lives Matter protests this past summer, slowly coming to terms with how much their own white household, and their ongoing refusal to deal with racism, has harmed their African American brother, who was adopted. Without such recognition by our white family members and friends, racial inferiority is merely thrust onto Black people as a unique burden that we must bear, disprove of and reject. This innocence is at the core of white privilege, and by extension, white power. Back in 2005, when Harry wore a Nazi uniform to a costume party, it would have been impossible to predict his trajectory. By last fall, however, his awakening was well underway, with him talking about how his marriage to Markle immediately changed his understanding of race. “I had no idea it existed,” he said of unconscious bias in British GQ. “And then, sad as it is to say, it took me many, many years to realize it, especially then living a day or a week in my wife’s shoes.” Sunday night, he took it a step further. First, he noted how “the race element” distinguished the tabloid frenzy surrounding Markle from others in the past. “It wasn’t just about her, it was about what she represents,” he said. Next, he indicted his family for not taking on the racist attacks hurled at their own, and then linked their institutionalized reticence or refusal to intervene to Britain’s much longer history of imperialism. That the couple landed in the United States during a pandemic that has disproportionately harmed African American and Latino families, and in a period of racial protest and rising white nationalism, feels a bit like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. But maybe that’s the point. Freed from the constraints of not being able to confront racism head-on might mean that he will dedicate his life to dismantling it, not just out of necessity but also as a way of writing a new chapter in his family’s history and bequeath his children a legacy of anti-racism. And if that is the case, it really will be better than any fairy tale ever imagined.

Prince Harry finally takes on white privilege: His own

Late last year, a 14-page questionnaire began to arrive in mailboxes across Minneapolis and its suburbs. It asked if the recipient had watched the video of George Floyd dying under a police officer’s knee. What about the protests against police brutality, it wanted to know — did you go? How do you feel about Black Lives Matter?

It asked respondents to list their education level, any martial arts training, even their favorite podcasts. And then there was the essay prompt, followed by a daunting expanse of blank paper: Tell us everything you have heard about the death of Floyd.

The questionnaire went out to potential jurors for the trial of Derek Chauvin, the white former police officer accused of murdering Floyd, who was Black. The case has touched the lives of millions and sparked the largest movement for racial justice in America since the 1960s, but the trial will ultimately decide the guilt or innocence of one man.

Jury selection is set to begin Monday in a courtroom built to comply with pandemic protocols and outfitted with television cameras. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Before his trial begins, he could face an additional charge of third-degree murder, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled Friday, in a decision that could delay the start of jury selection because Chauvin has the option to appeal.

Trials in police killings are rare. This one comes during a seismic shift in attitudes about race, racism and policing sparked, in large part, by the videos showing Floyd pinned underneath officers for more than nine minutes. The videos show him crying for his mother as onlookers pleaded with the officers to let him breathe.

The trial follows months of protests by those who want the criminal justice system to hold the police accountable for violence, punctuated by sharp disappointments like a lack of indictments for officers in the deaths of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky, and Daniel Prude in Rochester, New York.

Prosecutors will probably show the video in court as much as the judge will allow, to argue that Chauvin’s use of force violated Police Department policy and that he committed murder by keeping his knee on Floyd’s neck even after Floyd went silent.

The defense will attempt to portray what many view as a simple set of facts captured on video as something more complicated, probably by arguing that Floyd’s drug use and underlying health conditions were the real cause of his death.

Minneapolis, where neighborhoods and storefronts still bear the scars of last summer’s looting and arson, is already bracing for unrest if Chauvin is acquitted. Concrete barriers around government buildings and high fencing topped with razor wire have transformed downtown into a fortress and blocked off one of the most popular sites for large demonstrations. National Guard soldiers will stand watch.

Floyd’s family will gather, along with social justice activists and civil rights leaders like the Rev. Al Sharpton, who recently told reporters that Chauvin “lynched George Floyd with his knee.” And there are fears that members of the same white supremacist groups that ransacked the Capitol on Jan. 6 might descend on the Twin Cities.

It is expected to take three weeks just to seat a jury of 12 members and up to four alternates. Lawyers for both sides may have already begun vetting jury pool members, checking their social media posts. They will have read the returned questionnaires, which are not publicly available, and will use them as a starting point for questions intended to ferret out anything that is “proxy for political bias,” down to their bumper stickers, said Ted Samsell-Jones, a professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul.

The questions will help the lawyers pinpoint ideological leanings and flesh out fuller portraits of each prospective juror. The defense will be looking for candidates who are politically conservative and favorably disposed toward law enforcement, while the prosecution may prefer young, highly educated people with liberal leanings.

The judge is supposed to strike any potential jurors who show an inability to set aside their preconceptions. In addition, the prosecution may strike nine potential jurors of its choice, and the defense may strike 15.

Judge Peter Cahill has taken special steps to protect the jury from interference and security threats. Jurors will not be publicly identified during the trial. They will be sequestered during deliberations and possibly during the trial itself. Inside the courtroom, pandemic-related precautions will allow for only two spectators: one from Floyd’s family and one from Chauvin’s.

Dan Herbert, a criminal defense lawyer who has represented numerous police officers including Jason Van Dyke, who was convicted in 2019 of murdering Laquan McDonald in Chicago, said the problem with holding the trial in Minneapolis was not so much that residents could not be impartial but that they might be swayed by intense community pressure.

“It will be much easier for them to come back with a verdict of guilty than a verdict of not guilty,” he said.

The defense should be looking for one or two holdouts who would not cave to public opinion, he said. “You’re just looking for somebody that is a leader,” he said. “And somebody who’s maybe even going to stay aloof from the other jurors.”

Moving the trial would inevitably mean moving it to a whiter area of Minnesota, in a case where the racial makeup of the jury will be a primary concern.

In the Rodney King case in Los Angeles in the early 1990s, the four officers caught on video beating King were acquitted after their trial was moved to the predominantly white suburb of Simi Valley, touching off violent riots. At around the same time in Minneapolis, protests rocked the city following an all-white grand jury’s decision not to indict a white officer, Dan May, who fatally shot a Black teenager in the back.

Minneapolis is about 64% white and 20% Black, while the jury pool in its county, Hennepin, was 80% white and 8% Black in the 2020 fiscal year, according to figures from the State Court Administrator’s Office. The difference reflects the fact that the county is whiter than the city and Black potential jurors tend to be slightly underrepresented in the pool.

Jury diversity is important for two reasons, experts said. Research shows that just as diverse corporations and institutions perform better, so do juries, benefiting from multiple perspectives. And if the jury lacks racial diversity, its verdict would likely not be viewed as legitimate.

Late last year, a 14-page questionnaire began to arrive in mailboxes across Minneapolis and its suburbs. It asked if the recipient had watched the video of George Floyd dying under a police officer’s knee.

Late last year, a 14-page questionnaire began to arrive in mailboxes across Minneapolis and its suburbs. It asked if the recipient had watched the video of George Floyd dying under a police officer’s knee. What about the protests against police brutality, it wanted to know — did you go? How do you feel about Black Lives Matter? It asked respondents to list their education level, any martial arts training, even their favorite podcasts. And then there was the essay prompt, followed by a daunting expanse of blank paper: Tell us everything you have heard about the death of Floyd. The questionnaire went out to potential jurors for the trial of Derek Chauvin, the white former police officer accused of murdering Floyd, who was Black. The case has touched the lives of millions and sparked the largest movement for racial justice in America since the 1960s, but the trial will ultimately decide the guilt or innocence of one man. Jury selection is set to begin Monday in a courtroom built to comply with pandemic protocols and outfitted with television cameras. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Before his trial begins, he could face an additional charge of third-degree murder, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled Friday, in a decision that could delay the start of jury selection because Chauvin has the option to appeal. Trials in police killings are rare. This one comes during a seismic shift in attitudes about race, racism and policing sparked, in large part, by the videos showing Floyd pinned underneath officers for more than nine minutes. The videos show him crying for his mother as onlookers pleaded with the officers to let him breathe. The trial follows months of protests by those who want the criminal justice system to hold the police accountable for violence, punctuated by sharp disappointments like a lack of indictments for officers in the deaths of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky, and Daniel Prude in Rochester, New York. Prosecutors will probably show the video in court as much as the judge will allow, to argue that Chauvin’s use of force violated Police Department policy and that he committed murder by keeping his knee on Floyd’s neck even after Floyd went silent. The defense will attempt to portray what many view as a simple set of facts captured on video as something more complicated, probably by arguing that Floyd’s drug use and underlying health conditions were the real cause of his death. Minneapolis, where neighborhoods and storefronts still bear the scars of last summer’s looting and arson, is already bracing for unrest if Chauvin is acquitted. Concrete barriers around government buildings and high fencing topped with razor wire have transformed downtown into a fortress and blocked off one of the most popular sites for large demonstrations. National Guard soldiers will stand watch. Floyd’s family will gather, along with social justice activists and civil rights leaders like the Rev. Al Sharpton, who recently told reporters that Chauvin “lynched George Floyd with his knee.” And there are fears that members of the same white supremacist groups that ransacked the Capitol on Jan. 6 might descend on the Twin Cities. It is expected to take three weeks just to seat a jury of 12 members and up to four alternates. Lawyers for both sides may have already begun vetting jury pool members, checking their social media posts. They will have read the returned questionnaires, which are not publicly available, and will use them as a starting point for questions intended to ferret out anything that is “proxy for political bias,” down to their bumper stickers, said Ted Samsell-Jones, a professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul. The questions will help the lawyers pinpoint ideological leanings and flesh out fuller portraits of each prospective juror. The defense will be looking for candidates who are politically conservative and favorably disposed toward law enforcement, while the prosecution may prefer young, highly educated people with liberal leanings. The judge is supposed to strike any potential jurors who show an inability to set aside their preconceptions. In addition, the prosecution may strike nine potential jurors of its choice, and the defense may strike 15. Judge Peter Cahill has taken special steps to protect the jury from interference and security threats. Jurors will not be publicly identified during the trial. They will be sequestered during deliberations and possibly during the trial itself. Inside the courtroom, pandemic-related precautions will allow for only two spectators: one from Floyd’s family and one from Chauvin’s. Dan Herbert, a criminal defense lawyer who has represented numerous police officers including Jason Van Dyke, who was convicted in 2019 of murdering Laquan McDonald in Chicago, said the problem with holding the trial in Minneapolis was not so much that residents could not be impartial but that they might be swayed by intense community pressure. “It will be much easier for them to come back with a verdict of guilty than a verdict of not guilty,” he said. The defense should be looking for one or two holdouts who would not cave to public opinion, he said. “You’re just looking for somebody that is a leader,” he said. “And somebody who’s maybe even going to stay aloof from the other jurors.” Moving the trial would inevitably mean moving it to a whiter area of Minnesota, in a case where the racial makeup of the jury will be a primary concern. In the Rodney King case in Los Angeles in the early 1990s, the four officers caught on video beating King were acquitted after their trial was moved to the predominantly white suburb of Simi Valley, touching off violent riots. At around the same time in Minneapolis, protests rocked the city following an all-white grand jury’s decision not to indict a white officer, Dan May, who fatally shot a Black teenager in the back. Minneapolis is about 64% white and 20% Black, while the jury pool in its county, Hennepin, was 80% white and 8% Black in the 2020 fiscal year, according to figures from the State Court Administrator’s Office. The difference reflects the fact that the county is whiter than the city and Black potential jurors tend to be slightly underrepresented in the pool. Jury diversity is important for two reasons, experts said. Research shows that just as diverse corporations and institutions perform better, so do juries, benefiting from multiple perspectives. And if the jury lacks racial diversity, its verdict would likely not be viewed as legitimate.

First challenge in George Floyd murder trial: Finding an impartial jury

Oprah Winfrey has clarified that neither the Queen nor her husband Prince Philip had expressed concern over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's son Archie's skin colour.&nbsp; 
 
In an explosive interview with Winfrey, Harry and Meghan have stated that certain members of the British royal family had expressed concerns over their first born's skin colour ahead of his birth. Meghan is African American and the first person of colour to marry into the family. 
 
The couple did not mention the names in particular which made several fans speculate whether it was the Queen who had raised concerns.&nbsp; 
Winfrey clarified tp CBS that it was not the Queen.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-suicide-to-racist-attack-on-baby-archie-10-big-reveals-from-prince-harry-meghan-markle-bombshell-interview-368810" hreflang="en">From suicide to racist attack on baby Archie: 10 big reveals from Prince Harry-Meghan Markle bombshell interview</a> 
 
Harry would not reveal who had raised the concerns, Winfrey told CBS on Monday, but "he wanted to make sure that I knew and if I had an opportunity to share it that it was not his grandmother nor his grandfather that were a part of those conversations."

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/explosive-interview-meghan-harry-tell-all-on-british-royal-family-368926/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The allegation of racism was potentially one of the most damaging from a two-hour interview in which Meghan also said she had been denied help during a mental health crisis, adding that she had suicidal thoughts while she was pregnant with Archie.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/its-a-girl-for-meghan-markle-prince-harry-as-they-reveal-baby-no-2s-details-in-oprah-interview-368741" hreflang="en">It's a girl for Meghan Markle, Prince Harry as they reveal baby no 2's details in interview</a> 
 
Meghan and Harry have long accused the British press of racism in their hostile treatment of her. 
 
The allegation came as Britain has in recent months faced a reckoning over racism and its colonial past, fueled in part by the Black Lives Matter protests in the US and around the world.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/meghan-markle-in-explosive-oprah-winfrey-interview-i-didnt-make-kate-cry-reverse-happened-368738" hreflang="en">Meghan Markle in explosive Oprah Winfrey interview: I didn't make Kate cry, reverse happened</a>

Oprah Winfrey has clarified that neither the Queen nor her husband Prince Philip had expressed concern over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's son Archie's skin colour.

Oprah Winfrey has clarified that neither the Queen nor her husband Prince Philip had expressed concern over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's son Archie's skin colour. In an explosive interview with Winfrey, Harry and Meghan have stated that certain members of the British royal family had expressed concerns over their first born's skin colour ahead of his birth. Meghan is African American and the first person of colour to marry into the family. The couple did not mention the names in particular which made several fans speculate whether it was the Queen who had raised concerns. Winfrey clarified tp CBS that it was not the Queen. From suicide to racist attack on baby Archie: 10 big reveals from Prince Harry-Meghan Markle bombshell interview Harry would not reveal who had raised the concerns, Winfrey told CBS on Monday, but "he wanted to make sure that I knew and if I had an opportunity to share it that it was not his grandmother nor his grandfather that were a part of those conversations." The allegation of racism was potentially one of the most damaging from a two-hour interview in which Meghan also said she had been denied help during a mental health crisis, adding that she had suicidal thoughts while she was pregnant with Archie. It's a girl for Meghan Markle, Prince Harry as they reveal baby no 2's details in interview Meghan and Harry have long accused the British press of racism in their hostile treatment of her. The allegation came as Britain has in recent months faced a reckoning over racism and its colonial past, fueled in part by the Black Lives Matter protests in the US and around the world. Meghan Markle in explosive Oprah Winfrey interview: I didn't make Kate cry, reverse happened

Oprah Winfrey states Queen and Prince Philip did not speculate about Meghan's baby's skin colour

In Pics: George Floyd, whose fall, fuelled a complete movement

Maggie Cheng could stand to watch the video only once.

“I’ve never cried like that before,” Cheng said, describing her reaction to security footage that showed her mother being shoved to the ground last week on a crowded street in Flushing, Queens. “To see my mother get thrown like that, she looks like a feather. She looks like a rag doll.”

The attack on Cheng’s mother, which was highlighted by celebrities and gained widespread attention on social media, was one of four against Asian American women in New York City that day. Taken together, they stoked fears that the wave of racism and violence that has targeted Asian Americans during the pandemic was surging again in New York. Those concerns intensified after a man of Asian descent was stabbed Thursday night near Chinatown.

The number of hate crimes with Asian American victims reported to the New York City Police Department jumped to 28 in 2020, from just three the previous year, though activists and police officials say many additional incidents were not classified as hate crimes or went unreported.

Asian Americans are grappling with the anxiety, fear and anger brought on by the attacks, which activists and elected officials say were fueled early in the pandemic by former President Donald Trump, who frequently used racist language to refer to the coronavirus.

In New York City, where Asian Americans make up an estimated 16% of the population, the violence has terrified many.

“The attacks are random, and they are fast and furious,” said Jo-Ann Yoo, executive director of the Asian American Federation, a nonprofit network of community groups. “It has stoked a lot of fear and paranoia. People are not leaving their homes.”

The xenophobia and violence is compounded by the economic fallout of the pandemic and fears of the virus, which dealt a severe blow to New York’s Asian American communities.

Many of the attacks do not result in hate crime charges, because police need evidence that identity was the motivating factor, like an audible racial slur, a self-incriminating statement or a history of racist behavior by the attacker.

So far this year, three attacks on people of Asian descent have led to hate crime charges in New York. The most recent came Thursday, when a 36-year-old man was stabbed near the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan and taken to the hospital in critical condition, police said. A suspect was arrested that evening and later charged with second-degree attempted murder as a hate crime, as well as assault, forgery and criminal possession of a weapon.

A Police Department spokesman said the motives in last week’s attacks, including the one on Cheng’s mother, were unclear and that they were not currently being investigated as hate crimes.

Leaders who have pressed elected officials and police to confront the issue say the response so far has felt sluggish.

“I’m really angry,” Yoo said. “I’ve been asking for something, some kind of a proactive response from City Hall.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio said this week that the city was working to increase communication with community leaders, creating a website to help people report and respond to attacks, and focusing subway patrols on possible bias crimes. He also pointed to the Asian Hate Crime Task Force the department formed late last year.

“If you dare to raise your hand against a member of our Asian communities, you will suffer the consequences,” de Blasio said at a news conference.

Deputy Inspector Stewart Loo oversees the task force, which is composed of 25 volunteer detectives who speak 10 languages. He said it was designed to encourage Asian Americans who are reluctant to cooperate with police.

“The sentiment within the Asian American community is that the police either don’t care or are not doing enough,” he said.

The NYPD said it made arrests in 18 hate crimes involving Asian American victims last year and the cases are still pending.

But many Asian Americans feel that their complaints are not being taken seriously by police and prosecutors, said Chris Kwok, a board member for the Asian American Bar Association of New York.

“The political and social invisibility of Asian Americans have real-life consequences,” Kwok said. “The invisibility comes from Asian Americans being seen as permanent foreigners — they can’t cross that invisible line into becoming real Americans.”

Several highly publicized incidents early in the pandemic were not handled as hate crimes, Kwok said. If they had been, it “would have sent a signal that this was unacceptable and that if you were going to target Asian Americans, there would be consequences,” he said.

In April, a man doused a 39-year-old woman with a caustic chemical as she took the trash out in front of her home in Brooklyn, badly burning her face, hands and neck. In July, two men lit an 89-year-old woman on fire near her Brooklyn home, after which hundreds of New Yorkers marched in protest. Neither was classified as a hate crime.

The increase in attacks in the city mirrors a trend across the United States. Stop AAPI Hate, an initiative that tracks violence and harassment against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, recorded more than 3,000 reported incidents from the start of the pandemic, said Russell Jeung, one of the group’s leaders and chair of the Asian American Studies Department at San Francisco State University. Of those, at least 260 were in New York City.

These attacks have lasting effects, said Kellina Craig-Henderson, who works for the National Science Foundation and has studied the psychological impact of hate crimes. She said that people targeted because of their race and ethnicity can suffer ailments like post-traumatic stress disorder, often more acutely than victims of other crimes.

“If you’re a minority person and this happens to you, you’re going to be more fearful, you’re going to question your place in the world,” Craig-Henderson said.

She added that hate crimes reverberate through communities and can further marginalize them.

“It sends a message to others that they could be next,” she said.

Several Asian Americans who were victims of attacks in New York last year and reported them to the police said the scars were lasting.

Crisanna Tang was riding the subway to work one July morning when a maskless man spat on her and yelled that Chinese people had caused the virus. None of the other passengers intervened, Tang said.

“I was like, ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe this is actually happening to me,” said Tang, 31, a pathologists’ assistant at Jacobi Medical Center.

Now, Tang is hypervigilant. She started taking the express bus, which costs more than the subway. She stopped wearing a face shield to attract less attention. She carries pepper spray in her bag.

“I just wish these incidents would stop,” Tang said. “I am worried about the elderly community. I am really worried not enough is being done for them.”

Mimi Lau said strangers shouted racist slurs and threatened her physical safety twice last year, once on the D train and once outside the mochi shop she owns in Manhattan’s East Village.

“It made me think something was wrong with me,” Lau, 27, said.

Yen Yen Pong, 37, bought pepper spray after a maskless stranger accosted her last April in Queens, yelling racist remarks about the virus. After Pong tried to take a photograph of him, he snatched her cellphone and shattered it on the pavement.

Pong, who works at an asset management company, said she thought Asian American women were particularly at risk, an observation supported by Stop AAPI Hate data showing that Asian American women in New York were accosted three times as often as men.

“Number one, I am Asian. Number two, I am a woman,” Pong said. “What makes me a better target than that?”

The Asian American Bar Association of New York recently issued recommendations for ways to address the attacks, including clearer reporting mechanisms for victims and formalizing the Asian Hate Crime Task Force as a funded unit.

In September, more than 25 community groups condemned the task force, in part because of the effects that overpolicing can have on people of color, including Asian Americans, and because such a unit fails to address the root causes of anti-Asian racism.

Even with the task force working to expand outreach, details of attacks and harassment may never reach authorities. Activists say that many incidents go unreported, in part because of the stigma attached to them.

Sam Cheng, Maggie Cheng’s brother, said their mother spent hours in the hospital, where she got stitches for a deep gash in her forehead, and that she did not initially want to file a police report.

“She was trying to hide it,” Cheng, 28, said. “She doesn’t want any trouble.”

Two days after the attack, police arrested Patrick Mateo, 47. He was charged with assault and harassment, and later released.

The New York Times reached out to Mateo, who said in several text messages that he began to argue with the woman after she got too close to him in line at a bakery and that she later sprayed him with mace.

He wrote that he had told the woman “you are in america … NOT CHINA! Please give me space with coronavirus.”

Cheng said his mother’s memory of the incident was foggy, possibly because of the blow to her head, but that she did carry pepper spray and that she had taken it out during the encounter.

The Chengs urged people not to retaliate against Mateo. Maggie Cheng said her mother was eager to move on and returned to her routine the day after the attack.

“She didn’t want to live in fear or stay at home,” Cheng said.

Maggie Cheng could stand to watch the video only once. “I’ve never cried like that before,” Cheng said, describing her reaction to security footage that showed her mother being shoved to the ground last week on a crowded street in Flushing, Queens.

Maggie Cheng could stand to watch the video only once. “I’ve never cried like that before,” Cheng said, describing her reaction to security footage that showed her mother being shoved to the ground last week on a crowded street in Flushing, Queens. “To see my mother get thrown like that, she looks like a feather. She looks like a rag doll.” The attack on Cheng’s mother, which was highlighted by celebrities and gained widespread attention on social media, was one of four against Asian American women in New York City that day. Taken together, they stoked fears that the wave of racism and violence that has targeted Asian Americans during the pandemic was surging again in New York. Those concerns intensified after a man of Asian descent was stabbed Thursday night near Chinatown. The number of hate crimes with Asian American victims reported to the New York City Police Department jumped to 28 in 2020, from just three the previous year, though activists and police officials say many additional incidents were not classified as hate crimes or went unreported. Asian Americans are grappling with the anxiety, fear and anger brought on by the attacks, which activists and elected officials say were fueled early in the pandemic by former President Donald Trump, who frequently used racist language to refer to the coronavirus. In New York City, where Asian Americans make up an estimated 16% of the population, the violence has terrified many. “The attacks are random, and they are fast and furious,” said Jo-Ann Yoo, executive director of the Asian American Federation, a nonprofit network of community groups. “It has stoked a lot of fear and paranoia. People are not leaving their homes.” The xenophobia and violence is compounded by the economic fallout of the pandemic and fears of the virus, which dealt a severe blow to New York’s Asian American communities. Many of the attacks do not result in hate crime charges, because police need evidence that identity was the motivating factor, like an audible racial slur, a self-incriminating statement or a history of racist behavior by the attacker. So far this year, three attacks on people of Asian descent have led to hate crime charges in New York. The most recent came Thursday, when a 36-year-old man was stabbed near the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan and taken to the hospital in critical condition, police said. A suspect was arrested that evening and later charged with second-degree attempted murder as a hate crime, as well as assault, forgery and criminal possession of a weapon. A Police Department spokesman said the motives in last week’s attacks, including the one on Cheng’s mother, were unclear and that they were not currently being investigated as hate crimes. Leaders who have pressed elected officials and police to confront the issue say the response so far has felt sluggish. “I’m really angry,” Yoo said. “I’ve been asking for something, some kind of a proactive response from City Hall.” Mayor Bill de Blasio said this week that the city was working to increase communication with community leaders, creating a website to help people report and respond to attacks, and focusing subway patrols on possible bias crimes. He also pointed to the Asian Hate Crime Task Force the department formed late last year. “If you dare to raise your hand against a member of our Asian communities, you will suffer the consequences,” de Blasio said at a news conference. Deputy Inspector Stewart Loo oversees the task force, which is composed of 25 volunteer detectives who speak 10 languages. He said it was designed to encourage Asian Americans who are reluctant to cooperate with police. “The sentiment within the Asian American community is that the police either don’t care or are not doing enough,” he said. The NYPD said it made arrests in 18 hate crimes involving Asian American victims last year and the cases are still pending. But many Asian Americans feel that their complaints are not being taken seriously by police and prosecutors, said Chris Kwok, a board member for the Asian American Bar Association of New York. “The political and social invisibility of Asian Americans have real-life consequences,” Kwok said. “The invisibility comes from Asian Americans being seen as permanent foreigners — they can’t cross that invisible line into becoming real Americans.” Several highly publicized incidents early in the pandemic were not handled as hate crimes, Kwok said. If they had been, it “would have sent a signal that this was unacceptable and that if you were going to target Asian Americans, there would be consequences,” he said. In April, a man doused a 39-year-old woman with a caustic chemical as she took the trash out in front of her home in Brooklyn, badly burning her face, hands and neck. In July, two men lit an 89-year-old woman on fire near her Brooklyn home, after which hundreds of New Yorkers marched in protest. Neither was classified as a hate crime. The increase in attacks in the city mirrors a trend across the United States. Stop AAPI Hate, an initiative that tracks violence and harassment against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, recorded more than 3,000 reported incidents from the start of the pandemic, said Russell Jeung, one of the group’s leaders and chair of the Asian American Studies Department at San Francisco State University. Of those, at least 260 were in New York City. These attacks have lasting effects, said Kellina Craig-Henderson, who works for the National Science Foundation and has studied the psychological impact of hate crimes. She said that people targeted because of their race and ethnicity can suffer ailments like post-traumatic stress disorder, often more acutely than victims of other crimes. “If you’re a minority person and this happens to you, you’re going to be more fearful, you’re going to question your place in the world,” Craig-Henderson said. She added that hate crimes reverberate through communities and can further marginalize them. “It sends a message to others that they could be next,” she said. Several Asian Americans who were victims of attacks in New York last year and reported them to the police said the scars were lasting. Crisanna Tang was riding the subway to work one July morning when a maskless man spat on her and yelled that Chinese people had caused the virus. None of the other passengers intervened, Tang said. “I was like, ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe this is actually happening to me,” said Tang, 31, a pathologists’ assistant at Jacobi Medical Center. Now, Tang is hypervigilant. She started taking the express bus, which costs more than the subway. She stopped wearing a face shield to attract less attention. She carries pepper spray in her bag. “I just wish these incidents would stop,” Tang said. “I am worried about the elderly community. I am really worried not enough is being done for them.” Mimi Lau said strangers shouted racist slurs and threatened her physical safety twice last year, once on the D train and once outside the mochi shop she owns in Manhattan’s East Village. “It made me think something was wrong with me,” Lau, 27, said. Yen Yen Pong, 37, bought pepper spray after a maskless stranger accosted her last April in Queens, yelling racist remarks about the virus. After Pong tried to take a photograph of him, he snatched her cellphone and shattered it on the pavement. Pong, who works at an asset management company, said she thought Asian American women were particularly at risk, an observation supported by Stop AAPI Hate data showing that Asian American women in New York were accosted three times as often as men. “Number one, I am Asian. Number two, I am a woman,” Pong said. “What makes me a better target than that?” The Asian American Bar Association of New York recently issued recommendations for ways to address the attacks, including clearer reporting mechanisms for victims and formalizing the Asian Hate Crime Task Force as a funded unit. In September, more than 25 community groups condemned the task force, in part because of the effects that overpolicing can have on people of color, including Asian Americans, and because such a unit fails to address the root causes of anti-Asian racism. Even with the task force working to expand outreach, details of attacks and harassment may never reach authorities. Activists say that many incidents go unreported, in part because of the stigma attached to them. Sam Cheng, Maggie Cheng’s brother, said their mother spent hours in the hospital, where she got stitches for a deep gash in her forehead, and that she did not initially want to file a police report. “She was trying to hide it,” Cheng, 28, said. “She doesn’t want any trouble.” Two days after the attack, police arrested Patrick Mateo, 47. He was charged with assault and harassment, and later released. The New York Times reached out to Mateo, who said in several text messages that he began to argue with the woman after she got too close to him in line at a bakery and that she later sprayed him with mace. He wrote that he had told the woman “you are in america … NOT CHINA! Please give me space with coronavirus.” Cheng said his mother’s memory of the incident was foggy, possibly because of the blow to her head, but that she did carry pepper spray and that she had taken it out during the encounter. The Chengs urged people not to retaliate against Mateo. Maggie Cheng said her mother was eager to move on and returned to her routine the day after the attack. “She didn’t want to live in fear or stay at home,” Cheng said.

Attacks on Asian-Americans in New York stoke fear, anxiety and anger

For Bollywood, beautiful women have fair skin, according to an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based computer analysis which reveals that conception of beauty has remained consistent through the years in the film industry centred in Mumbai. 
 
The automated computer analysis was led by Indian-origin researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in the US. 
 
The research revealed that babies whose births were depicted in Bollywood films from the 1950s and 60s were more often than not boys; in today`s films, boy and girl newborns are about evenly split. 
 
In the 50s and 60s, dowries were socially acceptable; today, not so much. 
 
The researchers, led by Kunal Khadilkar and Ashiqur KhudaBukhsh of CMU`s Language Technologies Institute (LTI), gathered 100 Bollywood movies from each of the past seven decades along with 100 of the top-grossing Hollywood moves from the same periods. 
 
They then used statistical language models to analyse subtitles of those 1,400 films for gender and social biases, looking for such factors as what words are closely associated with each other. 
 
"Most cultural studies of movies might consider five or 10 movies," said Khadilkar, a master`s student in LTI. 
 
"Our method can look at 2,000 movies in a matter of days." 
 
For instance, the researchers assessed beauty conventions in movies by using a so-called cloze test. 
 
Essentially, it`s a fill-in-the-blank exercise: "A beautiful woman should have BLANK skin." 
 
A language model normally would predict "soft" as the answer, the researchers noted. 
 
But when the model was trained with the Bollywood subtitles, the consistent prediction became "fair". 
 
The same thing happened when Hollywood subtitles were used, though the bias was less pronounced, said the study. 
 
To assess the prevalence of male characters, the researchers used a metric called Male Pronoun Ratio (MPR), which compares the occurrence of male pronouns such as "he" and "him" with the total occurrences of male and female pronouns. 
 
From 1950 through today, the MPR for Bollywood and Hollywood movies ranged from roughly 60 to 65 MPR. 
 
Looking at words associated with dowry over the years, the researchers found such words as "loan," "debt" and "jewelry" in Bollywood films of the 50s, which suggested compliance. 
 
By the 1970s, other words, such as "consent" and "responsibility," began to appear. Finally, in the 2000s, the words most closely associated with dowry -- including "trouble," "divorce" and "refused" -- indicate noncompliance or its consequences. 
 
"All of these things we kind of knew," said KhudaBukhsh, an LTI project scientist, "but now we have numbers to quantify them. And we can also see the progress over the last 70 years as these biases have been reduced." 
 
The findings were presented at the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence virtual conference earlier this month. 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

For Bollywood, beautiful women have fair skin, according to an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based computer analysis which reveals that conception of beauty has remained consistent through the years in the film industry centred in Mumbai.

For Bollywood, beautiful women have fair skin, according to an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based computer analysis which reveals that conception of beauty has remained consistent through the years in the film industry centred in Mumbai. The automated computer analysis was led by Indian-origin researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in the US. The research revealed that babies whose births were depicted in Bollywood films from the 1950s and 60s were more often than not boys; in today`s films, boy and girl newborns are about evenly split. In the 50s and 60s, dowries were socially acceptable; today, not so much. The researchers, led by Kunal Khadilkar and Ashiqur KhudaBukhsh of CMU`s Language Technologies Institute (LTI), gathered 100 Bollywood movies from each of the past seven decades along with 100 of the top-grossing Hollywood moves from the same periods. They then used statistical language models to analyse subtitles of those 1,400 films for gender and social biases, looking for such factors as what words are closely associated with each other. "Most cultural studies of movies might consider five or 10 movies," said Khadilkar, a master`s student in LTI. "Our method can look at 2,000 movies in a matter of days." For instance, the researchers assessed beauty conventions in movies by using a so-called cloze test. Essentially, it`s a fill-in-the-blank exercise: "A beautiful woman should have BLANK skin." A language model normally would predict "soft" as the answer, the researchers noted. But when the model was trained with the Bollywood subtitles, the consistent prediction became "fair". The same thing happened when Hollywood subtitles were used, though the bias was less pronounced, said the study. To assess the prevalence of male characters, the researchers used a metric called Male Pronoun Ratio (MPR), which compares the occurrence of male pronouns such as "he" and "him" with the total occurrences of male and female pronouns. From 1950 through today, the MPR for Bollywood and Hollywood movies ranged from roughly 60 to 65 MPR. Looking at words associated with dowry over the years, the researchers found such words as "loan," "debt" and "jewelry" in Bollywood films of the 50s, which suggested compliance. By the 1970s, other words, such as "consent" and "responsibility," began to appear. Finally, in the 2000s, the words most closely associated with dowry -- including "trouble," "divorce" and "refused" -- indicate noncompliance or its consequences. "All of these things we kind of knew," said KhudaBukhsh, an LTI project scientist, "but now we have numbers to quantify them. And we can also see the progress over the last 70 years as these biases have been reduced." The findings were presented at the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence virtual conference earlier this month.

Bollywood still links women's beauty to fair skin: AI

Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers condemned online racist abuses directed at football players, however, also urged them to not use social media platforms to seek validation about their performances.

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Last week, the Football Association (FA) wanted the government and social media companies to act quickly in the fight against online racist abuse.

Many football players, including Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, have been subjected to online racist abuse.

Rodgers said the abuse was "unacceptable" but added players were likely to receive negative comments on social media and must learn to deal with the criticism.

"I would say casually to players that if they need it, great, but if you don't I don't see why you would bother and don't look for the gratification to see how well you've done just by switching on social media," Rodgers said.

"If you are only on there to receive gratification for everything you've done really well and the minute you don't do something well and get criticised for it you crumble, then that's not saying a great deal.

"You have to take the rough with the smooth."&nbsp;

(Inputs from Reuters)

Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers condemned online racist abuses directed at football players, however, also urged them to not use social media platforms to seek validation about their performances.

Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers condemned online racist abuses directed at football players, however, also urged them to not use social media platforms to seek validation about their performances. ALSO READ: Four-goal Man City crush Liverpool, Kane stars for Spurs Last week, the Football Association (FA) wanted the government and social media companies to act quickly in the fight against online racist abuse. Many football players, including Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, have been subjected to online racist abuse. Rodgers said the abuse was "unacceptable" but added players were likely to receive negative comments on social media and must learn to deal with the criticism. "I would say casually to players that if they need it, great, but if you don't I don't see why you would bother and don't look for the gratification to see how well you've done just by switching on social media," Rodgers said. "If you are only on there to receive gratification for everything you've done really well and the minute you don't do something well and get criticised for it you crumble, then that's not saying a great deal. "You have to take the rough with the smooth." (Inputs from Reuters)

'Unacceptable': Leicester City Brendan Rodgers condemns online racist abuse

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on Thursday said that social media companies must take complete responsibility to help stop the online abuse of players as their mental health can be affected if they are targeted.&nbsp;

Last week, Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, Axel Tuanzebe and Anthony Martial, West Brom's Romaine Sawyers and Chelsea's James Reece were subject to online racism.&nbsp;

"There are all types of different abuses and it has to be eradicated completely," Arteta told reporters. "I think social media has a big responsibility. Because then you talk about the mental health of players... and how exposed they are.

"I'm all open for people to have opinions, but not just to be insulting people, abusing people and using a screen behind a phone to say whatever you want about a person you don't know.

"That has to be eradicated because it's causing a lot of damage in football, a lot of damage to public people."

Last month, Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson and Karen Carney held talks with government ministers regarding online abuse and discrimination.&nbsp;

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on Thursday said that social media companies must take complete responsibility to help stop the online abuse of players as their mental health can be affected if they are targeted.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on Thursday said that social media companies must take complete responsibility to help stop the online abuse of players as their mental health can be affected if they are targeted. Last week, Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, Axel Tuanzebe and Anthony Martial, West Brom's Romaine Sawyers and Chelsea's James Reece were subject to online racism. "There are all types of different abuses and it has to be eradicated completely," Arteta told reporters. "I think social media has a big responsibility. Because then you talk about the mental health of players... and how exposed they are. "I'm all open for people to have opinions, but not just to be insulting people, abusing people and using a screen behind a phone to say whatever you want about a person you don't know. "That has to be eradicated because it's causing a lot of damage in football, a lot of damage to public people." Last month, Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson and Karen Carney held talks with government ministers regarding online abuse and discrimination.

'That has to be eradicated': Mike Arteta urges social media firms to help stop online abuse of players

A 49-year-old man has been arrested in suspicion of racially abusing West Brom midfielder Romaine Sawyers during club's 5-0 Premier League home defeat by Manchester City on Tuesday.

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West Bromwich Albion on Friday said that they contacted police and will be seeking the toughest possible punishment after midfielder Romaine Sawyers was racially abused on social media.

As per the statement released by the club, a racist message was sent to Saint Kitts and Nevis international during West Brom's 5-0 Premier League home defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday.

"Everyone at the club is appalled by the abhorrent message," it added.

"The club has a proud history of confronting all forms of discrimination and will assist the authorities with their inquiries, seeking the toughest available legal punishment, as well as a lifetime ban from The Hawthorns for the individual responsible.

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The police released a statement after arresting the man. They said: "We've arrested a man on suspicion of racially abusing West Bromwich Albion player Romaine Sawyers online," West Midlands Police said on Twitter late on Friday.

"The 49-year-old man from Kingswinford was this evening taken into police custody for questioning.

"Our dedicated football hate crime officer is also investigating another report of a racist comment towards the same footballer. We will not tolerate racism."

This week, Chelsea's Reece James, and Man Utd's Axel Tuanzebe and Anthony Martial were also the victims of online racial abuse this week.

The British ministers met top English players on Monday to discuss online abuse and discrimination as part of a series of 'Future of Football' discussions.

A 49-year-old man has been arrested in suspicion of racially abusing West Brom midfielder Romaine Sawyers during club's 5-0 Premier League home defeat by Manchester City on Tuesday.

A 49-year-old man has been arrested in suspicion of racially abusing West Brom midfielder Romaine Sawyers during club's 5-0 Premier League home defeat by Manchester City on Tuesday. ALSO READ: 'Disgusted': Chelsea strongly condemns online racist abuse against Reece James West Bromwich Albion on Friday said that they contacted police and will be seeking the toughest possible punishment after midfielder Romaine Sawyers was racially abused on social media. As per the statement released by the club, a racist message was sent to Saint Kitts and Nevis international during West Brom's 5-0 Premier League home defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday. "Everyone at the club is appalled by the abhorrent message," it added. "The club has a proud history of confronting all forms of discrimination and will assist the authorities with their inquiries, seeking the toughest available legal punishment, as well as a lifetime ban from The Hawthorns for the individual responsible. ALSO READ: Ole Solskjaer brands racist abuse of Manchester United players 'disgusting' The police released a statement after arresting the man. They said: "We've arrested a man on suspicion of racially abusing West Bromwich Albion player Romaine Sawyers online," West Midlands Police said on Twitter late on Friday. "The 49-year-old man from Kingswinford was this evening taken into police custody for questioning. "Our dedicated football hate crime officer is also investigating another report of a racist comment towards the same footballer. We will not tolerate racism." This week, Chelsea's Reece James, and Man Utd's Axel Tuanzebe and Anthony Martial were also the victims of online racial abuse this week. The British ministers met top English players on Monday to discuss online abuse and discrimination as part of a series of 'Future of Football' discussions.

Police arrests 49-year-old on suspicion of racially abusing West Brom's player

AC Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic took to social media to defend himself against the accusations he aimed racist comments at Inter's Romelu Lukaku during the Coppa Italia quarter-final on Tuesday, saying there is no place for racism in "Zlatan's world".

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On Tuesday, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku faced-off in a heated war of words during the all-Milan Italian Cup quarter-finals as the AC Milan forward riled up his former Manchester United teammate by evoking voodism while calling him "a little donkey", according to reports.&nbsp;

Ibrahimovic taunted Lukaku and made him angry by laughing in his face before the duo went head-to-head.&nbsp;

"Go to your voodoo s**t, you little donkey," Ibrahimovic told Lukaku in English, alluding to an episode during Lukaku's time at Everton.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/man-utd-title-hopes-hit-as-chelseas-tuchel-era-starts-with-stalemate-359924" hreflang="en">Man Utd title hopes hit as Chelsea's Tuchel era starts with stalemate</a>

In 2018, Everton's majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri had suggested that Lukaku declined a new Everton contract after heeding the advice of a voodoo message. However, the Belgian had rejected any notion of voodism influencing his decision to leave the Merseyside club.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, Ibrahimovic and Lukaku traded insults and headed towards the tunnel. Lukaku was being restrained by his teammates. Both players were booked over the incident. Whereas Ibrahimovic went on to pick up his second yellow card 15 minutes after the half-time break.&nbsp;

However, the Swedish footballer denied using racist terms after the incident. He took to Twitter and said: "In ZLATAN’s world there is no place for RACISM. We are all the same race - we are all equal !! We are all PLAYERS some better then others."

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In ZLATAN’s world there is no place for RACISM. 
We are all the same race - we are all equal !! 
We are all PLAYERS some better then others.<a href="https://t.co/DhguHUOFte">https://t.co/DhguHUOFte</a>
— Zlatan Ibrahimović (@Ibra_official) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ibra_official/status/1354416676742307840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Sky Sports reported that the Italian Football Federation is likely to make a decision on the matter on Friday.

AC Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic took to social media to defend himself against the accusations he aimed racist comments at Inter's Romelu Lukaku during the Coppa Italia quarter-final on Tuesday, saying there is no place for racism in "Zlatan's world".

AC Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic took to social media to defend himself against the accusations he aimed racist comments at Inter's Romelu Lukaku during the Coppa Italia quarter-final on Tuesday, saying there is no place for racism in "Zlatan's world". ALSO READ: Watch: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Romelu Lukaku involved in heated war of words during Milan Derby On Tuesday, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku faced-off in a heated war of words during the all-Milan Italian Cup quarter-finals as the AC Milan forward riled up his former Manchester United teammate by evoking voodism while calling him "a little donkey", according to reports. Ibrahimovic taunted Lukaku and made him angry by laughing in his face before the duo went head-to-head. "Go to your voodoo s**t, you little donkey," Ibrahimovic told Lukaku in English, alluding to an episode during Lukaku's time at Everton. ALSO READ: Man Utd title hopes hit as Chelsea's Tuchel era starts with stalemate In 2018, Everton's majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri had suggested that Lukaku declined a new Everton contract after heeding the advice of a voodoo message. However, the Belgian had rejected any notion of voodism influencing his decision to leave the Merseyside club. On Tuesday, Ibrahimovic and Lukaku traded insults and headed towards the tunnel. Lukaku was being restrained by his teammates. Both players were booked over the incident. Whereas Ibrahimovic went on to pick up his second yellow card 15 minutes after the half-time break. However, the Swedish footballer denied using racist terms after the incident. He took to Twitter and said: "In ZLATAN’s world there is no place for RACISM. We are all the same race - we are all equal !! We are all PLAYERS some better then others." In ZLATAN’s world there is no place for RACISM. We are all the same race - we are all equal !! We are all PLAYERS some better then others.https://t.co/DhguHUOFte — Zlatan Ibrahimović (@Ibra_official) January 27, 2021 × Sky Sports reported that the Italian Football Federation is likely to make a decision on the matter on Friday.

'We are all equal': Zlatan Ibrahimovic denies using racist terms against Lukaku

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has suspended a senior policeman over a New Year card that has been deemed to be extremely racist. The action has come just when the police force has been facing accusations of prejudice towards Arabs and blacks.&nbsp;

The New Year card in question was sent by a police station outside Paris. The cartoon on the card has a white policeman who is asking a black man to come closer. The policeman has a taser in his hands.

"Come closer. My taser is recharging in the cigarette lighter," says the slogan in the cartoon, below which is written, "the commissioner and the police... wish you a very happy 2021."

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on Twitter that an investigation into the matter had been launched. The police commissioner will be questioned. He has been suspended. Identity of the police commissioner has not been revealed.

The cartoon "shocked a lot of people due to the racist connotations," said an interior ministry official, who asked not to be named. "It is incomprehensible."

French police have been under fire over repeated instances where black or Arab suspects have been roughly arrested or beaten, prompting accusations of institutionalised racism in the force.

The beating of black music producer Michel Zecler in November prompted a storm of controversy, with four police charged over the assault.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has suspended a senior policeman over a New Year card that has been deemed to be extremely racist. The action has come just when the police force has been facing accusations of prejudice towards Arabs and blacks.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has suspended a senior policeman over a New Year card that has been deemed to be extremely racist. The action has come just when the police force has been facing accusations of prejudice towards Arabs and blacks. The New Year card in question was sent by a police station outside Paris. The cartoon on the card has a white policeman who is asking a black man to come closer. The policeman has a taser in his hands. "Come closer. My taser is recharging in the cigarette lighter," says the slogan in the cartoon, below which is written, "the commissioner and the police... wish you a very happy 2021." Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on Twitter that an investigation into the matter had been launched. The police commissioner will be questioned. He has been suspended. Identity of the police commissioner has not been revealed. The cartoon "shocked a lot of people due to the racist connotations," said an interior ministry official, who asked not to be named. "It is incomprehensible." French police have been under fire over repeated instances where black or Arab suspects have been roughly arrested or beaten, prompting accusations of institutionalised racism in the force. The beating of black music producer Michel Zecler in November prompted a storm of controversy, with four police charged over the assault.

French police officer suspended over 'racist' new year card

Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani has been banned for three matches for using the word 'negrito' in a social media post. The Uruguayan was also slapped with a £100,000 fine by the FA.&nbsp;

The 33-year-old striker sent the message to a friend after his match-winning performance against Southampton last month, but the FA decided it was discriminatory in nature and charged him with misconduct.

Cavani had until January 4 to respond, but the striker chose not to. Due to the ban, he will now miss the Premier League game against Aston Villa, EFL Cup semi-final against Manchester City and FA Cup clash with Watford – leaving him free to return to action at Liverpool on January 17.

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The statement issued by the FA read: "Edinson Cavani has been suspended for three games, fined £100,000 and must complete face-to-face education after admitting a charge for a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to a social media post on Sunday 29 November 2020."

"A comment posted on the Manchester United FC striker's Instagram page was insulting, abusive, improper and brought the game into disrepute contrary to FA Rule E3.1."&nbsp;

"The post also constitutes an 'aggravated breach', which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included reference, whether express or implied, to colour and/or race and/or ethnic origin."

"An independent Regulatory Commission was appointed to decide the sanction and its written reasons will be published in due course." &nbsp;

A statement from United read: "As he has stated, Edinson Cavani wasn't aware that his words could have been misconstrued and he sincerely apologised for the post and to anyone who was offended."

"Despite his honest belief that he was simply sending an affectionate thank you in response to a congratulatory message from a close friend, he chose not to contest the charge out of respect for, and solidarity with, The FA and the fight against racism in football."

"While it is clear that context and intent are key factors, we note that the independent Regulatory Commission was required to impose a minimum three-game suspension."&nbsp;

"The club trusts that the independent Regulatory Commission will make it clear in its written reasons that Edinson Cavani is not a racist, nor was there any racist intent in relation to his post."

Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani has been banned for three matches for using the word 'negrito' in a social media post. The Uruguayan was also slapped with a £100,000 fine by the FA.

Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani has been banned for three matches for using the word 'negrito' in a social media post. The Uruguayan was also slapped with a £100,000 fine by the FA. The 33-year-old striker sent the message to a friend after his match-winning performance against Southampton last month, but the FA decided it was discriminatory in nature and charged him with misconduct. Cavani had until January 4 to respond, but the striker chose not to. Due to the ban, he will now miss the Premier League game against Aston Villa, EFL Cup semi-final against Manchester City and FA Cup clash with Watford – leaving him free to return to action at Liverpool on January 17. The statement issued by the FA read: "Edinson Cavani has been suspended for three games, fined £100,000 and must complete face-to-face education after admitting a charge for a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to a social media post on Sunday 29 November 2020." "A comment posted on the Manchester United FC striker's Instagram page was insulting, abusive, improper and brought the game into disrepute contrary to FA Rule E3.1." "The post also constitutes an 'aggravated breach', which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included reference, whether express or implied, to colour and/or race and/or ethnic origin." "An independent Regulatory Commission was appointed to decide the sanction and its written reasons will be published in due course." A statement from United read: "As he has stated, Edinson Cavani wasn't aware that his words could have been misconstrued and he sincerely apologised for the post and to anyone who was offended." "Despite his honest belief that he was simply sending an affectionate thank you in response to a congratulatory message from a close friend, he chose not to contest the charge out of respect for, and solidarity with, The FA and the fight against racism in football." "While it is clear that context and intent are key factors, we note that the independent Regulatory Commission was required to impose a minimum three-game suspension." "The club trusts that the independent Regulatory Commission will make it clear in its written reasons that Edinson Cavani is not a racist, nor was there any racist intent in relation to his post."

Man Utd striker Edinson Cavani faces three-match ban for Instagram post

Pop star and creator of Pakistan's popular animated TV series "Burka Avenger" has launched a song inspired by the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, which highlights the issues of racial inequality.

Pop star and creator of Pakistan's "Burka Avenger" tackles racism with song

A town in Minnesota has raised eyebrows and its council allowed use of a vacant church by a Whites-only group. Although the city council and mayor have denied any support to racist ideology, questions are being raised.

The city council of town of Murdock in Minnesota has taken a decision that has started a discussion. The council, passed a permit on Wednesday (December 9) to allow use of a church by 'Asatru Folk community' (AFA).

The website of AFA states the community to be part of "great Aryan religiosity".

The mayor of Murdock has been quick to dissociate the council's decision from any racial bias. During the council meeting, he has been reported&nbsp;to have said that the town was against racism in all its forms. He has attributed the decision to be in accordance with the First Amendment Rights of the US Constitution.

These rights address freedom of religion.

The AFA, which has been called "extremist" by some groups in the US has objectionable content in its so-called 'statement of ethics'

"We want our children to grow up to be mothers and fathers to white children of their own," it says.

The statement further says that "behaviors destructive of the white family" were to be discouraged in the community.

A town in Minnesota has raised eyebrows and its council allowed use of a vacant church by a Whites-only group. Although the city council and mayor have denied any support to racist ideology, questions are being raised.

A town in Minnesota has raised eyebrows and its council allowed use of a vacant church by a Whites-only group. Although the city council and mayor have denied any support to racist ideology, questions are being raised. The city council of town of Murdock in Minnesota has taken a decision that has started a discussion. The council, passed a permit on Wednesday (December 9) to allow use of a church by 'Asatru Folk community' (AFA). The website of AFA states the community to be part of "great Aryan religiosity". The mayor of Murdock has been quick to dissociate the council's decision from any racial bias. During the council meeting, he has been reported to have said that the town was against racism in all its forms. He has attributed the decision to be in accordance with the First Amendment Rights of the US Constitution. These rights address freedom of religion. The AFA, which has been called "extremist" by some groups in the US has objectionable content in its so-called 'statement of ethics' "We want our children to grow up to be mothers and fathers to white children of their own," it says. The statement further says that "behaviors destructive of the white family" were to be discouraged in the community.

Permission for Whites-only group to use US church raises eyebrows

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