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George Floyd: Black man dies after US police brutality

A Black man who yelled “I cannot breathe” as a white Minneapolis police officer pinned him down with his knee in the US state of Minnesota died late on Monday, police confirmed, drawing outrage from community members and leaders, and leading to the officers’ termination. 

Video of the incident shows the police officer pinning down George Floyd, believed to be in his 40s, to the pavement with his knee on the man’s neck for several minutes. Floyd was identified by prominent civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, who said he had been retained by the Floyd family. 

Floyd can be heard saying in the video: “Please, please, I cannot breathe.”

The officer tells Floyd to “relax”.

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Floyd responds: “I can’t breathe. Please, the knee in my neck.”

The officer continues to hold down Floyd with his knee for several minutes, with Floyd pleading and asking for water.

“My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Please, please. I can’t breathe,” Floyd cries out, while moaning and trying to cough.

Floyd eventually appears motionless under the officer’s knee.

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Those who were watching the incident unfold can be heard begging police to move off Floyd.

“He is not moving,” an onlooker can be heard saying. “Get off of his neck.”

It is unclear what happened before and after the video was taken.

Minneapolis Police Chief, Medaria Arradondo said during a news conference on Tuesday that the four officers involved in the incident were now “former employees”. 

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The city’s mayor, Jacob Frey, confirmed that the officers had been terminated, saying “this is the right decision for our city”. 

In a statement earlier on Tuesday, the Minneapolis Police Department said its officers were responding to a “report of a forgery in progress”.

“After [the suspect] got out [of his car], he physically resisted officers,” the statement said. “Officers were able to get the suspect into handcuffs and note he appeared to be suffering medical distress.”

He was then transported to a nearby medical centre where he died a short time later, the department said.

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The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehensive (BCA) said it was “investigating the circumstances surrounding an incident”.

It added that it was sharing information with the FBI, which “is conducting a separate federal civil rights investigation at the request of the Minneapolis Police Department.”

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA NEWS

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 Intake of ‘Gobe’ can prevent heart diseases —Nutritionists

Gari and beans is good for the heart
Gari and beans is good for the heart

Nutritionists have advised Ghanaians to eat more beans-based meals, including the popular local dish, gari and beans, also known as ‘Gobe’ to prevent heart diseases. They said incidenc­es of obesity and cancer could be minimised with the regular intake of beans meals.

At a programme in Accra to mark the World Pulses ( Beans) Day on Monday, Mr Wise Chukudi Letsa, Nu­tritionist and Dietician, who spoke on the topic: ‘Beans: The Super Food for Healthy Living and Healthy Farmlands,’ admonished Ghanaians to include beans in their diets.

Mr Letsa said beans was rich in protein, fibre, vitamins, miner­als, irons and other nutrients and contained just a little fat. Mr Letsa, a Nutritionist with Lets Consult, stated that the presence of those nutrients in beans explained why its intake could prevent heart diseases and other ailments, hence the need to consume it regularly.

The event, dubbed: ‘Meatless Monday’ was organised by the Com­munications Initiative for Change (CIC), a Ghanaian non-profit organ­isation.

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The ‘Meatless Monday’ is an initiative aimed at encouraging Ghanaians to reduce their intake of meat by taking in more beans-based meals on every Monday of a week.

It was launched after the United Nations in 2019, set aside Febru­ary 10 to celebrate and encourage the consumption of pulses (beans) worldwide. This year’s celebration was hinged on the theme: ‘Bringing Diversity to Agrifood Systems.’

Mr Peter Agbovi, National Secre­tary, Chefs Association of Ghana, said a variety of meals could be prepared with beans, which include Waakye (rice and beans), Kose (beans paste made into cakes), Ayikple, Aboboi, Tuo Zaafi, Akyeke, and kakro.

He encouraged Ghanaians to con­sume more of those foods to stay healthy.

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Mr Emmanuel Fiagbey, the Ex­ecutive Director, CIC, indicated that even if people could not eat beans-based meals regularly, efforts should be made to consume them every Monday.

He said that was the essence of the introduction of the ‘Meatless Monday’ initiative. -GNA

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 Restore beauty of Kwame Nkrumah Circle area / State of Kwame Nkrumah Circle an eyesore!

A homeless man sleeping in the sand close to the removed blocks
A homeless man sleeping in the sand close to the removed blocks

Small size quarry stones fixed at open spac­es under the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange was to leave the place open and free from activities of beggars and other activities of the homeless.

By the way the stones were fixed, it makes the area, particularly the VIP and Neoplan Station stretch of the Interchange, inhabit­able by the destitute.

But a walk through the area currently suggest the opposite.

At the median where pavement blocks have been taken over by these home­less and destitute, the area has been turned into a hotel where a number of these unfortunate ones have com­fortably laid their mattress­es and other stuff to rest from the day’s activities.

They have crossed over to the SSNIT and Kaneshie Station area with their activ­ities and have removed the quarry stones which were to ward them off the place to enable them find spaces to sleep comfortably.

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The pavement blocks re­moved from different loca­tions under the interchange now serves as foundations on which beds were laid and in some cases, mosquito nets erected.

Their continued pres­ence is not only creating a nuisance for commuters but marring the beauty and serenity of the place.

Sadly, the activities of these deprived fellows have been ignored while the numbers keep increasing day by day.

The Spectator finds the development very worrying and calls on the responsible authorities to clear the area to restore the beauty and serenity of the area.

 By Victor A. Buxton

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