British police arrest 11 people over online racial abuse of England players after Euro 2020
August 5, 2021, 5:35 am

British police arrest 11 people over online racial abuse of England players after Euro 2020

England national team

The Sky News reported police have arrested 11 people in connection with the online racial abuse of England players after the Euro 2020 final. British police

According to the Sky News, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were targeted by racist social media posts after missing penalties against Italy last month.

It said, the age of those arrested so far ranges from 18 to 63.

It added, three live in London and two in Christchurch, Dorset. The others are from Runcorn, Cheshire; Sale, Greater Manchester; Folkestone, Kent; Reading; Shrewsbury and Worcester.

They have all either been released under investigation pending further enquiries or bailed to return at a later date.

The UK Football Policing Unit said that of 207 social media posts deemed to be criminal, 34 of the accounts were in Britain and 123 in other countries. The details of those outside the UK have been passed to the relevant countries.

Social companies have yet to provide information about the other 50 account holders.

Chief Constable Mark Roberts, National Police Chiefs' Council football policing lead, said: "There are people out there who believe they can hide behind a social media profile and get away with posting such abhorrent comments.

"They need to think again."

He said they have investigators "proactively seeking out abusive comments in connection to the match" and will arrest those posting them "if they meet a criminal threshold".

British police

It comes as new data shows more than two in five Premier League players received abusive messages on Twitter last season.

The players' union worked with online hate detection company Signify to monitor levels of abuse on the platform and they found that 20% of the abuse was directed at just four players, although they did not name them.

More than six million posts were analysed, with a deeper analysis of 20,000 messages finding 1,781 abusive messages sent from 1,674 accounts.

Just over half of the abusive messages were traced to UK-based accounts and a third of the verified abuse accounts professed an affiliation to a UK club - either as a fan, a member, or a season ticket holder.

Twitter was notified of the abuse but Signify found that only 56% of the racially abusive posts were removed, with one fifth of these deleted by the account holder rather than by Twitter.

Maheta Molango, chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), said: "The time has come to move from analysis to action.

"The PFA's work with Signify clearly shows that the technology exists to identify abuse at scale and the people behind offensive accounts.

"Having access to this data means that real-world consequences can be pursued for online abuse. If the players' union can do this, so can the tech giants."

A Twitter spokesperson said more than 1,000 tweets were removed from the platform in the hours after the Euro 2020 final, most of which had been spotted using Twitter's own technology.

"It is our top priority to keep everyone who uses Twitter safe and free from abuse. While we have made recent strides in giving people greater control to manage their safety, we know there is still work to be done.

"We continue to take action when we identify any tweets or accounts that violate the Twitter rules. We welcome people to freely express themselves on our service, however, we have clear rules in place to address threats of violence, abuse and harassment and hateful conduct."

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Source: skynews
Image source: AP-skynews

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.