Top TikToker Khaby Lame detained by US immigration
LOS ANGELES: US immigration agents detained and later allowed the "voluntary departure" of the world's most-followed TikToker, Khaby Lame, after he "overstayed" his visa, authorities said Saturday.
"US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Seringe Khabane Lame, 25, a citizen of Italy, June 6, at the Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada for immigration violations," the agency said in a statement to AFP.
Lame entered the United States on April 30 and "overstayed the terms of his visa," the statement said of the Friday detention, adding that he was released the same day.
The Italian national, who is a UNICEF goodwill ambassador and has a following of more than 162 million on TikTok, "has since departed the US."
Lame had not immediately posted publicly about the incident as of Saturday afternoon.
Since taking power in January, US President Donald Trump has delivered on campaign promises to tighten immigration controls and carry out a mass deportation drive – aspects of which have been challenged in US courts.
Lame holds top spot on the wildly popular TikTok social media app, with 162.2 million followers and has risen to fame for his short silent videos mocking the convoluted tutorials and tips that abound on the internet.
He punctuates his videos with a trademark gesture – palms turned towards the sky, accompanied by a knowing smile and wide eyes – as he offers his own simple remedies.
The idea for his content came to him while wandering around the housing project where his family lived in Chivasso, near Turin, after losing his factory mechanic's job in March 2020.
His posts took off – helping him gross an estimated US$16.5 million through marketing deals with companies in the period between June 2022 and September 2023, according to Forbes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
20 minutes ago
- The Sun
Colombian presidential contender in critical condition after shooting
BOGOTÁ: A prominent Colombian right-wing presidential candidate is in critical condition after being shot three times during a campaign event in Bogota on Saturday, authorities said. Thirty-nine-year-old Senator Miguel Uribe was speaking to supporters in the capital when a gunman shot him twice in the head and once in the knee before being detained. Images from the scene showed Uribe slumped against the hood of a white car, smeared with blood, as a group of men tried to hold him and stop the bleeding. A security guard managed to detain the suspected attacker, a minor who is believed to be 15 years old. Uribe was airlifted to the hospital in 'critical condition' where he is undergoing a 'neurosurgical' and 'peripheral vascular procedure,' the Santa Fe Clinic in Bogota confirmed. Uribe's wife posted on his X account that 'he is fighting for his life at this moment.' Police director Carlos Fernando Triana said the suspect was injured in the affray and was receiving treatment. Two others -- a man and a woman -- were also wounded, and a Glock-style firearm was seized. 'Our hearts are broken, Colombia hurts,' Carolina Gomez, a 41-year-old businesswoman, told AFP as she prayed with candles for Uribe's health. ' Day of pain' The motive for the attack is not yet publicly known. Colombia's defence minister Pedro Sanchez vowed to use law enforcement's full capabilities and offered a roughly US$725,000 reward for information about who was behind the shooting. In a video address to the nation posted on social media, President Gustavo Petro also promised investigations to find the perpetrators of the 'day of pain'. 'What matters most today is that all Colombians focus with the energy of our hearts, with our will to live ... on ensuring that Dr Miguel Uribe stays alive.' In an earlier statement, Petro condemned the violence as 'an attack not only against his person, but also against democracy, freedom of thought, and the legitimate exercise of politics in Colombia.' The shooting was similarly condemned across the political spectrum and from overseas, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling it 'a direct threat to democracy.' But Rubio also pointed blame at Petro, claiming the attack was the 'result of the violent leftist rhetoric coming from the highest levels of the Colombian government.' 'President Petro needs to dial back the inflammatory rhetoric and protect Colombian officials,' the top US diplomat said. Uribe, a strong critic of Petro, is a member of the Democratic Center party, which announced last October his intention to run in the 2026 presidential election. Authorities said that there was no specific threat made against the politician before the incident. Like many public figures in Colombia, Uribe had close personal protection. The country is home to several armed guerrilla groups, powerful cartels and has a long history of political violence. Shot 'from behind' Uribe is the son of Diana Turbay, a famed Colombian journalist who was killed after being kidnapped by Pablo Escobar's Medellin Cartel. One of his grandfathers was former Colombia president Julio Cesar Turbay, who led the country from 1978 to 1982. Supporters gathered outside the facility, lighting candles and clutching crucifixes as they prayed for his recovery. Uribe's party said in a statement Saturday that an 'armed individual' had shot the senator from behind. The party leader, former president Alvaro Uribe, described the shooting as an attack against 'a hope for the country.' Miguel Uribe -- who is not related to Alvaro -- has been a senator since 2022. He previously served as Bogota's government secretary and city councilor. He also ran for city mayor in 2019, but lost that election.
Daily Express
an hour ago
- Daily Express
US Immigration service detain top TikToker Khaby Lame: Reports
Published on: Sunday, June 08, 2025 Published on: Sun, Jun 08, 2025 By: Bernama Text Size: WASHINGTON: The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said it had detained one of the world's most famous TikTokers, Khaby Lame ( pic ), due to his visa expiration, according to Sputnik/RIA Novosti. "US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Seringe Khabane Lame, 25, a citizen of Italy, on June 6, at the Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada for immigration violations," the ICE said in a statement to Agence France-Presse. Advertisement According to authorities, Lame entered the United States on April 30, but it turned out that he had overstayed his visa. The blogger was released on the day of his detention, after which he voluntarily left the country. Lame is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and one of the most popular TikTok influencers, with more than 162 million followers. His short, wordless videos have gone viral, poking fun at the complicated instructions and advice that abound on the Internet. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
2 hours ago
- Daily Express
Israel warns more strikes if Hezbollah not disarmed
Published on: Sunday, June 08, 2025 Published on: Sun, Jun 08, 2025 By: AFP Text Size: Women salvage tree branches to be used for firewood from the rubble outside a damaged building at the site of an overnight Israeli airstrike. BEIRUT: Israel warned Friday that it would keep striking Lebanon until militant group Hezbollah has been disarmed, after hitting south Beirut in what Lebanese leaders called a major violation of a November ceasefire. Thursday's attacks on what the Israeli military said were underground Hezbollah drone factories came after an Israeli evacuation call on the eve of Eid al-Adha, a key Muslim religious festival, and sent huge numbers of residents of Beirut's southern suburbs fleeing. Advertisement It was the fourth and heaviest Israeli bombardment of the heavily populated area, known as a bastion of support for Hezbollah, in the six months since a ceasefire deal aimed at ending hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. The last attack was in late April. 'There will be no calm in Beirut, and no order or stability in Lebanon, without security for the State of Israel,' Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. 'Agreements must be honoured and if you do not do what is required, we will continue to act, and with great force.' The state-run National News Agency reported around a dozen strikes, while Health Minister Rakan Nassereldine said several people were wounded by flying glass. Advertisement AFP photographers on Friday saw huge destruction as residents, some wearing masks, inspected the debris and damage to their homes. A Hezbollah statement said a preliminary assessment showed nine buildings were completely destroyed and dozens of others damaged. A woman in her 40s who lives near one of the strike sites said she fled on foot with her young children including a three-month-old baby. 'Thank God' the building was not destroyed, she told AFP after returning Friday morning to find the windows of her flat shattered. South Beirut resident Fatima, 40, said 'life goes on', adding that she and her two children were following the usual Eid traditions after fleeing the previous night. Hezbollah sparked months of deadly hostilities by launching cross-border attacks on northern Israel in stated solidarity with Palestinian ally Hamas following its October 7, 2023 attack. France, part of a committee overseeing the ceasefire, condemned the strikes and urged all parties to respect the truce, noting that the monitoring mechanism 'is there to help the parties deal with threats and prevent any escalation'. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun late on Thursday voiced 'firm condemnation of the Israeli aggression' and 'flagrant violation of an international accord... on the eve of a sacred religious festival'. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the strikes as a violation of Lebanese sovereignty. Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Ammar on Friday urged 'all Lebanese political forces... to translate their statements of condemnation into concrete action', including diplomatic pressure. Hezbollah backer Iran called the strikes 'a blatant act of aggression against Lebanon's territorial integrity and sovereignty', foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said. The war left Hezbollah massively weakened, with top commanders including longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah killed and weapons caches incinerated. Under the ceasefire, Lebanon should disarm Hezbollah, once reputed to be more heavily armed than the state. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
