Family of Boulder attack suspect taken into ICE custody, DHS chief Krisi Noem says
The family of man accused of launching an 'antisemitic attack' that injured at least 12 protesters in Boulder, Colorado, on Sunday will been taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody today, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced.
DHS is investigating "to what extent" the family of suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, "knew about this heinous attack, if they had knowledge of it, or if they provided support to it," Noem wrote on X.
She described Soliman as a "terrorist" and "illegal alien" who "will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
"I am continuing to pray for the victims of this attack and their families. Justice will be served," Noem continued.
Soliman is accused of using a 'makeshift flamethrower' and Molotov cocktails on a group of people peacefully calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. At least 12 protesters were injured and eight, ranging in age from 52 to 88, were admitted to the hospital with burns.
Soliman is an Egyptian national. The Department of Homeland Security said Monday that Soliman legally entered the country on a B2 visa, normally issued to tourists, in August 2022 and filed for asylum in September 2022. While his visa expired in February 2023, Soliman had not yet exhausted all legal options to stay in the U.S.
He was charged in Colorado with attempted first-degree murder after deliberation; attempted first-degree murder with extreme indifference; first-degree assault, including against an at-risk victim older than 70; and possession of an incendiary device. He remains in custody on $10 million bond.
He was also charged with a federal hate crime Monday.
Prosecutors said Soliman told authorities he had been planning the attack for a year and he hated what he called 'the Zionist group.'
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Reuters
21 minutes ago
- Reuters
German foreign minister tells Israel to allow more aid into Gaza
BERLIN, June 5 (Reuters) - German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul criticized Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip at a press conference with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar in Berlin on Thursday, again calling for more humanitarian aid to be allowed into the enclave. "That is also the prevailing international law," he said. Wadephul also decried the Israeli government's announcement that it would allow 22 more settlements in the West Bank, saying it threatened the two-state solution further. He also expressed concerns about drone and rocket attacks against Israel by Iran and Yemen's Houthis, as well as Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza. The European Union should maintain its pact governing political and economic ties with Israel, which was placed under review last month due to the situation in Gaza, he added. Germany would continue to deliver weapons to Israel, he added, saying the country had the right to defend itself. New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz plans to visit Israel this year in a show of the countries' ties, added Wadephul.
The National
36 minutes ago
- The National
Greta Thunberg has more courage than every Western leader combined
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READ MORE: Gaza Freedom Flotilla issues SOS after alleged drone strike off Malta coast Large parts of all regions are already at level five – meaning that 2.1 million people are facing active starvation, and lives are immediately at risk. So, the mission is an absolute necessity, and with world leaders failing to step in – the Madleen crew, consisting of Greta and 12 other humanitarian activists, have taken matters into their own hands. After more than 90 days of food being left to rot at the border while people within Gaza's walls starve to death, and a lack of medical supplies renders healthcare almost impossible, help is finally on the way. Whether Israel allows it to reach Gaza's shores is another story. Past Freedom Flotilla Coalition aid missions have faced drone strikes and armed offensives from Israeli forces – and given that they have been purposefully starving Gaza since March 2, the Israelis are unlikely to appreciate this disturbance to their brutal genocide. 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We might be 'powerless' in the decision-making of a Government with a stonking majority and a Prime Minister with all the humanity of a grain of rice, but there are ways to be heard and I don't think we've gone far enough or sacrificed enough of our privilege to truly force the hand of change. This humanitarian mission is the gold standard of what the average person can do, but there are layers upon layers below that level that aren't being explored fiercely enough by a large enough number of people. Change demands action. It demands the surrender of comfort and privilege – and we're failing. Don't get me wrong, it shouldn't be the responsibility of the masses to fix this. In a sane world, one with its moral compass still intact, our leaders would possess the humanity and the skills to put an end to this. All it would take is an ounce of sense to infiltrate the Oval Office and Number 10 and this would grind to a halt as fast as it began. Unfortunately, sense in either of those two locations is few and far between and personal gain has taken over any sense of compassion or, in Keir Starmer's case, human rights law education. It is the unforgivable shame of them all that this small group of passionate humanitarians possess a strength and bravery that they could only dream of. Each of them has more human quality in their pinky finger than in the global political class combined. And we should all be learning from the example they've made of those with real power. READ MORE: Exhibition to highlight untold struggles of asylum seekers at refugee festival Like her or not, Thunberg's dedication to humanity is incredible. She grew up with a lot of privilege and resource and she decided to utilise it for the greater good of the world from such a young age. A masterclass in the surrender of privilege for the benefit of those without. It's also funny as an autistic person watching non-autistic people trying to decode her burning passion for social justice. A passion so intertwined with her being that she's currently risking her life in service to it. That rigid sense of right and wrong for an autistic person can be unshakeable, and it exceeds the importance of literally anything else. I see people accusing her of chasing relevance, but anyone who knows anything about autism knows that she's doing this because to her very core, she believes that what is happening is wrong – and she's right. This week I'll be hoping that the world keeps her safe and learns from her resolve. If only we all had that same courage of conviction – think what we might achieve.
North Wales Live
an hour ago
- North Wales Live
Donald Trump's travel ban - all you need to know and what it means for Brits
Donald Trump has implemented one of the most extensive travel bans in history. The US President has announced new travel restrictions on 19 countries, which is approximately a tenth of all nations globally. From June 9, nationals from Afghanistan, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen will be prohibited from entering the United States under the new regulations. Citizens from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela will encounter partial restrictions, losing access to all immigrant visas and several non-immigrant travel options, with only a select few on special visas, such as diplomats, permitted entry into the US from these nations. Trump has cited various reasons for imposing these bans, including insufficient traveller screening, "a significant terrorist presence" within these countries, governments that are hesitant to repatriate deported nationals, or citizens who frequently overstay their visas in the US, reports the Mirror. The bans are the latest in a series of anti-immigration moves introduced by Trump, which also include a block on people coming over the southern border to claim asylum and instructing heavily armed ICE immigration officers to make raids across the country. Why is the ban happening now? The announcement was made in the days after an Egyptian man in Colorado was arrested and charged with carrying out an attack on a group honouring hostages held in Gaza. The US President directly linked the travel bans to the "recent terror attack", claiming that it "underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted". Trump added: "We don't want them." In reality, the incident provides a convenient political reason to resurrect and expand policies that featured in Trump's first presidency, and comes after several months of build-up. In his first term, Trump was explicit about his desire to ban citizens from countries where Islam is the primary religion. At that time, he ordered a travel ban against people from seven Muslim-majority countries from coming to the US. This set of restrictions has clear echoes of the first. Made louder on Wednesday evening when Trump alluded to migration from Middle Eastern countries to Europe. "We will not let what happened in Europe happen to America," he said. Are there exemptions? Yes. If you are a national from one of the 19 "banned" countries, but have an existing visa to the US, you will be exempt from the ban, the New York Times reports. Green card holders, athletes travelling to the US for the coming World Cup and Olympics, and Afghans eligible for the Special Immigrant Visa program that was introduced following the US's invasion of the country, are also exempt. Those from the "banned" countries seeking visas through connections to US family members can continue to do so. That means those who have trips planned to the US, but already have their paperwork in order, will be able to travel. Whether they want to is a different question. There have been many reports of tourists to the US facing lengthy scrutiny at the US border since Trump's second term began, having their phones combed through and even being placed in detention for days at a time. The cooling effect is already being felt. The United States is on track to lose $12.5bn (£9.4bn) in international travel spending this year, according to a study published on Tuesday by the World Travel and Tourism Council. What if I'm a dual citizen? This is a situation a lot of Brits may find themselves in. If, for example, if you've got dual Somalian and British citizenship, you are exempt from the order. The same goes for all of the 19 countries included on the list. What if I've been to one of the banned countries? This is a little complicated, and the full answer is not yet clear. As things are now, UK passport holders can apply for an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA), instead of getting a full visa. If, however, you're British but were in the following countries on or after March 2011, then you can't get an ESTA. The countries include: Iraq Libya North Korea Somalia Sudan Syria Yemen You cannot apply for an ESTA visa waiver if you travelled to or were in Cuba on or after 12 January 2021. However, if you fall into that camp, you can still apply for a visa. That is a lengthier process and the chances of getting rejected are higher.
