Latest news with #NewYorkPoliceDepartment
GMA Network
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
New York's Filipino community kicks off month-long PH Independence Day celebration
The largest Philippine flag on the East Coast is proudly paraded along Madison Avenue in Manhattan at the start of the Philippine Independence Day celebration on June 1, 2025. Dave Llavanes Jr. Remove Photo NEW YORK CITY — The month-long celebration of the 127th Philippine Independence Day has officially begun in the US. In New York City, where the largest Independence Day celebration outside the Philippines is held, thousands of Filipinos and Filipino Americans came together in a festive display of unity and cultural pride. The New York Police Department implemented heightened security measures to ensure the safety and orderliness of the event, aiming to prevent any incidents similar to the deadly car-ramming tragedy during the Lapulapu festival in Vancouver, Canada in April. The crowd enthusiastically applauded the performance of Banda El Gobernador from Bacoor, Cavite. Banda El Gobernador, the pride of Bacoor, Cavite, captivates the crowd with their vibrant performance along Madison Avenue during the Philippine Independence Day parade. Dave Llavanes Jr. According to Bacoor Mayor Strike Revilla, the city government allocated over ?15 million to support the travel expenses of the 37 band members who participated in the parade along Madison Avenue in Manhattan. The budget also covered hotel accommodations and meals for the team. More than 200 organizations from various parts of the East Coast took part in the Independence Day festivities in Manhattan. Consul General Senen Mangalile, Bacoor Mayor Strike Revilla, and officials of the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) gather in unity during the kickoff of the 127th Philippine Independence Day celebration in New York City. Dave Llavanes Jr. The parade became even more vibrant with participants showcasing traditional attire and heritage garments from different provinces in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. One of the most anticipated highlights was the performance of the girl group BINI, which drew hundreds of excited spectators. Also taking the stage was Sofronio Vasquez, the first Filipino winner of The Voice America. Additional celebrations are scheduled to take place in different parts of the United States throughout the month. New York Consul General Senen Mangalile called for unity among the thousands who attended the celebration. 'We must take pride in the remarkable contributions of Filipinos to America's success,' he said. 'Let us remember: for over 35 years, we have been doing this. First, to honor our identity and diaspora in this part of the United States. Second, to bring communities together in the spirit of unity and national pride. And third, to showcase our immense contribution to the fabric of American society. 'We, as Filipino professionals, taxpayers, and active members of the community, have long been part of the success and prosperity of the United States. 'As we walk down Madison Avenue, let us be proud of our heritage and confident in our future in this country.' Meanwhile, another Independence Day celebration is set to take place at the New York State Capitol on June 28, to be led by the Kalayaan 1521 Council. It is worth noting that the city of Albany has passed a resolution recognizing the achievements and contributions of the Filipino community. — BM, GMA Integrated News
North Wales Chronicle
14 hours ago
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
Eight injured by man with makeshift flamethrower who yelled ‘Free Palestine'
Eight people were injured, some with burns, in the attack in the Pearl Street shopping centre in central Boulder, Colorado. The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was booked into Boulder County jail north of Denver and is expected to face charges in connection with the attack which the FBI was investigating as a terrorist act. The burst of violence unfolded against the backdrop of a war between Israel and Hamas that continues to inflame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the US. The attack happened at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which is marked with the reading of the Torah, barely a week after a man who also yelled 'Free Palestine' was charged with fatally shooting two Israeli embassy employees outside a Jewish museum in Washington. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement on Monday saying he, his wife and the nation of Israel were praying for the full recovery of the people wounded in the 'vicious terror attack' in Colorado. 'This attack was aimed against peaceful people who wished to express their solidarity with the hostages held by Hamas, simply because they were Jews,' he said. Across the US, New York Police Department said it had increased its presence at religious sites throughout the city for Shavuot. 'Sadly, attacks like this are becoming too common across the country,' said Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Denver field office. 'This is an example of how perpetrators of violence continue to threaten communities across the nation.' The eight victims were aged between 52 and 88 and the injuries ranged from serious to minor, officials said. The attack occurred as people with a volunteer group called Run For Their Lives was concluding a weekly demonstration to raise visibility of the hostages who remain in Gaza. Video from the scene shows a witness shouting, 'He's right there. He's throwing Molotov cocktails', as a police officer with his gun drawn advances on a bare-chested suspect holding containers in each hand. Alex Osante, of San Diego, said he was having lunch on a restaurant patio when he heard the crash of a bottle breaking on the ground, a 'boom' sound followed by people yelling and screaming. In video of the scene captured by Mr Osante, people can be seen pouring water on a woman lying on the ground who he said had caught on fire during the attack. A man, who later identified himself as an Israeli visiting Boulder who decided to join the group that day, ran up to Mr Osante on the video asking for some water to help. After the initial attack, Mr Osante said the suspect went behind some bushes and then re-emerged and threw a petrol bomb but apparently accidentally caught himself on fire as he threw it. The man then took off his shirt and what appeared to be a bulletproof vest before the police arrived. The man dropped to the ground and was arrested without any apparent resistance. Lynn Segal, 72, was among about 20 people who had gathered on Sunday. They had finished their march in front of the courthouse when a 'rope of fire' shot in front of her and then 'two big flares'. She said the scene quickly turned chaotic as people worked to find water to put out flames and find help. Ms Segal, who said she is Jewish on her father's side and has supported the Palestinian cause for more than 40 years, was concerned that she might be accused of helping the suspect because she was wearing a pro-Palestinian shirt. 'There were people who were burning, I wanted to help,' she said. 'But I didn't want to be associated with the perpetrator.' Authorities did not disclose details about Soliman but said they believe that he acted alone and no other suspect was being sought. He was also injured and was taken to hospital to be treated, but authorities did not give details of his injuries. FBI leaders immediately declared the attack an act of terrorism and the Justice Department denounced it as a 'needless act of violence, which follows recent attacks against Jewish Americans'. 'This act of terror is being investigated as an act of ideologically motivated violence based on the early information, the evidence, and witness accounts. We will speak clearly on these incidents when the facts warrant it,' FBI deputy director Dan Bongino said in a post on X.
Global News
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Global News
FBI investigating as man charged in Colorado fire attack that injured 8
A man with a makeshift flamethrower yelled 'Free Palestine' and hurled an incendiary device into a group that had assembled to raise attention for Israeli hostages in Gaza, law enforcement officials said Sunday. Eight people were injured, some with burns. The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was booked into the Boulder County jail north of Denver and is expected to face charges in connection with the attack the FBI was investigating as a terrorist act. Online records did not immediately show when he would make a court appearance. The burst of violence at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall, a four-block area in downtown Boulder, unfolded against the backdrop of a conflict between Israel and Hamas that continues to inflame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. The attack happened on the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which is marked with the reading of the Torah and barely a week after a man who also yelled 'Free Palestine' was charged with fatally shooting two Israeli embassy staffers outside of a Jewish museum in Washington. Story continues below advertisement Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement Monday saying he, his wife and the entire nation of Israel were praying for the full recovery of the people wounded in the 'vicious terror attack' in Colorado. 'This attack was aimed against peaceful people who wished to express their solidarity with the hostages held by Hamas, simply because they were Jews,' Netanyahu said. Attack leads to increased security elsewhere Across the U.S., the New York Police Department said it has upped its presence at religious sites throughout the city for Shavuot. 'Sadly, attacks like this are becoming too common across the country,' said Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Denver field office, which encompasses Boulder. 'This is an example of how perpetrators of violence continue to threaten communities across the nation.' The eight victims who were wounded range in age from 52 to 88 and the injuries spanned from serious to minor, officials said. Story continues below advertisement View image in full screen Law enforcement officials investigate after an attack on the Pearl Street Mall Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Boulder, Colo. AP Photo/David Zalubowski The attack occurred as people with a volunteer group called Run For Their Lives was concluding their weekly demonstration to raise visibility for the hostages who remain in Gaza. Video from the scene shows a witness shouting, 'He's right there. He's throwing Molotov cocktails,' as a police officer with his gun drawn advances on a bare-chested suspect who is holding containers in each hand. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Alex Osante of San Diego said he was having lunch on a restaurant patio across the pedestrian mall when he heard the crash of a bottle breaking on the ground, a 'boom' sound followed by people yelling and screaming. In video of the scene captured by Osante, people could be seen pouring water on a woman lying on the ground who Osante said had caught on fire during the attack. A man, who later identified himself as an Israeli visiting Boulder who decided to join the group that day, ran up to Osante on the video asking for some water to help. Story continues below advertisement Suspect reemerged after initial attack before being arrested After the initial attack, Osante said the suspect went behind some bushes and then reemerged and threw a Molotov cocktail but apparently accidentally caught himself on fire as he threw it. The man then took off his shirt and what appeared to be a bulletproof vest before the police arrived. The man dropped to the ground and was arrested without any apparent resistance in the video that Osante filmed. As people tried to help the woman on the ground, another woman who appeared to be a participant in the event yelled to others out of the camera's view, defending their cause, saying they don't talk about the government but just talk about the hostages. Lynn Segal, 72, was among about 20 people who gathered Sunday. They had finished their march in front of the courthouse when a 'rope of fire' shot in front of her and then 'two big flares.' Story continues below advertisement She said the scene quickly turned chaotic as people worked to find water to put out flames and find help. Segal, who said she is Jewish on her father's side and has supported the Palestinian cause for more than 40 years, was concerned that she might be accused of helping the suspect because she was wearing a pro-Palestinian shirt. 'There were people who were burning, I wanted to help,' she said. 'But I didn't want to be associated with the perpetrator.' Authorities say they believe the suspect acted alone Authorities did not disclose details about Soliman but said they believe that he acted alone and that no other suspect was being sought. No criminal charges were immediately announced but officials said they would move to hold Soliman accountable. He was also injured and was taken to the hospital to be treated, but authorities didn't elaborate on the nature of his injuries. Story continues below advertisement FBI leaders immediately declared the attack an act of terrorism and the Justice Department denounced it as a 'needless act of violence, which follows recent attacks against Jewish Americans.' 'This act of terror is being investigated as an act of ideologically motivated violence based on the early information, the evidence, and witness accounts. We will speak clearly on these incidents when the facts warrant it,' FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a post on X. Israel's conflict in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250 others. They are still holding 58 hostages, around a third believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's military campaign has killed over 54,000 people in Hamas-run Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. The offensive has destroyed vast areas, displaced around 90 per cent of the population and left people almost completely reliant on international aid. The violence comes four years after a shooting rampage at a grocery store in Boulder, about 25 miles (40 kilometres) northwest of Denver, that killed 10 people. The gunman was sentenced to life in prison for murder after a jury rejected his attempt to avoid prison time by pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. Story continues below advertisement Multiple blocks of the pedestrian mall area were evacuated by police. The scene shortly after the attack was tense, as law enforcement agents with a police dog walked through the streets looking for threats and instructed the public to stay clear of the mall. —Associated Press journalists Brittany Peterson and David Zalubowski in Boulder, Colorado, Kimberlee Kruesi in Providence, Rhode Island, Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis, Alanna Durkin Richer and Michael Biesecker in Washington and Jim Mustian in New York contributed to this report.
Rhyl Journal
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Rhyl Journal
Eight injured by man with makeshift flamethrower who yelled ‘Free Palestine'
Eight people were injured, some with burns, in the attack in the Pearl Street shopping centre in central Boulder, Colorado. The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was booked into Boulder County jail north of Denver and is expected to face charges in connection with the attack which the FBI was investigating as a terrorist act. The burst of violence unfolded against the backdrop of a war between Israel and Hamas that continues to inflame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the US. The attack happened at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which is marked with the reading of the Torah, barely a week after a man who also yelled 'Free Palestine' was charged with fatally shooting two Israeli embassy employees outside a Jewish museum in Washington. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement on Monday saying he, his wife and the nation of Israel were praying for the full recovery of the people wounded in the 'vicious terror attack' in Colorado. 'This attack was aimed against peaceful people who wished to express their solidarity with the hostages held by Hamas, simply because they were Jews,' he said. Across the US, New York Police Department said it had increased its presence at religious sites throughout the city for Shavuot. 'Sadly, attacks like this are becoming too common across the country,' said Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Denver field office. 'This is an example of how perpetrators of violence continue to threaten communities across the nation.' The eight victims were aged between 52 and 88 and the injuries ranged from serious to minor, officials said. The attack occurred as people with a volunteer group called Run For Their Lives was concluding a weekly demonstration to raise visibility of the hostages who remain in Gaza. Video from the scene shows a witness shouting, 'He's right there. He's throwing Molotov cocktails', as a police officer with his gun drawn advances on a bare-chested suspect holding containers in each hand. Alex Osante, of San Diego, said he was having lunch on a restaurant patio when he heard the crash of a bottle breaking on the ground, a 'boom' sound followed by people yelling and screaming. In video of the scene captured by Mr Osante, people can be seen pouring water on a woman lying on the ground who he said had caught on fire during the attack. A man, who later identified himself as an Israeli visiting Boulder who decided to join the group that day, ran up to Mr Osante on the video asking for some water to help. After the initial attack, Mr Osante said the suspect went behind some bushes and then re-emerged and threw a petrol bomb but apparently accidentally caught himself on fire as he threw it. The man then took off his shirt and what appeared to be a bulletproof vest before the police arrived. The man dropped to the ground and was arrested without any apparent resistance. Lynn Segal, 72, was among about 20 people who had gathered on Sunday. They had finished their march in front of the courthouse when a 'rope of fire' shot in front of her and then 'two big flares'. She said the scene quickly turned chaotic as people worked to find water to put out flames and find help. Ms Segal, who said she is Jewish on her father's side and has supported the Palestinian cause for more than 40 years, was concerned that she might be accused of helping the suspect because she was wearing a pro-Palestinian shirt. 'There were people who were burning, I wanted to help,' she said. 'But I didn't want to be associated with the perpetrator.' Authorities did not disclose details about Soliman but said they believe that he acted alone and no other suspect was being sought. He was also injured and was taken to hospital to be treated, but authorities did not give details of his injuries. FBI leaders immediately declared the attack an act of terrorism and the Justice Department denounced it as a 'needless act of violence, which follows recent attacks against Jewish Americans'. 'This act of terror is being investigated as an act of ideologically motivated violence based on the early information, the evidence, and witness accounts. We will speak clearly on these incidents when the facts warrant it,' FBI deputy director Dan Bongino said in a post on X.
Powys County Times
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Powys County Times
Eight injured by man with makeshift flamethrower who yelled ‘Free Palestine'
A man with a makeshift flamethrower yelled 'Free Palestine' and threw an incendiary device into a group raising attention for Israeli hostages in Gaza, law enforcement officials have said. Eight people were injured, some with burns, in the attack in the Pearl Street shopping centre in central Boulder, Colorado. The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was booked into Boulder County jail north of Denver and is expected to face charges in connection with the attack which the FBI was investigating as a terrorist act. The burst of violence unfolded against the backdrop of a war between Israel and Hamas that continues to inflame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the US. The attack happened at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which is marked with the reading of the Torah, barely a week after a man who also yelled 'Free Palestine' was charged with fatally shooting two Israeli embassy employees outside a Jewish museum in Washington. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement on Monday saying he, his wife and the nation of Israel were praying for the full recovery of the people wounded in the 'vicious terror attack' in Colorado. 'This attack was aimed against peaceful people who wished to express their solidarity with the hostages held by Hamas, simply because they were Jews,' he said. Across the US, New York Police Department said it had increased its presence at religious sites throughout the city for Shavuot. 'Sadly, attacks like this are becoming too common across the country,' said Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Denver field office. 'This is an example of how perpetrators of violence continue to threaten communities across the nation.' The eight victims were aged between 52 and 88 and the injuries ranged from serious to minor, officials said. The attack occurred as people with a volunteer group called Run For Their Lives was concluding a weekly demonstration to raise visibility of the hostages who remain in Gaza. Video from the scene shows a witness shouting, 'He's right there. He's throwing Molotov cocktails', as a police officer with his gun drawn advances on a bare-chested suspect holding containers in each hand. Alex Osante, of San Diego, said he was having lunch on a restaurant patio when he heard the crash of a bottle breaking on the ground, a 'boom' sound followed by people yelling and screaming. In video of the scene captured by Mr Osante, people can be seen pouring water on a woman lying on the ground who he said had caught on fire during the attack. A man, who later identified himself as an Israeli visiting Boulder who decided to join the group that day, ran up to Mr Osante on the video asking for some water to help. After the initial attack, Mr Osante said the suspect went behind some bushes and then re-emerged and threw a petrol bomb but apparently accidentally caught himself on fire as he threw it. The man then took off his shirt and what appeared to be a bulletproof vest before the police arrived. The man dropped to the ground and was arrested without any apparent resistance. Lynn Segal, 72, was among about 20 people who had gathered on Sunday. They had finished their march in front of the courthouse when a 'rope of fire' shot in front of her and then 'two big flares'. She said the scene quickly turned chaotic as people worked to find water to put out flames and find help. Ms Segal, who said she is Jewish on her father's side and has supported the Palestinian cause for more than 40 years, was concerned that she might be accused of helping the suspect because she was wearing a pro-Palestinian shirt. 'There were people who were burning, I wanted to help,' she said. 'But I didn't want to be associated with the perpetrator.' Authorities did not disclose details about Soliman but said they believe that he acted alone and no other suspect was being sought. He was also injured and was taken to hospital to be treated, but authorities did not give details of his injuries. FBI leaders immediately declared the attack an act of terrorism and the Justice Department denounced it as a 'needless act of violence, which follows recent attacks against Jewish Americans'.
