An explosion occurred in front of a synagogue in the eastern Belgian city of Liege on Monday, police say. No injuries were reported due to the blast but the explosion blew out the windows of the synagogue and those of the building across the street. Police cordoned off the area as counterterrorism police conduct a probe.
They just walked up to me. They were strangers and just walked up to me. They just said, 'You're beautiful, can I kiss you?' I said, 'No'. He said, 'If you were my slave, I could kiss you,' and that's how it started.
The incident, captured on disturbing video, reportedly began after the woman pushed away a man wearing the MAGA hat when he attempted to kiss her, while the other suspect appeared to record the encounter, authorities said. As she tried to walk away, the men allegedly blocked her path and used a lighter to ignite her boots.
The 54-year-old victim was approached by the suspects, who struck up a conversation with her on W. 26th St and Seventh Ave. in Chelsea around 2:50 p.m. on Feb. 19, cops said. As they were talking, one of the men leaned in for a kiss and the woman shoved him away, leading the suspect to make anti-black statements, according to law enforcement.
34-year-old Shibritney Colbert has been arrested and charged after verbally attacking a gay man and then abusing him with his own cart in a Virginia grocery store. According to a statement from the Alexandria Police Department (APD), Colbert "pushed the victim and threw groceries while making derogatory statements. A 911 call was placed reporting a fight inside the store, and Alexandria Police officers responded immediately. As officers attempted to detain the suspect in the parking lot, she fled in her vehicle." Colbert has since been charged with felony eluding, assault and battery, destruction of property, and driving an unregistered vehicle. Police also say they believe she targeted the victim due to his sexual orientation, which is clear in the comments she hurled at him in the viral TikTok video of the incident. The case is currently "being evaluated" for the potential of adding hate crime charges, police said.
Toronto police are investigating after Jewish prayer scrolls were removed from three condos in North York on Thursday. The scrolls, called mezuzahs, contain religious texts and are often placed on the doorposts of homes as a symbol of the Jewish faith. Just before 12:30 p.m. on Christmas day, three mezuzahs were taken from three units near Finch Avenue E. and Bayview Avenue, according to a statement from Ashley Visser, spokesperson for Toronto Police Service (TPS). Officers are investigating and the hate crime unit has been notified, Visser said in the statement.
Non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) should be scrapped as they are no longer fit for purpose, police leaders will recommend to the home secretary. The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) and College of Policing will publish a review into public order and hate crime laws next month, in which they will call for NCHIs to be replaced with a new common sense system, as reported by The Telegraph.
➡️ Reactions are still coming in for President Trump's prime time address to the nation last night, including his usual "transgender for everybody" talking point. We've got the rundown for you. Plus, we examine the complicated political views of Charlie Kirk's accused killer as he appears in court, another city in Texas is being ordered to remove rainbow crosswalks, and a Sacramento man is comatose after a suspected hate crime.
