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A major UK national daily has claimed that Russia may be increasingly trying to source sensitive goods from India in the face of thousands of Western sanctions. Meanwhile, in the Georgia school shooting case, the 14-year-old suspect's father has been told by the judge that he would face a maximum prison sentence of 180 years if convicted on all counts.

A major UK national daily has claimed that Russia may be increasingly trying to source sensitive goods from India in the face of thousands of Western sanctions. Meanwhile, in the Georgia school shooting case, the 14-year-old suspect's father has been told by the judge that he would face a maximum prison sentence of 180 years if convicted on all counts. Click on the headlines to read more Kremlin exploring sourcing sensitive goods from India in face of Western sanctions: Report A major UK national daily has claimed that Russia may be increasingly trying to source sensitive goods from India in the face of thousands of Western sanctions. The Financial Times has reported that the Kremlin is even exploring options to shift manufacturing facilities to India to have its supply chains stabilised and uninterrupted. Georgia school shooting: Suspect's father could face up to 180 years in prison Colt Gray and his father, who is charged in connection with the Georgia school shooting case, made their first appearances in the court on Friday, wherein both declined to enter a plea to the charges against them. Zelensky presses West for permission to use long-range weapons; US, Canada vow more aid President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday (Sep 6) made a fresh appeal to Western countries for letting the Ukrainian forces use long-range weapons for strikes deep inside Russia’s territory. Zelensky was attending a regular United States-hosted gathering of Ukraine's allies at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Iran-Russia tensions: Tehran rebukes Kremlin for supporting Azerbaijan’s Zangezur corridor In a rare warning to its key ally, Iran has warned Moscow against siding with Azerbaijan over a border dispute between the two countries. Iranian Foreign Minister Sayeed Abbas Araghchi took to X to rebuke Russia after it backed Azerbaijan’s campaign for drawing a land corridor along the Armenia-Iran border. Congress hits SEBI chief with new conflict of interest charges over $25,900 rental payments Congress party on Friday (September 06) accused SEBI chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch of receiving rental income from a company linked to Wockhardt Limited, a firm under investigation by SEBI for insider trading and other violations. According to Congress, this breaches SEBI’s 2008 conflict of interest guidelines for board members. Kenya school fire: 17 students dead and 13 seriously burned; investigation underway A fire broke out in a school dormitory in Kenya, killing 17 students and leaving 13 others with serious burns, according to police reports on Friday (Sep 6). Authorities fear the death toll could increase, as more than a dozen injured students have been rushed to the hospital with severe burns. 'Disrespectful': Chinese citizens fume after Ukrainian envoy visits Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo Ukraine's ambassador to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky has been slammed on Chinese social media for visiting the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, with some netizens calling it an 'insult' to the Chinese people. India: One held for raping woman on busy Ujjain road; bystanders film it, post it online A woman was raped on a busy road in broad daylight in the Indian city of Ujjain on Wednesday (Sep 4). The bystanders, instead of helping the woman, filmed the sexual assault on their phones and posted it on social media. IPL 2025: Rajasthan Royals officially announce Rahul Dravid as new head coach - HERE WE GO! Former India great Rahul Dravid was officially unveiled as Rajasthan Royals' new head coach on Friday (September 6), the IPL franchise, in collaboration with football transfer news king Fabrizio Romano, announced on social media. Call Me Bae Review: Ananya Panday shines but style trumps substance in story In Bella Chowdhary’s world, there’s no such thing as too many bags and in a world of fakes, she is on a path to become a Birkin. But it’s a path that she hasn’t chosen for herself, rather, a tragedy has led her there.

Top 10 world news: Russia sourcing 'sensitive goods' from India; Georgia shooting updates, and more

Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty and file hate crime charges against the man accused of shooting dead eight people, including six women of Asian origin, in attacks on three spas in the southern US state of Georgia.

Robert Aaron Long, 22, was indicted by a grand jury in Georgia's Fulton County on Tuesday for the murders of four women in a March 16 attack on two spas in the city of Atlanta.

Long, of Woodstock, Georgia, is facing separate charges related to an attack on a spa in Cherokee County the same day that left another four people dead.

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The deaths of six women of Asian origin further stoked fears in an Asian-American population already alarmed by a surge in hate crimes during the coronavirus pandemic.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said she planned to seek the death penalty against Long, who is white.

Willis also said she would file hate crime charges against Long.

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Long selected his victims because of their "actual or perceived race, national origin, sex, and gender," Willis said in a court filing.

Police said after Long's arrest that he had acknowledged carrying out the shootings but claimed they were "not racially motivated."

"(Long) apparently has an issue, what he considers a sex addiction," said Captain Jay Baker.

Long told police he had frequented massage parlors in the past and staged the attacks as a form of vengeance against "a temptation for him that he wanted to eliminate," Baker said.

Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty and file hate crime charges against the man accused of shooting dead eight people, including six women of Asian origin, in attacks on three spas in the southern US state of Georgia.

Prosecutors plan to seek the death penalty and file hate crime charges against the man accused of shooting dead eight people, including six women of Asian origin, in attacks on three spas in the southern US state of Georgia. Robert Aaron Long, 22, was indicted by a grand jury in Georgia's Fulton County on Tuesday for the murders of four women in a March 16 attack on two spas in the city of Atlanta. Long, of Woodstock, Georgia, is facing separate charges related to an attack on a spa in Cherokee County the same day that left another four people dead. Also read | Sexual anguish of Atlanta suspect is familiar thorn for evangelicals The deaths of six women of Asian origin further stoked fears in an Asian-American population already alarmed by a surge in hate crimes during the coronavirus pandemic. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said she planned to seek the death penalty against Long, who is white. Willis also said she would file hate crime charges against Long. Have a look | Hundreds in Atlanta march to support Asian Americans after deadly shooting Long selected his victims because of their "actual or perceived race, national origin, sex, and gender," Willis said in a court filing. Police said after Long's arrest that he had acknowledged carrying out the shootings but claimed they were "not racially motivated." "(Long) apparently has an issue, what he considers a sex addiction," said Captain Jay Baker. Long told police he had frequented massage parlors in the past and staged the attacks as a form of vengeance against "a temptation for him that he wanted to eliminate," Baker said.

Death penalty, hate crime charges sought in Georgia spa shootings

A year ago, Georgia was one of four states that had no hate crime legislation.

But the deadly rampage last week that left eight people dead, six of them women of Asian descent, is now providing a test of a law passed last year — and a window into the way that the state’s increasingly diverse electorate has altered its political and cultural chemistry.

Georgia, after earlier false starts, passed its legislation following the shooting death of a young Black man, Ahmaud Arbery, who was stopped, detained and then shot to death by white residents in a south Georgia suburban neighborhood.

Now last week’s shootings, in which Robert Aaron Long, 21, has been charged with eight counts of murder, are providing a major stress test for when the legislation can be applied, what it can achieve and how it plays into the state’s increasingly polarized politics.

Political leaders, civil rights activists, and national and local elected officials condemned last week’s attack as an act of bigoted terror, drawing a connection between the majority-Asian victims and a recent surge in hate crimes against Asian and Pacific Islander Americans.

Law enforcement officials and some legal figures have shied away from labeling the killings a hate crime, saying there is insufficient evidence of motivation. Prosecutors in two separate counties are still weighing whether to invoke the hate crimes law.

But that has not stopped the shootings from resonating as bias crimes for many in Georgia, a state that has been at the forefront of the demographic changes coursing through the South.

“I don’t want to draw any conclusions, but it’s obvious to me that if six victims were Asian women, that was a target,” said Georgia state Rep. Calvin Smyre, a longtime Democratic lawmaker who helped shepherd the hate crimes bill through the General Assembly.

In recent years, Georgia has been a microcosm of the racial divides that have affected the entire country.

Last February, the killing of Arbery, 25, ignited a national outcry, particularly after law enforcement officials initially failed to make any arrests following his death near Brunswick, Georgia.

In the aftermath of last week’s killings, the response from law enforcement was criticized once again, after a spokesperson for the sheriff’s department in suburban Cherokee County, where one of the attacks took place, downplayed the role of anti-Asian racism in the shooting there. Instead, he attributed the suspect’s motivation to sex addiction — the gunman’s own characterization — and the fact that he had been having “a really bad day.”

Political leaders, especially in Atlanta, have gone much further, characterizing the events as domestic terrorism and, at least in part, motivated by a web of racial and misogynistic intolerance. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Georgia on Friday, casting the shootings in the context of broader abuse and intolerance directed at people of Asian descent.

But absent clear evidence of the shooter’s intent, there is broad division on whether there are sufficient grounds for adding hate crime charges.

Rep. Sam Park, a Democratic member of the Georgia House and the state’s only Korean American legislator, said it is impossible to separate the crime from the anti-Asian bias and violence that has surged over the past year.

“Regardless of the motive of the perpetrator, we very much feel like this is an attack on our community. Condolences are good. Words of sympathy are great — but actions are necessary.”

But Byung J. Pak, a Republican, Korean American and former U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, urged caution before linking the killings to a hate crime before the investigation is completed.

“Prejudging the case before the completion of the investigation puts pressure on prosecutors to perhaps file charges which may not hold up in court, or raise expectations that cannot be satisfied,” Pak said. “I would be cautious designating this crime as a hate crime until the investigation is complete.”

Racist violence has a particular sting in the American South, considering the region’s long arc of racial discrimination. Though it is often framed in the familiar context of Black-white community relations, a dramatic increase in Asian and Latino populations has also shifted the state’s political and cultural composition.

The General Assembly approval of the state’s current hate crime legislation last year in the wake of Arbery’s death reflected an increasingly purple electorate, as well as pressure from the business community. Three white men have since been charged in connection with his death.

Efforts to pass the hate crime legislation were led by Rep. Chuck Efstration, a former assistant district attorney and a Republican who represents an increasingly Democratic district in Gwinnett County. Efstration said he first pushed the bill in 2019, before Arbery was slain, when it was adopted by the House but failed to gain support in the Senate.

Opponents of the bill argued that it stifled free speech. The legislation was finally adopted despite efforts in the Senate to derail it.

“Georgia has changed,” said Sheikh Rahman, a Democratic member of the state Senate from Gwinnett County outside Atlanta, who is a Bangladeshi American. He describes his district as “people from 100 different countries speaking 100 different languages.

“What my district looks like, the United States of America is going to look like 20 years from now.”

Georgia replaced its two Republican senators in combative runoffs this year, electing Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, and also narrowly supported Biden in 2020. That marked the first time since 1992, when Bill Clinton was elected, that the state voted Democratic in a presidential contest.

However, even as Democrats won two Senate seats and flipped Georgia for Biden, Republicans retained control of the state Legislature and the governor’s office, leaving them in solid control of state government.

“The national story about Arbery became very well known,” Efstration said in a telephone interview. “And there was renewed interest and people raising questions — why was Georgia one of only four states that didn’t have a hate crimes law?”

He added: “We’ve had arguments that these laws are anti-speech or anti-thought and that all crimes involve hate. We were able to address those.”

Democratic lawmakers have pointed to the bill’s passage as a reflection of politics within the state, not just perceptions from the outside.

“The Republicans realized that if they didn’t do it, they were going to lose this election,” said Rahman. “It had to take a tragedy like Ahmaud Arbery before it would potentially be applied.”

But last year’s decisions need not determine this year’s. Instead, the focus of the Republican-controlled Legislature this term has been a very different response to diversity — a raft of bills aimed at making it harder to vote, legislation that will fall disproportionately on minorities.

Since last week’s killings, lawmakers are discussing whether the hate crimes legislation needs to be enhanced, and whether it will be applied in this case.

In the case of Long, the use of the hate crime law could be largely symbolic in the event Long is sentenced to death, which remains a possibility in Georgia.

On the other hand, depending on any charges, the law could have concrete effects. A life sentence — enhanced by the hate crime provision — could potentially mean that he would never be granted parole, according to Efstration.

Marvin Lim, a Georgia state representative who was also among Asian American lawmakers at the meeting with Biden and Harris, called for prosecutors to carefully consider using the hate crime statute.

Though officials in Cherokee County claimed that Long was motivated by sex addiction and not bias against Asians, Lim pointed out that gender is also protected under the hate crime law.

“Given the facts that we know, and I understand there are more investigations to be completed, I would certainly urge prosecutors to apply it to the extent legally possible,” he said.

Smyre, who is Black and the longest-serving member of the Georgia General Assembly, agreed that invoking the hate crimes law for last week’s carnage was a decision that should be left up to prosecutors, but said the legislation’s passage reflected the state’s long, slow progress on issues of racial justice.

“The political pendulum has swung to a great extent, and I think that lots of times, external pressure — that tourniquet that’s outside the Capitol — sometimes decides what we do in the public policy arena.”

A year ago, Georgia was one of four states that had no hate crime legislation. But the deadly rampage last week that left eight people dead, six of them women of Asian descent, is now providing a test of a law passed last year — and a window into the way that the state’s increasingly diverse electorate has altered its political and cultural chemistry.

A year ago, Georgia was one of four states that had no hate crime legislation. But the deadly rampage last week that left eight people dead, six of them women of Asian descent, is now providing a test of a law passed last year — and a window into the way that the state’s increasingly diverse electorate has altered its political and cultural chemistry. Georgia, after earlier false starts, passed its legislation following the shooting death of a young Black man, Ahmaud Arbery, who was stopped, detained and then shot to death by white residents in a south Georgia suburban neighborhood. Now last week’s shootings, in which Robert Aaron Long, 21, has been charged with eight counts of murder, are providing a major stress test for when the legislation can be applied, what it can achieve and how it plays into the state’s increasingly polarized politics. Political leaders, civil rights activists, and national and local elected officials condemned last week’s attack as an act of bigoted terror, drawing a connection between the majority-Asian victims and a recent surge in hate crimes against Asian and Pacific Islander Americans. Law enforcement officials and some legal figures have shied away from labeling the killings a hate crime, saying there is insufficient evidence of motivation. Prosecutors in two separate counties are still weighing whether to invoke the hate crimes law. But that has not stopped the shootings from resonating as bias crimes for many in Georgia, a state that has been at the forefront of the demographic changes coursing through the South. “I don’t want to draw any conclusions, but it’s obvious to me that if six victims were Asian women, that was a target,” said Georgia state Rep. Calvin Smyre, a longtime Democratic lawmaker who helped shepherd the hate crimes bill through the General Assembly. In recent years, Georgia has been a microcosm of the racial divides that have affected the entire country. Last February, the killing of Arbery, 25, ignited a national outcry, particularly after law enforcement officials initially failed to make any arrests following his death near Brunswick, Georgia. In the aftermath of last week’s killings, the response from law enforcement was criticized once again, after a spokesperson for the sheriff’s department in suburban Cherokee County, where one of the attacks took place, downplayed the role of anti-Asian racism in the shooting there. Instead, he attributed the suspect’s motivation to sex addiction — the gunman’s own characterization — and the fact that he had been having “a really bad day.” Political leaders, especially in Atlanta, have gone much further, characterizing the events as domestic terrorism and, at least in part, motivated by a web of racial and misogynistic intolerance. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Georgia on Friday, casting the shootings in the context of broader abuse and intolerance directed at people of Asian descent. But absent clear evidence of the shooter’s intent, there is broad division on whether there are sufficient grounds for adding hate crime charges. Rep. Sam Park, a Democratic member of the Georgia House and the state’s only Korean American legislator, said it is impossible to separate the crime from the anti-Asian bias and violence that has surged over the past year. “Regardless of the motive of the perpetrator, we very much feel like this is an attack on our community. Condolences are good. Words of sympathy are great — but actions are necessary.” But Byung J. Pak, a Republican, Korean American and former U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, urged caution before linking the killings to a hate crime before the investigation is completed. “Prejudging the case before the completion of the investigation puts pressure on prosecutors to perhaps file charges which may not hold up in court, or raise expectations that cannot be satisfied,” Pak said. “I would be cautious designating this crime as a hate crime until the investigation is complete.” Racist violence has a particular sting in the American South, considering the region’s long arc of racial discrimination. Though it is often framed in the familiar context of Black-white community relations, a dramatic increase in Asian and Latino populations has also shifted the state’s political and cultural composition. The General Assembly approval of the state’s current hate crime legislation last year in the wake of Arbery’s death reflected an increasingly purple electorate, as well as pressure from the business community. Three white men have since been charged in connection with his death. Efforts to pass the hate crime legislation were led by Rep. Chuck Efstration, a former assistant district attorney and a Republican who represents an increasingly Democratic district in Gwinnett County. Efstration said he first pushed the bill in 2019, before Arbery was slain, when it was adopted by the House but failed to gain support in the Senate. Opponents of the bill argued that it stifled free speech. The legislation was finally adopted despite efforts in the Senate to derail it. “Georgia has changed,” said Sheikh Rahman, a Democratic member of the state Senate from Gwinnett County outside Atlanta, who is a Bangladeshi American. He describes his district as “people from 100 different countries speaking 100 different languages. “What my district looks like, the United States of America is going to look like 20 years from now.” Georgia replaced its two Republican senators in combative runoffs this year, electing Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, and also narrowly supported Biden in 2020. That marked the first time since 1992, when Bill Clinton was elected, that the state voted Democratic in a presidential contest. However, even as Democrats won two Senate seats and flipped Georgia for Biden, Republicans retained control of the state Legislature and the governor’s office, leaving them in solid control of state government. “The national story about Arbery became very well known,” Efstration said in a telephone interview. “And there was renewed interest and people raising questions — why was Georgia one of only four states that didn’t have a hate crimes law?” He added: “We’ve had arguments that these laws are anti-speech or anti-thought and that all crimes involve hate. We were able to address those.” Democratic lawmakers have pointed to the bill’s passage as a reflection of politics within the state, not just perceptions from the outside. “The Republicans realized that if they didn’t do it, they were going to lose this election,” said Rahman. “It had to take a tragedy like Ahmaud Arbery before it would potentially be applied.” But last year’s decisions need not determine this year’s. Instead, the focus of the Republican-controlled Legislature this term has been a very different response to diversity — a raft of bills aimed at making it harder to vote, legislation that will fall disproportionately on minorities. Since last week’s killings, lawmakers are discussing whether the hate crimes legislation needs to be enhanced, and whether it will be applied in this case. In the case of Long, the use of the hate crime law could be largely symbolic in the event Long is sentenced to death, which remains a possibility in Georgia. On the other hand, depending on any charges, the law could have concrete effects. A life sentence — enhanced by the hate crime provision — could potentially mean that he would never be granted parole, according to Efstration. Marvin Lim, a Georgia state representative who was also among Asian American lawmakers at the meeting with Biden and Harris, called for prosecutors to carefully consider using the hate crime statute. Though officials in Cherokee County claimed that Long was motivated by sex addiction and not bias against Asians, Lim pointed out that gender is also protected under the hate crime law. “Given the facts that we know, and I understand there are more investigations to be completed, I would certainly urge prosecutors to apply it to the extent legally possible,” he said. Smyre, who is Black and the longest-serving member of the Georgia General Assembly, agreed that invoking the hate crimes law for last week’s carnage was a decision that should be left up to prosecutors, but said the legislation’s passage reflected the state’s long, slow progress on issues of racial justice. “The political pendulum has swung to a great extent, and I think that lots of times, external pressure — that tourniquet that’s outside the Capitol — sometimes decides what we do in the public policy arena.”

Why some Georgia lawmakers want last week’s shootings labelled hate crimes

Once again, people across the country and in California are shocked and upset about violence against people of Asian descent — this time because of killings in Georgia.

On Tuesday night, a gunman opened fire at three spas in the Atlanta area, killing eight people. Police said Wednesday that the white man charged with murder in the attacks, Robert Aaron Long, told them he had a sexual addiction and had attacked the massage parlors to eliminate his temptation.

Authorities said they did not believe that there was a racial motive for the shootings but had not ruled it out.

However, six of the victims were women of Asian descent, raising fears among Asian Americans that they are being targeted for attacks because of their ethnic heritage. Nationwide, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders were the targets of nearly 3,800 hate incidents over the past year, according to a report this week by Stop AAPI Hate, a group that has been collecting data about discrimination against Asian Americans.

In San Francisco, which has experienced a rash of recent attacks against Asians, Mayor London Breed announced Wednesday that police would step up patrols in predominantly Asian neighborhoods. Two attacks occurred just this week, according to The San Francisco Chronicle.

“We have seen a rise of hate crimes against our elderly Asian community, and I want to make it clear that we won’t tolerate it,” Breed said at a news conference. “San Francisco will continue to support and uplift our Asian community.”

Across the Bay, emotions were still raw over the death last week of Pak Ho, a 75-year-old Oakland resident who was punched hard during a robbery, fell and incurred severe brain injuries. Some community members were planning a rally against anti-Asian hate for Saturday.

On Wednesday, a group of state lawmakers and local officials representing Asian and Pacific Islander communities in California called on Gov. Gavin Newsom to choose an Asian American or Pacific Islander to be the state’s next attorney general — a call that they said had taken on new urgency.

“We need leadership across our state and the nation to take action,” David Chiu, a member of California’s state Assembly, said at a virtual news conference Wednesday. “We need to stand up against these hate crimes.”

The call comes as California’s current attorney general, Xavier Becerra, is awaiting Senate confirmation as President Joe Biden’s secretary of health and human services.

Jesse Melgar, Newsom’s spokesperson, said in a statement Wednesday that the governor was waiting for Becerra to be confirmed before announcing his pick to replace him.

“He is considering a range of qualified candidates and will announce his decision when one is made,” Melgar said.

Newsom, in a statement on Twitter, said, “The attack in Georgia and the racist attacks that have been happening all across our country are abhorrent. Our hearts are with the families of all the victims of this horrific act and the entire AAPI community tonight.”

The governor recently signed a bill allocating $1.4 million to support Stop AAPI Hate’s research.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who is from the Bay Area, also condemned the attacks.

The killings in Georgia are the latest in a growing list of high-profile attacks that Asian American elected leaders and activists have cited in a broad push to address anti-Asian harassment and violence.

In California, much of the recent outpouring of pain has come after attacks on elders in Asian neighborhoods. While some community leaders have demanded increased police presence in those neighborhoods, others have said that simply adding law enforcement officers — who might wrongly target Black people — is not a solution.

Chiu said Wednesday that having an Asian American “top cop” would have to be part of a broad slate of efforts, including the creation of a racial bias task force that would bring together “relevant state agencies” to better serve Asian Americans and other Californians of color who need mental health help or other aid.

But experts said that Asian Americans occupy something of a racial middle ground, making the conversation around fixes more difficult.

Kyeyoung Park, a professor of anthropology and Asian American studies at UCLA, said that Asian immigrants had long been treated as migrant laborers and less than human.

In the case of the spas in Georgia, she said, “racial capitalism” is intertwined in a damaging way with the sexual exploitation of Asian women over many decades — particularly Korean women.

“These women, in many cases, were at the bottom of the hierarchy,” she said.

Once again, people across the country and in California are shocked and upset about violence against people of Asian descent — this time because of killings in Georgia.

Once again, people across the country and in California are shocked and upset about violence against people of Asian descent — this time because of killings in Georgia. On Tuesday night, a gunman opened fire at three spas in the Atlanta area, killing eight people. Police said Wednesday that the white man charged with murder in the attacks, Robert Aaron Long, told them he had a sexual addiction and had attacked the massage parlors to eliminate his temptation. Authorities said they did not believe that there was a racial motive for the shootings but had not ruled it out. However, six of the victims were women of Asian descent, raising fears among Asian Americans that they are being targeted for attacks because of their ethnic heritage. Nationwide, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders were the targets of nearly 3,800 hate incidents over the past year, according to a report this week by Stop AAPI Hate, a group that has been collecting data about discrimination against Asian Americans. In San Francisco, which has experienced a rash of recent attacks against Asians, Mayor London Breed announced Wednesday that police would step up patrols in predominantly Asian neighborhoods. Two attacks occurred just this week, according to The San Francisco Chronicle. “We have seen a rise of hate crimes against our elderly Asian community, and I want to make it clear that we won’t tolerate it,” Breed said at a news conference. “San Francisco will continue to support and uplift our Asian community.” Across the Bay, emotions were still raw over the death last week of Pak Ho, a 75-year-old Oakland resident who was punched hard during a robbery, fell and incurred severe brain injuries. Some community members were planning a rally against anti-Asian hate for Saturday. On Wednesday, a group of state lawmakers and local officials representing Asian and Pacific Islander communities in California called on Gov. Gavin Newsom to choose an Asian American or Pacific Islander to be the state’s next attorney general — a call that they said had taken on new urgency. “We need leadership across our state and the nation to take action,” David Chiu, a member of California’s state Assembly, said at a virtual news conference Wednesday. “We need to stand up against these hate crimes.” The call comes as California’s current attorney general, Xavier Becerra, is awaiting Senate confirmation as President Joe Biden’s secretary of health and human services. Jesse Melgar, Newsom’s spokesperson, said in a statement Wednesday that the governor was waiting for Becerra to be confirmed before announcing his pick to replace him. “He is considering a range of qualified candidates and will announce his decision when one is made,” Melgar said. Newsom, in a statement on Twitter, said, “The attack in Georgia and the racist attacks that have been happening all across our country are abhorrent. Our hearts are with the families of all the victims of this horrific act and the entire AAPI community tonight.” The governor recently signed a bill allocating $1.4 million to support Stop AAPI Hate’s research. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is from the Bay Area, also condemned the attacks. The killings in Georgia are the latest in a growing list of high-profile attacks that Asian American elected leaders and activists have cited in a broad push to address anti-Asian harassment and violence. In California, much of the recent outpouring of pain has come after attacks on elders in Asian neighborhoods. While some community leaders have demanded increased police presence in those neighborhoods, others have said that simply adding law enforcement officers — who might wrongly target Black people — is not a solution. Chiu said Wednesday that having an Asian American “top cop” would have to be part of a broad slate of efforts, including the creation of a racial bias task force that would bring together “relevant state agencies” to better serve Asian Americans and other Californians of color who need mental health help or other aid. But experts said that Asian Americans occupy something of a racial middle ground, making the conversation around fixes more difficult. Kyeyoung Park, a professor of anthropology and Asian American studies at UCLA, said that Asian immigrants had long been treated as migrant laborers and less than human. In the case of the spas in Georgia, she said, “racial capitalism” is intertwined in a damaging way with the sexual exploitation of Asian women over many decades — particularly Korean women. “These women, in many cases, were at the bottom of the hierarchy,” she said.

Californians fear more anti-Asian attacks after Georgia killings

Georgia authorities charged a man with the fatal shootings of eight people, including six Asian women, at Atlanta-area spas, and the violence heightened fears among Asian Americans already rattled by a rise in hate crimes directed at them since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

The 21-year-old suspect, Robert Aaron Long, told investigators that a sex addiction drove him to commit Tuesday's killings and indicated he frequented spas in the area.

Adding to this, a former roommate of the Georgia man said the shooter told him of an addiction that compelled him to visit massage parlours seeking sex.

Tyler Bayless, 35, told Reuters that he spent several months living in an Atlanta halfway house for recovering addicts with Long.

Bayless, who says he was being treated for drug addiction, said he was in a halfway house named Maverick Recovery with Long in late 2019 and early 2020, and last saw Long last February. He said Long had been treated for sex addiction and that he frequented massage parlours "for explicitly sexual activity."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sex-addiction-not-racial-hatred-may-have-driven-suspect-in-georgia-spa-shootings-371233">Also read |&nbsp;Sex addiction, not racial hatred, may have driven suspect in Georgia spa shootings</a>

Bayless said Long was "deeply religious" and would become "very emotionally distraught that he frequented these places."

"In the halfway house he would describe several of his sexual addiction 'relapses' as he called them. He would have a deep feeling of remorse and shame and say he needed to return to prayer and to return to God," he said.

Authorities did not discount the possibility that the attacks were inspired at least in part by an anti-immigrant or anti-Asian sentiment, or some personal grievance. Six of the eight victims were women of Asian descent. A white woman and white man were also among those killed. Long is white.

The Daily Beast reported that an Instagram account appearing to belong to Long, but which was no longer active, contained a tagline that read: "Pizza, guns, drums, music, family, and God. This pretty much sums up my life. It's a pretty good life."

Long was being held in Cherokee County, where he resided and where the shootings began.

Long was headed for Florida when he was apprehended, perhaps to carry out further shootings, authorities said. A 9mm firearm was found in his car.

Although officials said Long indicated he may have patronised the establishments where Tuesday's violence occurred, they could not immediately confirm whether he had actually been a customer of those businesses.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/violence-against-asian-americans-very-troublesome-says-biden-after-atlanta-shootings-371254">Also read |&nbsp;Violence against Asian Americans 'very troublesome', says Biden after Atlanta shootings</a>

Meanwhile, a report by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism this month showed that hate crimes against Asian Americans in 16 major US cities rose by 149 per cent from 2019 to 2020, a period when overall hate crimes dropped 7 per cent.

Nonetheless, authorities said nothing that Long told them in interviews indicated he was motivated by racial animosity, though they stressed the investigation was in its early stages.

Long's quick apprehension was aided by his family's cooperation with investigators and by video footage from security cameras at the crime scenes, police said.

(with inputs from agencies)

Georgia authorities charged a man with the fatal shootings of eight people, including six Asian women, at Atlanta-area spas, and the violence heightened fears among Asian Americans already rattled by a rise in hate crimes directed at them since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

Georgia authorities charged a man with the fatal shootings of eight people, including six Asian women, at Atlanta-area spas, and the violence heightened fears among Asian Americans already rattled by a rise in hate crimes directed at them since the Covid-19 pandemic began. The 21-year-old suspect, Robert Aaron Long, told investigators that a sex addiction drove him to commit Tuesday's killings and indicated he frequented spas in the area. Adding to this, a former roommate of the Georgia man said the shooter told him of an addiction that compelled him to visit massage parlours seeking sex. Tyler Bayless, 35, told Reuters that he spent several months living in an Atlanta halfway house for recovering addicts with Long. Bayless, who says he was being treated for drug addiction, said he was in a halfway house named Maverick Recovery with Long in late 2019 and early 2020, and last saw Long last February. He said Long had been treated for sex addiction and that he frequented massage parlours "for explicitly sexual activity." Also read | Sex addiction, not racial hatred, may have driven suspect in Georgia spa shootings Bayless said Long was "deeply religious" and would become "very emotionally distraught that he frequented these places." "In the halfway house he would describe several of his sexual addiction 'relapses' as he called them. He would have a deep feeling of remorse and shame and say he needed to return to prayer and to return to God," he said. Authorities did not discount the possibility that the attacks were inspired at least in part by an anti-immigrant or anti-Asian sentiment, or some personal grievance. Six of the eight victims were women of Asian descent. A white woman and white man were also among those killed. Long is white. The Daily Beast reported that an Instagram account appearing to belong to Long, but which was no longer active, contained a tagline that read: "Pizza, guns, drums, music, family, and God. This pretty much sums up my life. It's a pretty good life." Long was being held in Cherokee County, where he resided and where the shootings began. Long was headed for Florida when he was apprehended, perhaps to carry out further shootings, authorities said. A 9mm firearm was found in his car. Although officials said Long indicated he may have patronised the establishments where Tuesday's violence occurred, they could not immediately confirm whether he had actually been a customer of those businesses. Also read | Violence against Asian Americans 'very troublesome', says Biden after Atlanta shootings Meanwhile, a report by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism this month showed that hate crimes against Asian Americans in 16 major US cities rose by 149 per cent from 2019 to 2020, a period when overall hate crimes dropped 7 per cent. Nonetheless, authorities said nothing that Long told them in interviews indicated he was motivated by racial animosity, though they stressed the investigation was in its early stages. Long's quick apprehension was aided by his family's cooperation with investigators and by video footage from security cameras at the crime scenes, police said. (with inputs from agencies)

Motive in Georgia shootings uncertain; former roommate says suspect expressed shame over sex addiction

The suspect in the fatal shooting of eight people at day spas in and around Atlanta indicated he had issues with sexual addiction and the shootings may have not been motivated by racial hatred, law enforcement officials said on Wednesday.

Officials said that the 21-year-old suspect, Robert Aaron Long, appeared to have frequented the spas where Tuesday's violence occurred or similar ones, and that he was heading to Florida when he was apprehended, perhaps to carry out further shootings. Six of the eight victims were women of Asian descent.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/at-least-eight-dead-in-us-spa-shootings-suspect-reportedly-arrested-371000" hreflang="en">At least eight dead in US spa shootings; suspect reportedly arrested</a>

"The suspect did take responsibility for the shooting," Captain Jay Baker of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department told a news conference.

"It's a temptation for him that he wanted to eliminate," Baker added, referring to what he said were the suspect's sexual addiction issues.

While preliminary investigations appeared to suggest the suspect was not motivated by racial hatred, officials said it was still too early to know with certainty and the probe was still ongoing.

U.S. authorities are still looking into whether the attacks were inspired by anti-immigrant or anti-Asian motivation or some personal grievance, a federal law enforcement official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The killings were the latest in a string of mass shootings in the United States, with others occurring at schools, movie theaters, medical clinics and other public places in recent years. A 9mm firearm was found in Long's car, Baker added.

The bloodshed began about 5 p.m. on Tuesday when four people were killed and another was wounded at Young's Asian Massage in Cherokee County, about 40 miles (64 km) north of Atlanta, Baker said.

Two women of Asian descent were among the dead there, along with a white woman and a white man, Baker said, adding that the surviving victim was a Hispanic man.

In Atlanta, Georgia's state capital, police officers responding to a call of a "robbery in progress" shortly before 6 p.m. arrived at the Gold Spa beauty salon and found three women shot dead, Police Chief Rodney Bryant told reporters.

While investigating the initial report, the officers were called to a separate aromatherapy spa across the street where another woman was found dead from a gunshot wound, Bryant said. All four women killed in Atlanta were of Asian descent.

Long, of Woodstock in Cherokee County, was taken into custody in Crisp County, about 150 miles (240 km) south of Atlanta. A photo of Long, who is white, was released by authorities. He is being held in a Cherokee County detention center and his arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, law enforcement officials said.

Long was spotted in southern Georgia, far from the crime scenes, after police in Cherokee County issued a bulletin providing a description and license plates of the vehicle involved in the attacks.

He was arrested without incident after a highway pursuit by Georgia state police and Crisp County Sheriff's deputies, officials said.

Long's quick apprehension was aided by his family's cooperation with law enforcement and by footage of the suspect from security cameras at the shootings' locations, police said.

"We are really appreciative of the family. Without them this would not have happened as quickly as it happened. They were very supportive," Baker said.

Gun control is a divisive issue in the United States, which enshrines the right to bear arms in the Constitution. The U.S. House of Representatives last week approved a pair of gun control bills as Democrats seized upon a shifting political landscape that they said improved chances for enacting new laws after years of failed attempts.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said that "a crime against any community is a crime against us all," adding, "This was a tragic day with many victims. But thankfully the suspect was quickly apprehended."

Police departments in Atlanta and New York City said they would beef up presence around businesses and in Asian communities in the wake of the shootings.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said President Joe Biden was briefed about the shootings overnight. Attorney General Merrick Garland, the top U.S. law enforcement official, also has been briefed, a Justice Department official said. The FBI's Atlanta office is assisting local police with its investigation.

The suspect in the fatal shooting of eight people at day spas in and around Atlanta indicated he had issues with sexual addiction and the shootings may have not been motivated by racial hatred, law enforcement officials said on Wednesday.

The suspect in the fatal shooting of eight people at day spas in and around Atlanta indicated he had issues with sexual addiction and the shootings may have not been motivated by racial hatred, law enforcement officials said on Wednesday. Officials said that the 21-year-old suspect, Robert Aaron Long, appeared to have frequented the spas where Tuesday's violence occurred or similar ones, and that he was heading to Florida when he was apprehended, perhaps to carry out further shootings. Six of the eight victims were women of Asian descent. Also read: At least eight dead in US spa shootings; suspect reportedly arrested "The suspect did take responsibility for the shooting," Captain Jay Baker of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department told a news conference. "It's a temptation for him that he wanted to eliminate," Baker added, referring to what he said were the suspect's sexual addiction issues. While preliminary investigations appeared to suggest the suspect was not motivated by racial hatred, officials said it was still too early to know with certainty and the probe was still ongoing. U.S. authorities are still looking into whether the attacks were inspired by anti-immigrant or anti-Asian motivation or some personal grievance, a federal law enforcement official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. The killings were the latest in a string of mass shootings in the United States, with others occurring at schools, movie theaters, medical clinics and other public places in recent years. A 9mm firearm was found in Long's car, Baker added. The bloodshed began about 5 p.m. on Tuesday when four people were killed and another was wounded at Young's Asian Massage in Cherokee County, about 40 miles (64 km) north of Atlanta, Baker said. Two women of Asian descent were among the dead there, along with a white woman and a white man, Baker said, adding that the surviving victim was a Hispanic man. In Atlanta, Georgia's state capital, police officers responding to a call of a "robbery in progress" shortly before 6 p.m. arrived at the Gold Spa beauty salon and found three women shot dead, Police Chief Rodney Bryant told reporters. While investigating the initial report, the officers were called to a separate aromatherapy spa across the street where another woman was found dead from a gunshot wound, Bryant said. All four women killed in Atlanta were of Asian descent. Long, of Woodstock in Cherokee County, was taken into custody in Crisp County, about 150 miles (240 km) south of Atlanta. A photo of Long, who is white, was released by authorities. He is being held in a Cherokee County detention center and his arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, law enforcement officials said. Long was spotted in southern Georgia, far from the crime scenes, after police in Cherokee County issued a bulletin providing a description and license plates of the vehicle involved in the attacks. He was arrested without incident after a highway pursuit by Georgia state police and Crisp County Sheriff's deputies, officials said. Long's quick apprehension was aided by his family's cooperation with law enforcement and by footage of the suspect from security cameras at the shootings' locations, police said. "We are really appreciative of the family. Without them this would not have happened as quickly as it happened. They were very supportive," Baker said. Gun control is a divisive issue in the United States, which enshrines the right to bear arms in the Constitution. The U.S. House of Representatives last week approved a pair of gun control bills as Democrats seized upon a shifting political landscape that they said improved chances for enacting new laws after years of failed attempts. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said that "a crime against any community is a crime against us all," adding, "This was a tragic day with many victims. But thankfully the suspect was quickly apprehended." Police departments in Atlanta and New York City said they would beef up presence around businesses and in Asian communities in the wake of the shootings. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said President Joe Biden was briefed about the shootings overnight. Attorney General Merrick Garland, the top U.S. law enforcement official, also has been briefed, a Justice Department official said. The FBI's Atlanta office is assisting local police with its investigation.

Sex addiction, not racial hatred, may have driven suspect in Georgia spa shootings

Ahmaud Arbery was shot by&nbsp;Gregory and Travis McMichael in Gerogia in February while jogging in the neighbourhood.&nbsp;

Gregory, 64, and Travis McMichael, 34, are in the custody of the Glynn County Sheriff's Department and have been detained by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) since May 07.

During a court session on the matter,&nbsp;an investigator testified in court on Thursday confirming that a racial slur was used after Ahmaud was shot by the father-son pair.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/a-lot-of-them-arent-even-pretending-to-be-in-charge-obama-attacks-trump-administration-299125">Also read:&nbsp;A lot of them aren’t even pretending to be in charge: Obama attacks Trump administration</a>

After more than five hours of arguments during which a prosecutor said Arbery, 25, had been "chased, hunted and ultimately executed", Glynn County Chief Magistrate Judge Wallace Harrell ruled probable cause existed and the case could go to trial.

Special Agent Richard Dial of the GBI claimed that William Bryan told his office in an interview last month that the former police officer's son, Travis McMichael, uttered the slur as the unarmed Ahmaud lay dying from the shooting wounds.

"Mr. Bryan said that after the shooting took place before police arrival, while Mr. Arbery was on the ground, that he heard Travis McMichael make the statement: fucking nigger," Richard Dial said in testimony.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hundreds-gather-to-remember-george-floyd-at-memorial-service-303444">Also read:&nbsp;Hundreds gather to remember George Floyd at memorial service</a>

Special Agent also claimed to possess evidence from social media and other resources through which he can prove&nbsp;Travis McMichael had used racial slurs in the past.

He claimed to have proof Travis, that&nbsp;a former U.S. Coast Guard boarding officer, once told a friend that he loved his job because he "was on a boat and there weren't any N-words anywhere," Dial testified.

The father-son duo, who chased the unarmed jogger before shooting him,&nbsp;have been charged with murder and aggravated assault. Bryan, their neighbor who took the cellphone video, was charged with murder and attempting to illegally detain and confine.

Kevin Gough, Bryan's attorney, claimed that his client was unaware of the chase, and took the video as a duty of an Ameerican citizen. The claim was criticized by&nbsp;Special prosecutor Jesse Evans who told the court that "any American would pick up the phone and call 911" instead.

(With inputs from Reuters)

Ahmaud Arbery was shot by Gregory and Travis McMichael in Gerogia in February while jogging in the neighbourhood. Gregory, 64, and Travis McMichael, 34, are in the custody of the Glynn County Sheriff's Department and have been detained by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) since May 07.

Ahmaud Arbery was shot by Gregory and Travis McMichael in Gerogia in February while jogging in the neighbourhood. Gregory, 64, and Travis McMichael, 34, are in the custody of the Glynn County Sheriff's Department and have been detained by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) since May 07. During a court session on the matter, an investigator testified in court on Thursday confirming that a racial slur was used after Ahmaud was shot by the father-son pair. Also read: A lot of them aren’t even pretending to be in charge: Obama attacks Trump administration After more than five hours of arguments during which a prosecutor said Arbery, 25, had been "chased, hunted and ultimately executed", Glynn County Chief Magistrate Judge Wallace Harrell ruled probable cause existed and the case could go to trial. Special Agent Richard Dial of the GBI claimed that William Bryan told his office in an interview last month that the former police officer's son, Travis McMichael, uttered the slur as the unarmed Ahmaud lay dying from the shooting wounds. "Mr. Bryan said that after the shooting took place before police arrival, while Mr. Arbery was on the ground, that he heard Travis McMichael make the statement: fucking nigger," Richard Dial said in testimony. Also read: Hundreds gather to remember George Floyd at memorial service Special Agent also claimed to possess evidence from social media and other resources through which he can prove Travis McMichael had used racial slurs in the past. He claimed to have proof Travis, that a former U.S. Coast Guard boarding officer, once told a friend that he loved his job because he "was on a boat and there weren't any N-words anywhere," Dial testified. The father-son duo, who chased the unarmed jogger before shooting him, have been charged with murder and aggravated assault. Bryan, their neighbor who took the cellphone video, was charged with murder and attempting to illegally detain and confine. Kevin Gough, Bryan's attorney, claimed that his client was unaware of the chase, and took the video as a duty of an Ameerican citizen. The claim was criticized by Special prosecutor Jesse Evans who told the court that "any American would pick up the phone and call 911" instead. (With inputs from Reuters)

Shooters of Georgia black man used 'N' word after shooting, investigator testifies

A Georgia police officer was killed and a second critically injured in a shooting that occurred on Wednesday (December 7) morning near a university campus in the southwestern part of the state, officials said.

A manhunt was underway for the shooter on Wednesday afternoon and Georgia Southwestern State University has been on lockdown since the shooting was reported at about 9:30 a.m. in Americus, Georgia, about 150 miles south of Atlanta, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).

The suspect was identified as Minguel Lembrick, 35, and he is considered &quot;armed and dangerous,&quot; said Americus Police Chief Mark Scott.

Officer Nicolas Smarr, 25 and Georgia Southwestern College officer Jodi Smith were responding to a 911 call about a domestic dispute when they encountered Lembrick, Scott said. Both officers were shot.

&quot;Two officers encountered the suspect in the domestic at the scene, gunshots were exchanged and the two officers were wounded. Officer Smarr succumbed to his injuries this morning Officer Smith has been life lighted to an area trauma center where he&#39;s in very critical condition. The suspect is still at large, his information has been released to everyone his name has been Minguel Kennedy Lembric, age 32. He&#39;s considered armed and dangerous. We would ask that the community help us by telling us where he is, if anyone knows of his whereabouts or has seen him. Please give us a call we&#39;ll supply toll free numbers and they can call.

The FBI and the GBI are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the suspects arrests.

&quot;The Georgia Bureau Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are offering a $20000 reward for the arrest of the suspect in this case. We have had great support previously in these type of investigations in offering a reward because often that will bring citizens to the forefront who provide us with information,&quot; Said Georgia Bureau of Investigations, Vernon Keenan.

University internet tweets are asking all students and staff on campus to shelter in place. All are asked to secure entrances and stay away from windows and turn off lights.

Both the officers shot were taken to Medical Center, Navicent Health in Macon, Georgia, local media reported.

The shooting happened near Griffin Bell Golf Course, just south of campus, the university said in an emergency alert. 
 
(Reuters)

A manhunt for the shooter is underway. Georgia Southwestern State University has been on lockdown since the shooting

A Georgia police officer was killed and a second critically injured in a shooting that occurred on Wednesday (December 7) morning near a university campus in the southwestern part of the state, officials said. A manhunt was underway for the shooter on Wednesday afternoon and Georgia Southwestern State University has been on lockdown since the shooting was reported at about 9:30 a.m. in Americus, Georgia, about 150 miles south of Atlanta, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). The suspect was identified as Minguel Lembrick, 35, and he is considered "armed and dangerous," said Americus Police Chief Mark Scott. Officer Nicolas Smarr, 25 and Georgia Southwestern College officer Jodi Smith were responding to a 911 call about a domestic dispute when they encountered Lembrick, Scott said. Both officers were shot. "Two officers encountered the suspect in the domestic at the scene, gunshots were exchanged and the two officers were wounded. Officer Smarr succumbed to his injuries this morning Officer Smith has been life lighted to an area trauma center where he's in very critical condition. The suspect is still at large, his information has been released to everyone his name has been Minguel Kennedy Lembric, age 32. He's considered armed and dangerous. We would ask that the community help us by telling us where he is, if anyone knows of his whereabouts or has seen him. Please give us a call we'll supply toll free numbers and they can call. The FBI and the GBI are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the suspects arrests. "The Georgia Bureau Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are offering a $20000 reward for the arrest of the suspect in this case. We have had great support previously in these type of investigations in offering a reward because often that will bring citizens to the forefront who provide us with information," Said Georgia Bureau of Investigations, Vernon Keenan. University internet tweets are asking all students and staff on campus to shelter in place. All are asked to secure entrances and stay away from windows and turn off lights. Both the officers shot were taken to Medical Center, Navicent Health in Macon, Georgia, local media reported. The shooting happened near Griffin Bell Golf Course, just south of campus, the university said in an emergency alert. (Reuters)