Thousands of people marched on Friday in support of a Canadian Muslim family run over and killed by a man driving a pick-up truck on last Sunday in an attack the police described as a hate crime. 
 
The four victims, spanning three generations, were killed when Nathaniel Veltman, 20, ran into them while they were out for an evening walk near their home. A fifth family member, a 9-year-old boy, survived. 
 
People in London, Ontario marched about 7 kilometers (4.4 miles) from the spot where the family was struck down to a nearby mosque, the site close to where Veltman was arrested by police. 
 
Some carried placards with messages reading 'Hate has no home here', 'Love over hate'.&nbsp;Similar events were held in other cities in Ontario, Canada's most populous province. 
 
"The best part was not just the numbers ... but the diversity of the people coming from every single community in London, coming together for this cause," said 19-year-old college student Abdullah Al Jarad at the march. 
 
The attack sparked outrage across Canada, with politicians from all sides condemning the crime, spurring growing calls to take action to curb hate crime and Islamophobia. 
 
Veltman made a brief court appearance on Thursday and will return to court on Monday. He faces four charges of first-degree murder and one of attempted murder. 
 
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called the killings a 'terrorist attack' and vowed to clamp down on far-right groups and online hate. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Thousands of people marched on Friday in support of a Canadian Muslim family run over and killed by a man driving a pick-up truck on last Sunday in an attack the police described as a hate crime.

Thousands of people marched on Friday in support of a Canadian Muslim family run over and killed by a man driving a pick-up truck on last Sunday in an attack the police described as a hate crime. The four victims, spanning three generations, were killed when Nathaniel Veltman, 20, ran into them while they were out for an evening walk near their home. A fifth family member, a 9-year-old boy, survived. People in London, Ontario marched about 7 kilometers (4.4 miles) from the spot where the family was struck down to a nearby mosque, the site close to where Veltman was arrested by police. Some carried placards with messages reading 'Hate has no home here', 'Love over hate'. Similar events were held in other cities in Ontario, Canada's most populous province. "The best part was not just the numbers ... but the diversity of the people coming from every single community in London, coming together for this cause," said 19-year-old college student Abdullah Al Jarad at the march. The attack sparked outrage across Canada, with politicians from all sides condemning the crime, spurring growing calls to take action to curb hate crime and Islamophobia. Veltman made a brief court appearance on Thursday and will return to court on Monday. He faces four charges of first-degree murder and one of attempted murder. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called the killings a 'terrorist attack' and vowed to clamp down on far-right groups and online hate. (With inputs from agencies)

Thousands march in support of Muslim family killed in truck attack in Canada

4 members of a Pakistani-origin Muslim family were killed and one was left injured after a pickup truck targeted them in an attack motivated by hate. The Canadian police called it a 'premeditated' attack.

Pakistani-origin Muslim family of 4 killed in 'premeditated' truck attack in Canada

After four members of a Muslim family were killed in what police described as a targeted hate crime, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assured Muslims in London, Ontario, and around the country today that his government is with them.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/four-muslim-family-members-killed-in-suspected-hate-crime-in-canadas-ontario-390039">Also read | Four Muslim family members killed in suspected hate crime in Canada's Ontario</a> 
 
"This hate is insidious and despicable — and it must stop," Trudeau said Monday evening in a social media post. "I'm horrified by the news from London, Ontario.

"To the loved ones of those who were terrorized by yesterday's act of hatred, we are here for you. We are also here for the child who remains in hospital — our hearts go out to you, and you will be in our thoughts as you recover."

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To the Muslim community in London and to Muslims across the country, know that we stand with you. Islamophobia has no place in any of our communities. This hate is insidious and despicable - and it must stop.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1402018501267763203?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"I spoke on the phone this evening with @LdnOntMayor and @NTahir2015 about the hateful and heinous attack that took place in London, Ontario yesterday. I let them know we'll continue to use every tool we have to combat Islamophobia -- and we`ll be here for those who are grieving," Trudeau tweeted.

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I spoke on the phone this evening with <a href="https://twitter.com/ldnontmayor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LdnOntMayor</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ntahir2015?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NTahir2015</a> about the hateful and heinous attack that took place in London, Ontario yesterday. I let them know we’ll continue to use every tool we have to combat Islamophobia - and we’ll be here for those who are grieving.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1402088646988214277?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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On Sunday, a targeted attack on a Muslim family occurred in London, Ontario. In a hit-and-run case, a 20-year-old male was charged on Monday with four charges of murder and one count of attempted murder; police believe the attack was intended at a Muslim family of five.

Nathaniel Veltman, 20, might face terrorism charges, according to Deputy Inspector Paul Waight Veltman.

(With inputs from agencies)

After four members of a Muslim family were killed in what police described as a targeted hate crime, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assured Muslims in London, Ontario, and around the country today that his government is with them.

After four members of a Muslim family were killed in what police described as a targeted hate crime, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assured Muslims in London, Ontario, and around the country today that his government is with them. Also read | Four Muslim family members killed in suspected hate crime in Canada's Ontario "This hate is insidious and despicable — and it must stop," Trudeau said Monday evening in a social media post. "I'm horrified by the news from London, Ontario. "To the loved ones of those who were terrorized by yesterday's act of hatred, we are here for you. We are also here for the child who remains in hospital — our hearts go out to you, and you will be in our thoughts as you recover." To the Muslim community in London and to Muslims across the country, know that we stand with you. Islamophobia has no place in any of our communities. This hate is insidious and despicable - and it must stop. — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 7, 2021 × "I spoke on the phone this evening with @LdnOntMayor and @NTahir2015 about the hateful and heinous attack that took place in London, Ontario yesterday. I let them know we'll continue to use every tool we have to combat Islamophobia -- and we`ll be here for those who are grieving," Trudeau tweeted. I spoke on the phone this evening with @LdnOntMayor and @NTahir2015 about the hateful and heinous attack that took place in London, Ontario yesterday. I let them know we’ll continue to use every tool we have to combat Islamophobia - and we’ll be here for those who are grieving. — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 8, 2021 × On Sunday, a targeted attack on a Muslim family occurred in London, Ontario. In a hit-and-run case, a 20-year-old male was charged on Monday with four charges of murder and one count of attempted murder; police believe the attack was intended at a Muslim family of five. Nathaniel Veltman, 20, might face terrorism charges, according to Deputy Inspector Paul Waight Veltman. (With inputs from agencies)

‘We stand with you’: Trudeau tells Muslims as he vows to combat Islamophobia

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Saturday that world leaders and tech firms looking to stamp out violent extremism online would need to focus efforts on understanding social media algorithms that drive content. &nbsp;

Ardern was speaking at a virtual summit to mark the second anniversary of the global initiative to end online hate, called the Christchurch Call, launched by Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron in 2019 after a white supremacist killed 51 people at two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch while live-streaming his rampage on Facebook.&nbsp;

Since then, more than 50 countries, international organisations and tech firms have supported the initiative including firms, such as Facebook, Google, Twitter and Microsoft.&nbsp;

"The existence of algorithms themselves is not necessarily the problem, it's whether or not they are ethically used. That is one of the biggest focus for the community over the next year alongside expanding the network itself," Ardern said a news conference after the forum.&nbsp;

Ardern said major tech firms expressed a real desire at the forum to use algorithms for positive interventions. She, however, did not elaborate on how firms would change the use of algorithms that drive harmful content and lead to radicalisation. &nbsp;

The Christchurch Call was joined for the first time by the United States, which made a policy change two years after the administration of former president Donald Trump declined to participate citing concerns of free speech.&nbsp;

The event was attended by global leaders including Macron, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.&nbsp;

The Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT), an NGO founded by Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube that joined the Christchurch Call, said progress has been made since 2019.&nbsp;

The agency responded to over 140 incidents since 2019 with member companies sharing information and situational awareness to understand if an attack has a particular online dimension, it said in a separate statement.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Saturday that world leaders and tech firms looking to stamp out violent extremism online would need to focus efforts on understanding social media algorithms that drive content.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Saturday that world leaders and tech firms looking to stamp out violent extremism online would need to focus efforts on understanding social media algorithms that drive content. Ardern was speaking at a virtual summit to mark the second anniversary of the global initiative to end online hate, called the Christchurch Call, launched by Ardern and French President Emmanuel Macron in 2019 after a white supremacist killed 51 people at two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch while live-streaming his rampage on Facebook. Since then, more than 50 countries, international organisations and tech firms have supported the initiative including firms, such as Facebook, Google, Twitter and Microsoft. "The existence of algorithms themselves is not necessarily the problem, it's whether or not they are ethically used. That is one of the biggest focus for the community over the next year alongside expanding the network itself," Ardern said a news conference after the forum. Ardern said major tech firms expressed a real desire at the forum to use algorithms for positive interventions. She, however, did not elaborate on how firms would change the use of algorithms that drive harmful content and lead to radicalisation. The Christchurch Call was joined for the first time by the United States, which made a policy change two years after the administration of former president Donald Trump declined to participate citing concerns of free speech. The event was attended by global leaders including Macron, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT), an NGO founded by Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube that joined the Christchurch Call, said progress has been made since 2019. The agency responded to over 140 incidents since 2019 with member companies sharing information and situational awareness to understand if an attack has a particular online dimension, it said in a separate statement. (With inputs from agencies)

New Zealand PM says to fight hate, study social media algorithms 

A man in the US shot who six people at a birthday party in Colorado on Sunday was upset for not being invited to the gathering.The birthday party was thrown by Sandra Ibarra’s family who had been in a relationship with the shooter for nearly a year.

The shooter, identified as Teodoro Macias, has a history of being a controlling and a jealous partner.

The 28-year-old walked into the party which was taking place in a mobile home park on the east side of Colorado Springs and opened fire at the people present.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/accused-in-killing-of-black-us-jogger-deny-hate-charges-384457" hreflang="en">Accused in killing of Black US jogger deny hate charges</a>

By the time the officers arrived, six adults were found dead and another man was seriously injured, who later died at the hospital. The culprit also shot himself dead.

"My heart breaks for the families who have lost someone they love and for the children who have lost their parents," Colorado Springs Police Chief Vince Niski said in a statement.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/death-penalty-hate-crime-charges-sought-in-georgia-spa-shootings-384460" hreflang="en">Death penalty, hate crime charges sought in Georgia spa shootings</a>

Although there has been no reported history of domestic violence, authorities feel domestic violence might be the reason behind this incident.

"At the core of this horrific act is domestic violence," Police Chief Vince Niski said. He also said the shooter "displayed power and control issues".

Along with the 28-year-old Sandra Ibarra, the other victims of the shooting have been identified as Melvin Perez, 30; Mayra Ibarra de Perez, 33; Joana Cruz, 52; Jose Gutierrez, 21; and Jose Ibarra, 26.

A man in the US shot who six people at a birthday party in Colorado on Sunday was upset for not being invited to the gathering.The birthday party was thrown by Sandra Ibarra’s family who had been in a relationship with the shooter for nearly a year.

A man in the US shot who six people at a birthday party in Colorado on Sunday was upset for not being invited to the gathering.The birthday party was thrown by Sandra Ibarra’s family who had been in a relationship with the shooter for nearly a year. The shooter, identified as Teodoro Macias, has a history of being a controlling and a jealous partner. The 28-year-old walked into the party which was taking place in a mobile home park on the east side of Colorado Springs and opened fire at the people present. Also read | Accused in killing of Black US jogger deny hate charges By the time the officers arrived, six adults were found dead and another man was seriously injured, who later died at the hospital. The culprit also shot himself dead. "My heart breaks for the families who have lost someone they love and for the children who have lost their parents," Colorado Springs Police Chief Vince Niski said in a statement. Also read | Death penalty, hate crime charges sought in Georgia spa shootings Although there has been no reported history of domestic violence, authorities feel domestic violence might be the reason behind this incident. "At the core of this horrific act is domestic violence," Police Chief Vince Niski said. He also said the shooter "displayed power and control issues". Along with the 28-year-old Sandra Ibarra, the other victims of the shooting have been identified as Melvin Perez, 30; Mayra Ibarra de Perez, 33; Joana Cruz, 52; Jose Gutierrez, 21; and Jose Ibarra, 26.

Jealous boyfriend killed 6 people at birthday party 'for not being invited'

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 |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sexual-anguish-of-atlanta-suspect-is-familiar-thorn-for-evangelicals-372076">Sexual anguish of Atlanta suspect is familiar thorn for evangelicals</a>

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 |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/hundreds-in-atlanta-march-to-support-asian-americans-after-deadly-shooting-372003">Hundreds in Atlanta march to support Asian Americans after deadly shooting</a>

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 New York man has been arrested and charged with assaulting a 65-year-old Asian woman in a hate crime. The said attack was captured on a video that went viral amid a rise in anti-Asian incidents in the United States.

Brandon Elliot was previously convicted of murdering his mother.

Police identified the 38-year old as the man seen in the video kicking the woman to the ground and then kicking her several more times on Monday near Times Square in midtown Manhattan.

Elliot was due to be arraigned later on Wednesday on two charges of second-degree assault as a hate crime and one count of first-degree attempted assault as a hate crime.

New York District Attorney Cy Vance said at a news briefing: "Mr Elliot is accused of brutally shoving, kicking and stomping a 65-year-old mother to the ground after telling her that she didn't belong here. There is no place for these atrocious acts of anti-Asian violence in New York."

Elliot, who was on lifetime parole after serving a prison term for murdering his mother, was arrested without incident at his residence in New York City on Tuesday.

The New York Times identified the victim of the attack as Vilma Kari, an immigrant from the Philippines, citing a law enforcement source. An NYPD spokesman declined to confirm her identity. According to the Times, Kari suffered a fractured pelvis.

Concern over anti-Asian hate crimes was heightened when six Asian women were among eight people fatally shot this month at Atlanta-area spas. A 21-year-old man was charged with the murders. Police have yet to determine a motive.

President Joe Biden's administration on Tuesday announced a set of measures responding to anti-Asian violence in the United States, including deploying $49.5 million from Covid-19 relief funds for US community programs that help victims.

(with inputs)

A New York man has been arrested and charged with assaulting a 65-year-old Asian woman in a hate crime. The said attack was captured on a video that went viral amid a rise in anti-Asian incidents in the United States.

A New York man has been arrested and charged with assaulting a 65-year-old Asian woman in a hate crime. The said attack was captured on a video that went viral amid a rise in anti-Asian incidents in the United States. Brandon Elliot was previously convicted of murdering his mother. Police identified the 38-year old as the man seen in the video kicking the woman to the ground and then kicking her several more times on Monday near Times Square in midtown Manhattan. Elliot was due to be arraigned later on Wednesday on two charges of second-degree assault as a hate crime and one count of first-degree attempted assault as a hate crime. New York District Attorney Cy Vance said at a news briefing: "Mr Elliot is accused of brutally shoving, kicking and stomping a 65-year-old mother to the ground after telling her that she didn't belong here. There is no place for these atrocious acts of anti-Asian violence in New York." Elliot, who was on lifetime parole after serving a prison term for murdering his mother, was arrested without incident at his residence in New York City on Tuesday. The New York Times identified the victim of the attack as Vilma Kari, an immigrant from the Philippines, citing a law enforcement source. An NYPD spokesman declined to confirm her identity. According to the Times, Kari suffered a fractured pelvis. Concern over anti-Asian hate crimes was heightened when six Asian women were among eight people fatally shot this month at Atlanta-area spas. A 21-year-old man was charged with the murders. Police have yet to determine a motive. President Joe Biden's administration on Tuesday announced a set of measures responding to anti-Asian violence in the United States, including deploying $49.5 million from Covid-19 relief funds for US community programs that help victims. (with inputs)

Suspect in NYC attack on Asian woman charged with assault as a hate crime

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

Hate crimes are there highest level in US according to FBI annual report. These instances of hate crime began to rise from 2016-2017, that's during Donald Trump Presidency.

FBI Releases Its Annual Report On Hate Crime In US

A proposed anti-discrimination law that specifically recognises LGBT+ hate crimes in Italy is set to be voted on in the lower house of parliament later on Tuesday (October 27).

Will Italy introduce its first ever LGBT+ hate crime law?

Misogyny should be made a hate crime in England and Wales, the independent body that recommends legal change said on Wednesday, as it launched a consultation on updating hate crime laws.

The Law Commission said the proposal would give women specific protection from crimes such as assault and harassment where they were targeted on the basis of their sex.

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Women's rights activists have long called for such protections, which already exist for race, religion, sexual orientation, disability and transgender identity and can lead to harsher penalties for those convicted.

"Misogyny is the soil which violence against women and girls grows in and this is our chance to tackle it," said opposition lawmaker Stella Creasy, who has campaigned for the change.

"This review is a landmark opportunity for us to develop a hate crime law which is intersectional and reflects women and girls experiences of harassment and crime," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

In a statement, she said seven police forces in Britain already treated misogyny as a hate crime, which had yielded results in tackling violence against women.

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The consultation, which is open to experts as well as those who have experienced hate crime, is open until December 24 and will inform final recommendations to the government to be published next year.

It will also look at expanding hate crime protections on the basis of age, and expanding the offence of racist chanting at football matches to cover homophobic chanting.

"Hate crime has no place in our society and we have seen the terrible impact that it can have on victims," said Criminal Law Commissioner Penney Lewis.

"Our proposals will ensure all protected characteristics are treated in the same way, and that women enjoy hate crime protection for the first time."

Misogyny should be made a hate crime in England and Wales, the independent body that recommends legal change said on Wednesday, as it launched a consultation on updating hate crime laws.

Misogyny should be made a hate crime in England and Wales, the independent body that recommends legal change said on Wednesday, as it launched a consultation on updating hate crime laws. The Law Commission said the proposal would give women specific protection from crimes such as assault and harassment where they were targeted on the basis of their sex. Also read: UK's Prince Harry and wife Meghan encourage Americans to vote in 'most important' election Women's rights activists have long called for such protections, which already exist for race, religion, sexual orientation, disability and transgender identity and can lead to harsher penalties for those convicted. "Misogyny is the soil which violence against women and girls grows in and this is our chance to tackle it," said opposition lawmaker Stella Creasy, who has campaigned for the change. "This review is a landmark opportunity for us to develop a hate crime law which is intersectional and reflects women and girls experiences of harassment and crime," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. In a statement, she said seven police forces in Britain already treated misogyny as a hate crime, which had yielded results in tackling violence against women. Also read: Take action against modern slavery, UK orders its public sector The consultation, which is open to experts as well as those who have experienced hate crime, is open until December 24 and will inform final recommendations to the government to be published next year. It will also look at expanding hate crime protections on the basis of age, and expanding the offence of racist chanting at football matches to cover homophobic chanting. "Hate crime has no place in our society and we have seen the terrible impact that it can have on victims," said Criminal Law Commissioner Penney Lewis. "Our proposals will ensure all protected characteristics are treated in the same way, and that women enjoy hate crime protection for the first time."

Misogyny should qualify as a hate crime, UK legal regulator says

The FBI has concluded the investigation on Tuesday on the noose found in the garage stalls of NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace and said that the rope was no evidence of racist hate crime but an object that had been there for months.

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NASCAR released a statement which said: "The FBI has completed its investigation at Talladega Superspeedway and determined that Bubba Wallace was not the target of a hate crime."

NASCAR said Sunday night that a noose was found in the garage stall of black driver Bubba Wallace at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, and they have launched a probe of the "heinous" act.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/outrage-as-noose-found-in-garage-of-black-nascar-driver-307621" hreflang="en">Outrage as noose found in garage of black NASCAR driver</a>

NASCAR released a statement, which read: "Late this afternoon, NASCAR was made aware that a noose was found in the garage stall of the 43 teams. We are angry and outraged, and cannot state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act."&nbsp;

Wallace took to Twitter to condemn this "despicable act of racism" against him. He wrote: "The despicable act of racism and hatred leaves me incredibly saddened and serves as a painful reminder of how much further we have to go as a society and how persistent we must be in the fight against racism."

Northern District of Alabama Attorney Jay Town and FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr. made a statement and announced that there will be no charges. The statement said: "The FBI learned that garage number 4, where the noose was found, was assigned to Bubba Wallace last week."

"The investigation also revealed evidence, including authentic video confirmed by NASCAR, that the noose found in garage number 4 was in that garage as early as October 2019."

"Although the noose is now known to have been in garage number 4 in 2019, nobody could have known Mr Wallace would be assigned to garage number 4 last week."

The FBI has concluded the investigation on Tuesday on the noose found in the garage stalls of NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace and said that the rope was no evidence of racist hate crime but an object that had been there for months.

The FBI has concluded the investigation on Tuesday on the noose found in the garage stalls of NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace and said that the rope was no evidence of racist hate crime but an object that had been there for months. Also read: NASCAR community comes together for Bubba Wallace as FBI investigates noose NASCAR released a statement which said: "The FBI has completed its investigation at Talladega Superspeedway and determined that Bubba Wallace was not the target of a hate crime." NASCAR said Sunday night that a noose was found in the garage stall of black driver Bubba Wallace at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, and they have launched a probe of the "heinous" act. Also read: Outrage as noose found in garage of black NASCAR driver NASCAR released a statement, which read: "Late this afternoon, NASCAR was made aware that a noose was found in the garage stall of the 43 teams. We are angry and outraged, and cannot state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act." Wallace took to Twitter to condemn this "despicable act of racism" against him. He wrote: "The despicable act of racism and hatred leaves me incredibly saddened and serves as a painful reminder of how much further we have to go as a society and how persistent we must be in the fight against racism." Northern District of Alabama Attorney Jay Town and FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr. made a statement and announced that there will be no charges. The statement said: "The FBI learned that garage number 4, where the noose was found, was assigned to Bubba Wallace last week." "The investigation also revealed evidence, including authentic video confirmed by NASCAR, that the noose found in garage number 4 was in that garage as early as October 2019." "Although the noose is now known to have been in garage number 4 in 2019, nobody could have known Mr Wallace would be assigned to garage number 4 last week."

'Bubba Wallace was not the target of a hate crime as per FBI investigation': NASCAR

An Indian restaurant in the Sante Fe City of New Mexico, owned by a Sikh, was broken into and vandalised with hate messages scrawled on its walls.

The damage caused to India Palace restaurant is estimated to be worth USD 100,000, local Santa Fe Reporter said.

The vandalisation is being investigated by local police and the FBI.

Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) has condemned the incident.

According to the local daily, tables were overturned, glassware was smashed into piles on the floor, wine racks were emptied, a statue of a goddess was beheaded and computers were stolen.

The vandals also turned over and destroyed food warmers while the front desk area was devastated, plates smashed and the kitchen rendered completely unusable.

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"White power," "Trump 2020," "go home," and far worse were spray-painted on walls, doors, counters and any other available surface.

SALDEF said that it has seen an unprecedented rise in hate crimes including the April 29 incident wherein a Sikh American Lakhwant Singh was brutally attacked by a man identified as Eric Breeman in Lakewood, Colorado.

Lakhwant Singh was told to "go back to your country," while being attacked. No formal hate crime charges have been brought against the attacker.

(with inputs from PTI)

An Indian restaurant in the Sante Fe City of New Mexico, owned by a Sikh, was broken into and vandalised with hate messages scrawled on its walls. The damage caused to India Palace restaurant is estimated to be worth USD 100,000, local Santa Fe Reporter said.

An Indian restaurant in the Sante Fe City of New Mexico, owned by a Sikh, was broken into and vandalised with hate messages scrawled on its walls. The damage caused to India Palace restaurant is estimated to be worth USD 100,000, local Santa Fe Reporter said. The vandalisation is being investigated by local police and the FBI. Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) has condemned the incident. According to the local daily, tables were overturned, glassware was smashed into piles on the floor, wine racks were emptied, a statue of a goddess was beheaded and computers were stolen. The vandals also turned over and destroyed food warmers while the front desk area was devastated, plates smashed and the kitchen rendered completely unusable. Also read | Three Indian-origin family members found dead in backyard pool in US: Report "White power," "Trump 2020," "go home," and far worse were spray-painted on walls, doors, counters and any other available surface. SALDEF said that it has seen an unprecedented rise in hate crimes including the April 29 incident wherein a Sikh American Lakhwant Singh was brutally attacked by a man identified as Eric Breeman in Lakewood, Colorado. Lakhwant Singh was told to "go back to your country," while being attacked. No formal hate crime charges have been brought against the attacker. (with inputs from PTI)

Indian restaurant vandalised in US with hate messages scrawled on walls

A man in Australia's New South Wales has been charged in an apparent gay hate crime that happened almost 30 years ago.

Scott Price, 49, has been charged with murdering a 27-year-old Johnson in 1988.

The body of Sydney-based American mathematician Scott Johnson was found dead at the bottom of the North Head cliffs in Manly in 1988. The police, in the first inquest, ruled it a suicide. The second inquest, in June 2012, returned an open finding.

The third inquest, in 2017, found that Johnson fell from the clifftop as the result of violence by an unidentified attacker who perceived him to be gay.

Police said the man was was refused bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.

A 2018 police review of 88 suspicious deaths from 1976 to 2000 revealed that 27 men were likely murdered for their homosexuality by gangs.

A man in Australia's New South Wales has been charged in an apparent gay hate crime that happened almost 30 years ago. Scott Price, 49, has been charged with murdering a 27-year-old Johnson in 1988.

A man in Australia's New South Wales has been charged in an apparent gay hate crime that happened almost 30 years ago. Scott Price, 49, has been charged with murdering a 27-year-old Johnson in 1988. The body of Sydney-based American mathematician Scott Johnson was found dead at the bottom of the North Head cliffs in Manly in 1988. The police, in the first inquest, ruled it a suicide. The second inquest, in June 2012, returned an open finding. The third inquest, in 2017, found that Johnson fell from the clifftop as the result of violence by an unidentified attacker who perceived him to be gay. Police said the man was was refused bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. A 2018 police review of 88 suspicious deaths from 1976 to 2000 revealed that 27 men were likely murdered for their homosexuality by gangs.

Australian charged in gay hate crime in 1988 death of American man

More than 160 cars were vandalised in a Palestinian neighbourhood of Jerusalem with anti-Arab slogans scrawled nearby, Israeli police said Monday, in a suspected hate crime.

The cars in the Shuafaat neighbourhood of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/palestine-liberation-organisation-welcomes-eu-court-ruling-on-labelling-israeli-settlement-goods-261607">east Jerusalem</a> had their tyres slashed, with slogans such as "Arabs=enemies", "There is no room in the country for enemies" and "When Jews are stabbed we aren't silent" scrawled in Hebrew with red paint nearby, photos published by Israeli media showed.

Police said their forces "continue to search the area for the suspects who fled the scene."

A local official told public broadcaster Kann that footage revealed the vandalism took place overnight under the cover of the rain, and that the perpetrators were religious Jews.

The incident bore the hallmark of a "price tag" attack, a euphemism for Jewish nationalist-motivated hate crimes that generally target Palestinian or Arab Israeli property in revenge for nationalistic attacks against Israelis.

"Three masked settlers sneaked into the neighbourhood early and damaged the tyres of cars on the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/palestine-president-mahmoud-abbas-points-finger-at-netanyahu-trump-administration-at-unga-252447">main street</a>," said Maysa Abu Khdair, a resident whose car was targeted and whose surveillance cameras caught the scene.

"My daughter went on foot to school in the rain," she added.

More than 160 cars were vandalised in a Palestinian neighbourhood of Jerusalem with anti-Arab slogans scrawled nearby, Israeli police said Monday, in a suspected hate crime.

More than 160 cars were vandalised in a Palestinian neighbourhood of Jerusalem with anti-Arab slogans scrawled nearby, Israeli police said Monday, in a suspected hate crime. The cars in the Shuafaat neighbourhood of east Jerusalem had their tyres slashed, with slogans such as "Arabs=enemies", "There is no room in the country for enemies" and "When Jews are stabbed we aren't silent" scrawled in Hebrew with red paint nearby, photos published by Israeli media showed. Police said their forces "continue to search the area for the suspects who fled the scene." A local official told public broadcaster Kann that footage revealed the vandalism took place overnight under the cover of the rain, and that the perpetrators were religious Jews. The incident bore the hallmark of a "price tag" attack, a euphemism for Jewish nationalist-motivated hate crimes that generally target Palestinian or Arab Israeli property in revenge for nationalistic attacks against Israelis. "Three masked settlers sneaked into the neighbourhood early and damaged the tyres of cars on the main street," said Maysa Abu Khdair, a resident whose car was targeted and whose surveillance cameras caught the scene. "My daughter went on foot to school in the rain," she added.

160 Palestinian cars vandalised in suspected hate crime: Police

Is Trump making America a 'bitter' country?

Gravitas: Hate crimes in the US - Is Donald Trump responsible?

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WION Edit: Hate crimes: U.S. Must clean up its act before blaming others

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Gravitas: Trump public impeachment hearings begin

Hate crimes in the U.S. at record high levels.

Gravitas: In Trump's America: Hate crimes spike

Hate crimes reported to the US <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-says-former-fbi-agent-still-missing-denies-report-of-criminal-case-261200">Federal Bureau of Investigation</a> fell slightly in 2018 from the previous year, according to an annual report released by the FBI on Tuesday.

A total of 7,120 hate crimes were reported to the FBI by law enforcement agencies around the country last year, down from 7,175 in 2017, the FBI said.

It said 59.6 per cent of the reported hate crimes were motivated by race, ethnicity, or ancestry bias.

Religious bias accounted for 18.7 per cent, sexual orientation 16.7 per cent, gender identity 2.2 per cent, disability 2.1 per cent, and gender 0.7 per cent.

The FBI said 5,566 hate crimes were classified as crimes against persons while 2,641 were considered crimes against property such as vandalism or theft.

Of the crimes against persons, 46 per cent involved intimidation, 34 per cent were for simple assault and 18.4 per cent were for aggravated assault.

There were 24 murders and 22 rapes reported as hate crimes. The 24 murders included 11 worshipers at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who were slain by an anti-Semitic gunman in October of last year.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fbi-director-warns-facebook-could-become-platform-of-child-pornographers-253798">The FBI</a> said the hate crimes involved 6,266 "known offenders," of which 53.6 were white and 24 per cent African-American.

African-Americans were the leading target of crimes based on race, comprising 47.1 per cent of the 5,155 victims of hate crimes based on race, ethnicity or ancestry, the FBI said.

Jews were the most-targeted group by religion comprising 56.9 per cent of the victims of anti-religious hate crimes, it said.

The FBI did not provide any explanation for the slight decrease in reported hate crimes last year.

The law enforcement agency defines hate crimes as criminal offence motivated by bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.

Hate crimes reported to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation fell slightly in 2018 from the previous year, according to an annual report released by the FBI on Tuesday.

Hate crimes reported to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation fell slightly in 2018 from the previous year, according to an annual report released by the FBI on Tuesday. A total of 7,120 hate crimes were reported to the FBI by law enforcement agencies around the country last year, down from 7,175 in 2017, the FBI said. It said 59.6 per cent of the reported hate crimes were motivated by race, ethnicity, or ancestry bias. Religious bias accounted for 18.7 per cent, sexual orientation 16.7 per cent, gender identity 2.2 per cent, disability 2.1 per cent, and gender 0.7 per cent. The FBI said 5,566 hate crimes were classified as crimes against persons while 2,641 were considered crimes against property such as vandalism or theft. Of the crimes against persons, 46 per cent involved intimidation, 34 per cent were for simple assault and 18.4 per cent were for aggravated assault. There were 24 murders and 22 rapes reported as hate crimes. The 24 murders included 11 worshipers at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who were slain by an anti-Semitic gunman in October of last year. The FBI said the hate crimes involved 6,266 "known offenders," of which 53.6 were white and 24 per cent African-American. African-Americans were the leading target of crimes based on race, comprising 47.1 per cent of the 5,155 victims of hate crimes based on race, ethnicity or ancestry, the FBI said. Jews were the most-targeted group by religion comprising 56.9 per cent of the victims of anti-religious hate crimes, it said. The FBI did not provide any explanation for the slight decrease in reported hate crimes last year. The law enforcement agency defines hate crimes as criminal offence motivated by bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.

Reported hate crimes down slightly in United States in 2018: FBI

The man&nbsp;suspected of&nbsp;shooting&nbsp;at people inside a Norwegian&nbsp;mosque&nbsp;on Saturday, and of killing his stepsister, appeared in&nbsp;court&nbsp;on Monday with black eyes and wounds&nbsp;on his face and neck.

Police are initially seeking to hold Philip Manshaus in custody for four weeks on suspicion of murder and breach of anti-terrorism law.

Manshaus, who briefly smiled at photographers, does not admit to any crime, his lawyer said earlier.

The man suspected of shooting at people inside a Norwegian mosque on Saturday, and of killing his stepsister, appeared in court on Monday with black eyes and wounds on his face and neck.

The man suspected of shooting at people inside a Norwegian mosque on Saturday, and of killing his stepsister, appeared in court on Monday with black eyes and wounds on his face and neck. Police are initially seeking to hold Philip Manshaus in custody for four weeks on suspicion of murder and breach of anti-terrorism law. Manshaus, who briefly smiled at photographers, does not admit to any crime, his lawyer said earlier.

Suspect in Norway mosque shooting appears in court

Four members of a Sikh family, including three women, have been fatally shot in their home in the US, authorities said.

The victims who died of gunshot wounds in their home in a suburban Ohio community were found by another relative who called the police, West Chester Police Chief Joel Herzog said.

"My wife and three other family members were on the ground and bleeding... They're bleeding from the head," a man said on the 911 call that was released by the police.

"No one's talking, no one's talking," he shouted.

A local religious leader on Monday identified the deceased to Cincinnati Enquirer as Hakikat Singh Panag, 59, his wife, Paramjit Kaur, 62, their daughter, Shalinder Kaur, 39, and his sister-in-law, Amarjit Kaur, 58.

They were all shot to death around 9:50 pm (local time) on Sunday, the report said.

A coroner said all four deaths were homicides and they died from "gunshots."

At least one of them was preparing food when they died. By the time police arrived at the Lakefront at West Chester apartment complex, the unattended dish was on fire, police said.

Herzog said all four victims lived in the apartment where the shooting occurred. Children also live there, he said, but they were not there at the time of the attack.

The Indian consulate in New York said it was in close communication with the police.

"Our condolences to the bereaved family. We are in constant touch with the Police and family. We are confident about the culprit being brought to book," the Indian consulate in New York tweeted.

Meanwhile, in New Delhi, Externa Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted Tuesday that she was aware of the crime and did not believe it to be a hate crime.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The matter is under investigation by the Police but it is not a hate crime. Our Consul General in New York is coordinating with the concerned authorities and will keep me informed me on this. <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiainNewYork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndiainNewYork</a> /2
— Chowkidar Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/1123276660415950848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
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According to her tweets, one of the murder victims was an Indian resident in the US on a visit.

Members of a Gurdwara at Guru Nanak Society of Greater Cincinnati, said the four family members had worshipped there.

A motive behind the slayings remains unclear, and there were no indications if it was hate crime, the report said.

No suspect has been identified.

Such violent crime is rare in the township of some 62,000 people roughly 323 kilometres north of Cincinnati.

Herzog reassured residents Monday that he did not think there was a threat to the community and that the killings appear "isolated".

Four members of a Sikh family, including three women, have been fatally shot in their home in the US, authorities said. The victims who died of gunshot wounds in their home in a suburban Ohio community were found by another relative who called the police, West Chester Police Chief Joel Herzog said.

Four members of a Sikh family, including three women, have been fatally shot in their home in the US, authorities said. The victims who died of gunshot wounds in their home in a suburban Ohio community were found by another relative who called the police, West Chester Police Chief Joel Herzog said. "My wife and three other family members were on the ground and bleeding... They're bleeding from the head," a man said on the 911 call that was released by the police. "No one's talking, no one's talking," he shouted. A local religious leader on Monday identified the deceased to Cincinnati Enquirer as Hakikat Singh Panag, 59, his wife, Paramjit Kaur, 62, their daughter, Shalinder Kaur, 39, and his sister-in-law, Amarjit Kaur, 58. They were all shot to death around 9:50 pm (local time) on Sunday, the report said. A coroner said all four deaths were homicides and they died from "gunshots." At least one of them was preparing food when they died. By the time police arrived at the Lakefront at West Chester apartment complex, the unattended dish was on fire, police said. Herzog said all four victims lived in the apartment where the shooting occurred. Children also live there, he said, but they were not there at the time of the attack. The Indian consulate in New York said it was in close communication with the police. "Our condolences to the bereaved family. We are in constant touch with the Police and family. We are confident about the culprit being brought to book," the Indian consulate in New York tweeted. Meanwhile, in New Delhi, Externa Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted Tuesday that she was aware of the crime and did not believe it to be a hate crime. The matter is under investigation by the Police but it is not a hate crime. Our Consul General in New York is coordinating with the concerned authorities and will keep me informed me on this. @IndiainNewYork /2 — Chowkidar Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) April 30, 2019 × According to her tweets, one of the murder victims was an Indian resident in the US on a visit. Members of a Gurdwara at Guru Nanak Society of Greater Cincinnati, said the four family members had worshipped there. A motive behind the slayings remains unclear, and there were no indications if it was hate crime, the report said. No suspect has been identified. Such violent crime is rare in the township of some 62,000 people roughly 323 kilometres north of Cincinnati. Herzog reassured residents Monday that he did not think there was a threat to the community and that the killings appear "isolated".

Four of Sikh family shot dead in US; 'not hate crime' says Sushma Swaraj

A white supremacist convicted of killing James Byrd Jr. in 1998 by dragging the 49-year-old black man behind a truck in one of the most notorious US&nbsp;hate crimes of modern times was executed in Texas on Wednesday.

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/white-supremacist-to-be-executed-in-texas-for-dragging-death-of-black-man-213279&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjkrJn0mevhAhXKKY8KHZDABo8QFjAAegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2CMXCpH-L3lcpN6C1BdaWM">John William "Bill" King</a>, 44, was put to death by lethal injection and pronounced dead at 7:08 p.m. (0008 GMT Thursday) at the state’s death chamber in Huntsville, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said in a statement.&nbsp;

The department said King wrote the last statement that read: "Capital Punishment: Them without the capital get the punishment."

King, along with Shawn Berry and Lawrence Brewer, was accused of kidnapping Byrd while he hitchhiked in Jasper, Texas, on June 7, 1998.&nbsp;

Prosecutors said the men dragged him behind their 1982 Ford pickup truck for 3 miles (5 km) before dumping his body in front of an African-American church.

A "KKK" engraved lighter was among the evidence police found at the scene, court documents showed.&nbsp;

Brewer, also a white supremacist, was executed in 2011.

Berry was sentenced to life in prison for the crime.

King always maintained his innocence, saying that he left the two other men before Byrd was killed.

The gruesome killing spurred the passing of the James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act, strengthening punishments for hate crimes in Texas.

The murder, along with that of Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student who was beaten and left to die tied to a fence, was also the genesis of the federal hate crimes prevention act passed in 2009.&nbsp;

Byrd`s sister Carla Taylor read from a family statement after she, another of his sisters and his niece witnessed the execution.

King`s "execution tonight was just punishment for his actions," she said, noting that Byrd had three children and four grandchildren.

"James` legacy continues to be of peace and nonviolence."

King was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to death in 1999.

He was a member of a white supremacist gang and spoke of starting a race war while in prison for a previous crime.

He also talked about initiating new members by having them kidnap and murder black people, court documents showed.&nbsp;

King was the third inmate in Texas and the fourth in the United States to be executed in 2019, according to the Death Penalty Information Centre.

A white supremacist convicted of killing James Byrd Jr. in 1998 by dragging the 49-year-old black man behind a truck in one of the most notorious US hate crimes of modern times was executed in Texas on Wednesday.

A white supremacist convicted of killing James Byrd Jr. in 1998 by dragging the 49-year-old black man behind a truck in one of the most notorious US hate crimes of modern times was executed in Texas on Wednesday. John William "Bill" King, 44, was put to death by lethal injection and pronounced dead at 7:08 p.m. (0008 GMT Thursday) at the state’s death chamber in Huntsville, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said in a statement. The department said King wrote the last statement that read: "Capital Punishment: Them without the capital get the punishment." King, along with Shawn Berry and Lawrence Brewer, was accused of kidnapping Byrd while he hitchhiked in Jasper, Texas, on June 7, 1998. Prosecutors said the men dragged him behind their 1982 Ford pickup truck for 3 miles (5 km) before dumping his body in front of an African-American church. A "KKK" engraved lighter was among the evidence police found at the scene, court documents showed. Brewer, also a white supremacist, was executed in 2011. Berry was sentenced to life in prison for the crime. King always maintained his innocence, saying that he left the two other men before Byrd was killed. The gruesome killing spurred the passing of the James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act, strengthening punishments for hate crimes in Texas. The murder, along with that of Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student who was beaten and left to die tied to a fence, was also the genesis of the federal hate crimes prevention act passed in 2009. Byrd`s sister Carla Taylor read from a family statement after she, another of his sisters and his niece witnessed the execution. King`s "execution tonight was just punishment for his actions," she said, noting that Byrd had three children and four grandchildren. "James` legacy continues to be of peace and nonviolence." King was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to death in 1999. He was a member of a white supremacist gang and spoke of starting a race war while in prison for a previous crime. He also talked about initiating new members by having them kidnap and murder black people, court documents showed. King was the third inmate in Texas and the fourth in the United States to be executed in 2019, according to the Death Penalty Information Centre.

White supremacist executed in Texas for dragging death of black man

Chicago police said on Wednesday they would soon release images of "persons of interest" in the assault of 'Empire'&nbsp;actor Jussie Smollett in which two men yelled racial and homophobic slurs and wrapped a rope around his neck.

The 36-year-old African-American actor, who is gay, was not seriously hurt in the Tuesday incident, which police were treating as a possible hate crime.

The images came from a surveillance camera near the attack, Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeted.

The two men approached Smollett on the street in the early hours of Tuesday, yelling racial and homophobic slurs, then hit him in the face, poured an "unknown chemical substance" on him and wrapped a rope around his neck before fleeing, police said.

A representative for Smollett did not respond to requests for comment.

'Empire,'&nbsp;a hip-hop musical drama series, from Twenty-First Century Fox Inc premiered on television in 2015. Its lead actress, Taraji P&nbsp;Henson, won a Golden Globe Award in 2016 for her role and the show has received multiple Emmy Award nominations. Smollett plays the character Jamal Lyon, a member of the family that is the focus of the show.

Chicago police said on Wednesday they would soon release images of "persons of interest" in the assault of 'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett in which two men yelled racial and homophobic slurs and wrapped a rope around his neck.

Chicago police said on Wednesday they would soon release images of "persons of interest" in the assault of 'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett in which two men yelled racial and homophobic slurs and wrapped a rope around his neck. The 36-year-old African-American actor, who is gay, was not seriously hurt in the Tuesday incident, which police were treating as a possible hate crime. The images came from a surveillance camera near the attack, Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeted. The two men approached Smollett on the street in the early hours of Tuesday, yelling racial and homophobic slurs, then hit him in the face, poured an "unknown chemical substance" on him and wrapped a rope around his neck before fleeing, police said. A representative for Smollett did not respond to requests for comment. 'Empire,' a hip-hop musical drama series, from Twenty-First Century Fox Inc premiered on television in 2015. Its lead actress, Taraji P Henson, won a Golden Globe Award in 2016 for her role and the show has received multiple Emmy Award nominations. Smollett plays the character Jamal Lyon, a member of the family that is the focus of the show.

Chicago police to release images after attack on 'Empire' actor

Chicago police said on Tuesday they were investigating an assault on 'Empire'&nbsp;actor Jussie Smollett as a possible hate crime after two men yelled racial and homophobic slurs and wrapped a rope around his neck.

The 36-year-old African-American actor, who is gay, was reported to be in good condition after taking himself to a hospital after the incident early on Tuesday, police said.

"Given the severity of the allegations, we are taking this investigation very seriously and treating it as a possible hate crime," Chicago police said in a statement.

Police did not identify Smollett by name, but gave his age and said he had a role on 'Empire'. The show's co-creator, Lee Daniels, and representatives from 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment confirmed he was the victim.

"We have to love each other, regardless of what sexual orientation we are because it shows that we are united," Daniels said in a profanity-laced video on his Instagram account.

"Hold your head up Jussie," Lee added.

The two unknown assailants, police said, approached Smollett on the street about 2 a.m. CST and began a "possible racially motivated" attack, yelling racial and homophobic slurs.

The assailants hit him in the face, poured an "unknown chemical substance" on him and wrapped a rope around his neck before fleeing, police said.

Detectives were gathering video of the area and looking for witnesses.

A representative for Smollett did not respond to requests for comment.

'Empire',&nbsp;a hip-hop musical drama series, premiered on Fox Television in 2015. Its lead actress, Taraji P. Henson, won a Golden Globe Award in 2016 for her role and the show has received multiple Emmy Award nominations. Smollett plays the character Jamal Lyon, a member of the family that is the focus of the show.

Smollett's colleagues said they were shocked.

"The terror of racism and homophobia has no place in our society, it is the most indecent way to live," Empire co-creator Danny Strong said on Twitter.

Raquel Willis, an African-American transgender rights activist and executive editor of Out magazine, a lifestyle publication that centres on the LGBT community, condemned the attack on Twitter.

"The hate that fuels white supremacy is the same hate that fuels homophobia," Willis said. "A conscientious society realizes it's at war with both."

Chicago police said on Tuesday they were investigating an assault on 'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett as a possible hate crime after two men yelled racial and homophobic slurs and wrapped a rope around his neck.

Chicago police said on Tuesday they were investigating an assault on 'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett as a possible hate crime after two men yelled racial and homophobic slurs and wrapped a rope around his neck. The 36-year-old African-American actor, who is gay, was reported to be in good condition after taking himself to a hospital after the incident early on Tuesday, police said. "Given the severity of the allegations, we are taking this investigation very seriously and treating it as a possible hate crime," Chicago police said in a statement. Police did not identify Smollett by name, but gave his age and said he had a role on 'Empire'. The show's co-creator, Lee Daniels, and representatives from 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment confirmed he was the victim. "We have to love each other, regardless of what sexual orientation we are because it shows that we are united," Daniels said in a profanity-laced video on his Instagram account. "Hold your head up Jussie," Lee added. The two unknown assailants, police said, approached Smollett on the street about 2 a.m. CST and began a "possible racially motivated" attack, yelling racial and homophobic slurs. The assailants hit him in the face, poured an "unknown chemical substance" on him and wrapped a rope around his neck before fleeing, police said. Detectives were gathering video of the area and looking for witnesses. A representative for Smollett did not respond to requests for comment. 'Empire', a hip-hop musical drama series, premiered on Fox Television in 2015. Its lead actress, Taraji P. Henson, won a Golden Globe Award in 2016 for her role and the show has received multiple Emmy Award nominations. Smollett plays the character Jamal Lyon, a member of the family that is the focus of the show. Smollett's colleagues said they were shocked. "The terror of racism and homophobia has no place in our society, it is the most indecent way to live," Empire co-creator Danny Strong said on Twitter. Raquel Willis, an African-American transgender rights activist and executive editor of Out magazine, a lifestyle publication that centres on the LGBT community, condemned the attack on Twitter. "The hate that fuels white supremacy is the same hate that fuels homophobia," Willis said. "A conscientious society realizes it's at war with both."

Assault on 'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett investigated as hate crime

A Sikh man has been brutally assaulted in an alleged hate crime by a white man who pulled his beard, kicked and punched him in the face at a store in the US, the latest such incident in the country.

Harwinder Singh Dodd, who was working at a convenience store in the US State of Oregon, was racially targeted on Monday by a 24-year-old Andrew Ramsey.

Ramsey targeted Dodd because of his perception of the employee's religion, FOX 12 TV news reported, citing a court document.&nbsp;

Ramsey wanted rolling papers for cigarettes but did not have an ID and the clerk would not sell them to him, Justin Brecht, a legislative policy adviser in the Oregon State Capitol and a former combat Marine, was quoted as saying by the report.

When Dodd asked Ramsey to leave, he attacked him by pulling his beard, punching him in the face, pulling him to the ground and kicking him, Brecht said, adding that they held Ramsey down until officers got there, the report said.

"He was bleeding, he had gotten punched quite a bit in the face, and kicked on the ground and thrown to the ground very brutally. It was very serious." 
Ramsey has been charged with a hate crime, assault, police said, adding that he threw his shoe at Dodd and tried to steal his head covering.&nbsp;

He was also charged with assault in the fourth degree, disorderly conduct, and criminal trespass.

Hate crimes increased by 40 per cent in Oregon from 2016 to 2017, according to the FBI.

In August 2018, in about a week, two Sikh men were brutally assaulted in the US State of California that raised concerns over increasing incidents of hate crimes in the country.

Last year, the South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) published a report documenting a 45 per cent increase in hate violence and rhetoric against Indians, Sikhs, and South Asian Americans from the year prior.

Harwinder Singh Dodd, who was working at a convenience store in the US State of Oregon, was racially targeted on Monday by a 24-year-old Andrew Ramsey.

A Sikh man has been brutally assaulted in an alleged hate crime by a white man who pulled his beard, kicked and punched him in the face at a store in the US, the latest such incident in the country. Harwinder Singh Dodd, who was working at a convenience store in the US State of Oregon, was racially targeted on Monday by a 24-year-old Andrew Ramsey. Ramsey targeted Dodd because of his perception of the employee's religion, FOX 12 TV news reported, citing a court document. Ramsey wanted rolling papers for cigarettes but did not have an ID and the clerk would not sell them to him, Justin Brecht, a legislative policy adviser in the Oregon State Capitol and a former combat Marine, was quoted as saying by the report. When Dodd asked Ramsey to leave, he attacked him by pulling his beard, punching him in the face, pulling him to the ground and kicking him, Brecht said, adding that they held Ramsey down until officers got there, the report said. "He was bleeding, he had gotten punched quite a bit in the face, and kicked on the ground and thrown to the ground very brutally. It was very serious." Ramsey has been charged with a hate crime, assault, police said, adding that he threw his shoe at Dodd and tried to steal his head covering. He was also charged with assault in the fourth degree, disorderly conduct, and criminal trespass. Hate crimes increased by 40 per cent in Oregon from 2016 to 2017, according to the FBI. In August 2018, in about a week, two Sikh men were brutally assaulted in the US State of California that raised concerns over increasing incidents of hate crimes in the country. Last year, the South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) published a report documenting a 45 per cent increase in hate violence and rhetoric against Indians, Sikhs, and South Asian Americans from the year prior.

Sikh man attacked in hate crime in US

The shooting of a black man and woman at a Kentucky supermarket was being investigated as a possible hate crime, a federal prosecutor said on Friday.

Gregory Bush, 51, a white man, has been charged with shooting Maurice Stallard, 69, in front of his grandson as they shopped in a Kroger Inc&nbsp;grocery store in Jeffersontown, some 15 miles (24 km) from downtown Louisville. According to an arrest citation, he then went to the parking lot and shot Vickie Jones, 67.

Bush has been charged with murder and 10 counts of first-degree wanton endangerment.&nbsp;

"Federal investigators are supporting local law enforcement and examining this matter from the perspective of federal criminal law, which includes potential civil rights violations such as hate crimes," U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman said in a statement on Friday.

An armed bystander with a carry permit for a concealed weapon exchanged gunfire with Bush in the parking lot before the suspect fled in his car. He was apprehended shortly afterwards, police said.

Ed Harrell told the Louisville Courier Journal that he pulled out his pistol as Bush approached him in the parking lot and Bush told him not to shoot as "whites don`t kill whites."&nbsp;

It was not immediately clear if Bush had legal representation.

If investigators suspect the killings were racially motivated, Bush could also be charged for a hate crime.

Both Stallard and Jones were shot from behind multiple times, Jeffersontown Police Chief Sam Rogers told reporters on Thursday.&nbsp;

Rogers said Bush suffered from mental illness and court records showed he had a history of violence and at least one instance when he used a racial slur.

About 15 minutes before walking into the Kroger supermarket Bush tried to get into a predominantly black Baptist church, police said, citing surveillance video.

First Baptist Church administrator Billy Williams told local CBS affiliate WLKY there were eight to 10 people in the church at the time.&nbsp;

In 2015, self-described white supremacist Dylann Roof, then 21, shot and killed nine black people in a church in Charleston, South Carolina.

The shooting of a black man and woman at a Kentucky supermarket was being investigated as a possible hate crime, a federal prosecutor said on Friday. Gregory Bush, 51, a white man, has been charged with shooting Maurice Stallard, 69, in front of his grandson as they shopped in a Kroger Inc grocery store in Jeffersontown, some 15 miles (24 km) from downtown Louisville.

The shooting of a black man and woman at a Kentucky supermarket was being investigated as a possible hate crime, a federal prosecutor said on Friday. Gregory Bush, 51, a white man, has been charged with shooting Maurice Stallard, 69, in front of his grandson as they shopped in a Kroger Inc grocery store in Jeffersontown, some 15 miles (24 km) from downtown Louisville. According to an arrest citation, he then went to the parking lot and shot Vickie Jones, 67. Bush has been charged with murder and 10 counts of first-degree wanton endangerment. "Federal investigators are supporting local law enforcement and examining this matter from the perspective of federal criminal law, which includes potential civil rights violations such as hate crimes," U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman said in a statement on Friday. An armed bystander with a carry permit for a concealed weapon exchanged gunfire with Bush in the parking lot before the suspect fled in his car. He was apprehended shortly afterwards, police said. Ed Harrell told the Louisville Courier Journal that he pulled out his pistol as Bush approached him in the parking lot and Bush told him not to shoot as "whites don`t kill whites." It was not immediately clear if Bush had legal representation. If investigators suspect the killings were racially motivated, Bush could also be charged for a hate crime. Both Stallard and Jones were shot from behind multiple times, Jeffersontown Police Chief Sam Rogers told reporters on Thursday. Rogers said Bush suffered from mental illness and court records showed he had a history of violence and at least one instance when he used a racial slur. About 15 minutes before walking into the Kroger supermarket Bush tried to get into a predominantly black Baptist church, police said, citing surveillance video. First Baptist Church administrator Billy Williams told local CBS affiliate WLKY there were eight to 10 people in the church at the time. In 2015, self-described white supremacist Dylann Roof, then 21, shot and killed nine black people in a church in Charleston, South Carolina.

Kentucky supermarket shooting investigated as hate crime

Online abuse will be treated as seriously as offline offences, Britain&#39;s prosecution service said on Monday in new guidance on handling hate crimes.

The rules, which included guidelines on helping disabled and bisexual victims, were meant to encourage more people to come forward and press courts to impose longer sentences, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

&quot;This is a crime that&#39;s under-reported. Sometimes people feel that they just have to put up with it ... That&#39;s absolutely not the case,&quot; Alison Saunders, the director of public prosecutions, told the BBC.

The new advice was in response to the growth of social media, the CPS said. There have been several high-profile instances of successful prosecutions of people who had abused lawmakers and other public figures online.

The rules, which included guidelines on helping disabled and bisexual victims, were meant to encourage more people to come forward and press courts to impose longer sentences, the Crown Prosecution Service said

Online abuse will be treated as seriously as offline offences, Britain's prosecution service said on Monday in new guidance on handling hate crimes. The rules, which included guidelines on helping disabled and bisexual victims, were meant to encourage more people to come forward and press courts to impose longer sentences, the Crown Prosecution Service said. "This is a crime that's under-reported. Sometimes people feel that they just have to put up with it ... That's absolutely not the case," Alison Saunders, the director of public prosecutions, told the BBC. The new advice was in response to the growth of social media, the CPS said. There have been several high-profile instances of successful prosecutions of people who had abused lawmakers and other public figures online.

Britain to treat internet hate crime as seriously as offline offences

More than 6,000 hate crimes have been reported to police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland after Britain voted to leave the European Union (EU) last month, latest figures released this week show.&nbsp; 
 
In the four weeks since June 16, as many as 6,193 offences had been reported across the UK, with the most common crimes being harassment, assault, verbal abuse and spitting, the UK&#39;s National Police Chief&#39;s Council said. 
 
&quot;Following increase in hate crime seen after the EU referendum, police forces have been taking a robust approach to these crimes and we are pleased to see the numbers of incidents have begun to fall,&quot; said assistant chief constable Mark Hamilton, the National Police Chiefs&#39; Council lead for hate crime. 
 
&quot;Clearly any hate crime is unacceptable and these numbers are still far too high. We remain committed to helping people feel safe and secure about being themselves as they go about their lives so police officers will continue to be out around the country engaging with communities and picking up and dealing with tensions and problems,&quot; he said. 
 
There was a slight fall in reports in the first half of July compared with an initial spike in the days before and after the 23 June Brexit vote, police chiefs said. 
 
But the overall level of racist and hate related incidents was up 20 per cent on the same period in July 2015. 
 
Following the vote to leave the European Union, there has been a spike in the number of attacks on migrants and ethnic minorities. 
 
Muslim people and Eastern Europeans reported they had been particularly targeted with the result. 
 
Immigration was one of the most prevalent and divisive issues discussed during the campaign, with the prospect of controlling migration one of the key topics that is believed to have swung the vote in favour of Brexit.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

A spike in the number of attacks on migrants and ethnic minorities has been reported

More than 6,000 hate crimes have been reported to police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland after Britain voted to leave the European Union (EU) last month, latest figures released this week show. In the four weeks since June 16, as many as 6,193 offences had been reported across the UK, with the most common crimes being harassment, assault, verbal abuse and spitting, the UK's National Police Chief's Council said. "Following increase in hate crime seen after the EU referendum, police forces have been taking a robust approach to these crimes and we are pleased to see the numbers of incidents have begun to fall," said assistant chief constable Mark Hamilton, the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for hate crime. "Clearly any hate crime is unacceptable and these numbers are still far too high. We remain committed to helping people feel safe and secure about being themselves as they go about their lives so police officers will continue to be out around the country engaging with communities and picking up and dealing with tensions and problems," he said. There was a slight fall in reports in the first half of July compared with an initial spike in the days before and after the 23 June Brexit vote, police chiefs said. But the overall level of racist and hate related incidents was up 20 per cent on the same period in July 2015. Following the vote to leave the European Union, there has been a spike in the number of attacks on migrants and ethnic minorities. Muslim people and Eastern Europeans reported they had been particularly targeted with the result. Immigration was one of the most prevalent and divisive issues discussed during the campaign, with the prospect of controlling migration one of the key topics that is believed to have swung the vote in favour of Brexit. (PTI)

UK records 6,193 post-Brexit hate crimes

Two Muslim teenagers were beaten outside a New York City mosque by an attacker who shouted slurs at them, a rights group said on Monday, calling for police to investigate the incident as a bias crime. 
 
The attack early on Sunday was at least the third involving Muslims in the United States over the weekend. A law enforcement source said investigators had ruled out the incident as a bias crime. 
 
The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, said in a statement that a 16-year-old boy was attacked outside Brooklyn&#39;s Muslim Community Center as he took a break from prayers.&nbsp; 
 
A surveillance video released by CAIR showed a man punching, kicking and stomping the youth as he lay in the street. Another teenager on a bicycle was chased and attacked when he rode past the boy. 
 
CAIR said the man was reportedly heard shouting: &quot;You Muslims are the cause of all the problems of the world&quot; and calling the youths &quot;terrorists.&quot; 
 
The 16-year-old suffered a concussion, cuts, bruises and a badly swollen eye, and was taken to a hospital. The second teenager had a black eye, CAIR said. 
 
Afaf Nasher, the executive director of CAIR in New York, said the slurs warranted an investigation into a possible bias motive. 
 
A spokesman for the New York Police Department said the 16-year-old suffered bruises to the head and was treated at a hospital. The second teenager refused medical attention. The spokesman gave his age as 17. 
 
The law enforcement source said the police hate crimes unit had rejected the incident as a bias crime. He said the two youths were harassing a 40-year-old woman in a car and her 37-year-old boyfriend assaulted them. 
 
The man has been identified and a search for him is underway, the source said. 
 
In Houston, on Sunday, a Muslim doctor headed for morning prayers at a mosque was shot in an attack by three men. The motive was unclear, but came a day after another Muslim man was beaten outside a Florida mosque. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

The attack early on Sunday was at least the third involving Muslims in the United States over the weekend

Two Muslim teenagers were beaten outside a New York City mosque by an attacker who shouted slurs at them, a rights group said on Monday, calling for police to investigate the incident as a bias crime. The attack early on Sunday was at least the third involving Muslims in the United States over the weekend. A law enforcement source said investigators had ruled out the incident as a bias crime. The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, said in a statement that a 16-year-old boy was attacked outside Brooklyn's Muslim Community Center as he took a break from prayers. A surveillance video released by CAIR showed a man punching, kicking and stomping the youth as he lay in the street. Another teenager on a bicycle was chased and attacked when he rode past the boy. CAIR said the man was reportedly heard shouting: "You Muslims are the cause of all the problems of the world" and calling the youths "terrorists." The 16-year-old suffered a concussion, cuts, bruises and a badly swollen eye, and was taken to a hospital. The second teenager had a black eye, CAIR said. Afaf Nasher, the executive director of CAIR in New York, said the slurs warranted an investigation into a possible bias motive. A spokesman for the New York Police Department said the 16-year-old suffered bruises to the head and was treated at a hospital. The second teenager refused medical attention. The spokesman gave his age as 17. The law enforcement source said the police hate crimes unit had rejected the incident as a bias crime. He said the two youths were harassing a 40-year-old woman in a car and her 37-year-old boyfriend assaulted them. The man has been identified and a search for him is underway, the source said. In Houston, on Sunday, a Muslim doctor headed for morning prayers at a mosque was shot in an attack by three men. The motive was unclear, but came a day after another Muslim man was beaten outside a Florida mosque. (Reuters)

Two Muslim teens attacked outside mosque in New York

The number of hate crimes reported to British police online, including some assaults, has increased by more than 500 per cent in the week after the country voted to leave the European Union (EU), a senior police chief said on Thursday. 
 
The number of hate crimes reported to police through its online portal - one of several ways incidents can be reported - was 331 since the vote, compared with a weekly average of 63, said Sara Thornton, chair of the National Police Chiefs&#39; Council. 
 
The increase supports anecdotal evidence of abuse towards Muslims and Eastern Europeans following the referendum, in which concern about immigration drove many people to vote to leave the 28-country EU. 
 
&quot;I have been shocked and disgusted at some of the cases of racial or anti-immigrant abuse that have been reported this week,&quot; Thornton said in a statement posted online. 
 
&quot;Migrants are reporting verbal abuse, negative social media commentary including xenophobic language, anti-migrant leafleting and, in very limited numbers, physical assaults,&rdquo; the statement added.&nbsp; 
 
Critics accuse some in the &quot;Leave&quot; campaign of stoking xenophobia and racism, as part of a message that leaving the EU would allow Britain to stop uncontrolled immigration, which many Britons blame for putting pressure on jobs and public services. 
 
Thornton said all British police forces would now be asked to provide weekly data on such crimes to build a clear picture of the scale of the problem. 
 
On Wednesday, Prime Minister David Cameron promised to clamp down on hate crime after a number of lawmakers expressed concern about reported incidents in their regions. The issue was also raised at a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels. 
 
The government has promised extra funding to tackle hate crime, to improve reporting of offences and to provide security at potentially vulnerable institutions. 
 
A week before the vote, opposition Labour lawmaker Jo Cox, a strong supporter of remaining in the EU, was shot and stabbed to death in her constituency in northern England. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

'Migrants are reporting verbal abuse, xenophobic language, anti-migrant leafleting,' says England's National Police Chiefs' Council chair

The number of hate crimes reported to British police online, including some assaults, has increased by more than 500 per cent in the week after the country voted to leave the European Union (EU), a senior police chief said on Thursday. The number of hate crimes reported to police through its online portal - one of several ways incidents can be reported - was 331 since the vote, compared with a weekly average of 63, said Sara Thornton, chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council. The increase supports anecdotal evidence of abuse towards Muslims and Eastern Europeans following the referendum, in which concern about immigration drove many people to vote to leave the 28-country EU. "I have been shocked and disgusted at some of the cases of racial or anti-immigrant abuse that have been reported this week," Thornton said in a statement posted online. "Migrants are reporting verbal abuse, negative social media commentary including xenophobic language, anti-migrant leafleting and, in very limited numbers, physical assaults,” the statement added. Critics accuse some in the "Leave" campaign of stoking xenophobia and racism, as part of a message that leaving the EU would allow Britain to stop uncontrolled immigration, which many Britons blame for putting pressure on jobs and public services. Thornton said all British police forces would now be asked to provide weekly data on such crimes to build a clear picture of the scale of the problem. On Wednesday, Prime Minister David Cameron promised to clamp down on hate crime after a number of lawmakers expressed concern about reported incidents in their regions. The issue was also raised at a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels. The government has promised extra funding to tackle hate crime, to improve reporting of offences and to provide security at potentially vulnerable institutions. A week before the vote, opposition Labour lawmaker Jo Cox, a strong supporter of remaining in the EU, was shot and stabbed to death in her constituency in northern England. (Reuters)

After Brexit, hate crimes reported to police online up by over 500%

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