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High school student is released from immigration custody

BOSTON (Reuters) — A Massachusetts high school student who was arrested during the weekend by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on his way to volleyball practice was released from custody on Thursday after a judge granted him bond.

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Marcelo Gomes da Silva, 18, was granted a $2,000 bond by Immigration Judge Jenny Beverly in Chelmsford, allowing him to return home to his family in the Boston suburb of Milford following his Saturday arrest during a traffic stop.

The detention of the Brazilian, who arrived in the United States as a child in 2012 on a now-lapsed visa, prompted protests in Massachusetts as the incident became a flashpoint in Republican President Donald Trump’s efforts to ramp up immigration arrests and deportations.

Classmates gathered outside the immigration court celebrated after word of the judge’s decision reached them. Miriam Conrad, one of his lawyers, in an email called his arrest “pointless and cruel.”

In a video posted by GBH News following his release, Gomes told reporters that he spent his time in custody praying. “It’s not a good place,” he added.

To retrofit the Qatari jet will cost hundreds of millions

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — It will cost hundreds of millions of dollars to retrofit a Qatari luxury Boeing 747 jetliner to fly as the new Air Force One, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said on Thursday.

Last month, the U.S. military accepted the gift from Qatar to transport U.S. President Donald Trump.

Retrofitting the 13-year-old plane, which has a luxurious interior, will require significant security upgrades, communications improvements to prevent spies from listening in and the ability to fend off incoming missiles, experts say.

“It’s probably less than $400 million to retrofit that aircraft,” Meink told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing.

Democratic lawmakers have said it could cost more than $1 billion to retrofit the plane.

Meink said a lot of those costs are ones the Air Force would have experienced anyway.

“I think there has been a number thrown around, on the order of a billion dollars, but a lot of those costs associated with that are costs that we would’ve experienced anyway,” he said, adding that this included buying additional platforms for training and spares.

Legal experts have questioned the scope of laws relating to gifts from foreign governments that aim to thwart corruption and improper influence. Democrats have also sought to block the handover.

Qatar has dismissed concerns about the aircraft deal. Trump has also shrugged off ethical concerns, saying it would be “stupid” not to accept the 747-8 jet.

Trump toured the Qatari Boeing plane in February at a Florida airport.

Fire-bomb suspect faces 28 attempted murder counts

(Reuters) — The man accused of fire-bombing a Colorado march by people who wanted to raise awareness of hostages in Gaza was charged in state court on Thursday with attempted murder and other crimes, as those he targeted vowed to carry on their efforts.

If he is convicted, state prosecutors said Egyptian citizen Mohamed Soliman, 45, faces well over 600 years in prison for 28 attempted murder charges. There were 118 counts against him in total, including assault, use of incendiary devices and animal cruelty for the injury of a dog.

Soliman also faces federal hate crimes charges that carry a life sentence if he is convicted. He is scheduled to appear in federal court on Friday.

Judge Nancy Woodruff Salomone asked if he could hear her and if he agreed to his next court date, set for July 15. Soliman nodded affirmatively in response to both questions and made no other comments or gestures. He was not asked to enter a plea.

Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said three victims from Sunday’s attack remained in the hospital. Prosecutors said there were 15 victims in total, ranging in age from 25 to 88, in the attack, of whom 10 had injuries.

Climber falls to his death at Denali National Park

(NYT) — A Seattle man died after falling 3,000 feet from a climbing route at Denali National Park in Alaska, the National Park Service said Wednesday.

Alex Chiu, 41, was ascending the West Buttress route of Mount McKinley on Monday, one of the park’s most frequently climbed routes, while not attached to a rope, the agency said in a statement. He was ski mountaineering, which involves climbing mountains while wearing or carrying skis before skiing back down.

The two other members of his expedition saw him fall onto a rocky face covered in glacial ice, officials said. While they lowered over the edge as far as they could, they could not see or hear him after the fall.

The mountaineers descended the route to ask for help. But high winds and snow prevented ground and air search teams from quickly reaching the area where he had fallen.

Clearer weather early Wednesday allowed two rangers to recover Chiu’s body. When it was found, it was transferred to the state medical examiner, the agency said.