logo
Belgian police question two Israelis over war crimes accusations

Belgian police question two Israelis over war crimes accusations

The Guardian3 days ago
Belgian authorities have said they briefly held and questioned two Israeli citizens who attended an electronic music festival last week, after pro-Palestinian groups accused them of war crimes.
Prosecutors said they received legal complaints alleging that two Israeli soldiers responsible for 'serious violations of international humanitarian law' in Gaza were spotted at the Tomorrowland festival near the northern city of Antwerp.
The federal prosecutor's office said it had asked the police to locate the two people named in the complaint and to interview them. 'Following these interviews, they were released,' it said in a statement.
The office said it took action after concluding that Belgian courts had extraterritorial jurisdiction over alleged war crimes. 'No further information will be given at this stage of the investigation,' the office said.
The pair have not been named.
Last week, the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a Belgian pro-Palestinian organisation, said it had identified two Israeli soldiers 'responsible for grave international crimes' in Gaza among the crowds at Tomorrowland.
It claimed that a group of young Israeli men were seen at the festival waving a flag of the Givati Brigade, an Israeli military unit involved in the fighting in the Palestinian territory.
HRF said it then filed a complaint with prosecutors in association with the Global Legal Action Network, a lawyers' group specialising in human rights violations.
One of the world's largest electronic music festivals, Tomorrowland draws music enthusiasts from all over the world. About 400,000 people are expected to attend the event this year over two weekends.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Tesla profit plunges in latest quarter as Musk's turn to politics repels buyers
Tesla profit plunges in latest quarter as Musk's turn to politics repels buyers

BreakingNews.ie

time16 minutes ago

  • BreakingNews.ie

Tesla profit plunges in latest quarter as Musk's turn to politics repels buyers

The fallout from Elon Musk's plunge into politics a year ago is still hammering his Tesla business as both sales and profits dropped sharply again in the latest quarter. The car company that has faced boycotts for months said on Wednesday that revenue dropped 12% and profits slumped 16% in the three months through June as buyers continued to stay away. Advertisement 'The perception of Elon Musk, its chief executive, has rubbed the sheen right out of what once was a darling and soaring automotive brand,' wrote Forrester analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee in an email. Tesla is 'a toxic brand that is inseparable from its leader'. Quarterly profits at the electric vehicle, battery and robotics company fell to 1.17 billion dollars (£865.8 million), or 33 cents a share, from 1.4 billion (£1.03 billion), or 40 cents a share. That was the third quarter in a row that profit dropped. On an adjusted basis, the company said it earned 40 cents a share, matching Wall Street estimates. Advertisement Revenue fell from 25.5 billion (£18.8 billion) to 22.5 billion (£16.6 billion) in the April through June period, slightly above Wall Street's forecast. Tesla shares fell 3% in after-hours trading. Mr Musk spent the company's earnings conference call talking less about car sales and more about robotaxis, automated driving software and robotics, which he says is the future of the company. But those businesses are yet to take off, and the gap between promise and profit was apparent in the second quarter. 'It appears management's focus will now shift to robotaxis and away from deliveries growth,' said Morningstar analyst Seth Goldstein, referring to car sales. Advertisement A big challenge is that potential buyers, not just in the US but in Europe, are still baulking at buying Teslas. Mr Musk alienated many in the market for cars in Great Britain, France, Germany and elsewhere by embracing far-right candidates for office on the continent. And rival electric vehicle makers such as China's BYD and Germany's Volkswagen have pounced on the weakness, stealing market share. Tesla began a rollout of its paid pickup robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, and hopes to introduce the driverless cabs in several other cities soon. Mr Musk has said he expects to have hundreds of thousands of the cabs on US roads by the end of next year. In the post-earnings call, Mr Musk said the service will be available to probably 'half of the population of the US by the end of the year — that's at least our goal, subject to regulatory approvals'. Advertisement He added: 'We are being very cautious. We don't want to take any chances.' The test run in Austin has mostly gone off without a hitch, though there have been a few alarming incidents, such as when a robotaxi went down a lane meant for opposing traffic. Elon Musk with US President Donald Trump (Evan Vucci/AP) With autonomous taxis, though, the billionaire who upended the space race and electric vehicle manufacturing faces tough competition. The dominant provider now, Waymo, is already in several cities and recently logged its ten-millionth paid trip. Meanwhile, other threats loom. The new federal budget just passed by Congress eliminates a credit worth as much as 7,500 dollars (£5,522) for buying an electric car. Advertisement It also wipes out penalties for car makers for exceeding carbon emission standards. That threatens Tesla's business of selling its 'carbon credits' to traditional car companies that regularly fall short of emission standards. Tesla generated 439 million (£328 million) from credit sales, down sharply from 890 million (658 million) a year ago. 'We're in this weird transition period where we'll lose a lot of incentives in the US,' Mr Musk said, predicting several rough months possibly through June of next year. He added, though: 'Once you get to autonomy at scale in the second half of next year, certainly by the end of next year, I would be surprised if Tesla's economics are not very compelling.' The company is now planning to introduce a cheaper model to the market in the last three months of the year. Tesla had previously said that it was going to happen by June this year. Mr Musk also said he expected regulatory approval to introduce its so-called Full Self-Driving software in some parts of Europe by the end of the year. He had previously expected that to happen by March of this year. The feature, which is available in the US, is a misnomer because it is only a driver assistance feature. India's first Tesla showroom to be inaugurated in Mumbai (AP/Rafiq Maqbool) In the robot business, Mr Musk said he expects explosive growth as Tesla ramps up production of its humanoid Optimus helpers to 100,000 a month in five years. 'We'll go from a world where robots are rare to where they're so common that you don't even look up,' he said. Asked about whether he would want more than his current 13% stake in Tesla to keep control, Mr Musk said he did want more but not too much. 'I think my control over Tesla should be enough to ensure that it goes in a good direction,' he said, 'but not so much control that I can't be thrown out if I go crazy'. Gross margins for the quarter, a measure of earnings for each dollar of revenue, fell to 17.2% from 18% a year earlier. A highlight from the quarter was from something far removed from cars and robots: the company's investment in bitcoin. That bet generated a 284 million (£210 million) paper gain, compared with a loss in the previous quarter.

Trump ally Jeff Bezos eyes liberal network in potential bombshell deal that could transform cable news
Trump ally Jeff Bezos eyes liberal network in potential bombshell deal that could transform cable news

Daily Mail​

time2 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Trump ally Jeff Bezos eyes liberal network in potential bombshell deal that could transform cable news

Jeff Bezos is considering purchasing cable network CNBC when it splits with its parent company later this year, according to a new report. The deal could transform cable news as the world's fourth richest man continues to cozy up to President Donald Trump. Bezos already owns left-leaning The Washington Post a nd is the founder of Amazon, but according to the New York Post, he believes CNBC could be a good 'neutral voice' to add to his empire. The business and financial news channel would 'align well with his interests,' a source closes to Bezos told the publication. Trump often took issue with Bezos over his ownership of The Washington Post during his first term, but the relationship has softened in the second Trump administration. Bezos joined a host of tech CEOs on stage with Trump at his inauguration and last week enjoyed an hour-long private meeting with the president at the White House. Comcast is planning to split off its cable assets, which includes CNBC, MSNBC, USA Network and E!, by the end of the year. CNBC will be folded into publicly traded company Versant, led by Chief Executive Mark Lazarus and a team of NBCUniversal executives. But sources close to Comcast and Versant have cast doubt over whispers of Bezos' interest in purchasing the network. One source said Bezos has not approached executives regarding his supposed interest. Another said Versant has big plans to grow CNBC, and is not interested in selling the asset. The publication stated Versant has a two year window in which it cannot sell major assets - including CNBC - without major tax implications. It is unlikely the company would be willing to jeopardize the tax-free status of the spinoff, no matter how much Bezos would be willing to pay, one source said. Bezos is the fourth richest person in the world, with a net worth of around $241billion, according to Forbes. He recently married Lauren Sanchez in an elaborate, celebrity-filled celebration in Italy, sparking fury among locals. Their $50million wedding had a star-studded guest list with many A-listers such as Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom, Tom Brady, Kim Kardashian and Leonardo DiCaprio in attendance. The happy couple got married in a restored amphitheater on the island, as Sánchez wore a high-neck, long sleeve lace Dolce & Gabbana gown that took over 900 hours to make, per Vogue. The gown featured a flared skirt, long veil, and a tight-fitting waist, with tons of buttons going up the middle. 'Very Lauren. Sexy, happy, not too serious, not too drama. Elegant but at the same time sensual,' Domenico Dolce told the outlet about the bride's dress. The pair were seen having a romantic date night in St Tropez, France, on Wednesday.

Ukraine, Russia launch drone strikes after latest round of peace talks
Ukraine, Russia launch drone strikes after latest round of peace talks

Reuters

time2 hours ago

  • Reuters

Ukraine, Russia launch drone strikes after latest round of peace talks

July 24 (Reuters) - Ukraine and Russia launched drone strikes against each other early on Thursday, officials from both sides said, within hours of the conclusion of the latest round of direct talks aimed at finding a solution after nearly three and half years of war. Ukrainian drones hit southern Russian Black Sea areas, killing one person, injuring another and hitting an oil storage depot. Russian forces staged the latest in a series of mass attacks on Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa, triggering several fires in residential and other buildings. Emergency officials in Russia's Krasnodar region on the Black Sea said on the Telegram messaging app that debris from a falling drone struck and killed a woman in Adler district near the resort city of Sochi. A second woman was being treated in hospital for serious injuries. The administrative head of the Sirius federal district, south of Sochi, said a drone hit an oil base, but gave no further details. Russia's Rosaviatsia aviation authority said operations were suspended at Sochi airport for about four hours. In Odesa, Regional Governor Oleh Kiper said two floors of a multi-storey apartment building had been set ablaze. Other fires broke out on the roof of a two-storey residence, in kiosks and at a petrol station. The city's historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was also hit, he said. Kiper said details on casualties were being compiled. Reuters could not independently confirm accounts from either side. Negotiators from the two sides had earlier discussed further prisoner swaps at a brief session of peace talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul, but the sides remained far apart on ceasefire terms and a possible meeting of their leaders. Ukraine's military has frequently launched drone attacks on Russian targets often far from the war's front line, particularly on sites linked with energy. Russian forces have in recent weeks intensified drone attacks on Ukrainian towns and cities.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store