Spain cancels contract for missiles built by Israeli subsidiary
The systems would have been developed in Spain by Pap Tecnos, a subsidiary of Israel's Rafael Advance Defence Systems, according to local press.
READ MORE: Assa Samake-Roman: France is a case study in how we approach stopping far right
The Spanish government approved the project on October 3, 2023, four days before the attack by Hamas on southern Israel sparked the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The government said it had stopped exporting arms to Israel as of October 2, 2023, but there were reports some shipments slipped through.
In May last year, Spain formally recognized a Palestinian state in a coordinated effort with Norway and Ireland.
The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in relation to the onslaught in Gaza.
The Israeli government has denied accusations of genocide.
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The Independent
a few seconds ago
- The Independent
Netanyahu hints that Gaza ceasefire talks now focus on the release of all hostages at once
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday hinted that ceasefire efforts in Gaza are now focused on a comprehensive deal that would release the remaining hostages all at once, rather than in phases. Arab officials told The Associated Press last week that mediators Egypt and Qatar were preparing a new framework for a deal that would include the release of all remaining hostages in one go in return for a lasting ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. The long-running indirect talks appeared to break down last month. But a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo for ceasefire talks on Tuesday, Egypt's state-run Qahera news channel reported, a sign that efforts have not been abandoned after 22 months of war. Israel has threatened to widen its military offensive against Hamas to the areas of Gaza that it does not yet control, and where most of the territory's 2 million residents have sought refuge. Those plans have sparked international condemnation and criticism within Israel, and could be intended to raise pressure on Hamas to reach a ceasefire. The militants still hold 50 hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war. Israel believes around 20 of them are alive. 'I want all of them' In an interview with Israel's i24 News network broadcast Tuesday, Netanyahu was asked if the window had closed on a partial ceasefire deal. Egyptian Foreign Ministry Badr Abdelatty told reporters that Cairo is still trying to advance an earlier proposal for an initial 60-day ceasefire, the release of some hostages and an influx of humanitarian aid before further talks on a lasting truce. 'I think it's behind us,' Netanyahu replied. 'We tried, we made all kinds of attempts, we went through a lot, but it turned out that they were just misleading us.' 'I want all of them,' he said of the hostages. 'The release of all the hostages, both alive and dead — that's the stage we're at.' He added, however, that Israel's demands haven't changed, and that the war will end only when all hostages are returned and Hamas has surrendered. He has said that even then, Israel will maintain open-ended security control over the territory. Hamas has long called for a comprehensive deal but says it will only release the remaining hostages in return for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The militant group has refused to lay down its arms, as Israel has demanded. Israel says it struck militants disguised as aid workers In a separate development, the Israeli military said it recently struck a group of militants in Gaza who were disguised as aid workers and using a car with the logo of international charity World Central Kitchen. The army said it carried out an airstrike on the men after confirming with the charity that they were not affiliated with it and that the car did not belong to it. World Central Kitchen confirmed that the men and the vehicle were not affiliated with it. 'We strongly condemn anyone posing as World Central Kitchen or other humanitarians, as this endangers civilians and aid workers,' it said in a statement. The military shared video footage showing several men in yellow vests standing around a vehicle with the charity's logo on its roof. The military said five of the men were armed. The charity, founded in 2010, dispatches teams that can quickly provide meals on a mass scale in conflict zones and after natural disasters. In April, an Israeli strike killed seven World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza. Israel quickly admitted it had mistakenly killed the aid workers and launched an investigation. In November, an Israeli strike killed five people, including a World Central Kitchen worker who Israel said was part of the Hamas attack that sparked the war. The charity said at the time that it was unaware the employee had any connection to the attack. Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in that 2023 attack. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals. Israel's air and ground offensive has since displaced most of Gaza's population, destroyed vast areas and pushed the territory toward famine. It has killed more than 61,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many were fighters or civilians but says around half were women and children. Another 121 adults and 101 children have died of malnutrition-related causes during the war, the ministry has said. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The U.N. and independent experts consider it the most reliable source on war casualties. Israel disputes its figures but has not provided its own. ___ ___
Reuters
a minute ago
- Reuters
US Vice President Vance's English getaway stirs up local opposition
CHARLBURY, England, Aug 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President JD Vance's working holiday in Britain was met with dismay by some locals on Tuesday, who gathered to register their disapproval of both his politics and the turmoil he has brought to their quiet corner of the English countryside. Vance has mixed work with leisure while in Britain, staying first with foreign minister David Lammy at the Chevening estate in Kent - where the two held a formal bilateral meeting after a spot of fishing - before moving on to the hamlet of Dean in Oxfordshire, in the picturesque Cotswolds. On Tuesday, several dozen people, including activists from the Stop Trump Coalition, gathered in the nearby town of Charlbury to stage what they called a "Not Welcome Party". They posed with cake and signs including pro-Palestinian slogans and messages saying "Go Home." A van showing an unflattering manipulated image of a bald Vance drove around Charlbury. "We want to show our feelings, hopefully some of it will get through to Vance and the American press and to Ukraine, so people know what we stand for," said Brian Murray, 65, a retired tour guide. "The fact he is in our backyard gives us a great opportunity to have our voices heard." Vance will meet on Tuesday evening with Robert Jenrick, a source in the opposition Conservative Party said. Jenrick was runner-up in the Conservative leadership contest last year, and is widely considered next in line for the job if it becomes available. The Telegraph newspaper said Vance would also meet Nigel Farage, the leader of the right-wing Reform UK party. Vance has developed a warm friendship with Labour's Lammy, officials said, with the two bonding over their difficult childhoods and shared Christian faith. Long a destination of the British elite - former British Prime Minister David Cameron lives in Dean - the Cotswolds is also becoming increasingly popular with wealthy Americans, some of whom moved to the region following the election win of President Donald Trump last year. TV personality Ellen DeGeneres has cited the election result as the reason behind her full-time relocation to the area. Around Charlbury, motorcades roared along the narrow country lanes and cordons blocked off roads to Dean, rendering it inaccessible. While Tuesday's protest was unlikely to disrupt the vice president's trip, for some locals, Vance's politics and the disruption were too much to swallow. "It's a massive intrusion and it's not just the fact our lives are disrupted but it's who he is," said Jonathan Mazower, the head of communications for NGO Survival International, who owns one of Dean's 15 homes. "I feel and many others feel we can't allow someone like that to come into our village and not say something publicly against it."
Finextra
30 minutes ago
- Finextra
Santander partners OpenAI to become 'AI-native' bank
Santander has inked a deal with OpenAI, rolling out ChatGPT Enterprise to nearly 15,000 staffers as it bids to become an "AI-native" bank. 0 The Spanish giant is embarking on a "data and AI-first" transformation, according to chief data and AI officer Ricardo Martín Manjón. "We're reimagining Santander's operations, grounding every decision in clean, trusted data, automating customer interactions and infusing every workflow with intelligence," writes Manjón in an article on the bank's site. This means embedding AI across product management, credit, marketing, service, operations and other core functions, putting the technology at the core of Santander's global platforms, and building an AI ecosystem working with the major players such as Open AI, Microsoft and Amazon as well as startups. In just two months, the bank has rolled out ChatGPT Enterprise to nearly 15,000 employees across Europe and the Americas. This is expected to grow to 30,000 users by year-end, covering approximately 15% of the workforce. "Why the urgency? This isn't just about adopting AI, it's about catalysing a shift in culture, productivity and experience," writes Manjón. Early use cases include investment copilots with real-time strategy suggestions, hyper-personalised customer journeys, and AI agents automating back-office processes across all geographies. The effort is already bearing fruit, according to Manjón: in 2024 AI initiatives generated over €200 million in savings. AI copilots now support more than 40% of contact centre interactions. In Spain, Speech Analytics processes 10 million voice calls annually, auto-filling CRM systems to improve customer service and freeing over 100,000 hours annually for higher-value work. Santander is now tailoring AI training across roles and markets to democratise its use and next year will see the launch of a mandatory AI training plan for all employees. Concludes Manjón: "We're not chasing hype. Our roadmap is built on real impact, operational rigor and human empowerment. Our data & AI-first strategy is how we deliver smarter solutions, happier customers and a future-ready bank. "At Santander, we're not just using AI. We're becoming 'AI-native', with the trust, scale and humanity that banking demands."
