Latest news with #Belgium
CBS News
15 minutes ago
- General
- CBS News
Wallabies escape enclosure in Belgium, sparking police chase spanning 2 countries
Two runaway wallabies sparked a cross-border chase in Belgium and France, with police and firefighters hot on the heels of the fast-hopping marsupials. Firemen captured one of the fugitives on Tuesday near the northern French city of Lille, days after the pair broke out of their enclosure in the border town of Mouscron, Belgium. But its accomplice was still unaccounted for Thursday at noon. "The other wallaby is currently still on the run and remains nowhere to be found," the city of Mouscron said in a social media post. The escape took place while their owner was on vacation overseas and had entrusted the care of the animals to a neighbor, said Belgian police. "We are not combing the area to find it, it could be anywhere," a Mouscron police spokeswoman told AFP. "We are mainly waiting for a local resident who might spot him to report his location." The bouncing duo went on the loose over the weekend and sightings soon spread across the region. Footage of the animals hopping around urban areas, at times scared by passing motorists, went viral on social media. "Thank you for doing everything you can to find these poor animals," an internet user commented on the Mouscron police Facebook page. The fire department in France's Nord district mused that the marsupials had "suddenly decided to explore the world around them, far from the Australian plains, closer to the urban jungle." Firefighters in Wattrelos, France, eventually cornered one of the escapees on Tuesday evening after it ventured into the garden of a residential building. "An anti-escape net was deployed to prevent the marsupial from making a run for it," the fire service said. "Indeed, the main fear was that the animal could cause an accident or injure itself." It took wildlife specialists two hours to get the wallaby safely inside a cage. It was then "returned to its kingdom, that of Belgium" and freed back into its enclosure, the fire department said. Images posted to social media by officials show the captured marsupial being put in a cage to be transported away. Wallabies, a smaller member of the kangaroo family, are native of Australia, and the country's rugby team is nicknamed after them. Owning wallabies and other exotic animals is allowed in Belgium as long as they are fed, cared for and not mistreated. Fugitive marsupials have made headlines in the U.S. recently. In April, a runaway kangaroo named Sheila shut down a stretch of interstate in Alabama, causing two vehicles to crash before being captured. A few weeks later, police in Durango, Colorado, captured a kangaroo that escaped from its home. Authorities said it was the same kangaroo that escaped and hopped through downtown in October 2024, before officers captured it.
New York Times
an hour ago
- Automotive
- New York Times
Max Verstappen says Christian Horner exit won't influence his Red Bull future
SPA, Belgium — Max Verstappen has said the departure of Red Bull Formula One chief Christian Horner will have no influence on any decision about his future with the team. Red Bull announced three days after the British Grand Prix that Horner had been relieved of his duties after more than 20 years in charge of the team. No official reason was given for Horner's dismissal, but it came following a decline in Red Bull's form through this season, leaving it set for its worst championship finish in 10 years. Advertisement Verstappen has led Red Bull's efforts throughout this season, scoring 165 of its 172 points, including victories at Suzuka and Imola against the quicker McLaren cars. But his hopes of defending his title look slim as he sits third in the standings at the halfway point in the season, 69 points adrift from Oscar Piastri. The Dutchman has a contract at Red Bull through to 2028, but has been linked with a potential switch to Mercedes as early as next year. Toto Wolff, Mercedes' team principal, said last month there was 'very little probability' of Verstappen joining for 2026, but has referred to 'conversations' taking place. Speaking to reporters at Spa on Thursday, Verstappen said the team shareholders had 'decided they wanted to steer the ship in a different direction,' and that he found out 'half a day' before the news went public two weeks ago. When asked if Horner's exit would impact any decision to stay with Red Bull, Verstappen replied: 'No, it doesn't really.' He added: 'I don't think it will matter at all for my decision in the future. The only thing that matters is that we work on the car and make it as fast as we can make it, really. 'The last one-and-a-half years have not been what we want to be. Now we try and be more competitive this year a little bit, but for sure also with the new regulations (in 2026).' Verstappen has stayed coy on his future, dodging opportunities at the Austrian Grand Prix last month to firmly state he would be racing for Red Bull next year. He again deflected a question about there being a decision to make on his future and the possibility he may not race for Red Bull next year, saying: 'There is also a possibility I don't wake up tomorrow! So then there is no driving at all. Life is unpredictable. But, in general, I'm very happy where I'm at. I hope … And that was still, the target that we set out when we signed the new deal, that I would drive here until the end of my career.' Horner's sudden exit came after a turbulent 18 months at Red Bull, stretching back to an internal investigation after allegations of inappropriate behavior were made against Horner by a female member of staff in February 2024. The grievance was dismissed following the investigation, a decision later upheld on appeal. Horner had always denied the allegations. Advertisement Verstappen's father, Jos, was publicly critical of Horner last year in the wake of the initial investigation, saying Red Bull risked being 'torn apart' if he remained in charge. Verstappen still managed to win the drivers' title for a fourth consecutive year, but Red Bull missed out on the constructors' championship for the first time since 2021, ending the year third in the teams' standings. Asked by The Athletic if he was surprised by Horner's exit, Verstappen said: 'At the end of the day, I think in this world, things like that, they can happen. 'And when (the shareholders) told me, it's not like they just said, 'This is what we just decided,' and then they hung up the phone, you know, you have a conversation about it. Now I don't need to go into detail what they said, but I said, 'OK, if you guys think that this is the way forward, I'm the driver, you decide,' and this is how we're going to do it.' Horner's replacement is Laurent Mekies, who served as the team principal of Racing Bulls, Red Bull's sister F1 team, from the start of 2024, having previously held senior roles at Ferrari and the FIA, motorsport's global governing body. Verstappen said he'd already had 'quite a few meetings' with Mekies and that he was excited to work with him, noting the Frenchman was 'incredibly motivated, and I like that. You can see the fire. Of course he's new in the role, but, yeah, it's exciting.' Although Verstappen said that 'it doesn't make sense' looking at the past as 'it's not going to make you faster,' he did express appreciation for Horner's contributions to Red Bull. He said their relationship was unchanged, and that they had spoken since his departure.'Of course, he's not here now during a race weekend, but it's still like a second family to me,' Verstappen said.
CNA
an hour ago
- Automotive
- CNA
'I wish him all the best,' Hamilton says of old foe Horner
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium :Lewis Hamilton paid a measured tribute to old foe Christian Horner on Thursday as Formula One prepared for its first race in 20 years without the now-dismissed Red Bull team boss. Horner had run Red Bull from 2005, two years before seven times F1 world champion Hamilton made his debut with McLaren, until this month. During that time Red Bull became serial title winners, with Hamilton among the main contenders battling to beat them. Hamilton told reporters ahead of the weekend's Belgian Grand Prix - his 369th race and first without Horner being around - that while the Briton's departure would not change anything in his life, it had been incredible to witness Red Bull's progress. He recalled sitting in Horner's office while still competing in Formula Three and looking into his future options in F2 and beyond. "I wouldn't say we hit it off from the get-go," said the 40-year-old. "To see his progression and his career, I think it was clearly remarkable what he did with the team. With a huge group of amazing people. To really run an organisation that big and that well takes talent and skill. "That's what he brought to the team. I wish him all the best."
Reuters
an hour ago
- Automotive
- Reuters
'I wish him all the best,' Hamilton says of old foe Horner
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, July 24 (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton paid a measured tribute to old foe Christian Horner on Thursday as Formula One prepared for its first race in 20 years without the now-dismissed Red Bull team boss. Horner had run Red Bull from 2005, two years before seven times F1 world champion Hamilton made his debut with McLaren, until this month. During that time Red Bull became serial title winners, with Hamilton among the main contenders battling to beat them. Hamilton told reporters ahead of the weekend's Belgian Grand Prix - his 369th race and first without Horner being around - that while the Briton's departure would not change anything in his life, it had been incredible to witness Red Bull's progress. He recalled sitting in Horner's office while still competing in Formula Three and looking into his future options in F2 and beyond. "I wouldn't say we hit it off from the get-go," said the 40-year-old. "To see his progression and his career, I think it was clearly remarkable what he did with the team. With a huge group of amazing people. To really run an organisation that big and that well takes talent and skill. "That's what he brought to the team. I wish him all the best."
National Post
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- National Post
Fed-up Lewis Hamilton taking matters into his own hands at Ferrari
No wins. Nary even a podium finish. And virtually no hope of a championship. Article content Lewis Hamilton is so fed up with his results at Ferrari midway through his first season with the team that he's taking matters into his own hands. Article content Article content Hamilton revealed Thursday upon arriving at the Belgian Grand Prix that he spent the summer break holding meetings with Ferrari's leaders to demand improvements, and composed documents detailing areas he believes need to be addressed. Article content Article content Hamilton alluded to the mostly disappointing results for Ferrari over the last 20 years with world champions like Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel at the wheel. Article content 'I refuse for that to be the case with me,' said Hamilton, who shares the F1 record of seven drivers' championships with Michael Schumacher. 'So I'm going the extra mile … if you take the same path all the time, you get the same results. So I'm just challenging certain things.' Article content Hamilton said he spent four days over two weeks at Ferrari's headquarters in Italy during the break. Article content 'I've called on lots of meetings with the heads of the team,' Hamilton said at Spa-Francorchamps. 'So I've sat with John (Elkann, Ferrari's president), Benedetto (Vigna, CEO) and Fred (Frederic Vasseur, team principal) in several meetings. Article content 'I've sat with the head of our car development, with Loic (Serra, technical director), with also the heads of different departments talking about the engine for next year, talking about front suspension for next year, talking about rear suspension for next year. Article content 'After the first few races, I did a full document for the team. And during this break I had another two documents that I sent in. So then I come in and want to address those,' Hamilton added, detailing 'structural adjustments that we need to make' and 'issues that I have with this car.' Article content The 40-year-old Hamilton's best results with Ferrari have been three fourth-place finishes — two of them in the two races before the break. Teammate Charles Leclerc, who is in his seventh season with the team, has fared only slightly better with four podium finishes and a best result of second at his home Monaco GP. Article content Hamilton noted that Ferrari 'is a huge organization and there's a lot of moving parts and not all of them are firing on all the cylinders that need to be. That's ultimately why the team's not had the success that I think it deserves. Article content 'So I feel that it's my job to challenge absolutely every area, to challenge everybody in the team, particularly the guys that are at the top who are making the decisions.' Article content Ferrari is second in the constructors' standings but has less than half as many points as runaway leader McLaren, which has dominated with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Article content 'I'm here to win. And I don't have as much time as this one here,' Hamilton said, gesturing toward 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli, who replaced him at Mercedes, and who was sitting next to the British driver at an F1 news conference. 'So it's crunch time. I truly believe in the potential of this team.' Article content
