BRUSSELS: An attack on Tuesday that killed two policewomen and a male bystander in the Belgian city of Liege is being treated as "terrorist murder", prosecutors said Wednesday.
The gunman, identified as 31-year-old Benjamin Herman, is also suspected in the killing of a fourth person on the eve of his rampage, federal prosecutors' spokesman Eric Van Der Sypt told a press conference.
"The facts are qualified as terrorist murder and attempted terrorist murder," Van Der Sypt said, referring also to the shootings that wounded four other police officers.
Prosecutors said this assessment was based on a number of "first elements" from the investigation, including the "modus operandi" of attacking police with a knife and stealing their firearms, which the Daesh group has encouraged in online videos.
In Tuesday's attack Herman stabbed the two policewomen repeatedly before taking their handguns.
Van Der Sypt said they also based their argument on the fact he shouted "Allahu Akbar", or "God is greatest" in Arabic.
Finally, Van Der Sypt said, there were reports from state security and regional authorities that the perpetrator had "been in touch with radicalised persons".
The killer "is also suspected of a manslaughter in On, Marche-en-Famenne", in southern Belgium, he added.
"The exact circumstances of this offence are the subject of a separate investigation," Van Der Sypt said.
Belgium killings are 'terrorist murder': prosecutors
Belgium killings are 'terrorist murder': prosecutors
- Gunman, named as petty criminal Benjamin Herman, was released from prison on a two-day leave Monday.
- Herman stabbed two female police officers and then used their guns on them.
Ukraine calls for ending restrictions on using long-range missiles against Russia
- Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the North Korean troop deployment marked a “true escalation of this war” and that Kyiv should be allowed to use missiles to strike Russian territory
MONTREAL: Ukraine’s foreign minister on Thursday called on Western nations to lift restrictions on the use of long range missiles against Russia, after North Korean troops deployed to Russia’s border region with Ukraine, trained and ready for combat.
Speaking at a peace conference in Montreal, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the North Korean troop deployment marked a “true escalation of this war” and that Kyiv should be allowed to use missiles to strike Russian territory.
“We need a strong reaction,” he said. “We need (a) strong decision of our allies to lift all the restrictions, to lift all the restrictions to use long-range missiles on the territory of Russia.”
“That’s our right of self defense and we are speaking about military targets on Russian territory,” he added.
Citing US intelligence, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that some 8,000 of the 10,000 North Korean troops believed to be in Russia have made their way to the Kursk border region.
North Korea has denied sending troops to Russia, but in state media last week, its vice foreign minister said that if such a deployment were to happen, it would be in line with international law.
In Montreal, Sybiha was backed by Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Eide who said: “I just wanted to add my voice to those saying that we should not put any other restrictions on Ukraine’s use of weapons.”
Trump sues CBS for at least $10 billion over Kamala Harris interview
WASHINGTON: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump sued CBS on Thursday over an interview of his Democratic rival Kamala Harris aired in early October that the lawsuit alleged was “doctored” and misleading, according to a court filing.
The filing was made in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Trump and Harris face each other in what polls show to be a tight race for the Nov. 5 US elections.
The suit demanded a jury trial and at least $10 billion in damages, the filing showed.
Using force against pro-Palestine student protests in US could be unlawful: Human rights groups
- Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, American Civil Liberties Union urge colleges to protect free speech
- ‘The information we have gathered on excessive use of force against student protesters is extremely worrisome’
LONDON: Human rights organizations have urged higher education institutions across the US to “respect and protect the right to protest in support of Palestinian rights.”
Large numbers of students across America have held ongoing protests at their places of learning over the past year to call for an end to Israel’s war in Gaza — with some being broken up forcibly by local police departments at the behest of their schools.
In an open letter, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the American Civil Liberties Union suggested that university and college administrations calling in police to break up demonstrations could be unlawful, and that they should not suppress student protests.
Amnesty said its researchers had identified at least 174 photos, videos and social media posts showing potential examples of excessive police force against protesters on campuses.
It added that at least 17 universities were identified where chemicals were used on students, including pepper spray, and 11 campuses where police used non-lethal kinetic projectiles such as rubber bullets.
“Universities are responsible for protecting both physical safety and free expression on campus,” said Jamil Dakwar, director at the ACLU’s Human Rights Program.
“It’s deeply concerning to see universities needlessly expose students to police violence for peacefully expressing their political opinions.
“We’re urging schools once again to exercise restraint, practice de-escalation, and protect free speech and dissent on campus.”
The use of force against protesters on US campuses has led to numerous injuries, many of them severe.
HRW detailed “injuries such as bleeding puncture wounds, head injuries, broken teeth, and suspected broken bones,” singling out the University of California Los Angeles, Columbia University and City College of New York as having witnessed the most egregious cases.
Amnesty’s Digital Verification Corps said at least half of the injuries it had identified via social media appeared to have been caused by exposure to chemical irritants.
Justin Mazzola, researcher with Amnesty International USA, said: “The information we have gathered on excessive use of force against student protesters is extremely worrisome and we are still in the beginning of our investigation.
“With the continuation of the Israeli military’s assault on Gaza and the risk of US complicity through the sending of weapons, campus protests in favor of stopping the violence and destruction will continue.
“Universities have a responsibility to protect academic freedom and the rights to freedom of expression, and to peacefully protest, and we will be watching to ensure they do.”
Police responses to campus protests in the US have also been criticized by other bodies and individuals of note, including the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, and the UN special rapporteur on the right to education, Farida Shaheed.
HRW, Amnesty and the ACLU made clear that even on private college campuses where freedom of speech in relation to protesting the war in Gaza is not protected under the First Amendment of the US Constitution, international law still insists upon freedom of peaceful assembly.
They added that American higher education institutions should take steps to facilitate free dialogue and “fulfill their human rights responsibilities” to their students, regardless of their ideological persuasion. A full report, the three organizations said, will be published later this year.
“Instead of resorting to police action that both shuts down free speech and heightens the risk of injuries, universities need to do more to protect student speech from violence and intimidation, and actively ensure that peaceful student expression continues without interference,” said Tanya Greene, HRW’s US program director.
Indian women entrepreneurs to visit UAE to study AI governance, medical innovation
- Delegation will attend panel discussions, networking opportunities with UAE industry leaders in Dubai
- India, UAE have witnessed significant rise in bilateral exchanges since signing free trade pact in 2022
NEW DELHI: Dozens of women entrepreneurs from the Indian Women Network of the Confederation of Indian Industry will depart to the UAE next week to study AI governance in education and medical innovation.
IWN was launched in 2013 by India’s largest and oldest industrial body, the CII, to create the largest network for professional women and promote their participation, growth and leadership in the workplace. Today, it has established chapters in almost two dozen Indian states.
For its first international trip, IWN will lead a 35-member delegation comprising women entrepreneurs from various sectors of Indian industries for a two-day visit to the UAE’s commercial capital, Dubai, starting Nov. 4.
“Dubai was chosen as the destination because of its progressive strides in areas such as AI governance in education, medical innovation, R&D and women’s empowerment,” Megha Chopra, co-chair of CII’s IWN chapter in New Delhi, told Arab News on Thursday.
“The delegation will explore how Dubai has successfully implemented forward-thinking strategies in these sectors, drawing valuable insights to inspire similar growth and innovation in India.”
The trip, which also includes panel discussions and networking opportunities, aims to “foster knowledge-sharing, networking and leadership development” as well as making connections with UAE-based industry pioneers, she added.
For Chopra, executive director at software company RateGain Travel Technologies, the learning retreat is an important extension of the India-UAE economic partnership.
“This trip also highlights the significance of women’s roles in enhancing bilateral ties and contributing to economic progress, with IWN creating a platform where Indian women entrepreneurs can not only draw inspiration, but also forge connections that could lead to tangible business partnerships and investments,” she said.
India and the UAE have significantly advanced bilateral exchanges since they signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in 2022.
The UAE is the largest Middle Eastern investor in India, with investments amounting to about $3 billion in the financial year 2023-24, according to Indian government data.
The two countries also expect to increase the total value of bilateral trade in non-petroleum products to more than $100 billion and trade in services to $15 billion by 2030.
“By connecting 35 women entrepreneurs from diverse Indian industries with eminent leaders and disruptors in Dubai, the delegation fosters knowledge exchange and cultivates potential avenues for cross-border collaborations,” Chopra said.
“In essence, the IWN delegation strengthens the India-UAE economic bond, championing women’s leadership as a key driver of continued growth and collaboration between the two nations.”
Taliban FM goes viral riding motorcycle through Kabul
- Amir Khan Muttaqi filmed on a motorbike in Wazir Akbar Khan area
- Kabul residents admit that public safety has been increasing in the city
Kabul: A video of Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister riding a motorcycle through Kabul has gone viral on social media, with people saying it showed improving security under Taliban rule.
Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to Arab News that the video shot this week shows Amir Khan Muttaqi riding after sunset in the Wazir Akbar Khan area of the Afghan capital.
The street where Muttaqi was driving is less than 1 km away from the Arg — the presidential palace, which since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan three years ago has served as the meeting place of the country’s interim government.
The surrounding neighborhood was known as the diplomatic zone of Kabul before most representatives of the international community left the country after its Western-backed government collapsed and US-led troops withdrew in August 2021.
The sighting of a minister riding on the street was for some residents a reflection of the country being safer now than during the two-decade period of foreign military presence following the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.
“The security is very good now. The security forces are trying day and night to make sure people live in peace without any fear,” Hamza Kawsar, a resident of Kabul, told Arab News on Thursday.
“Unlike the leaders in previous regimes, our current leaders are not hiding from the people. They live a simple life. The foreign minister’s move to come out alone is proof of this.”
While people generally acknowledged that security had improved, many other pending issues were left unaddressed or aggravated.
“It’s been two weeks, and I can’t get my national ID. I go from one office to the other and my work is delayed,” said Rahmanullah, 22, who came from Logar province to Kabul to have his documents issued.
“It’s good that the ministers and other people are able to go around in the city without any worries. But in some offices it’s very difficult to see director-level officials, let alone a minister.”
For Javed Rahimi, a shopkeeper, the motorcycle video was a PR stunt and many new problems emerged with Taliban rule, including huge unemployment, poverty and bans on women’s education and work.
He admitted, however, that cases of theft, robbery, and deadly blasts, which were common before, had decreased.
“The good thing is that there’s no war and conflict anymore,” he said. “Our countrymen are not dying in explosions and attacks every day.”
