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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 9 august 2017

No explosives found in car halted by Brussels police

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgian as a precaution while
prosecutors said no explo- heavily protected army
sives were found in a car bomb disposal experts
stopped by police gunfire were called in to assess
after a high-speed chase the situation.
in the flash-point Brussels Unprotected police and
suburb of Molenbeek. forensic experts were later
Police chased the car af- at the scene, taking ob-
ter the driver ran a red jects from the car and ex-
light and the vehicle amining them.
was involved in two colli- “Nothing suspicious was
sions before it was finally found in the vehicle,” Van
brought to a halt, Ine Van Wymersch said.
Wymersch, spokeswoman The all-clear was given just
for the Brussels prosecu- over three hours after the
tor’s office, said. car was stopped. No one
“When the person got out, was injured.
he immediately claimed Brussels has been on high
that there were explosives alert since suicide bomb-
inside,” Van Wymersch ers killed 32 people in at-
said. She declined to iden- tacks on the city’s airport
tify the suspect, but said and subway on March 22,
he was a Rwandan na- 2016.
A police vehicle blocks a road in front of a bomb disposal robot in the Molenbeek tional born in 1981 who Many suspects linked to
suburb of Brussels, Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2017. Brussels police say that they opened fire on was not previously known those attacks and the No-
a vehicle after a high-speed chase in Molenbeek and the driver told officers there are to police. vember 2015 massacre in
explosives inside. A few hundred people Paris lived in or transited
(AP Photo/Olivier Matthys) were kept in nearby shops through Molenbeek.q

Gazan travelers face new restrictions from Israel

By FARES AKRAM headaches in the struggles possible,” he said. “This af- following year. Israel, the to travel abroad for busi-
Associated Press of daily life in Gaza. fects you in all directions, U.S. and much of the West ness, medical care, studies
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) “My work laptop that has professionally, unfortunate- consider Hamas a terrorist or to see relatives.
— New Israeli restrictions all my work files that I can’t ly.” group, and Israel says the Yet Israel, accusing Hamas
on Palestinians exiting the take back with me is a The ban, which took effect blockade is needed to iso- of trying to exploit travelers
blockaded Gaza Strip, in- big problem for me,” said on Aug. 1, applies to all Pal- late Hamas and prevent it to carry money or informa-
cluding a ban on laptop Ahmed Abu Shahla, an estinians who want to travel from smuggling in weap- tion to its agents abroad,
computers, hard-shell suit- employee of an intellectual to Israel, or through Israel to ons. has imposed a series of
cases and even shampoo property firm in the United the West Bank and neigh- The Rafah crossing on the restrictions in recent years
and toothpaste, have fur- Arab Emirates who was re- boring Jordan. With Israel Egyptian border has tradi- that has limited the flow of
ther disrupted travel for the turning to the Gulf after vis- and Egypt maintaining a tionally been Gaza’s main people across the border.
lucky few who are allowed iting relatives in Gaza. tight blockade on Hamas- gateway to the outside Israel allows only small
to cross the border into Is- As he boarded a bus at the ruled Gaza, the Erez cross- world. But Egypt keeps the numbers of people in spe-
rael. Israel is citing unspeci- border, he was forced to ing is virtually the only way crossing closed for months cial categories, such as
fied security concerns as leave his laptop behind. He out of the territory. at a time. The last time it students, aid workers and
the reason for forcing en- said he didn’t bother to put Israel and Egypt imposed opened for travelers was medical patients, to cross
gineers, journalists, business his projects on flash drives the blockade after Hamas in March, and tens of thou- through the border, and
people and human rights because he feared they won parliamentary elec- sands of people are on wait all travelers go through a
workers to leave their elec- would be confiscated. tions in 2006 and routed lists to travel once Egypt heavily fortified terminal
tronic work tools behind. “My loss is high because forces loyal to the interna- opens the crossing. where they pass through
For those affected, the re- you have to move all the tionally recognized govern- The Egyptian closure has scanners, can have their
strictions are unfair, inex- data by email or any other ment of Palestinian Presi- made Israel’s Erez crossing luggage opened and are
plicable and mean new means which is almost im- dent Mahmoud Abbas the vital to Gazans who need subject to strip searches.q