Belgium

Rising ammunition prices set back NATO efforts to boost security -official

By Gwladys Fouche and Sabine Siebold OSLO, (Reuters) - A top NATO military official warned that a drastic rise in ammunition prices means that allies' higher defence spending does not…

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Belgium to help train Ukrainian F-16 pilots

This collaboration, spearheaded by the Netherlands and Denmark, aims to deliver F-16 fighter-bombers to Ukraine and cultivate a workforce skilled in operating them, Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder announced. Since the…

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Global climate protests demand world leaders phase out fossil fuels

Protests planned in 54 countries this weekend Organisers seek post-COVID return to mass actions Demand rapid phaseout of fossil fuels Countries to consider phaseout at COP28 summit By Kate Abnett…

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‘Pipigate’ peeing scandal puts Belgian minister in hot water

By Geert De Clercq BRUSSELS, (Reuters) - Belgium's justice minister had not been aware that three of his friends had urinated against a police vehicle during a party at his…

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Photo Story: Ryanair CEO Micheal O’Leary hit with cream pie in Brussels

Activists throw cream pie on Ryanair CEO Micheal O'Leary as he is on his way to deliver the 'Protect Overflights: Keep EU Skies Open' petition to EU Commission President, Ursula…

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Railway stations in Brussels becoming a hotspot for crack cocaine and crime

Belgian capital Brussels is seeing a disturbing trend that has been shaking up the city. It's gotten so bad, in fact, that on Wednesday 40 Brussels neighborhood committees and associations…

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Libyan wealth fund sues Belgian prince for fraud over reforestation project

By Marine Strauss BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Libya's sovereign wealth fund has filed a criminal complaint against Prince Laurent of Belgium, accusing him of fraud and extortion linked to his bid…

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Climate nears point of no return as land, sea temperatures break records

Temperature records topple around the world Sea temperatures also hit record high Climate talks failing to respond to extreme weather emergencies U.S. climate envoy Kerry expected in Beijing in July…

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Belgium plans short-term flight ban to combat pollution

The Federal Minister of Mobility, Georges Gilkinet, is proposing to ban frequent short flights between nearby airports, known as "flea hops," which are seen as a symbol of wasteful air…

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EU lawmaker Cozzolino charged by Belgium in ‘Qatargate’ probe

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union lawmaker Andrea Cozzolino, under investigation in a cash-for-influence corruption scandal at the European Parliament dubbed "Qatargate", has been extradited to Belgium and charged, the Belgian…

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Belgian foreign minister in turmoil over Iran, Russian delegates invitations

By Marine Strauss BRUSSELS, June 19 (Reuters) - Belgian foreign affairs minister Hadja Lahbib is facing calls for resignation after granting visas to delegations from Iranian and Russian cities to…

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Stoltenberg likely to be asked to remain as NATO chief for another year

By Steve Holland and Humeyra Pamuk WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Jens Stoltenberg is expected to be asked to remain as NATO secretary general for another year, according to a source familiar…

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Belgian police raid EU parliament office of Qatargate suspect

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgian police on Tuesday raided the office of Marc Tarabella, a Belgian EU lawmaker and suspect in a corruption scandal, his lawyer told Reuters. Maxim Toller said…

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Belgium investigating whether its weapons were used in Russia

BRUSSELS, June 5 (Reuters) - Belgium will ask Ukraine for clarification on reports that rifles made in Belgium had been used by pro-Ukrainian forces to fight Russian troops inside Russia's…

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Belgian Prime Minister De Croo briefly lost consciousness in bike fall

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo fell from a bicycle and briefly lost consciousness but hospital tests revealed no lasting effects, national news agency Belga reported. The…

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Qatargate suspect Eva Kaili freed from house arrest

Eva Kaili, one of the main suspects in a cash-for-influence corruption probe at the European Parliament, is no longer under house arrest. Kaili was one of the first to be…

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European police search for the names of 22 women found murdered

Police in three European countries are asking for help to identify 22 murdered women whose names remain a mystery. The bodies were found in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany between…

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Belgium arrests seven suspected of planning terrorist attack

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgian police have arrested seven people on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack, the prosecutor's office said. The suspects had discussed several scenarios for an attack in…

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Qatargate suspect Eva Kaili wants to perform her duties at the European Parliament

Eva Kaili will soon seek to have her house confinement lifted, her lawyer said, the politician, one of the main suspects in a corruption probe at the European Parliament, was…

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Former MEP Eva Kaili moved to house arrest

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Eva Kaili, the former European Parliament vice president accused of corruption, is to be released from custody, while still facing charges, federal prosecutors and her lawyer's office…

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Belgium to become second EU country to recognize Buddhism

By Marine Strauss BRUSSELS, March 17 (Reuters) - Belgium is expected to officially recognize Buddhism after the federal government approves a draft law on Friday, opening the door to federal…

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Belgium adds beds for migrants as EU faces rising arrivals

By Gabriela Baczynska and Marine Strauss People fend for themselves as Belgium capacity stretched Italy, France warn higher arrivals still ahead Migration rhetoric gets harsher ahead of 2024 election BRUSSELS…

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Strike slashes Belgian domestic and international train services

BRUSSELS, March 10 (Reuters) - Only one in three trains were running in Belgium on Friday, rail operator SNCB/NMBS said, as public sector workers went on strike nationwide to protest…

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Belgium bans gambling advertising from July 1

By Marine Strauss BRUSSELS, March 9 (Reuters) - The Belgian government has decided to ban gambling advertising across multiple platforms from July 1 in a bid to crack down on…

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Photo Story: Snowfall in Brussels

A few centimetres of snow cover the ground near Jubilee Arch, in Brussels, Belgium. The snowfall on Wednesday morning resulted in over 200 kilometres of traffic jams on Flemish motorways.…

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Custody of ex-European Parliament VP Kaili extended amid graft probe

BRUSSELS, March 3 (Reuters) - A Belgian judge ruled on Friday that European lawmaker Eva Kaili would remain in custody for two more months as an investigation continues into corruption…

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Jailed MEP Eva Kaili challenges lifting of her immunity

Former European Parliament Vice President Eva Kaili has filed an appeal against the European prosecutor’s request to lift her immunity over alleged irregularities in assistants’ salaries. The Greek MEP has…

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Belgian justice minister warns of sabotage to infrastructure

Belgium's Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne said European countries should not be "naive" about the presence of a Russian "spy ship" in the North Sea, amid growing concerns that Moscow…

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Belgium investigates Russian ‘spy ship’ in North Sea

By Marine Strauss BRUSSELS, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Belgium said it is investigating the presence of a Russian "spy ship" in the North Sea, a day after its neighbour the…

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Europe’s biggest Chinese prostitution ring dismantled

An unprecedented law enforcement operation involving different countries has resulted in the dismantlement of an international sex-trafficking ring that held hundreds of Chinese women trapped in debt bondage across Europe. …

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Belgium detains two more EU lawmaker in graft investigation

ROME/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgian prosecutors arrested one lawmaker and took another in for questioning on Friday in connection with a corruption scandal that has hit the European Parliament. The cash-for-influence…

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MEP Eva Kaili to remain in prison, protests treatment in Belgian jail

Eva Kaili, the Greek MEP at the centre of the corruption scandal engulfing the European Parliament, has been ordered to remain in prison for at least one additional month. The…

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Calls mount to send troops to Antwerp port as part of war on drugs

Politicians from across the spectrum have called for the army to be sent to the port of Antwerp after new figures showed a record amount of cocaine was seized in…

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Ryanair is closing Brussels Airport base -Belga

Ryanair is closing its Brussels Airport base, Belgian press agency Belga reported on Wednesday, quoting local union ACV Puls. It said 59 jobs could be at risk. The Irish low-cost…

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‘Klimaatklever’ is Dutch word of the year

Klimaatklever, a new term to describe climate campaigners who glue themselves to works of art, has been voted the Dutch word of the year. The result was announced after a…

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Former European Parliament VP Kaili remains in custody amid corruption investigation

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A Belgian judge ruled on Thursday that European lawmaker Eva Kaili will remain in custody for another month as an investigation continues into corruption charges in a…

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Italy agrees to transfer suspect in EU graft scandal to Belgium

An Italian court on Monday agreed to hand over to Belgian authorities a woman suspected of involvement in a Qatar graft scandal that has rocked the European Parliament. An appeals court in…

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Judge to decide on detention of EU-Qatar graft scandal suspects

By Philip Blenkinsop and Johnny Cotton BRUSSELS, Dec 14 (Reuters) - A three-judge panel will decide on Wednesday whether four suspects charged and arrested in a fraud scandal rocking the…

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Belgium to tax private jets, short-haul flights

By Marine Strauss BRUSSELS, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Belgium will impose new taxes on older, noisier planes as well as private jets and short-haul flights in a bid to reduce noise and…

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Belgium risks gas shortage during severe winter, report says – De Tijd

Dec 9 (Reuters) - Belgium's natural gas supply could be at risk this winter in the event of a cold wave, Belgian newspaper De Tijd reported on Friday citing a…

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Emotions run high as Brussels bombing trial opens

The largest trial in Belgian history kicked off on Monday with 10 men accused of involvement in Islamist suicide bombings in Brussels in 2016 that killed 32 people and injured…

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UK Labour’s Starmer supports plans to spread power away from Westminster

British opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer will on Monday support plans to spread power away from the political centre of Westminster, aiming to offer people more control over their lives and local…

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Photo Story – Violence erupts in Brussels after Morocco’s victory

General view after clashes between fans of Morocco and riot police in the streets of Brussels, Belgium, 27 November 2022, after the FIFA World Cup 2022 group F soccer match…

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UPDATED: Suspect in fatal stabbing of Brussels policeman was known radical

BRUSSELS, Nov 11 (Reuters) - The suspect in the fatal stabbing of a Belgian police officer was on a security agency list of radicalised Muslims and had been taken to…

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Belgians advised to shorten shower times to reduce energy bills

As people are currently exploring every way possible to reduce their energy consumption and avoid spiralling bills, one place where on cut costs is in the bathroom. Belgians spend an…

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Belgian inflation hits 12.27%, a 47-year high

Oct 28 (Reuters) - Annual inflation in Belgium hit 12.27% in October 2022, its highest since June 1975, as food and energy costs soared, statistics office Statbel said on Friday.…

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Belgian households slash savings intentions in October

Oct 21 (Reuters) - Belgian households have slashed their plans to save in October and private consumers' financial expectations remain low, according to data released on Friday by the National…

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NATO to kick off nuclear drills involving B-52 bombers on Monday

BRUSSELS, Oct 14 (Reuters) - NATO said on Friday it would launch its annual nuclear exercise "Steadfast Noon" on Monday, with up to 60 aircraft taking part in training flights…

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Belgian PM warns of blackouts if energy prices capped

BRUSSELS, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo warned a cap on electricity prices called for by the opposition could lead to power being sold in other…

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U.S. says to defend “every inch” of NATO as nuclear planning group meets

BRUSSELS, Oct 13 (Reuters) - The United States reaffirmed its commitment to defend "every inch" of NATO territory ahead of talks among defense ministers from the alliance on Thursday that…

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Belgian Defence Minister assures that military service not ‘on the agenda’

Belgian Minister of Defence, Ludivine Dedonder, has clarified that “military service is neither on the agenda today, nor on the table”, on Saturday following comments made by the chief of…

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First signs of new COVID-19 wave seen in colder countries

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are creeping up in Northern Europe where the colder and wetter weather is first being felt across the bloc. Latest data from Belgium, the U.K. and…

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Belgium reports bird flu outbreak on farm near Dutch border

PARIS, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Belgium has reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza on a poultry farm near the border with the Netherlands, the World Organisation for…

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Belgium records huge drop in consumer confidence index

Sept 22 (Reuters) - Belgian consumer confidence dropped dramatically in September, according to the data released on Thursday by the National Bank of Belgium (NBB). The consumer confidence index dropped…

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Defying Vatican, Flemish bishops allow blessing same-sex unions

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Flemish Roman Catholic bishops issued a document effectively allowing the blessing of same-sex unions, in direct defiance of a ruling against such practices by the Vatican's…

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Belgian intelligence services help foil attack on George W. Bush

The FBI averted an attack on former US President George W. Bush earlier this year thanks to intelligence from Belgian security services, reported VRT. The tip allowed US security officials…

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EPA’s Eye In The Sky: Walzin Castle, Dinant, Belgium

An aerial view of the Walzin Castle overlooking the Lesse river, near Dinant, southern Belgium. The Lesse is a popular river for kayaking and canoeing in the Walloon region of…

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