your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt research fellow at the Hungarian think tank MCC Brussels Austrian member of the European Parliament from the Greens and Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy Dutch member of the European Parliament from the liberal Renew Europe group Euronews' Méabh Mc Mahon brings us updates from Valencia that has more than a dozen heads of state and government in the Council came in first in last year’s European elections the party celebrated its newfound strength following most recent election victories Delegates at the EPP congress hope the incoming German chancellor will take charge of the European conservatives and the future of the EU his party became the strongest political force again The electoral outcome left Merz with two options: a coalition with the AfD or with the Social Democrats As he had excluded any form of cooperation with the far right he teamed up with the party of outgoing chancellor Olaf Scholz Merz just engineered new massive spending power for Germany that even had the backing of the Greens Now he wants to be more assertive in Brussels and stand up to Donald Trump The panel also discussed the circumstances under which the EPP met in Valencia The party’s big moment in the sun was somewhat overshadowed by huge public protests A deliberate reminder of the conservative regional government’s botched handling of October’s catastrophic floods The accusation: the administration failed to give the population adequate warning of the impending disaster Ursula von der Leyen is ready to talk to representatives of the victims in Brussels on 13 May - is this the right thing to do Beautiful, Blue-Eyed Babes! 35 Dog Breeds With Blue Eyes 11 Hairless (and Partially Hairless) Cat Breeds Why Is My Dog Shaking? From Over-Excitement to Medical Issues, Experts Break Down the Reasons Dogs Tremble BirdsAll BirdsCockatooChickenParrotThe 150 Best Bird Names Best Pet Chicken Breeds for Beginners (& Those to Avoid) Home/Pet NewsBrussels Griffon Dressed Like a Southern Belle Looks Like She’s Ready for a Mint JulepThis Brussels Griffon pup looks like a true Derby princess It's the first weekend in May, which means the 151st Kentucky Derby is upon us and consume far too many Hot Browns and Bourbon cocktails One fancy Brussels Griffon dog who looks like she would totally fit in on Millionaire's Row is this adorable pup dressed in true southern belle fashion She's totally ready for the run for the roses We’re unable to load this content right now View directly on Instagram This hilariously adorable video was uploaded to the Instagram account for @Ittystagram and people can't get enough of this true southern belle “Living the pawsitive life one swing at a time haha!” Another added “She's the prettiest flower in the garden I ever did see!” Come in out of that hot sun.” Someone else hilariously responded “I think this is my all time favorite reel EVER!” I just love how Itty's fancy grown is gently blowing in the breeze as she swings in the sunshine If you decide to start dressing your own fur baby in costumes View directly on Instagram If your pup is new to wearing costumes or clothing remove the clothing and try again another day Never leave your fur baby alone while wearing clothing because they could get tangled in the items or the clothing could catch on something Make sure there are no loose zippers or strings that can get caught on anything It's also important that your fur baby is able to eat do their important outside business while wearing clothing There's basically nothing more fun then dressing your fur baby up as a flamingo or a southern belle, and as long as they are happy and comfortable with it, I say go for it! Just remember to take a ton of photos 🐶SIGN UP to get “pawsitivity” delivered right to your inbox with inspiring & entertaining stories about our furry & feathered friends🐾🐾 LLC and respective content providers on this website Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website European officials are working against the clock to secure a trade deal with Washington before early July when so-called “reciprocal” tariffs will kick in on EU goods sent to the US “We absolutely are committed to finding agreements with the US that benefit both sides,” European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said noting that “there has been no formal offer to the US of anything at present” The EU is currently facing the prospect of a 20% tariff on the goods it sends to the US a policy concocted by the White House to rebalance its $235.6 billion (€208.2bn) trade deficit with the bloc While the deficit is partially linked to the strength of the US economy and the dollar the US president announced a 90-day pause on his tariff plans in early April although he left a 10% baseline levy in place Brussels paused retaliatory tariffs on €21bn of US goods until 14 July The Commission’s comments on Friday came in response to a report in the Financial Times that suggested Brussels wants to increase its purchases of US goods by €50bn to reduce its trade deficit with the US who interviewed EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič Brussels is looking to increase its purchases of LNG from the US as well as agricultural products like soybeans “This is entirely consistent with what the European Commission has been saying since President Trump won the election,” Gill said on Friday “There are areas where we believe we can potentially increase our imports from the US and that would also have the additional benefit of reducing … the trading goods surplus that we enjoy and which seems to be such a fixation on the other side of the Atlantic.” Šefčovič also told the FT that Brussels would not accept a scenario where the 10% baseline tariff on EU goods remains in place Gill instead stressed that tariffs are a lose-lose policy instrument and talked up Brussels' “zero for zero” trading proposition The EU has suggested a deal in which no tariffs would be collected on certain goods when trading with the US Brussels is also emphasising service trade — often forgotten in public declarations from the White House the EU exported €319bn of services to the US The European Commission is sticking to its estimate that member states could spend up to €650 billion on defence over the coming four years despite just half of governments requesting more fiscal headway to boost investments in the sector in time The EU's executive proposed in March as part of its 'Readiness 2030' plan to ramp up defence expenditures to allow member states to request the activation of the national escape clause in the bloc's Stability and Growth Pact in order to allow them to temporarily deviate from stringent fiscal rules to invest in defence member states would be allowed to boost defence spending by 1.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) annually for four years without consequences even if this brings their total deficit over the mandated 3% of GDP The Commission estimated at the time that this could see an additional €650 billion invested in defence before 2030, making the proposal the key pillar in its €800 billion plan to rearm the bloc. Member states were asked to put in their request in a coordinated manner by April 30 at the latest in the hope that the entire process could be completed before the summer break 13 of the EU's 27 member states had logged their requests A spokesperson for the Commission sought to present the number as a success on Friday essentially (we have) half of the member states and we have indications that this number will go up even further in the near future" The Commission had said earlier this week that the April 30 date was a "soft deadline" and that they would accept requests past that date as long as it had enough time to analyse them before the release of the Spring Semester Package sees the Commission giving member states recommendations on how to address economic challenges they face the Commission's spokesperson said on Friday we didn't know how many member states would actually activate the clause and we wanted to give an order of magnitude of the fiscal space that could be made available by this measure," Balazs Ujvari added it's not possible for now to update this figure in a responsible fashion because we don't know how many countries will in the end apply - we have 13 for the moment but the option is still there to submit additional requests - (and) we don't know at what rate they will ramp up their defence expenditure," he added The first updated estimate will only be available next year based on defence expenditure data from 2025 member states need to prove that they're facing exceptional circumstances outside their control that these exceptional circumstances have an impact on their public finances and that the deviation under the national escape clause won't endanger their fiscal sustainability over the medium term Several of the member states that have requested the deviation are however targeted by an Excessive Deficit Procedure meaning their deficits exceed the allowed 3% of GDP threshold If requests to activate the national escape clause are granted to member states under the procedure "this will be taken into account when we do our assessment and we will take into account the flexibility which is available to this member state because of the national escape clause," Ujvari The other countries at risk of penalties for their fiscal situation are France France, whose deficit stood at 6.1% of GDP in the last quarter of 2024 but would likely participate in the other financial mechanism tabled under 'Readiness 2030' member states will be able to secure parts of €150 billion the Commission plans to raise on the market and release to member states as loans Unlike money from national coffers, these EU funds would be earmarked for weapon systems that are primarily European-made and the result of joint procurements among multiple member states The proposal is currently being examined by the Council member states will have six months to apply for such a loan The 17-second act was met with cheers at the scene but outside has promoted reports on “toxic masculinity,” problematic drinking and an attempt to appeal to the Right Europe’s defense industry is to make the switch to “war economy mode,” Commissioner for the EU's internal market The Defence Commissioner would promote military cooperation among EU member states and an increase in the production of weaponry and ammunition European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Latvian president Edgars Rinkevics at the event “Baltic Energy Independence Day.” The European Commission has unveiled a staggering €600 billion plan to centralize control over the continent’s energy grid—a project marketed as green progress but seen by critics as yet another power grab at the expense of national sovereignty The scale is colossal: we are talking about an unprecedented investment aimed at interconnecting national grids and ensuring the transition toward a green economy over the next decade—a key objective of the von der Leyen Commission in both its previous and current terms The stated goal is ambitious. According to the Commission itself this investment will be used to strengthen cross-border interconnections and facilitate the massive integration of renewable energy which Brussels claims it will outline by 2026 at the latest aims to create a deeply integrated “meshed electricity network” that would enable a single energy market ultimately placing energy oversight under EU control The official explanation hinges on two major arguments: on the one hand the need to advance the economy’s decarbonization to meet Europe’s climate commitments; on the other the urgency of strengthening energy security after the crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine and the subsequent break with traditional fossil fuel suppliers critics say this is little more than sloganeering Brussels defends itself by assuring that, although high, the investment will pay off in the medium term. According to ENTSO-e (the European association of electricity network operators) annual savings of over €38 billion could be achieved if cross-border infrastructures are properly developed combined with the promise to reduce external dependency and improve the system’s resilience is presented as an unavoidable step to prevent new episodes of energy vulnerability Renewable technology cannot be stored effectively and dependency on its supply causes serious headaches marked by a blackout that partially paralyzed the country for several hours has served as a catalyst to accelerate the EU’s pro-integration energy rhetoric Both MEPs and technical officials have pointed out that greater interconnection with France would have mitigated the effects of the collapse reinforcing the message that the “solution” lies in handing over more competences to Brussels It is striking that this episode, already being used to justify the urgency of the European energy project, coincides with the political timeline. For months, the Commission has been warning about the “insufficiency” of the Iberian network and the need to strengthen interconnections The question is inevitable: is this a real technical flaw—or just another manufactured justification to advance Brussels’ federalization agenda Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Jan Harvey Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved The European Commission presented to EU countries on Wednesday a list of the concessions it is willing to make to the Donald Trump administration as well as a new list of goods it is going to slap with tariffs if negotiations fail an EU official and an EU diplomat told POLITICO.  The dual-track approach allows the European Commission which calls the shots on trade policy on behalf of the EU’s 27 member states and enter into negotiations with Washington from a position of strength By threatening extra retaliation in addition to measures that are currently suspended it also adds pressure on Washington to get real on its professed willingness to negotiate with Brussels.  listed in the so-called “term sheet” negotiated by the European Commission include boosting investments in energy Some of the EU’s own regulations could also be eased.  lowering duties on imported cars and the zero-for-zero mutual offer on industrial goods have not been taken off the table Cooperating on China’s trade barriers and overproduction is another area where Brussels sees space for cooperation with Washington.   EU diplomats caution that any offer will be tightly constrained by internal divisions among member countries some of whom are reluctant to be seen as yielding to U.S pressure and others careful not to alienate one of the EU’s historical allies.  The briefing of European ambassadors was held in a restricted setting by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s most senior aide The meeting is a crucial step for the Commission to keep the EU’s 27 countries on board while it navigates the 90 day pause that Trump announced on some U.S The European Commission declined to comment on the measures the bloc is still working on a response to the 25 percent tariffs on cars and the 10 percent tariff still applied to EU goods.  Despite prior expectation that Brussels would hit Washington in the domain of services, such as Big Tech or Wall Street the Commission chose to stick with a more classic retaliation on goods in a bid not to escalate trade tensions with the Trump administration.  This might not be to the taste of all EU countries with countries such as France and Belgium pushing the European Commission to use all the tools the bloc has at its disposal.  France has been one of the most outspoken countries on the need to respond robustly to U.S while it has also lobbied to spare its already hard-hit cognac producers “The counter-measures must be applied to the entire spectrum, not just goods, but should also include all the instruments we have,” an Elysée official said. French President Emmanuel Macron himself last month said that the EU should consider using the EU's so-called bazooka, the anti-coercion instrument.  Macron and von der Leyen are expected to discuss tariffs on Monday in Paris on the sidelines of an event on science and research.  The Financial Times first reported on the new list of tariffs on goods.  The draft U.K.-EU agreement is one of several being drawn up ahead of a May 19 summit Even the EU’s most protectionist countries are realizing that they need new friends to trade with as their oldest ally goes rogue Brussels suspended its countermeasures against the U.S president’s steel and aluminum tariffs before they even took effect Now the two sides have 90 days to do a deal Pause buys time for Brussels to negotiate a deal with the US Photo: Claudine Van Massenhove / Shutterstock.com A nationwide general strike of public and private sector workers in Belgium is causing major travel disruptions at some of Europe’s busiest airports called Tuesday by a coalition of Belgian trade unions is in response to proposed government reforms that could impact pensions and working conditions In addition to widespread public transportation issues the strike is severely affecting air travel—most notably at Brussels Airport (BRU) Arrivals are expected to be affected as well Brussels Airport urged all departing passengers to stay away on Tuesday and advised inbound passengers to check with their airlines before heading to the airport “To ensure the safety of passengers and staff not to operate any departing flights on 29 April,” the airport said in a statement “The airlines will contact passengers directly to inform them of their options.” more than 300 flights have been canceled at Brussels Airport and around 120 at Charleroi one of the two carriers most impacted on Tuesday along with Ryanair “We will contact you as soon as possible via email,” as cancellations continue The airline is also allowing travelers to request a full refund on its website or through their travel advisor “We sincerely regret the inconveniences caused by this manifestation and we thank you for your understanding,” the airline said Subscribe to TMR On Friday, March 28, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Burma in Myanmar, with tremors felt in neighboring Thailand and China. MSC is also celebrating the coin ceremony for MSC World Asia and steel cutting for the MSC World Atlantic. The U.S. State Department has told Americans to “reconsider” travel to Jamaica since July 2024. The advisory targets new entry and exit requirements for Canadians traveling to the U.S. The U.K. and Germany have updated their travel advisories for the U.S. following the detainment of three German citizens at the border. Gardner has served as president of Amtrak since 2020, and as CEO since 2022. Art Brussels returned for its 41st edition from April 24th through 27th, held inside the Brussels Expo Hall on the vast stretch of the Heizel Plateau in Laeken, in the northwest of the Belgian capital. The Art Deco building originally intended for the Brussels International Exposition in 1935 still retains its sense of officialdom as it looks down at the city’s iconic Atomium structure While the fair is often overshadowed by its more ostentatious European art fair cousins it continues to assert itself as a crucible for contemporary art thanks to a strong breadth of exhibiting galleries and an emphasis on curation “Celebrating renowned artists is as essential to us as championing emerging artistic voices,” said the fair’s managing director Nele Verhaeren Art Brussels positioned the city not just as a political center but as a cultural capital bringing 165 galleries from 35 countries (38% of which were debutants) which together encompassed works by more than 800 artists The fair featured five curated sections: Prime Verhaeren explained how she and her team “want the fair to be readable for everyone.” in a selection of works that the curators said “all play with the documentary and experimental essay form at times rubbing with the personal and fictional.” The other new section, Monumental Artworks, mirrored what has become increasingly commonplace in other international fairs: an exhibition of large-scale artworks. Curated by public art expert Carine Fol, the dedicated section features works by the likes of Willem Boel, Hilde Overbergh, and Marisa Ferreira installation view of Mendes Wood DM’s booth at Art Brussels 2025 which had viewers believe they were in a theatre This year’s museum of choice was the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium for a beautifully curated booth of six contemporary artists whose practices cut bridged themes of memory Installtion view of Night Cafe’s booth at Art Brussels 2025 and 11 works from their main stand to existing and new collectors in Belgium with two works for over €30,000 ($34,066) and two for “well over” €50,000 ($56,777) And in a sign of the collecting composition at the fair local gallerist Rodolphe Janssen reported selling 20 works on the first day of the fair: some 60% to international clients and 40% to Belgian collectors and this year’s edition proved that there is plenty to be optimistic about A 19-year-old man was injured in a shooting in Brussels overnight adding to a spate of gun attacks in the Belgian capital in recent months Police were called to the Rue Ruysdael in city's district of Anderlecht at 1 am and found the victim with a gunshot wound to his thigh the Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office said The victim was taken to hospital and his condition is not life-threatening "The investigation is ongoing in order to determine the circumstances of the events the context in which they occurred and to identify the perpetrator(s)," the prosecutor said Brussels has been rocked by a string of shootings linked to drug gangs in recent years Eleven gun attacks were recorded in the capital in the first six weeks of this year alone One such shooting incident in February led to a manhunt and the temporary closure of many of the city's metro stations Although it is unclear if the incidents are related they are believed to be linked to territorial disputes between different drug gangs in the capital The port in Antwerp — 55 kilometres north of Brussels — is a hub for European imports of cocaine and has been hit by grenade explosions linked to gangland fighting Security officials have said that the violence was bound to trickle into other cities in Belgium Citizens' groups have increasingly complained about lawlessness in several Brussels neighbourhoods at night and have demanded a greater police presence has said that he wants police zones permanently merged to better combat violence in the city In a separate incident of violence in Brussels this week an armed robbery took place on Monday afternoon in a jewellery store in the city centre There were no injuries and investigations are under way People stand in silence to commemorate the a deadly train station canopy collapse during a farewell ceremony by Serbia’s protesting students in Novi Sad Serbia’s protesting students embark on 2,000-kilometer (1,200-mile) run to Brussels aimed to draw European Union attention to their months-long struggle against corruption and for the rule of law in Novi Sad People stand in silence to commemorate the 16 victims killed after a railway concrete canopy fell in November during a farewell ceremony for Serbia’s protesting students embarking on 2,000-kilometer (1,200-mile) run to Brussels aimed to draw European Union attention to their months-long struggle against corruption and for the rule of law in Novi Sad A woman holds a poster that shows Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic during a farewell ceremony for Serbia’s protesting students embarking on 2,000-kilometer (1,200-mile) run to Brussels aimed to draw European Union attention to their months-long struggle against corruption and for the rule of law in Novi Sad A woman holds a poster that shows Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic during a farewell ceremony for Serbia’s protesting students embarking on 2,000-kilometer (1,200-mile) run to Brussels aimed to draw European Union attention to their months-long struggle against corruption and for the rule of law in Novi Sad Nikola Kojcin acknowledged that “it’s going to be really hard The students said in a press release that they “are not asking to be rescued” by the EU but are “sending a clear reminder to Europe: democratic values .. must be upheld not only in official declarations but in public awareness and collective action.” The runners are carrying a letter they hope will be read at the EU institutions “so people could hear a bit more about the deep political and social crisis in Serbia,” explained student Aleksa Dimitrijevic Security source says there are fears that “copycat attacks” could take place as the situation in the Middle East worsens Parts of the Austrian intelligence community are lining up against the FPÖ as the party hopes to return to power in 2024 EU member states will now have to make swathes of their territory unfarmable by 2030 Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Hugh Lawson A 19-year-old man was injured in a shooting that occurred overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday in the Brussels district of Anderlecht the Brussels prosecutor’s office said Wednesday the police services of the Midi police zone were called to a shooting that occurred in Rue Ruysdael in Anderlecht,” the Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.  The victim sustained a gunshot wound to his left thigh and was transported to the hospital adding that his condition is not life-threatening “The investigation is ongoing in order to determine the circumstances of the events and to identify the perpetrator(s),” the statement added Authorities have linked the recent surge in violence to escalating gang-related activity and drug trafficking, which has intensified over the past years The surge in violence has also reignited criticism of the Brussels government with critics accusing local authorities of failing to address the growing violence and implementing effective crime-prevention policies “Excellent result,” cheers former Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the conflict have proved fruitless so far Russia has yet to prove it wants to end the war President Donald Trump on the campaign trail and secured a dramatic victory The main opposition “will have no excuses if they lose the election,” İnce said after announcing his withdrawal clearly benefiting Kılıçdaroğlu’s bid to topple Erdoğan’s regime Hungary would have lost considerable sums of money that could not have been allocated afterwards The compromise seems to have been made in an honourable way for both parties While Donald Trump proclaims a new Declaration of Independence for the United States Europe is sleepwalking through this historic shift The state of European politics can best be captured by looking at the formation of Germany’s new government: sluggish the political establishment in Berlin remains stuck in the status quo ante Coalition negotiations between the CDU/CSU and SPD reveal that Berlin has failed to grasp the significance of Washington’s tariff salvos; it either cannot or will not see that we are witnessing the dawn of a new era A global struggle for productive capital has begun and the age of artificial economies—sustained only by cheap credit and repressive regulation—is drawing to a close The German coalition agreement breathes the stale air of the 1980s, a time when an ascending nation like Germany could still afford its welfare illusions. Once again, it is cheap credit—around a trillion euros of new public debt—that is expected to hold the coalition together over the next four years and sustain the illusion of German prosperity Trump understood that a nation without an industrial heart loses its soul Domestic value creation does more than create jobs—it gives communities pride Local production—from semiconductors to electric vehicles—strengthens Main Street New factories in Ohio and Texas not only provide employment but revive entire regions: mom-and-pop shops are reopening after the COVID lockdowns and young people once again envision a future in their hometowns Identity and belonging—the cornerstones of healthy societies—are being rebuilt An industrial renaissance may well become the salvation of America’s battered soul True innovation occurs where value chains are tangible—in workshops An engineer working on robotics in Michigan sees himself as part of a greater endeavor Trump’s project is nothing less than a reconquest of American identity—something the globalist elites of Europe avoid like the plague races to improve its investment environment it becomes a magnet for capital seeking real projects rather than speculative returns blind to the fact that Trump’s strategy may mark a bifurcation point in global economics and societal development America is in fact turning away from Europe not only ideologically but also materially.  Berlin and Brussels continue to fight a losing battle: scrambling for cheap credit and defending an artificial economy built on climate ideology and moralism Those who fail at diagnosis are bound to prescribe the wrong therapy Flying over Donald Trump’s agenda is the American flag adorned with a single word that feels like a warning: Independence This especially applies to the energy sector At the core of every economy lies the question of energy generation and availability has long pursued an exclusionary strategy: through the CO2 narrative it has sought to pressure energy-rich countries into forsaking oil and gas—an attempt to level the playing field for a continent that imports around 60% of its energy needs stripping energy-intensive companies of their competitive edge regardless of their innovation or creativity The European Union investigation is ongoing.Smith also outlined plans to allay EU concerns about the dominance of U.S tech giants in cloud computing that have prompted calls from some EU governments to restrict the companies' role in lucrative government tenders These concerns have been exacerbated by worries about Europeans' data privacy."In the unlikely event we are ever ordered by any government anywhere in the world to suspend or cease cloud operations in Europe we are committing that Microsoft will promptly and vigorously contest such a measure using all legal avenues available including by pursuing litigation in court," Smith said."To further cement the nexus between Microsoft and Europe going forward our European datacenter operations and their boards will be overseen by a European board of directors that consists exclusively of European nationals and operates under European law," he said.He said Microsoft would increase its European data centre capacity by 40% over the next two years and expand its data centre operations in 16 European countries."When combined with our recent construction the plans we're announcing today will more than double our European datacenter capacity between 2023 and 2027," Smith said.($1 = 0.8789 euros)Reporting by Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS ― A string of fatal drug-related shootings in the heart of the city that houses the EU’s institutions has brought home just how far Brussels has fallen: bankrupt In the first month and a half of this year alone 11 shootings claimed the lives of two people and injured another four the attacks betray a city in sharp decline and reveal the desperate need for some strong political leadership Belgium’s labyrinthine political structure contains a multilayered system of government each with its own powers and often beset by infighting And things don’t get much more paralyzed than in the Brussels region where politicians are still arguing with no government in sight Public debt is piling up almost as quickly as the garbage bags on the dirty streets that’s at stake,” said Christophe De Beukelaer Away from the tourist-thronged neo-gothic Grand-Place the cute chocolate shops and flamboyant beer halls getting Brussels’ spending under control would be its No The capital’s debt stands at over €14 billion, without counting the €1.6 billion it is projected to add to that this year. Belgian newspaper Bruzz calculated that the deficit ― the difference between how much the city spends and brings in ― is increasing by €4 million every day who attempted to reboot coalition negotiations last month politicians haven’t even gotten around to talking substance “It’s just political posturing that’s blocking Brussels,” he said The overly complicated political architecture confuses and frustrates even Belgians themselves Brussels is one of Belgium’s three regions together with French-speaking Wallonia in the south and Dutch-speaking Flanders in the north All three regions have their own governments with responsibilities for matters like housing With Belgium struggling to meet EU-mandated spending cuts Brussels’ debt is a “liability for the whole country,” said Dave Sinardet professor of political sciences at the Free University of Brussels Things could get worse: The region’s credit rating could be downgraded by the summer, which would make it more expensive to borrow, further adding to the region’s debt, caretaker Budget Minister Sven Gatz has warned Sinardet said that could at least create some pressure to finally form a government The centrist Les Engagés party has proposed to slash the pay of Brussels politicians by 30 percent until they form a government and by 40 percent if there isn’t one in place by June even the latest avenue of negotiations ― a minority government ― looks doubtful given that it would still need the approval of a parliamentary majority to get to work and for every single decision it takes thereafter While it wouldn’t be the ideal setup to address Brussels’ challenges “a minority government would still be better equipped than no government,” De Beukelaer said This is how we ended up here: While Dutch speakers outnumber French-speaking Walloons in the country as a whole to guarantee Dutch-speaking representation the Brussels government must comprise a majority from both language groups a set of parties must agree to work with each other before they cut a full-blown coalition deal an agreement on the French-speaking side was relatively straightforward The center-right MR became Brussels’ largest French-speaking party and quickly cut a deal with the Socialist Party and Les Engagés On the other side of the linguistic divide, the Flemish Greens won the Dutch-speaking vote, and in November clinched an accord with the socialist Vooruit the liberal Open VLD and the Flemish-nationalist N-VA the party of Belgium’s new Prime Minister Bart De Wever.  You’ll have guessed by now that the victory cries were short-lived The French-speaking socialists refused to govern with the Flemish nationalists The liberals of Open VLD in turn refused to govern without the Flemish nationalists The French-speakers are “kidding themselves” if they think they can fix Brussels’ problems without collaborating with the Flemish nationalists who head the federal government Ahmed Laaouej, the Brussels president of the Socialist Party, didn’t respond to an interview request. In an Instagram video posted last week he called the Flemish nationalists a “separatist anti-Brussels and anti-diversity party,” and said that if they were involved in a Brussels government they would show “contempt for the Brussels region and its interests.” Brussels itself is divided into 19 municipalities They manage the region’s six police forces Belgium’s federal government has said it wants to merge these separate forces into a single entity Brussels politicians have lambasted the decision They argue that the real problem with the police is not their elaborate organization but a lack of national funding and that a merger risks alienating the police from Brussels’ citizens As an example of the bitter language divide, some, such as Défi’s François De Smet, blame the new national government for imposing a Flemish-nationalist pet project against Brussels’ will Flemish parties say it just makes sense. As with a decision to send all police calls through a joint dispatching system “you don’t have to be a Flemish nationalist to know that’s a better system,” Open VLD’s De Gucht said some fear Brussels’ self-determination is slipping away The president of the MR party, Georges-Louis Bouchez, has indeed raised the threat that Brussels could be placed under federal government control That would be akin to pressing the nuclear button the idea is “fiction,” according to Sinardet the federal government could make additional payments to Brussels conditional on certain measures similar to how the EU made Greece reform in return for a bailout As recently as the early hours of Friday morning another shooting occurred in the south-west of the city Brussels’ chaos will force someone to act “I’m embarrassed by the political circus,” De Beukelaer said The far-right chief qualifies for the presidential runoff in which he will face centrist Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan Romania’s political loyalties are complex Don’t expect ganging up against Simion in the second round Brussels is chockablock with people trying to influence new rules on everything from Big Tech to pesticide use Here’s where they’ve put most of their efforts POLITICO analyzes all the data on the most likely presidential runoff races ahead of next month’s existential vote Countries & Areas Bureaus & Offices About Tammy Bruce, Department Spokesperson Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Brussels Secretary Rubio will attend the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting to discuss security priorities for the Alliance including increased Allied defense investment and securing lasting peace in Ukraine Secretary Rubio will also discuss the shared threat of China to the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Alliances at a NATO session with representatives of the Indo-Pacific Partners the Secretary will discuss plans for The Hague Summit this summer We use cookies to make our website work better and improve your experience Home/Pet NewsTiny Brussels Griffon’s On-Point ‘Life Advice’ Has People Feeling SeenDottie the Brussels Griffon knows what she’s talking about even when you're a dog who appears to be living in the lap of luxury it's simply because we're hangry I'm willing to bet every dog knows that feeling Sometimes, we all need a little reminder that a snack can cure even the grumpiest moods, and this Brussels Griffon is here to provide that reminder for everyone in the cutest way View directly on TikTok @dottiethedwarf on TikTok shared this peek at Dottie along with a little life advice that I have a feeling a lot of humans and dogs are going to be able to relate to Paired with the adorable footage of Dottie in the car the video included the trending audio that might as well have come directly out of Dottie's mouth: “In good times and bad times the chicken tender is probably going to see me through both There really ain't a bad time for a chicken tender.” In case you weren't already in the loop, it's important to know that Dottie isn't just any Brussels Griffon. Not only is she famous on the internet, but she's also a dwarf — despite the fact that she was born to two typically sized parents Her parents began sharing her story back in 2020 she's managed to amass quite a following — we're talking over 30,000 on TikTok alone Dottie now lives in New Zealand with her parents (and her pup siblings) and has become the ambassador for her humans' rescue organization View directly on Instagram and “an abnormal growth” in her skull that causes problems with her spine but none of that seems to slow her down at all especially when it comes to her favorite snacks All of that to say… let her have a chicken nugget every now and then 🐶 SIGN UP to get “pawsitivity” delivered right to your inbox with inspiring & entertaining stories about our furry & feathered friends🐾🐾 UN Security Council to Meet Over Escalating India-Pakistan Tensions World's Keys to Travel: The 10 Most Powerful and Weakest Passports © 2025 siliconindia.com All rights reserved.Accident Attorneys | Truck Accident Attorneys This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page and no one will speak the reality of abortion The European Central Bank has cut interest rates again In an April 28th interview with Radio Free Europe (RFE)/Radio Liberty, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos doubled down on the Brussels rhetoric that Hungary is somehow wrong when asking Kyiv to restore the full rights of the Hungarian ethnic community in Transcarpathia Speaking on the broader issues of Ukraine’s and Moldova’s accession she remarked on Hungary blocking Ukraine’s integration into the Union suggesting that “Ukraine has done enough” in terms of the situation of Transcarpathian Hungarians She even claimed she was speaking out of “personal experience” because she was “facilitating the dialogue between Hungary and Ukraine and Ukraine is willing to fulfil all of them But this is not enough for Hungary.”  Kos is not wrong in the sense that Kyiv has been claiming for at least two years now that it is willing to restore the rights of the Transcarpathian Hungarian community (which RFE keeps describing as “the Hungarian-speaking community”) and therefore Budapest is demanding that the Ukrainians act on their promises before the Hungarian government consents to their accession.  This is not the first time Kos has declared that Ukraine “has done enough.” Recently, Viktória Ferenc, an MEP from Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party (Patriots) said in a statement that representatives of the European Parliament’s foreign affairs and budget committees had an exchange of views with Kos on the so-called Ukraine Instrument found it “surprising” that the EU Commissioner had earlier praised Ukraine for merely being willing to consider Hungary’s requests concerning the rights of the approximately 150,000 Hungarian community in Transcarpathia minority rights have in fact not been restored.  In January 2024, Hungary shared an 11-point list with Ukraine that contains the measures Budapest expects Kyiv to take in exchange for the Hungarian support of Ukraine’s EU membership Budapest has also requested that the representation of Hungarians be guaranteed in the Ukrainian parliament there is an ethnic German and an ethnic Ukrainian spokesman in the Hungarian parliament.)   Consultations on the document have been ongoing Most recently, Hungarian Foreign Ministry state secretary Levente Magyar held talks with Olha Stefanishyna Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration At a joint press conference following the meeting Magyar said there was “new dynamism and spirit” regarding bilateral issues which he said would result in “an acceptable solution” regarding the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia who also heads the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice emphasized that Ukraine takes all obligations that lead the country toward Euro-Atlantic integration seriously “This includes protecting the rights of minorities and maintaining good neighbourly relations,” she added praising Budapest for offering temporary protection for those fleeing the war She admitted that a number of educational and minority issues remain to be resolved but said “a point has been reached where a plan has been drawn up to address all 11 points outlined by the Hungarian side.” Kos also said it was “regretful” that Budapest “is playing politics” with Ukraine’s membership She cited as an example the consultative referendum on Ukrainian EU membership launched in Hungary State Secretary Magyar reflected on the issue at the joint press conference with his Ukrainian colleague Magyar said “the government will determine its mandate and measures based on whether the Hungarian population supports Ukraine’s accession to the European Union in the ongoing consultation Hungary’s foreign policy approach towards Ukraine is multifaceted and cannot be simplified to a yes or no,” he stressed Any favorable changes in the status of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia will not change the fact that the EU and Hungary would take on an economic burden with the accession process outlined for 2030 that is currently unacceptable because it would fundamentally rewrite the internal relations of the Union Other member states are likely well aware of this but it remains convenient—for them and for Brussels—to scapegoat Hungary as the reason behind what increasingly appears to be the indefinite delay of Ukraine’s accession As the world witnesses the relentless targeting and killing of Palestinian journalists by Israeli forces (both under decades of occupation and during the ongoing genocide in Gaza) we must act with urgency Join us in Brussels on 6 May to support Palestinian journalists on these two events "Together Towards Ending Impunity - Stop Killing Palestinian Journalists"  1st event: Calling on EU institutions to act NOW- organised by the IFJ and the NUJ Join us for a gathering in front of European institutions on Tuesday 6 may from 12:00 to 13:30 / Rue de la Loi 175 2nd event: Join the Memorial for Palestinian journalists- organised by the PJS  Evening gathering to remember Palestinian journalists with music and candles on 6 may from 19:00 to 21:00 / Mont des Arts Coudenbergh 3 The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 146 countries Follow the IFJ on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram Subscribe to IFJ News The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its West Asia sub-group will organise an event on 6 May from 2:30pm to 4:30pm at the Residence… Many IFJ affiliates are taking action to mark World Press Freedom Day on 3 May Here is a non-exhaustive list of their initiatives A new research conducted by the European Trade Union confederation (ETUC) has revealed that around 10,000 people in Europe die each year due to… The International Federation of Journalists is the global voice of journalists it is the world’s largest organisation of journalists representing 600,000 media professionals in 187 unions and associations in more than 140 countries IFJ - International Federation of Journalists Reproduction of the content of the site is permitted only with a hyperlink to EADaily Using the content of the EADaily News Agency site for any commercial purpose without written consent of the agency may be subject to prosecution The information resource uses recommendation technologies (information technologies for providing information based on the collection, systematization and analysis of data related to the preferences of Internet users located on the territory of the Russian Federation) ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishGENERAL, HEALTH, INNOVATIONNoise Brussels Airport ‘seriously disturbs’ sleep of over 100,000 residents 2 May 2025 The sleep of more than 100,000 people living in the wide vicinity of Brussels Airport is “seriously disturbed” by aircraft taking off and landing The disturbance is greatest in the city of Brussels and the municipality of Schaerbeek shows the annual study on the airport's noise impact The number of “seriously sleep disturbed” is a new term in the annual reporting of the airport's noise impact by an independent study firm It’s part of the new environmental permit the airport received last year and is calculated based on World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines there were 101,753 “seriously sleep disturbed” in 2024 These people live across about 40 municipalities with the biggest impact on residents in the city of Brussels (17,972) and the Brussels municipalities of Schaerbeek (12,925) and Evere (7,009) Another new term in the report is that of the number of “severely bothered people” when there were even more flights to and from Brussels Airport That increase is mainly linked to the increased population rather than any additional aircraft nuisance The report points out that airlines are increasingly using new “The airport's aircraft fleet is also becoming increasingly noise-efficient with the entry of more and more latest-generation aircraft,” states the report 36 per cent of flights were operated with the most efficient aircraft Copy linkGet updates in your mailboxYour email addressSubscribeBy clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy rapid and high-quality information 24 hours a day from Belgium and abroad to all Belgian media not to mention entertainment and lifestyle our journalists and press photographers produce hundreds of photos and news stories Since the end of March 2022 English has been added as a language businesses and various organisations that need reliable information Belga News Agency also offers a comprehensive range of corporate services to meet all their communication needs www.belganewsagency.eu BRUSSELS — Steamy soft power is taking a breather EU diplomats looking to network while sweating it out will be disappointed for the next few months, as the famed sauna in Finland’s permanent representation in Brussels is closed for renovations Long known as the hottest ticket in town among Finns in Brussels the perm rep’s sauna has inspired copycats in the Berlaymont and in NATO HQ and has hosted a bevy of ministers and diplomats among them Finland’s now-President Alexander Stubb and former Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen A spokesperson for the Finnish perm rep confirmed that the sauna is closed for renovations but they did not have an exact timeline for when it will reopen Diplomats who make regular use of the facilities told POLITICO they expect it will be closed for around a year “The Finnish Diplomatic Sauna Society is very much alive and well this year,” the spokesperson told POLITICO “We’ll be making use of alternative saunas including the one at the ambassador’s residence,” they said the public sauna in the Finnish Seamen’s Mission in nearby Rue Jacques de Lalaing also “offers an excellent sauna experience,” the spokesperson said Most Finnish diplomatic buildings have a sauna on the premises So important is a good sweat to Finnish politics and diplomacy that the country’s Sauna Society gives an annual award, the Löylynhenki Award The Finnish foreign ministry picked up the award in 2011 on behalf of “Finnish sauna diplomacy and sauna diplomats.” global regulators would be hamstrung in their efforts to contain a future financial crisis Former investment banker turned Financial Services Commissioner is shining a light on the forces sabotaging greater integration The push for a bigger EU private money pot has become a war of attrition But Trump and Ukraine might be the spark that finally sets it in motion But Donohoe acknowledged that it is “inevitable that in the years ahead Europe will have to increase its defense expenditure.” The Catholic Church in the European Union Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union 2025 COMECE meeting of the General Secretaries of the EU Bishops’ Conferences The meeting included discussions on a wide variety of topics ranging from the situation in the Mediterranean to the teaching of religion in public schools from EU-related data protection issues to safeguarding the right of the Church to organise its internal affairs The General Secretaries also shared information on actions and initiatives aimed at effectively combating sexual abuse and providing support for victims with an analysis of potential emergency situations that may arise in connection with the war in Ukraine and the role and contribution the Catholic Church can play in this context The theme of secularism was likewise addressed noting the worrying trend across EU Member States towards confining religion exclusively to the private sphere The General Secretaries also discussed the main working topics of COMECE during a session with the advisers of the COMECE Secretariat who thanked the General Secretaries for their closeness to COMECE and invited them to continue providing strong support to its work in order to contribute effectively to the increasingly intense legislative and policy-making processes of the EU institutions The next meeting of the General Secretaries of the Bishops’ Conferences of the EU will take place at the Secretariat of COMECE MediaAddress of Card. Parolin to the 2025 COMECE Spring AssemblyArticle authored by Klaus WellePhoto Gallery of the meeting Airports in Belgium are bracing for major service disruptions tomorrow amid a nationwide strike of both private and public sector workers Brussels Airport and Charleroi Airport have warned travellers to expect cancellations and delays The walk-out has been organised by Belgian trade unions CVC/ACV and FGTB/ABVV to protest against government reforms affecting pensions The industrial action is expected to severely impact security and baggage handling at Brussels Airport in Zaventem on Tuesday Belgium’s main flight hub announced that it has requested airlines to limit operations in preparation At least 30 per cent of departing flights have already been cancelled “Significant disruption is expected throughout the day,” the airport has warned Official advice for passengers is to check flight status updates regularly and prepare for possible delays or last-minute changes Arriving flights are expected to run on schedule although the airport says modifications may occur as the situation develops during the day A spokesperson added that further departing flights may be scrapped depending on how the industrial action develops over the next 24 hours The carrier has already scrapped around 70 flights on Tuesday Passengers are being notified via email and should receive guidance on rebooking or claiming a refund through a dedicated online portal as we aim to offer travellers alternative solutions immediately - such as rebooking on a different flight or routing via another airport,” Brussels Airlines spokesperson Charleroi Airport (BSCA) will also feel the impact of the strikes It has scrapped all departing flights on Tuesday citing insufficient staff "to run operations in complete safety" The latest updates are that arriving flights should not experience major disruption although passengers are advised to monitor updates in the run-up Travellers have also been warned to leave plenty of time for journeys to airports in Brussels Public transport across the city will be disrupted by the strikes "We will do everything in our power to ensure at least part of the service and will inform passengers in real time about the situation on the network," public transport operator STIB/MIVB said Brussels Airport advises passengers to arrive at least two hours before departure for Schengen destinations and three hours for non-Schengen flights The transport hub has urged passengers to follow updates on official communication channels and monitor airline websites closely “We are doing our utmost to minimise the inconvenience for our passengers but given the national scope of the strike disruption will be unavoidable,” the airport added Nearby airports may experience knock-on effects of the strikes as flights are re-routed or passengers book alternative routes The number of homeless people in Brussels dramatically increased in the last two years On one night in November 2024, 9,777 people were recorded as homeless in Brussels, an increase of 25 percent compared to the previous count in 2022, according to the study conducted by Bruss’Help the regional coordination agency for homelessness Around 4,000 people were reported staying in emergency shelters or in empty buildings with the owner’s approval Another 992 slept in public spaces including metro stations more than 600 were in municipalities on the outskirts of Brussels indicating that the problem is spreading beyond the city center including nonapproved accommodation structures “the scale of the problem exceeds all individual initiatives,” and it hopes that the current report will help policymakers develop “more effective structural and humane public policy measures.” which is carried out every two years with the help of volunteers tracks various forms of homelessness across the region a researcher at Bruss’Help and co-author of the report the housing crisis and immigration troubles are both responsible for rising homelessness “It’s harder and harder to find an accessible house The prices are more and more expensive … And it’s harder for the federal government to provide beds especially for men without families and that’s why we have a rise of men in emergency accommodations,” she said Pierre added that policymakers need “to do something.” “It’s hard to end [homelessness] because it is not only about housing solutions. It’s also about health issues, it is about youth politics,” said Pierre. “It’s about many, many things and so we have to get all the sectors around the table to discuss how to end it and this is what the master plan is about,” she added. “Excellent result,” cheers former Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki. U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the conflict have proved fruitless so far. An uptick in gang violence has seen more than a dozen shootings so far this year. Russia has yet to prove it wants to end the war, prime minister says. Here we are to serve you with news right now. It does not cost much, but worth your attention. Choose to support open, independent, quality journalism and subscribe on a monthly basis. By subscribing to our online newspaper, you can have full digital access to all news, analysis, and much more. Proces du 13-November : ce que ces hommes opaques ont dans la tete, par Emmanuel Carrere Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit. Deleniti animi ipsam modi veniam quos? Blanditiis optio incidunt eum omnis ratione error temporibus iure porro esse, laborum vitae voluptatem tempore nostrum! Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer consectetur quam eget ipsum dictum accumsan. Donec non lectus id risus rutrum ullamcorper sit amet vel nulla. Energy SecurityBrussels readies for final push in phase-out of Russian gasSecuring supply security and managing internal divisions among areas the EU will seek to navigate as it prepares to set out a roadmap for ending Russian hydrocarbon imports