Subscribe!function(m,a,i,l,s,t,e,r){m[s]=m[s]||(function(){t=a.createElement(i);r=a.getElementsByTagName(i)[0];t.async=1;t.src=l;r.parentNode.insertBefore(t,r);return !0}())}(window,document,'script','https://tibet.net/wp-content/plugins/mailster/assets/js/button.min.js','MailsterSubscribe'); Brussels: At the invitation of the Mayor of Kasterlee EU Advocacy Officer Tenzin Phuntsok attended a special event on behalf of the Representative Office to jointly hoist the Tibetan national flag in front of the town hall on the 66th Tibetan National Uprising Day a picturesque town in the Belgian province of Antwerp has been hoisting the Tibetan national flag in front of its town hall since 2010 as a symbol of its strong and continued support for the Tibetan cause the mayor and board members warmly welcomed the EU Advocacy Officer and reaffirmed their unwavering solidarity with Tibet and its people the officer presented the mayor and board members with a traditional Tibetan scarf and a Tibet-Europe pin badge symbolising the enduring friendship between Tibet and Kasterlee He also provided an update on the critical situation inside Tibet and discussed possible ways to resolve the ongoing Sino-Tibetan conflict he briefed them on the Central Tibetan Administration’s (CTA) plans to commemorate His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday as the “Year of Compassion.” The proposed celebrations will include conferences and the mayor expressed interest in hosting one such event in Kasterlee The flag-hoisting ceremony lasted approximately 45 minutes and facilitated a meaningful exchange of ideas on Tibet’s future and the path forward The officer also conveyed gratitude on behalf of Representative Genkhang thanking the Mayor and board members for their invitation to attend the ceremony a selection of books related to Tibet was presented to the Mayor along with an invitation to visit the Brussels Office of Tibet Kasterlee is a municipality in Belgium’s Antwerp province It has a population of 19,052 and covers a total area of 71.56 km² His Holiness the Dalai Lama Offers Congratulations to Anthony Albanese on His Re-election as Prime Minister of Australia Sikyong Meets Current and Former Chairs of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee to Discuss Appointment of Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issue His Holiness the Dalai Lama Congratulates Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on His Party’s General Election Victory Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel offers condolence over the demise of His Holiness Pope Francis Tibet at a Glance Tibetan National Flag Global Tibet Movement Constitution Leadership Judiciary Legislature Executive Election Commission Public Service Commission Auditor General Religion and Culture Home Finance Education Security Information & International Relations Health Issues Facing Tibet Sino Tibetan Dialogue Middle Way Approach Dolgyal-Shugden © Central Tibetan Administration • Privacy Policy • Terms of Service Stepfather of missing Nova Scotia children calls on public's help41 minutes agoVideo19:06 The Breakdown | Honouring Canadian heroes + Negotiating with Donald TrumpThe Breakdown - Full Show |5 hours agoVideo3:03 Australia’s Labor leader claims victory in election, opponent loses seatCBC News |May 3Video19:29 The Breakdown | Canada’s liberation of the NetherlandsThe Breakdown - Full Show |May 3Video3:02:47 Video evidence, NHLer testimony raise questions in world junior sexual assault trialThe National |May 2Video1:19 It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. with many locally grown ones now too big to float topping out at around 1,000kg."My boyfriend told me about this event on one of our first dates and I thought it was hilarious" who dressed up as a shark in Sunday's event.Racing the huge vegetables takes some skill - "when you paddle it doesn't move forward but starts spinning" local competitor Jonas Verbruggen said - and this year some fell in the water after their pumpkins took too much water.Racer Oscar Guell sticky and oily" - before gleefully adding that he'd definitely be back next year.Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; editing by John Stonestreet 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 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 an entourage of giant pumpkins and their growers rolled into the town of Ludwigsburg Part of the world’s largest pumpkin festival they were there for the annual weigh-in to reveal who had grown Europe’s heaviest pumpkin in 2024 Belgium’s Mario Vangeel was crowned champion on 13 October, with a colossal pumpkin weighing in at 1,152kg - around the same as a small car No newcomer to the art of growing giant pumpkins Mario was the 2019 Belgian national champion with a pumpkin that came second to that year’s world record-breaking effort by Italian Stefano Cutrupi Yet Mario was still surprised to take the title this year but I didn’t think I was going to win,” he tells Euronews Green whose day job is driving tractors for a contracting company puts his success down to a lucky combination of conditions: “I had a good seed it was warm enough and I gave it a good fertiliser.”   If you’re curious as to what goes into the fertiliser that nourished Mario’s winning pumpkin you won’t find the answer here – or anywhere else “That’s a little secret,” he says mysteriously but in Mario’s hometown of Kasterlee there’s a thriving club of giant pumpkin growers This ‘glut’ of local growers is no coincidence so much so that the people here are nicknamed the ‘Pumpkin Eaters’ “They found papers from the 1600s saying that because they had poor land But pumpkins did very well here,” explains Mario’s wife Bieke who’s also become part of the giant pumpkin growing world given her husband’s dedication to the practice Nowadays the giant ones need good soil to grow.” While Mario’s pumpkin flourished this year, others in Kasterlee were not so lucky, thanks to some pumpkin eaters of an unwelcome variety. “Several growers had to deal with snails,” says Mario. “There were a lot more this year, we think because of the wet weather – we’ve had a lot of rain.”  a snail made a little hole in it and it was finished “It’s something growers will have to think about for next year – how to keep the snails out of the greenhouse.” For the pumpkins that do make it all the way to competition These giant varieties aren’t bred for taste, with the high water content reducing the flavour the biggest are often showcased at exhibitions and fairs some are put to a more creative use altogether “The club is going to use the ones that aren’t so big She’s referring to the town’s annual Pumpkin Regatta which started in 2008 as a collaboration between Kasterlee’s pumpkin and kayaking clubs who take to the water in hollowed-out pumpkins This year’s race takes place on 27 October and there’s even international competitors – teams from Spain and England will be racing Sailboats might be a fitting use for these giant pumpkins but most of us this autumn are more likely to encounter varieties marketed for Halloween carving While a fun tradition, carving creates an enormous amount of food waste. Polling by UK environmental charity Hubbub in 2023 found that 15.8 million pumpkins would go uneaten Hubbub recommends decorating the exterior of your pumpkin instead of carving it so you can eat the flesh once the festivities are over Living up to their reputation as ‘Pumpkin Eaters’, the Vangeels have a few recipe suggestions, for anyone keen to make the most of the veg in the kitchen made with just onions and curry powder really.”  where you roast the vegetable until it’s soft and then use a fork to create spaghetti-style strands from the flesh When the question of whether Mario will enter the European championship again next year comes up “I want to be world champion once – it’s a dream to break the record,” he reveals This year’s pumpkin almost matched the Belgian national record of compatriot Mathias Willemijns The current world record he’s striving to outgrow is 1,296kg held by American Travis Gienger since 2023 “This started as a hobby but it’s become a bit of a sport I want to keep growing bigger pumpkins every year,” the Belgian challenger says Mario might already be looking ahead to future seasons but Bieke is just pleased this one is over “He’s almost out there sleeping with that pumpkin,” she jokes and now I'm glad the kisses are back for me.”  ShareSavePeople cheer as power comes back on in MadridResidents applauded as the lights came back on in Spain's capital, after a huge power cut brought the country to a standstill. 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The race in Kasterlee started in 2008 after local growers decided they needed to find a different use for their 400-plus kg pumpkins Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player People compete in the pumpkin regatta in the village of Lichtaart of Kasterlee The 13th edition of pumpkin regatta is a kayaking competition in Belgium attracting participants to sit and compete in large hollow-out pumpkins the weight of each pumpkin that was made into a boat could reach hundreds of kilograms Staff members hollow out pumpkins for the pumpkin regatta in the village of Lichtaart of Kasterlee A staff member transports pumpkin boats in the village of Lichtaart of Kasterlee A staff member hollows out a pumpkin for the pumpkin regatta in the village of Lichtaart of Kasterlee A woman competes in the pumpkin regatta in the village of Lichtaart of Kasterlee People pose for photos with pumpkins in the village of Lichtaart of Kasterlee People watch pumpkins in the village of Lichtaart of Kasterlee The TimesBelgium and Italy are battling over the world record for the biggest pumpkin took the crown from Belgium with a giant pumpkin weighing in at 1,226kg winning Italy’s “Lo Zuccone” championship last weekend taking a world record he had spent 14 years trying to beat The Tuscan farmer is a regular winner in Italy and is on course to vanquish all-comers at the world championship with his giant pumpkins took the world record from another Belgian who set it at 1,190kg in 2016STEFANO CUTRUPI“It is not easy to obtain such results Some may see this as amusing but this can only be achieved with specific genetics crossbreeding and special agronomic techniques,” said Alessio Ribechini a Belgian from Kasterlee in eastern Flanders Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience Non-members can add the privileges at checkout through our 30 day free trial By continuing I accept the Terms & Condition and Privacy Policy. I would like to receive Newsletter from MICHELIN Guide Save lists of your favorite restaurants & hotels Participants covering a distance of 100 meters paddling in hollowed-out pumpkins Get the latest news and updates straight to your inbox Dubai Dream Home: Tour 60 million Jumeirah Park mansion See: France's International Kite Festival takes flight Photos: Sri Lanka women-run hotel breaks down barriers See: South Africa's 'cradle of humankind' caves reopens Thousands of people have gathered in a small Belgian town to witness one of Europe's most bizarre festivals The annual race sees more than 350 people hop into hollowed out giant pumpkins and paddle to the finish line on the river Kasterlee Organisers say the regatta with a Halloween twist attracts between 4,000-5,000 people "from all over the world" each year The pumpkins are grown in the little town of Kasterlee by the 'Pompoengenootschap' - the Pumpkin Society Their aim is “is to grow the world's largest pumpkins,” according to the president of the organisation "The true Kasterlee citizens are known as pumpkin eaters," he explained "So it means that those pumpkins were born here and then were spread all over the world And that’s why it makes sense to do that kind of event here." explained: "Every year we start with small pumpkins and every year we get the seeds from the bigger pumpkins and mix them to make bigger and bigger pumpkins." Organisers prepare the pumpkin boats early in the morning by cutting the giant squash open and hollowing it out before then tossing it onto the water to prepare for the race This year people are battling it out in pumpkins weighing up to 1,000 kilos A staggering 90 teams - comprising four people per team - then step inside the hollowed out pumpkin and start to “paddle for life,” according to Britt Tengrootenhuyzen who has returned to compete after winning the women's regatta last year she has taken matters into her own hands to make sure she gets the media attention she deserves - by dressing as a man “Last year we won but we didn’t get any attention from the media because all the attention went to the guys and that’s why we are dressed as boys this time.. we want to bring attention to the girls as well,” she said born from a collaboration between the Kastelse Kayakklub and the Pompoengenootschap in 2008 with the support of Kasterlee council and curious onlookers coming from different countries And the Belgian pumpkin race is not the only one of its kind in the world according to the president of Pompoengenootschap Want a quick briefing on the biggest news stories Listen to our award-winning podcast to find out What You Need To Know.. Thanks to his giant pumpkin weighing 1,152 kilograms Mario Vangeel is the new European pumpkin weighing champion Mario's specimen turned out to be more than 150 kilograms heavier than those of his German French and Austrian rivals during the competition in Ludwigsburg ‘It came as a surprise because the pumpkin had already lost a lot of moisture,’ Mario told VRT Mario won the Belgian pumpkin growing championship with a 1,160-kilogram giant pumpkin ‘The pumpkin is now 8 kilograms lighter,’ Mario stresses the pumpkin was removed from the plant and as a result it no longer gets any nutrition or water and is drying out.’ Mario took his giant pumpkin to Ludwigsburg in Germany for the European Championships A German pumpkin weighing 997 kilograms ended in second place ‘I was pleasantly surprised that I had brought along the heaviest one after all,’ he says Mario’s specimen has ranked him 5th in the world top this year he hopes to win the World Cup and bring it home to Flanders ‘I would very much like to thank my wife,’ says Mario My wife doesn't see much of me at certain times of the year’ already working on next year's champion pumpkins The winning pumpkin will be on display at the Kasterlee pumpkin market next weekend It will be cut open in early November to harvest the seeds ‘There could be between 30 and 300 of them A seed can fetch up to 50 euros.’ Mario shares his seeds with members of the Kasterlee's pumpkin club and other pumpkin societies worldwide