​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishJUSTICEWar weapons and drugs found in empty flat in Molenbeek20 February 2025 War weapons and a large quantity of drugs were found on Wednesday in an empty social housing flat in the Brussels municipality of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean The Brussels public prosecutor's office confirmed the discovery by a municipal employee had been empty for some time and was to be renovated The police arrived on the scene immediately and confiscated the weapons "We can confirm that four weapons and a large quantity of drugs were found by a municipal employee in an empty building in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean," the Brussels public prosecutor's office said The origin of the weapons is still unclear nor is it clear whether they can be linked to the recent shootings that have rocked Brussels five shootings took place in the capital region as part of a territorial dispute between drug gangs Police on a street in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean 18 March 2016 © AFP PHOTO / JOHN THYS JOHN THYS / AFP 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 This is Radio Schuman, your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news, insights, 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. No agenda, no argument, no bias, No Comment. Get the story without commentary. 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. With explanations, engaging Q&As, and lively conversations, the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society. Europe's water is under increasing pressure. Pollution, droughts, floods are taking their toll on our drinking water, lakes, rivers and coastlines. Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters, how our wastewater can be better managed, and to discover some of the best water solutions. Video reports, an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters, from Euronews. 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. ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishELECTIONSElections 2024: Brussels voter turnout at 80 per cent despite compulsory voting15 October 2024 Despite compulsory voting laws in the Brussels-Capital Region voter turnout in Sunday’s local elections reached only 80 per cent Flanders removed the obligation to vote in its local elections Only 63 per cent of eligible voters in the region voted voting remained mandatory but many voters still abstained the lowest turnouts were in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean (76.3 per cent) City of Brussels (76.9 per cent) and Anderlecht (77.3 per cent) The turnout was also low in Schaerbeek (78.5 per cent) Saint-Gilles (79.1 per cent) and Koekelberg (79.7 per cent) The highest participation was in Auderghem (85 per cent) Watermael-Boitsfort (84.09 per cent) and Woluwe Saint Pierre (83.61 per cent) The overall average in the region was 80.59 per cent turnout was significantly higher at 87.7 per cent 1 million people across the country did not turn up to votein the federal and regional elections giving a national turnout of 87.42 per cent nearly 10 per cent of the country's population did not vote people who do not attend a polling station risk a penalty of 40-80 euros A person votes at a polling station in Brussels © BELGA PHOTO HATIM KAGHAT Canadian players have been on the move all summer and you can officially add one of the Canadian Premier League‘s brightest stars to that list Kwasi Poku’s transfer from CPL powerhouse Forge FC to Belgian second-tier club RWD Molenbeek was officially announced on Wednesday setting a CPL record for an undisclosed fee along with future considerations Forge FC announced the sale before Molenbeek confirmed the signing with reveal video on Twitter To Brussels from over the Atlantic.Welcome, Kwasi 🇨🇦#RWDM #KwasiPoku #TransferWindow pic.twitter.com/KKF4IiNzuE Poku began his professional career signing with Forge in January 2022 Initially vying for first-team opportunities which earned him a nomination for the CPL’s Best Canadian U-21 Player Award This season Poku had become a crucial member of Forge’s starting lineup Initially stepping into the striker role due to team injuries he quickly demonstrated his prowess in the position Relegated from the Belgian top division last season Molenbeek are the third biggest team in Brussels behind Anderlecht and Union Saint-Gilloise The storied club based in the working-class neighbourhood of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean was added to Eagle Football’s portfolio in December 2021 Run by American businessman John Textor, Eagle Football company has stakes in Premier League club Crystal Palace, Brazilian team Botafogo and seven-time French champion Lyon. Poku’s got a lot of options within the Eagle family In just 14 games after transitioning from left-back to striker earlier this season His performance included standout goals against CF Montréal and Toronto FC propelling Forge to the top of the league standings securing two CPL titles and participating in both the Canadian Championship and the Concacaf Champions Cup Want more Canadian Soccer Daily direct to your inbox Your email address will be stored by Canadian Soccer Daily so that we can send you Canadian Soccer Daily updates by email. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more details about your data privacy and your rights please see our privacy policy. LionCity redefines Molenbeek: between concerts at the LEO Café and vintage markets, enjoy a unique experience. In Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, a wind of renewal is blowing over the former Delhaize site. LionCity, an ambitious temporary project, transforms this space into a cultural and social crossroads. At the heart of this effervescence, the LEO Café stands out as the place to be for Brussels’ creatives. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lioncity (@lioncitybrussels) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lioncity (@lioncitybrussels) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lioncity (@lioncitybrussels) LionCity may be a temporary project, but its impact on Molenbeek is set to last. Ultimately, citydev.brussels plans to transform the site into a mixed-use neighborhood. It will combine subsidized and social housing, production workshops, a supermarket, public facilities and green spaces. In the meantime, LionCity and the LEO Café offer Brussels residents a foretaste of what the future of this neighborhood could be: vibrant, inclusive and resolutely forward-looking ! 📍Address: 53, rue Osseghem, 1080 Brussels ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishCULTURE, EULeuven Molenbeek and Namur nominated for European Capital of Culture 203024 October 2024 Leuven Sint-Jans-Molenbeek and Namur were officially nominated for the European Capital of Culture shortlist in 2030 on Thursday The Belgian winner will be announced by the end of 2025 Belgium will share the title of European Capital of Culture in 2030 with Cyprus and a third country An independent panel of experts selected the three bids which will now compete over the next year to become Belgium's representative Projects have until the end of 2025 to complete their applications and refine their dossiers based on feedback from the expert jury a nomination as the European Capital of Culture is already a significant achievement and social benefits for the cities involved," they say and Brussels minister-president Rudi Vervoort are both pleased with the nomination "I am very happy," Moureaux said "We have worked very hard and thousands of people have participated in our events I am confident we will win the final nomination Vervoort said the Molenbeek candidacy aims to restore the area's image following the 2016 Brussels attacks "The intention was to show that Molenbeek and Brussels are not a 'hellhole,' as former president Donald Trump once described," he said All other municipalities in Brussels and the Brussels-Capital region as a whole are supporting Molenbeek’s candidacy Bert Cornillie pledged to "do everything he can to win the title" The Leuven project aims to include the wider region in its efforts but we are really up for it," Cornillie said also expressed her determination to continue the effort "I am very emotional and touched for the whole team and all the partners This is the fifth time Belgium has been chosen to present a European Capital of Culture Chemnitz in Germany and Nova Gorica in Slovenia will hold the title in 2025 followed by Oulu in Finland and Trenčín in Slovakia in 2026 the Capital of Culture initiative has grown into one of Europe's largest and most significant cultural projects to promote cultural diversity across the continent ​The town hall of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean © BELGA PHOTO THIERRY ROGE A post is being shared on social media with a claim that Molenbeek town in Belgium is the first European town with a 100 percent Muslim population Let’s fact-check the claim made in the post Claim: Molenbik town (Belgium) is the first European town with a 100 percent Muslim population Fact: No official information regarding the religious composition of the Molenbeek population was found in the Belgium official census Various estimates in the last 4-5 years have put the Muslim population in Molenbeek to be around 25-45 percent no credible information regarding the other comments in the post was found Molenbeek has been identified to be in connection with Islamic extremism on various occasions the population of Molenbeek municipality is around 98,000 None of the articles mentions that Molenbeek has a 100 percent Muslim population Molenbeek municipality in Brussels (Belgium) does not have a 100 percent Muslim population FACTLY is one of the well known Data Journalism/Public Information portals in India Each news story on FACTLY is backed by factual evidence/data from official sources that is either available in the public domain or that is collated/gathered/collected using tools such as the Right to Information (RTI) The municipality of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean in the Brussels-Capital Region has approved the introduction of a €5,600 (US$5,689) tax per self-scanning cash register Mayor Catherine Moureaux said that due to self-service checkouts customers can now do tasks that were once reserved for staff She said there is also an impact on “social cohesion” such as in neighbourhoods where many older people live because contact between customers and shop employees is minimised The tax also aims to raise money for the municipality in a “difficult budgetary context” The city has taken other steps to diversify its income such as a tax on professional film shooting and a reformed tax on advertising in public space Trade organisation Buurtsuper.be called the checkout tax “crazy” “We recently conducted research into the impact of automation on the jobs and competencies of store clerks This shows that it is a misconception that jobs would disappear will look different when self-scanning is introduced but the job itself will not disappear,” said Luc Ardies from Buurtsuper.be He said that traditional checkouts typically remain available and warned that the tax could have a much greater impact on job losses than self-scanning “Our recent profitability analysis showed that 60 to 70 percent of independent supermarkets will suffer losses in 2022 due to rising energy costs,” he commented “The introduction of such a tax could be the last straw.” Buurtsuper.be has asked the municipal council to reconsider the decision or make an exception for independent supermarkets Julien Fortin from the municipality of Molenbeek told Cities Today that supermarkets will be expected to declare the number of self-scan cash registers that they have Those that fail to do so will be automatically enrolled for the tax plus an additional ten percent He said there are no plans to apply a similar tax to other technologies at the moment In 2019, the UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Social Integration proposed a 1p levy on self-service checkout transactions which it said could raise £30 million (US$35.8 million) a year to fund social integration projects Others including Bill Gates and a San Francisco Board of Supervisors member have previously suggested introducing taxes on companies that use robots and other automated systems that displace jobs You have reached the limit for the basic subscription. Please upgrade to Premium to download more You have reached the limit for the basic subscription. Please upgrade to Premium to save more ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " 15 in connection with the deadly attacks in Paris Print Reporting from Molenbeek St Belgium — Across the canal from the trendy bars and brew pubs of the Belgian capital Men sip steaming mint tea from glasses at corner cafes The neighborhood is tranquil on a Sunday evening young hipsters sit at bohemian cafes working through mugs of beer and glasses of wine a historic bastion for working-class Belgians has come under intense scrutiny since last week’s terrorist attacks in Paris that left 129 dead and more than 345 wounded Several avenues of inquiry in the international investigation have led back to Molenbeek St The so-called Belgian connection in the Paris attacks has again revived the district’s reputation as the “jihadi capital of Europe” — a characterization that residents here decry as more media hype than reality the link to the Paris atrocities prompted a new wave of journalists to descend Prosecutors have said that two of the militants who carried out Friday’s terrorist rampage were French nationals who had been living in Molenbeek At least one car linked to the killing rampage has also been connected to the neighborhood through a parking ticket found inside after the vehicle was abandoned outside Paris The mayor of Molenbeek told reporters that five people had been arrested here in connection with Friday night’s massacre in Paris French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve declared that the assault on Paris was “planned from abroad,” which many took as a reference not only to Syria but to Belgium — specifically clearly embarrassed by the nation’s apparent connection to the Paris attacks though what they plan to do remains unclear “I notice that each time there is a link with Molenbeek,” Prime Minister Charles Michel was quoted as saying Sunday in an interview here referring to the neighborhood’s history of connections to terrorist episodes The focus of public attention is nothing new for Molenbeek which has become notorious as a purported center of militant networks linked to battlegrounds in the Middle East 1/20 Sylvain Perriot stops to take a picture of the flag at half mast above the Presidential Palace in Paris 2/20 Looking inside the courtyard of the Presidential Palace guards stand at attention for the departure of Secretary of State John Kerry after his meeting with French President Francois Hollande 3/20 On the third day of national mourning the Eiffel Tower was illuminated in the colors of the French flag after going dark 4/20 On the third day of national mourning people continue to gather in public places like the Place de la Republique 5/20 People observe a minute of silence in front of the Le Carillon cafe in Paris on Nov paying tribute to victims of the terror attacks 6/20 Paris residents take part in a Nov 16 moment of silence under the Eiffel Tower in observance of those who died during the terrorist attacks three days earlier 7/20 French President Francois Hollande stands with government officials to observe a minute of silence Nov 8/20 Members of the French Foreign Legion stand guard near the Eiffel Tower on Nov 9/20 A Paris shopkeeper stays inside Sunday as soldiers guard the street where she works 10/20 Women run past French soldiers as panic spread through the streets of Paris when rumors spread of another possible terrorist attack which turned out to be a car left running in the street 11/20 Prelates arrive to celebrate a Mass in memory of the attack victims at the Notre Dame cathedral 12/20 An emotional crowd gathers in front of Le Carillon restaurant 13/20 The glasses and silverware remain on the table where bullets were fired at Cafe Bonne Biere 14/20 Armed police stand guard Nov which was kept dark in honor of those who died in the terrorist attacks 15/20 Mourners place flowers and candles outside the Bataclan theater in Paris 16/20 A woman is evacuated from the Bataclan theater after the shootings in Paris 17/20 People lie on the pavement near the Cafe Bonne Biere in Paris following a series of attacks 18/20 Rescuers evacuate people following an attack in Paris where there were also reports of an ongoing hostage crisis at a concert venue 19/20 A victim lays dead under a blanket outside the Bataclan theater in Paris 20/20 Hundreds of people spilled onto the field of the Stade de France stadium after explosions were heard nearby during a match between the French and German national soccer teams was reportedly living in Molenbeek when he shot up a train from Amsterdam bound for Paris in August killed three people in a Jewish museum in Brussels last year; he also reportedly lived in the neighborhood after the attacks on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and a grocery that killed 17 police swooped down on what authorities called an Islamic State cell in Verviers in eastern Belgium has become a significant exporter of radicals to the Middle East war zones Belgium has sent the highest number of recruits per capita to fight in the battlefields of Syria and Iraq Authorities regard returning militants as an extreme security risk The fear is that many of those trained in the tactics of insurgent warfare and steeped in radical Islam will turn their sights on domestic targets once they are back on European soil Molenbeek is not a place that seems especially threatening The sprawling district includes areas with both run-down apartment buildings and middle-class homes The feeling here is completely unlike that found in some of the Paris suburbs which have long been known as incubators of Islamist radicals — including all three perpetrators in the Charlie Hebdo killings was a key corridor for transporting manufacturing goods and supplies Unlike many dense immigrant neighborhoods across Europe It is not a new suburb of soul-less high rises Before large-scale Moroccan immigration began in the 1960s Molenbeek housed earlier generations of working-class immigrants who came to work in factories and run machines Many immigrants formed unions and supported left-wing political parties Before its connection to Islamic radicalism Molenbeek was known for elevated crime rates and social disintegration It still suffers from high unemployment — which many here say is largely responsible for the fact that some young men have undoubtedly turned to radicalism But they insist the problem is exaggerated “Molenbeek is a victim of media stereotyping,” said Kenza Yacoubi a local socialist councilwoman and the daughter of Moroccan immigrants “There is a grave problem here of unemployment the mosques in Molenbeek feature moderate preachers and are not centers of extremism Experts say that radicalization often happens away from mosques “With the lack of work here and other problems it can happen that someone comes along and leads young men astray,” said the councilwoman “But this is a very tiny minority and should not taint the entire district.” She spoke at a brightly lighted cafe where mint tea and North African delicacies featured prominently on the menu hearing that a foreign journalist was visiting “These men who take innocent life — they have nothing to do with Islam,” said El-Yassini What they did does not represent our beliefs.” Serrano in Washington contributed to this report Follow McDonnell on Twitter at @mcdneville for news on the Paris attack France launches new airstrikes amid reports that Paris attacks were directed in Syria Hundreds gather at Cal State Long Beach to remember ‘a beautiful soul’ French Muslims fear reprisals in wake of Paris terrorist attacks Foreign correspondent Patrick J. McDonnell is the Los Angeles Times Mexico City bureau chief and previously headed Times bureaus in Beirut, Buenos Aires and Baghdad. A native of the Bronx, McDonnell is a graduate of Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism and was a Nieman fellow at Harvard. World & Nation Hollywood Inc. Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map