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☆ Spanish PM floats peace conference idea in meeting with Israel's Netanyahu
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo pose during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, November 23, 2023. "Today, more than ever, we need to bring back a serious and credible prospect for peace," Sanchez said after talks with Netanyahu. Sanchez said he and unspecified colleagues had proposed holding an international peace conference with the parties as soon as possible. "It is in Israel's interest to work for peace, and today, peace means the establishment of a viable Palestinian state that includes the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, according to the U.N. resolutions," he said. U.S. officials have said the time is not right to try to resume peace talks given the protracted intransigence of both sides.

Persons: Pedro Sanchez, Alexander de Croo, Benjamin Netanyahu, Borja Puig de la, Sanchez, Isaac Herzog, Mahmoud Abbas, Netanyahu, Alexander De Croo, De Croo, David Latona, Marine Strauss, Aislinn Laing, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Spanish, Belgian, Israeli, Reuters Acquire, Rights, Hamas, West Bank, European Union, Arab League, Organisation for Islamic Cooperation, West, of, Union, Palestinian Authority, Jerusalem, Thomson Locations: Jerusalem, Moncloa, Handout, Rights MADRID, U.S, Israel, Palestinian, Ramallah, Egypt, West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, Barcelona, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Madrid, Oslo, Brussels

Israel has accused Hamas of using civilians and civilian structures including hospitals as shields; Hamas and several hospitals in the enclave have denied that. Since Saturday, Israel has opened up a humanitarian corridor for four hours each day, allowing Gazans in the north to leave for the south. Eyewitnesses described multiple explosions in central and southern Gaza on Tuesday morning that they said were caused by Israeli airstrikes. Yet Netanyahu insists he will not permit a ceasefire until Hamas releases the hundreds of hostages it still holds in Gaza. It’s not good for Israel; not good for the Israeli people,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told CNN.

Persons: Alexander de Croo, Leo Varadkar, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Mira Ziydeh, Joe Biden, Biden, Israel, “, It’s, John Kirby, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Mark Regev, CNN’s Abeer Salman, Eyad Kourdi, Niamh Kennedy, Andrew Carey Organizations: Jerusalem CNN —, UN, Israel Defense Forces, IDF, ”, CNN, UNRWA, ABC, National Security Locations: Jerusalem, Gaza, Belgium, Belgian, Brussels, Latin America, Africa, Israel, United States, United Kingdom, Israel’s, Ramallah, ”, Gazan, Deir, Wadi Gaza, Southern Gaza

☆ 'Positions Not Matching Yet' as EU Leaders Fight for Slice of Budget Pie
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

The bloc's executive proposed that member states chip in more to the shared coffers to provide 50 billion euros to Ukraine and spend another 15 billion on migration. Budgetary decisions require unanimity and divisions were on display on Thursday as the bloc's 27 national leaders arrived for a summit in Brussels. On the bloc's eastern flank, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that - beyond supporting Ukraine - joint spending should grow for improving EU defence capabilities. Lithuania said 50 billion euros for Ukraine was not enough. Orban's comments come as his government is trying to unlock billions in aid envisaged for Hungary in the EU budget but blocked by the European Commission over rule of law concerns.

Persons: Gabriela Baczynska, Jan Strupczewski BRUSSELS, Alexander de Croo, Kaja Kallas, Kyriakos, Hungary's Viktor Orban, Orban, that's, Ireland's Leo Varadkar, Olaf Scholz, Marine Strauss, Krisztina, Tassilo Hummel, Rene Maltezou, Jan Strupczewski, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: European Union, EU, Belgian, European Commission, Diplomats Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Brussels, Estonian, Lithuania, Greece, East, Africa, Budapest, Hungary, Austria, Western Balkans, Germany

They spoke after paying tribute to the victims of Monday's attack in the Belgian capital, home to the EU institutions, and condemning what they branded a brutal terrorist attack. Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Europe's open-border Schengen zone would not survive unless the EU's external frontiers were better protected from unwanted immigration. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said the EU also needed a more effective system of returning unauthorised immigrants. The 45-year-old gunman arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa in 2011 and then lived in Sweden before claiming asylum in Belgium. EU migration ministers will discuss the plans in Brussels on Thursday, as will national leaders next week.

Persons: Ulf Kristersson, Alexander De Croo, Yves Herman Acquire, Margaritis Schinas, Abdesalem Al Guilani, RTBF, Abdesalem, Sudip Kar, Gupta, Johnny Cotton, Anna Ringstrom, Benoit van Overstraeten, Gabriela Baczynska, Gareth Jones, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Swedish, Belgian, REUTERS, Sweden's, EU, STV, European Commission, Islamic State, Thomson Locations: Sweden, Brussels, Belgium, BRUSSELS, Tunisia, Swedish, Belgian, Europe, Lampedusa, Israel

It has since emerged that the attacker had been ordered to leave Belgium in 2021. Bernard Clerfayt, a Brussels minister who is also the mayor of the Brussels borough where the killings took place, called for de Moor's resignation. Official figures showed that only 5,497 of the 25,292 people who received an order to leave Belgium in 2022 have respected it. Despite the attack, Belgium is one of the better performers when it comes to deportation. Theo Francken, a lawmaker from the right-wing Flemish nationalist party N-VA, said Belgian authorities should be stricter with criminals and radicalized individuals.

Persons: —, Ulf Kristersson, Alexander De Croo, De Croo, ”, “, ” De Croo, Kristersson, Vincent Van Quickenborne, Nicole de Moor, Frédéric Van Leeuw, Bernard Clerfayt, de Moor's, ” Van Leeuw, didn’t, Jesper Tengroth, Samira, Theo Francken, ” Nils Duquet, It’s, Raf Casert Organizations: Sweden’s, Belgian, ”, Authorities, Premiere, Swedish Migration Agency, European Union, Flemish, Flemish Peace Institute Locations: BRUSSELS, Swedish, Brussels, Belgium, Belgian, Sweden, Nigerian, Africa

He lost his case in October 2020 and, the following March, was issued an order to leave Belgium. With at least three EU countries involved, the case points up the challenges the EU faces tracking people across the bloc's Schengen open-travel zone that is mostly free of border checks. Proponents of the EU's new migration pact - which has been tentatively agreed by most EU countries and is now being further negotiated with the European Parliament - say it would support returns by shortening time for migration and asylum procedures. "Those who are not allowed to stay in the EU must leave Europe. "This is a wake-up call for those who are not ready to accept ... the migration pact."

Persons: Alexander de Croo, Vincent Van Quickenborne, Manfred Weber, Marine Strauss, Bart Meijer, Angelo Amante, Gabriela Baczynska, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Belgium Case, EU, Immigration, Belgian, Frontex, Eurostat, Reuters, European People's Party, Thomson Locations: Italy, Sweden, Belgium, BRUSSELS, ROME, Tunisia, Europe, Israel, Germany, Brussels, Tunis, ITALY, SWEDEN, BELGIUM, Lampedusa, Poland, Hungary, East, Africa, Rome

[1/8] Police barricade tape is seen at a cordoned-off area after a police operation in Schaerbeek near Brussels, Belgium October 17, 2023. REUTERS/Bart Biesemans Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Belgian police on Tuesday shot and wounded a 45-year-old Tunisian suspected of killing two Swedish football fans in Brussels, Belgian media said. Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden said earlier the wounded man was suspected of being the gunman. The suspected gunman, calling himself Abdesalem Al Guilani, claimed in a video on social media that he was a fighter for Allah. According to a media transcript of the video message recorded by the self-declared perpetrator, he said he had killed Swedes to take revenge in the name of Muslims.

Persons: Bart Biesemans, Annelies Verlinden, Verlinden, Philippe Close, BFM, Alexander De Croo, De Croo, de Croo, Vincent Van Quickenborne, Abdesalem Al Guilani, Philip Blenkinsop, Bart Meijer, Benoit van Overstraeten, Jan Strupczewski, Tassilo Hummel, Zhifan Liu, Ingrid Melander, Gerry Doyle, Christina Fincher, Nick Macfie Organizations: Police, REUTERS, Rights, Belgian, Islamic State, Red Devils soccer, Palestinian, Thomson Locations: Schaerbeek, Brussels, Belgium, Rights BRUSSELS, Belgian, Sweden, Israel

☆ Two Swedes shot dead in Brussels, Belgium raises terror alert to top level
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The suspected assailant fled the scene after the shooting as a football match between Belgium and Sweden was about to start, triggering a massive manhunt and prompting Belgium to raise its terror alert to the highest level. The federal prosecutor said the third victim, who was wounded but not in life-threatening condition, was a taxi driver. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo confirmed on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that the victims were Swedish. "I have just offered my sincere condolences to the Swedish PM following tonight’s harrowing attack on Swedish citizens in Brussels," de Croo said on X. France is tightening controls at the border with Belgium after the deadly attack in Brussels, Belgian media said.

Persons: Abdesalem Al Guilani, Alexander de Croo, de Croo, Gunnar Strommer, Ulf Kristersson, King, Yves Herman Acquire, King Baudouin, Emmanuel Macron, Allahu Akbar, Al Guilani, hamdoulelah, Salam Aleykoum, Philip Blenkinsop, Marine Strauss, Anna Ringstrom, Terje Solsvik, Richard Lough, John Cotton, Jan Strupczewski, Silvia Aloisi, Hugh Lawson, Matthew Lewis Organizations: State, Palestinian, European Commission, Belgian, PM, Sweden's, Reuters, Government, Swedish, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Brussels, Belgium, Sweden, Belgian, Israel, jihadists, Swedish, France, Islamic State

☆ Brussels attack: Two Swedes shot dead in Belgian capital
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Catherine Nicholls | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Two people were shot dead in the Belgian capital Brussels on Monday evening in what the government described as a terrorist attack. The suspect was still at large hours later, Belgian media reported, as authorities raised the terror alert in Brussels to its highest level. “Horrified by the terrorist attack that claimed two victims in the heart of Brussels,” Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib posted to X. Following the attack, the terror threat level for Brussels was raised to 4, the highest level. I am closely following the situation, together with the Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs from [the Belgian Crisis Center].

Persons: Hadja Lahbib, Philippe Close, ”, “, Alexander De Croo Organizations: CNN, Brussels, Police, Justice, Home Affairs, Belgian Crisis Locations: Belgian, Brussels, Belgium, Sweden

☆ Two Swedes shot dead in Brussels; Belgium raises terror alert to top level
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The likely motive for the attack was the Swedish nationality of the victims, the prosecutor said. The suspected assailant, calling himself Abdesalem Al Guilani, claimed in a video on social media that he was a fighter for Allah. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo confirmed on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, the victims were Swedish. "I have just offered my sincere condolences to the Swedish PM following tonight’s harrowing attack on Swedish citizens in Brussels," de Croo said on X. France is tightening controls at the border with Belgium after the deadly attack in Brussels, Belgian media said.

Persons: Abdesalem Al Guilani, Alexander de Croo, de Croo, Gunnar Strommer, King, Yves Herman Acquire, Ulf Kristersson, Emmanuel Macron, Allahu Akbar, Al Guilani, hamdoulelah, Salam Aleykoum, Philip Blenkinsop, Marine Strauss, Anna Ringstrom, Terje Solsvik, Richard Lough, John Cotton, Gabriela Baczynska, Stephanie Lecocq, Tassilo Hummel, Benoit van Overstraeten, Tommy Lund, Jan Strupczewski, Silvia Aloisi, Hugh Lawson, Matthew Lewis, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Islamic State, Palestinian, European Commission, Belgian, Twitter, PM, Sweden's, Reuters, Swedish, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Brussels, Belgium, Sweden, Belgian, Israel, Swedish, France, Islamic State

[1/4] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg walk on the day of a NATO Defence Ministers' meeting at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium October 11, 2023. On his first visit to NATO HQ since Russia's full-scale invasion in February last year, Zelenskiy said the coming cold months would be one of Ukraine's biggest challenges. Standing alongside Zelenskiy, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Russian President Vladimir Putin was "preparing once again to use winter as a weapon of war" by attacking energy infrastructure in Ukraine. "We need to prevent that, with more advanced and increased capabilities for air defence, we can make a big difference," Stoltenberg said. NATO defence ministers were to sit down with their Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov in the NATO-Ukraine Council, established at the alliance's Vilnius summit in July.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, NATO Jens Stoltenberg, Johanna Geron, Putin, Zelenskiy, Jens Stoltenberg, Vladimir Putin, Stoltenberg, Lloyd Austin, Charles Q, Brown, Alexander De Croo, Rustem, Yoav Gallant, Marine Strauss, Andrew Gray, Idrees Ali, Sabine Siebold, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: NATO, NATO Defence Ministers, REUTERS, Ukraine Defense Contact, Zelenskiy, Diplomats, Lloyd Austin and Air Force, U.S, U.S . Congress, Belgian, Ukraine Council, Israeli, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, BRUSSELS, Ukraine, U.S, Washington, Kyiv, NATO, Vilnius, Finland, Estonia

☆ Governments repatriate citizens from Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

REUTERS/Pilar Olivares Acquire Licensing RightsOct 12 (Reuters) - Governments around the world have arranged repatriation flights from Tel Aviv in reaction to the conflict in Israel. AUSTRALIAAustralia organised two special flights on Friday and Sunday to bring back citizens from Israel, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday. CANADACanada plans to operate evacuation flights for Canadians stranded in Israel, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on Tuesday. ITALYItaly arranged for seven flights between Tuesday and Wednesday, the Italian foreign ministry said late on Tuesday, as part of efforts to repatriate about 900 Italian citizens from Israel. On Wednesday, Portugal had repatriated 152 Portuguese citizens directly from Israel, plus 14 citizens from other European countries.

Persons: Roseli Pereira, Pilar Olivares, Anthony Albanese, Alexander De Croo, Melanie Joly, Jan Lipavsky, Lipavsky, Elina Valtonen, Catherine Colonna, Annalena Baerbock, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Andrzej Duda, Mariusz Blaszczak, Margarita Robles, Tobias Billstrom, Srettha Thavisin, Oleg Nikolenko, Nikolenko, Alessandro Parodi, Tristan Chabba, Joao Manuel Mauricio, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Rio de, REUTERS, Argentinian, AUSTRALIA Australia, Spanish Air Force, Foreign, CANADA Canada, Centre for Israel, Jewish Affairs, Boeing, Foreign Ministry, European Union, Aviation, CZECH REPUBLIC Czech, Wednesday, Reuters, French Foreign, France, Condor, German Foreign Ministry, Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Israel . KAZAKHSTAN Air Astana, Astana Times, Norwegian Air, Sunday . Defence, Ben Gurion, SOUTH, Incheon Airport, Korean, Acting, Airbus, SWISS, THAILAND, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Airline KLM, Facebook, Romania, UNITED, UNITED STATES, U.S . State Department, . Delta Air Lines, U.S, Thomson Locations: Israel, Brazil, Tel Aviv, ARGENTINA, Rome, Argentina, AUSTRALIA, AUSTRIA Austria, Hörsching, Upper Austria, Cyprus, BELGIUM Belgium, BOLIVIA, BRAZIL, Brasilia, Embassy of Brazil, CHILE, Athens, Madrid, COLOMBIA, CYPRUS, Cypriot, CZECH REPUBLIC, Czech, Oman, Prague, DENMARK, Danish, FINLAND Finland, FRANCE France, Israel's Tel Aviv, Paris, GERMANY German, Jordanian, Aqaba, ICELAND, Germany, Keflavík, Iceland, Icelandic, ITALY Italy, Almaty, MEXICO, Oslo, POLAND Poland, Polish, Poland, Ben, Ben Gurion Airport, PORTUGAL, Portuguese, Lisbon, Portugal, SOUTH KOREA, Seoul, KS, SPAIN Spain, Spain, Torrejon, SWEDEN, Swedish, SWITZERLAND Swiss, Zurich, Bern, NETHERLANDS, Netherlands, UKRAINE Ukrainian, Gaza, Europe, U.S, Gdansk

☆ Janet Yellen says she supports using proceeds from frozen Russian assets to fund more aid for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen backed a European proposal to access profits from frozen Russian funds. Yellen said she supported "harnessing windfall proceeds from Russian sovereign assets" for Ukraine. European countries froze more than $212 billion in Russian assets after Moscow invaded Ukraine. AdvertisementAdvertisementJanet Yellen backed European plans to tap proceeds stemming from frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, the Financial Times reported. AdvertisementAdvertisementFor its part, Euroclear announced on Wednesday it would put the profits made from the frozen assets into a fund for Ukraine.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Yellen, —, Euroclear, Alexander De Croo Organizations: Service, Financial Times, Treasury, Euroclear, European Central Bank, Ukraine, Belgian Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Morocco, Belgium, Russia

Officials believe the attacks are connected to a controversial sexual education school program. Signs protesting the so-called Evras program were discovered in some of the schools, according to authorities. “In a democracy like ours, we will never allow our schools to be a target,” De Croo said. Political Cartoons View All 1163 Images“We don’t touch our schools,” Verlinden said during a news conference with De Croo. De Croo said that sexual education has been provided in Belgium for half a century and warned that the country will not take steps backwards.

Persons: Alexander De Croo, De Croo, “, Annelies Verlinden, ” Verlinden, De, Verlinden, she's, “ hypersexualization, It’s, Caroline Desir, Paul Magnette, ” Organizations: —, Brussels Federation, Charleroi Locations: BRUSSELS, — Belgian, Wallonia, Brussels, Belgium, Charleroi, Liege

☆ From Washington to Warsaw, a ‘greenlash’ is picking up steam despite extreme heat
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

A pushback against climate policies is not just a U.S. issue. Reprisals over climate policies come at a time of record-breaking extreme heat across the globe, with July poised to be the hottest month in human history. Ruling party leader Jarosław Kaczyński described the bloc's green policies as "madness" and akin to "green communism." "At the moment, it looks like green parties are not doing going fantastically well. "The IRA is called an IRA, it is not called a climate act because there's no way that you could get Democrats and Republicans to agree on something called climate," Tocci said.

Persons: Henry Nicholls, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, ESG, —, Kevin McCarthy, Drew Angerer, Nathalie Tocci, Tocci, U.N, António, Sadiq Khan's, Jarosław Kaczyński, Emmanuel Macron, Alexander De Croo, Ursula von der, Kenzo Tribouillard, Joe Biden's, Mark Rutte's, …, Jan Willem Erisman, Mateusz Morawiecki, Michal Hetmanski Organizations: Afp, Getty, Republican Gov, House, Biden, U.S, Capitol, Istituto, CNBC, Farmer, Movement, Internazionali, Belgian, Belgium's, IRA, BBB, Farmers, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images, Leiden University Locations: London, Marble, U.S, Europe, Florida, Washington ,, Italian, Poland, Ostend, European, Netherlands, The Hague, Polish, Warsaw

☆ Belgian PM says Western European safety lies with NATO, not an EU army
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBelgian PM says Western European safety lies with NATO, not an EU armyAlexander De Croo, prime minister of Belgium, discusses whether an EU Army is needed or if NATO is enough to ensure European safety.

Persons: Alexander De Croo Organizations: Belgian, NATO, EU, EU Army Locations: Western, Belgium

☆ EU and Belgium invest $1.6 billion in chip technology firm Imec
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, July 7 (Reuters) - The European Union and Belgium's regional Flemish government will together invest 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) in Belgian chip technology firm Imec, the Flemish government said on Friday. Imec will use the investment to expand its "clean room" test facility with the most advanced equipment and processes, the company said in a statement. Von der Leyen, who was visiting Imec, stressed the EU's stance that it should de-risk its supply chains for chips. While Von der Leyen did not directly address China's planned curbs on exports of strategic metals widely used in the semiconductor industry, she said the EU should reduce its dependency "on too few suppliers from East Asia". ($1 = 0.9195 euros)Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Imec, Jan Jambon, Ursula von der Leyen, Alexander De Croo, Von der Leyen, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Mark Potter Organizations: European Union, Flemish, European, Belgian, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, East Asia

☆ East Europe NATO allies say Wagner troops in Belarus spell trouble
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Anthony Deutsch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It requires a very, very tough answer of NATO," Polish President Andrzej Duda added. Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin arrived in Belarus on Tuesday under a deal negotiated by President Alexander Lukashenko that ended the mercenaries' mutiny in Russia on Saturday. "We have sent a clear message to Moscow and Minsk that NATO is there to protect every ally, every inch of NATO territory," Stoltenberg said. Poland's Duda said he hoped the threat posed by Wagner forces would be on the agenda at a summit of all 31 NATO members in Vilnius, Lithuania, July 11-12. Reporting by Bart Meijer and Anthony Deutsch; editing by Jonathan Oatis and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Wagner, Gitanas Nauseda, Stoltenberg, Andrzej Duda, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Alexander De Croo, Mark Rutte, Klaus Iohannis, Jonas Gahr, Read, NATO's Stoltenberg, Poland's Duda, Bart Meijer, Anthony Deutsch, Jonathan Oatis, David Gregorio Our Organizations: HAGUE, NATO, Albania's, Edi Rama, Dutch, Thomson Locations: Russian, Belarus, The Hague, Russia, Belgian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Moscow, Minsk, Ukraine, Vilnius, Lithuania

☆ Belgium investigating whether its weapons were used in Russia, PM says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, June 5 (Reuters) - Belgium will ask Ukraine for clarification on reports that rifles made in Belgium had been used by pro-Ukrainian forces to fight Russian troops inside Russia's western border, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said on Monday. "European weapons are delivered to Ukraine under the condition that they are used on Ukrainian territory with the purpose of defending that territory. De Croo declined to comment on possible consequences if the reports were confirmed. "We must not get ahead of ourselves here," the prime minister said. Reporting by Bart Meijer; editing by Philippa FletcherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alexander De Croo, De Croo, Bart Meijer, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Belgian, Washington Post, Kremlin, Belgium's, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Belgium, Ukraine, Russian Belgorod region, United States, Poland, Czech Republic

☆ Belgian Prime Minister De Croo briefly knocked out in bike fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, June 4 (Reuters) - Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo fell from a bicycle and briefly lost consciousness but hospital tests revealed no lasting effects, national news agency Belga reported. The incident happened when De Croo, 47, was on a bike ride with his son late on Saturday afternoon near his home in the Flanders region, according to Belga, citing the prime minister's office. De Croo lost consciousness for a few moments and was taken to hospital for checks, Belga reported. In a video message posted on social media on Sunday, De Croo said he was now back home. The accident was not expected to affect the premier's schedule for the coming week, Belga said.

Persons: Alexander De Croo, Belga, De Croo, Croo, Andrew Gray, Frances Kerry Organizations: Belgian, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Flanders

☆ Centre-right lawmakers quit EU talks on nature law
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, May 31 (Reuters) - The biggest lawmaker group in the European Parliament on Wednesday walked out of negotiations on a landmark EU law to protect nature, dealing another blow to the contested proposal. French President Emmanuel Macron has suggested a pause on new EU environment legislation, while Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo questioned whether the nature law is needed. Meanwhile, the European People's Party - EU Parliament's largest lawmaker group - has called to reject it. The nature law needs approval from both EU countries and the EU Parliament, which is scheduled to vote on it in July. So far, EU countries have not attempted to block the proposal outright, but are negotiating amendments.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Alexander De Croo, Christine Schneider, Jutta Paulus, Kate Abnett, Sriraj Organizations: Wednesday, European Commission, Belgian, European People's Party, EU Parliament's, EPP, EU, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Brussels

☆ Ukraine's envoy to Japan urges G7 to condemn any threat to use nuclear weapons
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Elaine Lies | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, May 9 (Reuters) - The leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) rich nations must condemn any threat to use nuclear weapons and vow "decisive action" against such a move when they hold a summit next week in the city of Hiroshima, Ukraine's envoy to Japan said. read more"It should be a very clear statement from specifically those nuclear powers among the G7 that the use of nuclear weapons or nuclear terrorism will not be tolerated and will be met with almost decisive actions from major powers," he said. "It's most important that the summit when we have a real threat of nuclear terrorism, that summit will be in Hiroshima," Korsunsky added. He called for G7 talks on nuclear security and the global architecture, as both the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) and the U.N. Security Council lacked power. Last week, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said his government was examining how Russian assets could be used to help Ukraine's war effort.

☆ Dutch PM says talks on F-16s for Ukraine progressing
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM, May 4 (Reuters) - Talks on a potential donation of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine are progressing, Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Thursday during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to The Hague, but no decision has been made. Answering a question at a press conference alongside Zelenskiy and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, Rutte said "On the F-16's: no taboos." He said on Thursday said that discussions on F-16s would "take time" as did previous discussions on donating Leopard 2 tanks and armoured howitzers. "But at this moment the panzer-howitzers are in Ukraine, (and) the Leo 2s are being delivered to Ukraine," he noted. "So we will work on this diligently, on the F-16s, and clearly there is support in parliament for this government to work on that."

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy visits war crimes court in The Hague seeking justice
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Tosterling Bart H. Meijer | Bart H. Meijer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AMSTERDAM, May 4 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Thursday visited the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, which in March issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for suspected deportation of children from Ukraine. Zelenskiy, dressed in his trademark khaki, was welcomed at the court by its president, judge Piotr Hofmanski. In his first official trip to the country, Zelenskiy was due to deliver a speech later in the morning, also in The Hague, titled "No Peace Without Justice for Ukraine". The Ukrainian leader has visited several foreign capitals including London, Paris and Washington since Russia's 2022 invasion. The ICC can prosecute genocide in Ukraine but has no jurisdiction over alleged crimes of aggression by Russia there.

☆ 4 countries that are embracing—or experimenting with—the 4-day workweek
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Dozens of countries including Ireland, Spain and the UK have tested a 4-day workweek, with overwhelmingly positive results: Businesses that participated in a six-month trial in the UK, which ended in December 2022, said switching to a 4-day workweek improved productivity, morale and team culture. Although no country has fully adopted a 4-day workweek, some countries are experimenting with one or have policies that allow workers to request a shorter schedule. Here are four countries where the 4-day workweek has been widely adopted, or is being tested:South AfricaMore than 500 employees at 28 companies are participating in South Africa's 4-day workweek trial, which began in March and will continue until September. IcelandBetween 2015 and 2019, Iceland led one of the largest 4-day workweek pilots to date, with close to 2,500 people participating. However, uptake of the 4-day workweek among businesses in Iceland's private sector "seems to be slow," he adds, as many employers are placing the onus on individuals to negotiate for worktime reductions instead of offering a 4-day workweek as an automatic benefit to all employees.

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