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☆ Burning car carrier off Dutch coast being towed away from shipping lanes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AMSTERDAM, July 31 (Reuters) - A burning car carrier off the Dutch coast is being towed to a new location away from shipping routes as part of a difficult operation to salvage the ship, the Dutch water board Rijkswaterstaat and media said. The ship will be towed to a location 16 km north of the Dutch islands Ameland and Schiermonnikoog, Rijkswaterstaat said in a statement on Sunday. A Rijkswaterstaat spokeswoman told to the ANP Dutch press agency that at the temporary location, the ship would be further away from shipping routes and slightly out of the wind. The relocation is an intermediate step in the difficult salvage operation, the spokeswoman said. The company declined to say anything about the car brands, including whether it included any cars from Japanese manufacturers.

Persons: Rijkswaterstaat, Shoei, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Robert Birsel Organizations: Panamanian, Fremantle Highway, ANP Dutch, Ship, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Germany, Egypt

☆ One dead in cargo ship fire, electric car suspected source - Dutch coastguard
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Panama-registered Fremantle Highway was transporting 2,857 cars from Germany to Egypt, 25 of them electric. An electric car was the suspected source of the blaze, a coastguard spokesperson said, adding that the ship was still burning. The crew had tried, but failed, to extinguish the fire, the coastguard statement said. The injured crew were taken by helicopter to medical facilities on the mainland. A fire destroyed thousands of luxury cars on a ship off the coast of Portugal's Azores islands in February last year.

Persons: Shoei Kisen, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Rishabh, Anthony Deutsch, Edmund Klamann, Tom Hogue, Michael Perry, Alison Williams Organizations: Dutch coastguard, Fremantle Highway, coastguard, NOS, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Panama, Germany, Egypt, Bermenhaven, Dutch, Ameland, Jersey, Portugal's Azores

The fire began on Tuesday night on the 199-metre Panama-registered Fremantle Highway, which was en route from Germany to Egypt, forcing several crew members to jump overboard. Rescue ships sprayed water onto the burning boat to cool it down, but using too much water risked its sinking, the Dutch coastguard said. The coastguard said on its website that the cause of the fire was unknown, but a coastguard spokesperson had earlier told Reuters it began near an electric car. Coastguard spokesperson Edwin Granneman said salvage experts were trying to work out next steps for the burning boat. A fire destroyed thousands of luxury cars on a ship off the coast of Portugal's Azores islands in February last year.

Persons: Edwin Versteeg, Willard Molenaar, Molenaar, Edwin Granneman, Shoei Kisen, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Rishabh, Anthony Deutsch, Alison Williams, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: coastguard, Fremantle Highway, Dutch coastguard, Dutch Department of Waterways, Public, Reuters, Fremantle, Royal Dutch Rescue Company, Coastguard, Thomson Locations: Germany, Egypt, AMSTERDAM, Panama, Bremerhaven, Ameland, Dutch, Jersey, Portugal's Azores

☆ 'Operation Cookie Monster': Dutch arrest their most-wanted suspect in cyber case
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM, July 25 (Reuters) - Dutch police have arrested a man they described as their most wanted suspect in the investigation into the Genesis Market, a dark web marketplace for stolen computer credentials, shut down in a multi-national crackdown dubbed "Operation Cookie Monster". The Genesis website was closed in April in an operation said at the time to involve law enforcement agencies from 17 countries and more than 120 arrests. International investigators said the site had been used to sell stolen online credentials, such as web browser fingerprints and cookies, from more than 2 million people. In a statement, police said the 32-year-old Dutch national, a resident of Brazil, could be one of the top 10 users of the Genesis Market. The suspect was arrested last week when he was in the Netherlands but police did not publicise the arrest until this week for investigative purposes.

Persons: Charlotte Van Campenhout, Peter Graff Organizations: Genesis, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Brazil, Netherlands

☆ 62 arrested in Europol-Interpol human trafficking crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM, July 24 (Reuters) - Law enforcement from five countries have disrupted an intercontinental criminal network that was smuggling migrants from Cuba to the European Union, with the move leading to the arrest of 62 people, Europol and Interpol, who coordinated the international investigation, said on Monday. A Europol statement said the criminal network focused on Cubans in vulnerable situations, and that for 9,000 euros ($9,969.30), it would organise their journey to Europe and provide false documentation. In total, it is suspected that the criminal network successfully smuggled around 5,000 Cuban nationals into the EU. Besides the arrests, police also seized 18 pieces of real estate, 33 vehicles, and 144 bank accounts, alongside vast sums of cash in various currencies. ($1 = 0.9028 euros)Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Charlotte Van Campenhout, Bernadette Baum Organizations: European Union, Interpol, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Cuba, Europe

☆ France to raise regulated household electricity prices by 10% from August
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, July 18 (Reuters) - The French government has decided to raise regulated household electricity prices by 10% starting from August, a government official said on Tuesday, confirming a report from newspaper Les Echos. The 10% increase is much lower than the one proposed by the French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE), which - based on current market prices - recommended an increase of 74.5%. In May, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said France's cap on electricity prices would be phased out and end at the end of next year. European electricity prices soared last year, mainly driven by the fallout from the war in Ukraine. France also saw record-low nuclear output as state-owned utility EDF (EDF.PA) repairs reactors affected by stress corrosion.

Persons: Les, ”, Bruno Le Maire, France's, Benjamin Mallet, Tassilo Hummel, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Jason Neely Organizations: French Energy Regulatory Commission, Finance, EDF, Thomson Locations: Europe, Ukraine, France

☆ ICC ruling opens way to investigation on killings in Philippines
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In a ruling on July 18, the ICC appeals judges rejected an attempt by the Philippines to block an investigation into the bloody anti-narcotics campaign of former President Rodrigo Duterte. A majority of judges rejected all four points of Manila's appeal, including that the ICC has no jurisdiction in the Philippines and that authorities there were conducting their own investigation. "The ICC appeals judges' ruling marks the next step toward justice for victims of 'drug war' killings and their families," Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), said in a statement. The decision left some of the families of drug war victims in tears after they watched the court proceeding online. But appeals judges ruled prosecutors still had jurisdiction over the alleged crimes because they occurred when the Philippines was still an ICC member.

Persons: Rodrigo Duterte, Harry Roque, Roque, Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, Bryony Lau, Kristina Conti, HRW's Lau, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Anthony Deutsch, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Neil Jerome Morales, Eloisa Lopez, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Emma Rumney, Alex Richardson Organizations: Criminal Court, ICC, Philippine, Human Rights Watch, Duterte, Police, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, MANILA, Philippines, Manila, Asia, Amsterdam

☆ Dutch polls, first in years without PM Rutte at VVD helm, set for November
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] People sit on benches with a view of the parliament building in The Hague, Netherlands March 9, 2021. Rutte announced his imminent departure from politics on Monday, three days after he had handed in the resignation of his fourth coalition government. Other major parties will also have new leaders, as Finance Minister Sigrid Kaag and Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra have also said they won't run in the elections. Rutte's four-party coalition will stay on as caretaker government until a new administration is formed after the election. Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout and Bart Meijer; Editing by Alison Williams, Devika Syamnath nd Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: de, Mark Rutte, Rutte, Sigrid Kaag, Wopke Hoekstra, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Bart Meijer, Alison Williams, Devika, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, Bruins, Thomson Locations: The Hague, Netherlands, AMSTERDAM

☆ Euro zone almost eliminates trade deficit in May
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, July 14 (Reuters) - The euro zone almost eliminated its trade deficit in May, non-adjusted data showed on Friday, as exports of chemicals and machinery picked up and the value of imported energy products, notably from Russia, declined. The European Union statistics office Eurostat said the seasonally unadjusted trade balance of the 20 countries sharing the euro was a 0.3 billion euro deficit in May compared with a 30.3 billion euro shortfall a year earlier. Adjusted for seasonal swings, the May trade deficit was a modest 0.9 billion euros from 8.0 billion euros in April. The EU's trade gap with China also narrowed slightly in Jan-May, while its trade surplus with the United States dipped. However, the EU trade surplus with Britain expanded as EU exports rose and imports from Britain fell.

Persons: Eurostat, Philip Blenkinsop, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Andrew Heavens Organizations: European Union, Union, Britain, Eurostat, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Russia, Jan, China, United States, Britain

Lawmakers and member countries will now negotiate the final text, aiming for a deal before EU Parliament elections in 2024. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol"Restoring nature brings numerous benefits to farmers," EU lawmaker Mohammed Chahim said. Lawmakers and scientists have rejected the EPP's claims, accusing the group of using misinformation to court votes ahead of EU Parliament elections next year. "This is a law on behalf of nature, not against any person whatsoever." EU lawmakers voted earlier this week to weaken another law to cut pollution from farms.

Persons: Cesar Luena, Manfred Weber, Remy, Pascal Rossignol, Mohammed Chahim, Luena, Greta Thunberg, Kate Abnett, Marine Strauss, Bart Meijer, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Mark Potter, Devika Syamnath, Ed Osmond Organizations: European, European People's Party, EPP, EU Parliament's, REUTERS, EU, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Europe, Neuville, France, Brussels

VILNIUS, July 11 (Reuters) - NATO leaders have agreed at a summit in Vilnius that Ukraine's future lies within the alliance but stopped short of handing Kyiv the invitation or timetable for accession that the country has been seeking. At the same time, NATO dropped the requirement for Ukraine to fulfil a so-called Membership Action Plan (MAP), effectively removing a hurdle on Kyiv's way into the alliance. "Ukraine's future is in NATO," a declaration agreed by the leaders on Tuesday said, adding Kyiv's Euro-Atlantic integration had moved beyond the need for a Membership Action Plan. "We will be in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the alliance when allies agree and conditions are met," the declaration said. Reporting by Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray and John Irish, Editing by Charlotte Van CampenhoutOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray, John Irish, Charlotte Van Campenhout Organizations: NATO, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Vilnius, Ukraine

☆ Dutch PM Rutte says he won't run for fifth term in office
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM, July 10 (Reuters) - Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will not run for a fifth term in office and will leave politics following the elections in November, he said on Monday. Rutte on Friday handed in the resignation of his fourth cabinet after failing to reach agreement on stricter immigration policies. The only answer is the Netherlands," Rutte said in a speech in parliament before a debate on the collapse of the government. Rutte's decision will mark the end of his run as the longest serving government leader in Dutch history. He took over as Prime Minister in October, 2010.

Persons: Mark Rutte, Rutte, there's, Bart Meijer, Toby Sterling, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Toby Chopra, Ed Osmond Organizations: Dutch, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Rutte

☆ EU strikes deal to boost ammunition production to aid Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, July 7 (Reuters) - The EU will devote 500 million euros to boosting the production of ammunition for Ukraine and to replenish the stocks of EU member countries, it announced on Friday. The European Council and European Parliament representatives struck a provisional agreement overnight and it is expected to enter into force before the end of this month. Under the deal, subsidies will be given to European arms firms to increase their production capacities and tackle identified bottlenecks. The scheme is the third part of a broader EU effort to get more ammunition and arms to Ukraine, particularly 155-millimetre artillery shells, which Kyiv is pleading for as the fight against Russia's invasion has become a war of attrition. Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Charlotte Van Campenhout, Toby Chopra Organizations: EU, European Council, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Ukraine, EU

☆ 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

☆ German antitrust watchdog can add privacy breaches to Meta probe, EU court says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, July 4 (Reuters) - Antitrust authorities can check whether companies such as Meta Platforms (META.O) comply with EU data protection rules during their investigations, Europe's top court said on Tuesday, a move likely to broaden regulators' scrutiny of Big Tech. At issue is whether the German antitrust agency overstepped its authority by using its antitrust power to address data protection concerns, which are the remit of national data protection authorities. Meta, owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, challenged the finding, prompting a German court to seek advice from the CJEU. The CJEU however said antitrust regulators must "take into consideration any decision or investigation by the competent supervisory authority pursuant to that regulation." The case is C-252/21 Meta Platforms and others (User conditions for a social network).

Persons: Foo Yun Chee, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Louise Heavens Organizations: Antitrust, Big Tech, Justice, European Union, Facebook, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Luxembourg, German, Amsterdam

BRUSSELS, July 4 (Reuters) - NATO decided on Tuesday to extend Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s contract by a further year, opting to stick with an experienced leader as war rages on the alliance’s doorstep rather than try to agree on a successor. In a tweet, Stoltenberg said he was honoured by the decision to extend his term to October 1, 2024. "NATO member states have decided logically enough that the best secretary general currently on the market place is the one they already have. Others pressed the case for a first secretary general from eastern Europe. So NATO - and above all its predominant power, the United States - turned back to Stoltenberg.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg’s, Stoltenberg, Jamie Shea, Donald Trump, Ben Wallace, Mette Frederiksen, Shea, Andrew Gray, Marine Strauss, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Peter Graff Organizations: NATO, Diplomats, House, British, Danish, European Union, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Norway, Ukraine, Russian, Europe, North America, Kyiv, Afghanistan, Balkans, Asia, United States, China, France, Vilnius, Lithuania

☆ EU concerned over China export controls on metals used in chips
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, July 4 (Reuters) - The European Commission expressed concern on Tuesday over China's planned curbs on exports of strategic metals widely used in the semiconductor industry and doubt that the move was related to security. China said the control on exports of gallium and germanium products from Aug. 1 was aimed at protecting national security. "The Commission is concerned that these export restrictions are unrelated to the need to protect global peace and also stability and the implementation of China's non-proliferation obligations arising from international treaties," a Commission spokesperson told a daily briefing. The EU executive, which is assessing the potential impact on global supply chains and European industry, said it called on China to limit export restrictions to "clear security considerations" in line with World Trade Organization rules. The metals are used in semiconductors, electric vehicles and high-tech industries.

Persons: Philip Blenkinsop, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Estelle Shirbon, Mark Potter Organizations: European Commission, EU, World Trade Organization, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, China

His death, caught on video, has reignited longstanding complaints by poor and racially mixed urban communities of police violence and racism. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said early on Saturday that 270 people had been arrested on Friday night, bringing the total to more than 1,100 since unrest ignited. In Lyon, France's third-largest city, the gendarmes police force deployed armoured personnel carriers and a helicopter to quell the unrest. Darmanin asked local authorities across France to halt bus and tram traffic from 9 p.m. (1900 GMT) and said 45,000 officers were being deployed, 5,000 more than on Thursday. In Paris, police cleared protesters from the iconic central Place de la Concorde square on Friday night after an impromptu demonstration.

Persons: Nahel, Juan Medina, Macron, Emmanuel Macron, Gerald Darmanin, France's, Benoit Payan, Darmanin, we're, Snapchat, Mohamed Jakoubi, Enzo Santo Domingo, Ravina Shamdasani, Laurent, Franck Lienard, didn't, Lienard, Jacques Chirac, Dominique Vidalon, Marc Leras, Jean, Stephane Brosse, Pascal Rossignol, Elizabeth Pineau, Layli Foroudi, Gabrielle Tetrault, Farber, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Alison Williams, Sandra Maler, Dan Wallis, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, Government, Marseille, TF1, French soccer, Stade de France, de, Meta, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Nanterre, Paris, France, PARIS, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Lille, Spanish, Bilbao, Brussels, Aubervilliers, U.S, Geneva, Amsterdam

[1/2] Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib appears before the External Relations committee at the Belgian Parliament to be questioned by lawmakers after delegations from Iranian and Russian cities were granted visas to attend a mayors' convention, in Brussels, Belgium June 26, 2023. REUTERS/Yves... Read moreBRUSSELS, June 29 (Reuters) - Belgian foreign affairs minister Hadja Lahbib on Thursday survived a vote of no-confidence in Parliament after granting visas to delegations from Iranian and Russian cities to attend a mayors' convention in Brussels earlier this month. When in Brussels, the Iranian delegation filmed Belgian-Iranian lawmaker Darya Safai and Iranian opposition members. The opposition had called for Lahbib's resignation over the scandal, but 79 MPs voted in support of the minister while 50 voted against and four abstained. Two members of coalition parties Ecolo-Groen and PS abstained symbolically to voice that Lahbib will have to regain their parties' trust.

Persons: Hadja Lahbib, Yves, Read, Darya Safai, Lahbib's, Marine Strauss, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Leslie Adler Organizations: Belgian, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, BRUSSELS, Belgian

Dr. Gert ter Haar, a specialist in short-muzzled animals at the AniCura veterinary hospital, widened her nostrils and performed other procedures to improve her breathing. Dogs are being bred for their looks, but people tend to forget about their health, said Ter Haar, who recommended potential pet owners should consult a vet before buying. On many, many organs", Dr. Ter Haar said. Dr. Ter Haar said pugs and French bulldogs are mostly affected, although larger dogs such as boxers and chows can also suffer from overbreeding. Dutch Minister of Agriculture and Nature Piet Adema has drafted a legal change to ban harmful characteristics after a transitional period during which owners of overbred pets will be exempt.

Persons: XXL Pablo, Read, Katja, Ilia, Abby, Gert ter Haar, Ter Haar, pugs, Nature Piet Adema, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Bart Biesemans, Anthony Deutsch, Barbara Lewis Organizations: French bulldogs, Agriculture, Nature, Thomson Locations: Utrecht, UTRECHT, Netherlands, Dutch

☆ Stonehenge-like 4,000-year-old sanctuary discovered in Netherlands
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] An illustration shows what the researchers believe is the 4,000-year-old Stonehenge-like sanctuary that archaeologists have discovered in Tiel, a town in the centre of the Netherlands, in this handout picture obtained on June 21, 2023. Municipality of Tiel/Handout via REUTERSAMSTERDAM, June 21 (Reuters) - Archaeologists have discovered a 4,000-year-old sanctuary made up of ditches and burial mounds in the central Netherlands that they believe may have served a similar purpose to Stonehenge. While excavating the site in 2017, archaeologists also discovered several graves. The archaeologists took six years to research more than a million excavated objects dating from the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages. Some of the discoveries will be showcased in a local museum in Tiel and in the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities.

Persons: Charlotte Van Campenhout, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Dutch National Museum of Antiquities, Thomson Locations: Tiel, Netherlands, Handout, REUTERS AMSTERDAM, England, Rotterdam, Iraq, Roman

☆ Visit a museum, go home inked - pop-up tattoo parlour at Dutch Rembrandt House
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Charlotte Van Campenhout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Piroschka van de WouwAMSTERDAM, June 19 (Reuters) - Renowned body artist Henk Schiffmacher and his team are offering tattoos of Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn's most iconic works in a pop-up studio installed at the painter's former house and now museum in Amsterdam. "To own a Rembrandt, you have to have a lot of money, even if you want a small little etching. People interested had to be quick - the week-long event was sold out in 15 minutes, head of the Rembrandt House Museum Milou Halbesma said, although daily walk-ins are also available. Rembrandt House employee Lillian Ramcharan was the first to get a tattoo this week. Schiffmacher is relishing the experience of working in Rembrandt's house and plans to get a tattoo of the master's work himself.

Persons: Rembrandt, Henk Schiffmacher, Rembrandt van Rijn's, Schiffmacher, Milou Halbesma, Lillian Ramcharan, Ramcharan, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Ed Osmond Organizations: REUTERS, AMSTERDAM, Rembrandt, Thomson Locations: Amsterdam, Netherlands

But one diplomat said Turkey had blocked approval over the wording of geographical locations, including with regard to Cyprus. There was still an opportunity to find a solution before the NATO summit in mid-July in Vilnius, the diplomat added. Turkey's diplomatic mission to NATO said it would be wrong to comment on a secret NATO document, adding only that "the usual process of consultations and evaluation among allies is continuing". The so-called regional plans comprise thousands of pages of secret military plans that will detail how the alliance would respond to a Russian attack. "While regional plans were not formally endorsed today, we anticipate these plans will be part of a series of deliverables for the Vilnius Summit in July," a senior U.S. official told Reuters.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Angus MacSwan Organizations: NATO, Vilnius Summit, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Turkey, Ukraine, Brussels, Cyprus, Vilnius, NATO, Afghanistan, Iraq, Soviet Russia, Moscow, U.S

☆ Ukrainian refugee wins 500,000 euros in Belgian lottery
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, June 12 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian war refugee has won 500,000 euros ($540,000) using a scratchcard, the Belgian national lottery said on Monday. The man bought the scratchcard for 5 euros last month in a gas station, meaning his bet has been increased a hundred thousandfold. The winner, whose identity will remain unknown as is the case for all Belgian lottery winners, is between 18 and 24 years old and has been living in Brussels for the last 12 months. It is a difficult period to be happy with everything happening in his home country," said Joke Vermoere, spokesperson for the National Lottery, alluding to Russia's devastating invasion of Ukraine. Last year, 165 people from a small Belgian village won 142,897,164 euros.

Persons: Vermoere, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Belgian, National Lottery, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Brussels, Ukraine, Belgium, Belgian

THE HAGUE, June 7 (Reuters) - Judges at a U.N. war crimes court ruled that elderly Rwandan genocide suspect Felicien Kabuga is unfit to stand trial but said slimmed-down legal proceedings in his case can continue, in a decision published on Wednesday. "The trial chamber finds Mr. Kabuga is no longer capable of meaningful participation in his trial," a decision published on the Hague court's website said. "It is simple: when a person is deemed unfit for trial, then the court case should end and that person should go home," he said. Kabuga has denied the charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. Prosecutors say Kabuga promoted hate speech through his broadcaster, Radio Television Libre des Milles Collines (RTLM), and armed ethnic Hutu militias.

Persons: Felicien Kabuga, Kabuga, Emmanuel Altit, Eric Emeraux, Felicien, Benoit Tessier, Prosecutors, Stephanie van den Berg, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Jason Neely, Andrew Heavens Organizations: HAGUE, Hague, Office, Reuters, REUTERS, Radio Television Libre, United Nations, Thomson Locations: France, Paris, Hague, United, Rwanda

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