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☆ Three Europeans return home after release by Iran in prisoner swap
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Charlotte Van Campenhout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

They arrived around 2:45 a.m. (0045 GMT) and were greeted by Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, Belgium's Belga news agency reported. Danish citizen Thomas Kjems flew on to Copenhagen, landing at around 11 a.m. (0900 GMT) on Saturday. Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg tweeted photos of the two Austrians arriving in Vienna. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian tweeted on Saturday that he had told Lahbib that he hoped the prisoners' release would "open a new page" in Iran's relations with Belgium and Europe. Belgian government officials said that officially there were still 22 Europeans in Iranian prisons, but that no more Europeans would be exchanged for Assadi.

Persons: Thomas Kjems, Read, Dane, Asadollah Assadi, Olivier Vandecasteele, Assadi, Hadja Lahbib, Belgium's, It's, I've, Alexander Schallenberg, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Lahbib, Amirabdollahian, Massud Mosaheb, Kamran Ghaderi, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Kazem, Ahmadreza, Louise Rasmussen, Tom Little, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Bart Biesemans, Andrew Gray, Francois Murphy, Hugh Lawson, Mark Potter, Frances Kerry Organizations: Copenhagen Airport, Europeans, Belgian Foreign, Austrian, Ministry, Austrian Friendship Society, Danish, Assadi, Iranian, Thomson Locations: Copenhagen, Denmark, Iran, BRUSSELS, DUBAI, Tehran, Belgian, Belgium, France, Oman, Danish, Vienna, Iranian, Europe, ., Swedish, Brussels, Dubai

"All allies agree that Moscow does not have a veto against NATO enlargement," Stoltenberg told reporters as NATO foreign ministers gathered in Oslo, seeking to dispel any signs of discord ahead of the summit. At the Vilnius summit, NATO leaders aim to send a strong message of support to Kyiv. But with only six weeks to go, pressure is building for allies to find common ground on what exactly to offer Ukraine. Lithuania's Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said Kyiv had suffered two invasions while waiting for an answer from NATO for 14 years. "Ukraine needs to get a clear path, and the next steps, on how to enter NATO," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Gabrielius Landsbergis, Margus Tsahkna, Annalena Baerbock, Luxembourg's Jean Asselborn, Sabine Siebold, Gwladys Fouche, Terje Solsvik, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Bart Meijer, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Alezander, Boldizsar, Bart H, Meijer, Ros Russell Organizations: NATO, Kyiv, Ukraine, Lithuania's, Estonian, Thomson Locations: OSLO, Moscow, Ukraine, Vilnius, Oslo, Moldova, Kyiv, Europe, United States, Germany, Russia, Estonian, Luxembourg, Hungary, NATO, Brussels, Alezander Tanas, Chisinau, Olena, Budapest

[1/5] Cars belonging to the Palmen collection are displayed in the warehouse in which they were stored over the last 40 years, ahead of Friday's auction, in Dordrecht, Netherlands May 25, 2023. He never showed off his cars but rather kept them a secret, scared people might steal them, Nico Aaldering from Gallery Aaldering said. Palmen could afford to buy the cars thanks to smart investments, including in real estate, said Hans van der Pluijm from Classic Car Auctions, which is running the auction. "It's a collection you will probably never find in this condition, in this quantity again," said Hans van der Pluijm from Classic Car Auctions. It's special in every shape and it's wanted in every collection," Van der Pluijm said.

The women were found in Belgium, The Netherlands, or Germany but might have come from other countries, she said. Her body was discovered in 1991 in a rainwater well in the town of Holsbeek, some 40 km (25 miles) from Brussels. The operation focuses on female victims as "women are disproportionately affected by gender-based violence, such as sexual assault, human trafficking, and domestic abuse", Hitchin explained. Hitchin said that Interpol's global network will reach a wider public and might lead to someone recognising their loved one or a friend or a colleague. Reporting by Clement Rossignol, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Editing by William MacleanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 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."

☆ Belgium arrests seven suspected of planning terrorist attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, May 4 (Reuters) - Belgian police have arrested seven people on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack, the prosecutor's office said on Thursday. The suspects had discussed several scenarios for an attack in Belgium but had not yet decided on the target, the statement said as well. "There was talk of the NATO buildings, but at the moment those plans didn't seem very concrete," a spokesperson told Belgian newspaper De Standaard. The prosecutor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ French feminist politician under fire for Playboy front cover
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, April 3 (Reuters) - French junior social affairs minister Marlene Schiappa is facing criticism from her own party for posing in a white dress for the cover of Playboy, with French media reporting Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne called Schiappa to express her displeasure. The furor comes at a time of social unrest in the country as the government is facing a big backlash over pension reforms. The Playboy cover will be accompanied by a 12-page interview in which Schiappa, who brought in legislation outlawing catcalling and street harassment, talks about women's and LGBT rights. In France, women are free. The Playboy issue is available to buy from April 8th, according to Le Parisien.

☆ COVID-19 vaccination for health workers no longer mandatory, but favoured, France's health body says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A medical worker prepares a dose of the "Cominarty" Pfizer-Bivalent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine at a vaccination center in Nice as a new surge in the COVID-19 outbreak starts in France, December 7, 2022. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File PhotoPARIS, March 30 (Reuters) - France's public health authority Haute Autorite de Sante (HAS)on Thursday eased its vaccination guidance for professionals in the health sector, saying the shot was no longer mandatory, but still strongly recommended, in light of recent epidemiological data. France's decision at the height of the pandemic to suspend the work contracts of doctors, nurses and other health workers who refused to take a COVID-19 vaccination, was highly controversial. The government had argued the move was necessary to keep hospitals safe, while unions said it further reduced available workforce in France's chronically under-staffed health sector. Reporting by Tassilo Hummel, editing by Charlotte Van CampenhoutOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] A meatball made from flesh cultivated using the DNA of an extinct woolly mammoth is presented at NEMO Science Museum created by a cultured meat company, in Amsterdam, Netherlands March 28, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de WouwAMSTERDAM, March 28 (Reuters) - A giant meatball made from flesh cultivated using the DNA of an extinct woolly mammoth was unveiled on Tuesday at Nemo, a science museum in the Netherlands. The meatball was made of sheep cells inserted with a singular mammoth gene called myoglobin. While creating cultured meat usually means using blood of a dead calf, Vow used an alternative, meaning no animals were killed in the making of the mammoth meatball. Vow hopes to put cultured meat on the map in the European Union, a market where such meat as food is not regulated yet.

☆ Dusty painting hidden behind door turns out to be Brueghel 'masterpiece'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Yiming Woo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A man looks at the painting "Le paiement de la dime" (The Payment of the Yearly Dues) by the artist Pieter Brueghel the Younger (1564-1636) before its auction at Drouot auction house in Paris, France, March 27, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo FuentesPARIS, March 27 (Reuters) - A rediscovered painting of Flemish 17th-century painter Pieter Brueghel the Younger, for years hidden in a family house, will be presented for auction in Paris on Tuesday and is expected to fetch 600,000 ($647,340.00) to 800,000 euros. "I found this painting [in the house], behind a door in the television room," de Lussac told Reuters, calling it one of the biggest surprises in his career. Brueghel the Younger, whose father Brueghel the Elder died when he was only five, didn't use one of his father's compositions for this painting as he usually did but did revisit the popular theme of the village lawyer. ($1 = 0.9269 euros)Reporting by Yiming Woo, writing by Charlotte Van Campenhout, editing by Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EU to move towards joint buying of shells for Ukraine, says official
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] 155mm artillery shells are seen during the manufacturing process at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S., February 16, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidBRUSSELS, March 17 (Reuters) - A number of European Union countries are expected to sign a "Project Arrangement" on joint procurement of 155 mm artillery shells for Ukraine on Monday, a senior EU official said on Friday. "(The Project Arrangement) is the basis for the European Defense Agency and its member states to move on, ... basically the terms of reference that are the legal basis to move on." The official could not confirm how many countries would sign, but said they were "quite confident to see many signatures on Monday", adding the project was open to all EU members plus Norway and countries would be able to join it at any time. Reporting by Andrew Gray and Bart Meijer; Writing by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EU calls for UN to probe Iran schoolgirl poisonings
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, March 16 (Reuters) - European lawmakers called on the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday to conduct an independent investigation into a wave of poisonings that have hit schoolgirls in Iran. 13,000 pupils, mostly girls, have fallen ill after "suspected poisonings" according to state media and officials in Iran, with some politicians blaming religious groups opposed to girls’ education. In a resolution, the European Parliament condemned "in the strongest terms, this atrocious attempt to silence women and girls in Iran". It also urged EU member states to facilitate the issuance of visas, asylum and emergency grants to those who need to leave Iran, "particularly women and girls". Iran has arrested several people it said were linked to the wave of poisonings and accused some of connections to "foreign-based dissident media" .

☆ NATO's top military commander briefed allies on Black Sea incident -official
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BRUSSELS, March 14 (Reuters) - NATO's top military commander has informed allies about an incident over the Black Sea involving a Russian fighter jet and a U.S. military drone, a NATO official said on Tuesday. "General (Christopher) Cavoli has briefed NATO allies on the incident today," the official told Reuters. The U.S. air force said a Russian Su-27 fighter jet had struck the propeller of the "Reaper" surveillance drone on Tuesday, causing it to crash into the Black Sea in an incident condemned as "reckless" by the U.S. military. Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Editing by Charlotte Van CampenhoutOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ "Calm down!" EU finance ministers play down SVB contagion despite banking shares rout
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SummarySummary Companies European bank shares down nearly 10% over two daysMinisters try to soothe markets as investors dump bank stocksFrance's Le Maire: "calm down!" BRUSSELS, March 13 (Reuters) - European finance ministers and the EU's economics commissioner played down the contagion risk of the collapse of U.S. Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) while European bank shares saw their biggest rout since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. At the start of a Eurogroup finance ministers meeting in Brussels, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire called on markets to "calm down" and European Economic Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni stressed he did not see a risk of contagion for European banks following SVB's collapse (SIVB.O). France's Le Maire and his Belgian counterpart Vincent Van Peteghem also said they saw no specific concern for their country's banks, as investors were dumping their financial institutions' shares. Belgian finance minister Vincent Van Peteghem also poured oil on the waters.

☆ EU strikes deal to curb energy use by 2030
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, March 10 (Reuters) - The European Union struck a deal on Friday to cut final energy consumption across the bloc by 11.7% by 2030, a goal lawmakers said would help fight climate change and curb Europe's use of Russian fossil fuels. The deal was agreed after all-night talks between negotiators from EU countries and the European Parliament. The 11.7% goal was a compromise between the EU Parliament, which had wanted a far higher goal of 14%, and some EU countries who wanted to stick to the original 9% aim. From 2024 to 2030, countries will have to save an average of 1.49% of final energy consumption per year. The deal will now go to the European Parliament and EU countries for a final vote - which is usually a formality that approves the law with no changes.

☆ Dutch historian finds medieval treasure using metal detector
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Charlotte Campenhout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Part of the 1000-year-old medieval treasure discovered in Hoogwoud, Netherlands, consisting of jewellery and silver coins, is shown in this undated handout picture obtained by Reuters. Archeologie West-Friesland/Handout via REUTERSAMSTERDAM, March 9 (Reuters) - A Dutch historian found a unique 1,000-year-old medieval golden treasure, consisting of four golden ear pendants, two strips of gold leaf and 39 silver coins, the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) announced on Thursday. Lorenzo Ruijter, 27, who told Reuters he has been treasure hunting since he was 10, discovered the treasure in 2021 in the small northern city of Hoogwoud, using a metal detector. "Golden jewellery from the High Middle Ages is extremely rare in the Netherlands," the museum also said. Given its archaeological significance, the treasure was given as a loan to the museum which will display it, but it will remain the official property of finder Lorenzo Ruijter.

BRUSSELS, March 6 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms' (META.O) WhatsApp has agreed to be more transparent about changes to its privacy policy introduced in 2021, the European Commission said on Monday, following complaints from consumer bodies across Europe. The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) and the European Network of consumer authorities told WhatsApp last year that it had not clarified the changes in plain and intelligible language, violating the bloc's laws. WhatsApp has now agreed to explain changes to EU users' contracts and how these could affect their rights, and has agreed to display prominently the possibility for users to accept or reject the changes and ensure that users can easily close pop-up notifications on updates. The company also confirmed that users' personal data is not shared with third parties or other Meta companies, including Facebook, for advertising purposes. Reporting by Foo Yun Chee in Brussels and Charlotte Van Campenhout in Amsterdam; Editing by Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Extinction Rebellion holds climate protest next to Rembrandt's The Night Watch
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM, March 5 (Reuters) - The Netherlands arm of climate activist group Extinction Rebellion protested on Sunday next to Rembrandt's painting The Night Watch in Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum. It is obvious that this is due to the fossil industry, an industry that the Rijksmuseum is still sponsoring", 19-year-old protester Yara said, referring to the museum's partnerships with airline KLM and bank ING. Ten protesters, aged between 15 and 22 years old, wore T-shirts emblazoned with climate slogans, while some of their parents and grandparents stood nearby in support. A spokesperson for Rijksmuseum told Dutch press agency ANP that the protest didn't cause any damage to The Night Watch and that the protesters were escorted outside without incident. Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ KLM, airline industry to fight Schiphol Airport flight cap in court
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Tosterling Charlotte Campenhout | Charlotte Campenhout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

AMSTERDAM, March 3 (Reuters) - KLM and other airlines on Friday said they are suing the Dutch government over plans to cap the number of annual flights allowed at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, saying it would hurt them, the Dutch economy and travellers. Others joining the KLM suit include Delta Airlines, easyJet, TUI and Turkey's Corendon Airlines. But the decision to cap the flights cited noise and air pollution concerns, not traveller's' distress. Schiphol Airport Group, which was also issued a summons in the KLM-led case, said it "regretted" the suit. Last month the airport said it would impose a 66,000 passenger per day cap for the 2023 May vacation period due to still-unresolved labour shortages.

☆ Belgium to sell part of its stake in BNP Paribas in deal worth over $2 bln - SFPI
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Belgium is preparing a partial sale of its 7.8% equity stake in French lender BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA), the euro-zone's biggest bank, the Belgian state participation agency SFPI said on Tuesday. The SFPI will dispose of a chunk of around 2.7% in the French bank, it said in a statement. Lazard is advising Belgium on the move, while BNP Paribas Fortis, BofA Securities and Goldman Sachs International are acting as joint bookrunners, it added. The sale would mean Belgium will no longer hold the biggest stake in BNP Paribas. BNP Paribas did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.

☆ New Russian offensive underway in Ukraine, says NATO
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Ukrainian defenders, who have already held out for months, were braced for new ground attacks, Ukrainian military officials said on Monday. The Russian assault on Bakhmut has been spearheaded by mercenaries of the Wagner group, who have made small but steady gains. The Ukrainian military reported Russian shelling all along the frontline and said 16 settlements had been bombarded near Bakhmut. The Ukrainian governors of Luhansk and Donetsk have recently said that a predicted Russian offensive had begun. Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, in what it calls a "special military operation" to "denazify" the country and protect Russian speakers.

☆ NATO Secretary General: incidents with balloons over U.S. form part of pattern
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Recent incidents regarding balloons shot down by the United States, which suspects they are surveillance balloons from China, form part of a pattern which highlights the need for NATO to be vigilant, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. "What we saw over the United States is part of a pattern where China and also Russia are increasing surveillance activities on NATO allies," Stoltenberg told reporters on Monday. It was the fourth flying object to be shot down over North America by a U.S. missile in a little more than a week. China's foreign ministry said it had no information on the latest three flying objects shot down by the United States. Reporting by Bart Meijer, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Andrew Gray, Sabine Siebold and Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Sudip Kar-GuptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ European telecoms' advertising venture against Big Tech wins EU antitrust nod
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] A man carrying his computer passes by the logo of German telecommunication company "Deutsche Telekom" at the ITS World Congress 2021, a fair for intelligent transport systems, in Hamburg, Germany, October 13, 2021. REUTERS/Fabian BimmerBRUSSELS, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE), Orange (ORAN.PA), Telefonica (TEF.MC) and Vodafone (VOD.L) on Friday secured unconditional EU antitrust approval for their advertising joint venture to take on Big Tech. "The transaction, as notified, would not significantly reduce competition in French, German, Italian and Spanish markets," the European Commission said in a statement. This is the telecoms sector's first attempt to take on Meta (META.O) and Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google in the lucrative online advertising sector and diversify their revenue streams. Google is the world's leading seller of online advertising, well ahead of Meta, with the business generating about 80% of its revenue.

☆ EU says over 10 search and rescue teams mobilised to Turkey after earthquake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 6 (Reuters) - More than 10 search and rescue teams from the EU have been mobilised in the wake of the major earthquake that has hit Turkey, a spokesperson for the European Commission told reporters on Monday. "Urban Search and Rescue teams have been quickly mobilised from Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, France, Greece, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania to support the first responders on the ground," the European Commission said in a statement. Italy, Spain and Slovakia have offered their rescue teams to Turkey as well. The EU said it was also ready to support those affected in Syria, but said it had not yet received a request from the country to activate the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism, which coordinates assistance from EU and other European countries. Reporting by Bart H. Meijer, Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"Major economies are rightly stepping up investment in net zero industries," von der Leyen told a news conference. And we want to be an important part of this net-zero industry that we need globally," von der Leyen said. RESISTANCEThe European Commission is hoping member states will back its plan at a Feb.9-10 summit but it faces a hot debate. Solar sector industry group SolarPower Europe said it was concerned by what it called a "lack of focus" on specific technologies in the EU plan. The bloc is heavily reliant on China for rare earths and lithium, which are vital materials for the green transition.

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