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☆ Case of mad cow disease in Netherlands is old age variant
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AMSTERDAM, Feb 1 (Reuters) - A case of mad cow disease discovered on a farm in the Netherlands is the old age variant that is not dangerous to public health, the agriculture ministry said on Wednesday. "Atypical cases of (mad cow disease) occur sporadically in older cows," the ministry said in a statement, adding that the last found case in the Netherlands dated back to 2011. The other variant of mad cow disease, the classic type of infection, is usually caused by contaminated animal feed. Widespread cases of mad cow disease hit cattle herds in Britain and other European countries in the 1990s. Atypical cases have occasionally been detected and can lead to temporary trade restrictions.

☆ Dutch PM Rutte: may not disclose result of U.S. chip export control talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AMSTERDAM, Jan 27 (Reuters) - The Netherlands' Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Friday that it is not clear whether his government will disclose the result of ongoing talks with the U.S. over new export restrictions for the semiconductor industry. A Dutch delegation is in the U.S. on Friday for talks. "Those talks have been going on for a long time and we're not saying anything about it," Rutte said. Asked whether ASML would not need to be informed of the decision in order to implement new restrictions, Rutte said government communications with the company "are also private." Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg, Toby Sterling, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Editing by Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Nightlife safe space for LGBTQ+ community tested in Amsterdam
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Charlotte Campenhout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/6] Drag queen Divina stands at Reguliersdwarsstraat near safe space "Dress & Dance" which offers people a place to change before and after they go out so that they don't have to walk down the street in their going-out outfit, in Amsterdam, Netherlands January 14, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de WouwAMSTERDAM, Jan 19 (Reuters) - A hair salon in Amsterdam's nightlife district opened after hours at the weekend to offer a safe space for members of the LGBTQ+ community who do not feel safe in the city to dress before going out for the night. The "DRESS&DANCE" pilot project was organised by students at the InHolland University and Maud Gussenhoven, who manages the city's central Reguliersdwarsstraat street. "It is sad that this is needed but there have been incidents that have made people feel unsafe," said Gussenhoven. Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout Editing by Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Iran sentences Belgian aid worker to 40 years in prison, Tasnim reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The sentence imposed on aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele, reported by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, was more severe than the 28-year term Belgium had reported in December. It said Vandecasteele, who was arrested while on a visit to Iran in February last year, could appeal the verdict. Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib condemned Vandecasteele's "arbitrary detention" on Twitter and said Iran's ambassador to Brussels would be summoned in protest at the sentencing. "The family is devastated by the news," Olivier Van Steirtegem, who is Vandecasteele's best friend and has been acting as the family's spokesperson, told Reuters. "Olivier is a victim, a hostage," Van Steirtegem said, adding that the Belgian government should do everything possible to free Vandecasteele and condemn Iran's "hostage diplomacy".

☆ Belgium to extend life of two nuclear reactors by 10 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Companies Engie SA FollowBRUSSELS, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Belgium has reached an agreement with French utility Engie to extend the life of two nuclear reactors by 10 years, the prime minister said on Monday, overturning a plan to exit nuclear power in 2025 as the war in Ukraine has changed energy strategy. "The extension of these two nuclear reactors is crucial to guarantee our energy security," Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo told a news conference after meeting cabinet members. Belgium had planned to exit nuclear power entirely in 2025, but Russia's invasion of Ukraine has forced the government to rethink plans to rely more on natural gas. Belgium's six operating nuclear reactors have a combined capacity of about 5 gigawatt and generate about half of the country's electricity, World Nuclear Association data show. The cost of the future dismantling of the Belgian reactors will remain Engie's responsibility, De Croo added.

☆ EU offers China free vaccines as COVID-19 infections surge
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Jan 3 (Reuters) - The European Union has offered free COVID-19 vaccines to China, the EU executive said on Tuesday, as infections there surged following Beijing's relaxation of its "zero-COVID" policies. China has not responded to the offer yet, a spokesperson for the European Commission told journalists at a regular briefing. He did not specify the amount of vaccines the EU was offering or their manufacturers. "In view of the COVID situation in China, (Health) Commissioner Stella Kyriakides has reached out to her Chinese counterparts to offer EU solidarity and support," he said. Last month, Germany shipped 11,500 BioNTech (22UAy.DE) COVID vaccines to German companies and embassy and consulate locations in China for use by German nationals there.

☆ Belgium to test wastewater on airliners from COVID-hit China
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 2 (Reuters) - Belgium will test wastewater from planes arriving from China for new COVID variants as part of new steps against the spread of the coronavirus as infections in China surge, the government announced on Monday. "This will be an additional monitoring objective to verify that the data we receive from China is accurate," Steven Van Gucht of the Sciensano national public health institute told Reuters. Belgium is also asking travellers from China to test themselves for COVID-19 if they show symptoms seven days after arriving, but will not enforce this measure. Authorities around the world are imposing or considering curbs on travellers from China, including mandatory testing for COVID, as infections there spread following Beijing's relaxation of "zero-COVID" rules. Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout Editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ European Parliament to waive immunity of two MEPs in corruption case
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Charlotte Campenhout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Jan 2 (Reuters) - The European Parliament said on Monday it had begun a procedure to waive the immunity of two of its members after a request from Belgian judiciary investigating a European Union-Qatar corruption scandal. Two sources close to the investigation told Reuters the two MEPs were Belgian Marc Tarabella and Italian Andrea Cozzolino. "Following a request from the Belgian judicial authorities, I have launched an urgent procedure for the waiver of immunity of two members of the European Parliament," parliament president Roberta Metsola said on Twitter. In December, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters that Francesco Giorgi, one of the main suspects in the investigation along with his partner, ousted European Parliament vice-president Eva Kaili, confessed to taking bribes from Qatar to influence European Parliament decisions on Qatar. According to the sources, Giorgi, an EU parliamentary assistant, said he suspected Tarabella and Cozzolino had received money from Qatar.

☆ Factbox: The European Parliament's cash-for-influence scandal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BRUSSELS, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Belgian authorities have charged four people linked to the European Parliament over allegations World Cup host Qatar lavished them with cash and gifts to influence decision-making. RAIDS AND THE PROSECUTION CASEInvestigators searched 19 homes and the offices of the European Parliament in raids on Dec 9-12. Pier Antonio Panzeri - a former European Parliament member from Italy's centre-left and founder of non-profit pro-justice campaign group Fight Impunity. Belgium also submitted European arrest warrants for his wife and daughter in Italy. According to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter, Giorgi has confessed to taking bribes to influence European Parliament decisions and sought to exonerate his partner Kaili.

☆ EU and Iran to continue working on nuclear deal, Borrell says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 20 (Reuters) - EU foreign 7policy chief Josep Borrell on Tuesday condemned Iran's support for Russia in its war in Ukraine and the ongoing repression of opposition in the country, but said the EU would continue to work with Iran on restoring the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. "Necessary meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in Jordan amidst deteriorating Iran-EU relations," Borrell tweeted ahead of a regional conference being hosted by Jordan. "Stressed need to immediately stop military support to Russia and internal repression in Iran. Agreed we must keep communication open and restore JCPOA on basis of Vienna negotiations." Reporting Bart Meijer, Editing by Charlotte Van CampenhoutOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'Qatargate' scandal casts light on 'untouchable' EU lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

BRUSSELS, Dec 20 (Reuters) - As a corruption scandal rocks the European Parliament, lawmakers and campaign groups say a lack of asset declarations, little reporting on contacts with third countries and barely any sanctions created an environment where rule-breaking could go unpunished or undetected. Prosecutors suspect Greek member of the European Parliament (MEP) Eva Kaili and three others accepted bribes from recent soccer World Cup host Qatar in a bid to influence European Union policymaking. The case, widely dubbed "Qatargate" in the media, is one of the biggest scandals to hit the 27-nation bloc. They also urged the European Commission to put forward a proposal for an independent ethics body as soon as possible. ($1 = 0.9433 euros)Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; additional reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EU warns Meta over Facebook Marketplace antitrust breach
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

European Union's antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said in a statement that she is concerned that Meta ties its dominant social network Facebook to its online classified ad services, which is called Facebook Marketplace. "This means Facebook users have no choice but to have access to Facebook Marketplace," she said. Facebook Marketplace was launched in 2016 and is used in 70 countries to buy and sell items. The Commission said on Monday that it was concerned that Meta is imposing "unfair trading conditions" on competitors of its own classified ads service, Facebook Marketplace, that want to advertise on its social networks Facebook or Instagram. The EU competition enforcer launched an investigation into Facebook in June last year, focusing on whether the social network unfairly uses advertisers' data to compete with them in the online classified ads sector.

☆ Netherlands PM Rutte apologises for role of Dutch state in slavery
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Tosterling Ank Kuipers | Ank Kuipers | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/8] Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte responds to recommendations from a panel of experts to accept the role of the Netherlands in the history of slavery and its current consequences in The Hague, Netherlands December 19, 2022. "Today I apologise," Rutte said in a nationally televised speech at the Dutch National Archives. "For centuries the Dutch state and its representatives have enabled and stimulated slavery and have profited from it," he added. "It is true that nobody alive today bears any personal guilt for slavery...(however) the Dutch state bears responsibility for the immense suffering that has been done to those that were enslaved and their descendants." The panel said that Dutch participation in slavery had amounted to crimes against humanity and in 2021 recommended an apology and reparations.

☆ EU clears Germany's plan to take over gas giant Uniper
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Uniper SE FollowGazprom PAO FollowBRUSSELS/FRANKFURT, Dec 16 (Reuters) - The European Commission has approved the acquisition of Uniper SE (UN01.DE) by the German government, it said on Friday, paving the way for nationalising the gas trading firm which nearly collapsed after Russia stopped supplying gas. The acquisition was approved under the EU merger regulation after the Commission concluded it would raise no competition concerns. "The transaction was prompted by the ongoing European energy crisis, in particular the cessation of Russian gas deliveries and the sharp rise in gas prices, which resulted in Uniper, Germany's largest importer of Russian gas, requiring significant capital injections to prevent its insolvency," the Commission said. Gazprom (GAZP.MM) used to be Uniper's biggest gas supplier, but deliveries were reduced in the summer and fully halted at the end of August, forcing Uniper to buy gas elsewhere at much higher prices to meet existing contracts. "This is an important step in the proceedings," a spokesperson for Germany's Economy Ministry, which was key in negotiating the nationalisation, said.

BRUSSELS Dec 15 (Reuters) - Francesco Giorgi, the partner of ousted European Parliament vice-president Eva Kaili, has confessed his role in a Qatar graft scandal, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Giorgi's confession to taking bribes from Qatar to influence European Parliament decisions on Qatar had made "a significant contribution" to the probe underway by Belgian investigating magistrates, one of the sources said. Greek MEP Kaili, who was ousted from her role as vice president of the European Parliament on Monday, has denied any wrongdoing through her lawyer. Tarabella, who had previously confirmed that his home was searched on Saturday as part of the Belgian investigation, has denied any wrongdoing. The European Parliament on Thursday suspended all work on legislation linked to Qatar, and parliament's president, Roberta Metsola, told EU leaders she would lead reforms to prevent a repeat of a criminal corruption scandal.

☆ EU's Borrell: European Parliament corruption probe is "very worrisome"
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Dec 12 (Reuters) - A Belgian investigation into alleged corruption at the European Parliament is "very worrisome", European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday after raids and arrests linked to alleged money and gifts from Qatar. The European Parliament said at the weekend it had suspended the powers and duties of one of its vice presidents, Greek socialist Eva Kaili, in light of the Belgian investigation. "Certainly the news is very worrisome," Borrell told reporters as he arrived at a meeting of EU foreign ministers. "We are facing some events, some facts that certainly worries me as a former president of the European Parliament, also." The European Parliament was due to vote this week on a proposal to extend visa-free travel to the EU for Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Ecuador.

☆ A winning group! 165 Belgians share $150 mln lottery jackpot
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Charlotte Campenhout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/Illustration/File PhotoDec 9 (Reuters) - Christmas came early for 165 people from the small northern Belgian village of Olmen who won 142,897,164 euros ($150.81 million) in the EuroMillions lottery this week, the biggest group win ever in Belgium. She said it was the first time in Belgium that such a big group had won this much. "Many winning customers were in disbelief at first," said storekeeper Wim Van Broekhoven who was as stunned as his wife when they heard the winning numbers. "We have had quite a few new customers since the big win, but no one in the village holds any grudges against the winners," Van Broekhoven said. EuroMillions is a draw game of the National Lottery, organised in coordination with lotteries from France, Britain, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Austria, Switzerland and Luxemburg.

☆ Lyon's Festival of Lights goes energy lite to save power
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/7] The art installation "Time" by Philippe Roca and Marko Komar is seen on the Saint-Jean Cathedral during the festival of lights (Fetes des Lumieres) amid a worldwide energy crisis in Lyon, France, December 7, 2022. REUTERS/Denis BalibouseLYON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Lyon's 'Fete des Lumieres', or Festival of Lights, which features intricate light structures projected on historical monuments and public buildings across town, is toning things down a bit this year due to the energy crisis, organisers said. Lyon locals Beatrice Roche and Laurent Oger attend the festival every year. 'La Fete des Lumieres', originally a festival in which locals celebrate the Virgin Mary by putting a candle on their window sills, attracts large crowds of visitors from all over the world. This year, one of the artworks is the projection on Lyon's art museum of giant portraits singing, among others, Britney Spears and AC/DC songs.

☆ Apollo lifted out of Versailles' gardens for restoration
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] The gilded sculpture of Apollo on his chariot, part of a group of statues symbolising the sun god's journey created by Jean-Baptiste Tuby between 1668 and 1671, is lifted out of its basin as part of a major restoration of Apollo's fountain in the gardens at the Chateau de Versailles (Versailles Palace) in Versailles, France, December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Pascal RossignolVERSAILLES, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Apollo's Chariot Fountain was lifted from its base in the sumptuous gardens of the Palace of Versailles on Tuesday ahead of an 18-month restoration of the gilded lead sculpture celebrating the Greek god. Until now, restoration work had been limited to its surface. The restoration work will consist of disassembling the statues, with the 13 sculptures being restored and re-gilded, while the stone base will be strengthened. (And) with the horse riding events happening here, we'll have Apollo's Chariot, in majestic and flamboyant gold, as a backdrop for those Games", Pegard said.

☆ Renault-Airbus partnership to develop new generation of electric batteries
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A model of Airbus A350-1000 jetliner is displayed at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China, in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, China September 28, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File PhotoPARIS, Nov 30 (Reuters) - European planemaker Airbus (AIR.PA) announced on Wednesday a partnership with French carmaker Renault (RENA.PA) to develop a new generation of electric batteries for cars and planes. Engineering teams from both companies will join forces to mature technologies related to energy storage, one of the main roadblocks for the development of long-range electric vehicles, Airbus said in a statement. "Aviation is an extremely demanding field in terms of both safety and energy consumption, and so is the car industry." The collaboration will focus on energy management optimisation and battery weight improvement while also studying the full life cycle of future batteries and assessing their carbon footprint.

☆ Brussels proposes plan to confiscate frozen Russian assets
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( John Chalmers | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The European Commission on Wednesday proposed confiscating Russian assets that have been frozen to punish Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine, exploring legal options with the EU's partners to compensate Kyiv for damage to the country. Officials in the European Union, the United States and other Western countries have debated for months how to legally seize Russian assets held abroad - both state and private - that are frozen by sanctions. The problem is that in most EU member states, seizing frozen assets is only legally possible where there is a criminal conviction. Also, many assets of blacklisted Russian citizens are difficult to seize or even freeze because they are registered as belonging to family members or front people. Russia says the freezing of its central bank's reserves and the assets of its citizens are illegal.

☆ FIFA rejects Belgium's away shirts due to word 'Love'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 21 (Reuters) - FIFA has rejected the Belgium soccer team's away strip because of the word "Love" in the collar combined with a rainbow-coloured trim on the shirt, a spokesperson for the Red Devils said on Monday. The design was inspired by the fireworks of Belgian's famous music festival Tomorrowland and stands for diversity, equality and inclusivity. If the word 'Love' is removed from the inside of the shirt, the team is allowed to wear it. The away shirts are a new design and were introduced in September. The Belgian Football Association said earlier on Monday that its captain Eden Hazard will not play wearing the armband.

☆ French queen Marie Antoinette's furniture to go up for auction in Paris
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Antony Paone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Gonzalo FuentesPARIS, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Two pieces of furniture formerly owned by France's Queen Marie Antoinette are set to go to auction on November 22 in Paris. The 250-year-old chest of drawers and chair are estimated to be worth 800,000 to 1.2 million euros ($832,000-1.25 million) and 100,000 to 200,000 euros ($104,000-208,000) respectively. She would marry the soon-to-be Louis XVI that year." The chair was the last royal order placed by the then queen, before she was overthrown during the French Revolution and later executed at age 37. Last year, a pair of diamond bracelets which also belonged to the former Queen were sold at auction in Switzerland for $8.18 million, several times the pre-sale estimate.

☆ Broadcom seeks EU antitrust approval for $61 bln VMware buy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Nov 15 (Reuters) - U.S. chipmaker Broadcom (AVGO.O) is seeking European Union antitrust approval for its $61 billion bid for cloud computing company VMware (VMW.N), Broadcom said on Tuesday in a statement. "We are confident that this deal does not present any competition issues and look forward to working with the European Commission throughout this process", the company said. The EU competition watchdog will decide by Dec. 20 whether to clear the deal. Announced in May, the deal is the second biggest globally so far this year and marks Broadcom's attempt to diversify its business into enterprise software. (This story has been corrected to fix EU decision date to Dec. 20 from Nov. 20)Reporting by Foo Yun Chee Writing by Charlotte Van Campenhout Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Shell, Chinese partner to drop off-shore wind farm project in France
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Shell PLC FollowPARIS, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Oil major Shell (SHEL.L) and state-owned Chinese energy company CGN on Tuesday that they would drop their plan for a floating wind power project on France's Brittany coast, citing inflation and supply chain problems among other reasons. "The project faced several technical, commercial and financial challenges, all in a context of constantly increasing costs and very strong constraints in terms of inflation and supply chain," the companies said in a joint statement. The wind farm would have been located off the coast of Belle-Ile, an island popular with tourists and co-financed by a regional public investment bank. "The economic conditions linked to the project have been significantly modified", the companies said. Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout, editing by Tassilo HummelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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