Belgium

This year 'virtually certain' to be warmest in 125,000 years, EU scientists say

BRUSSELS, Nov 8 (Reuters) - This year is "virtually certain" to be the warmest in 125,000 years, European Union scientists said on Wednesday, after data showed last month was the world's hottest October in that period.

Last month smashed through the previous October temperature record, from 2019, by a massive margin, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said.

"The record was broken by 0.4 degrees Celsius, which is a huge margin," said C3S Deputy Director Samantha Burgess, who described the October temperature anomaly as "very extreme".

Belgium wants sanctions against Israel for Gaza bombings - deputy PM

BRUSSELS, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Belgium's deputy prime minister called on the Belgian government on Wednesday to adopt sanctions against Israel and investigate the bombings of hospitals and refugee camps in Gaza.

“It is time for sanctions against Israel. The rain of bombs is inhumane," deputy prime minister Petra De Sutter told Nieuwsblad newspaper. “It is clear that Israel does not care about the international demands for a ceasefire,” she said.

Ukraine gets good news about its EU membership quest as Balkans countries slip back in the queue

BRUSSELS (AP) — Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia received positive news on Wednesday about their quests to join the European Union, but countries in the volatile Balkans region that have waited years longer to become members of the world’s biggest trading bloc appeared to slip back in the queue.

In a series of reports on countries wanting to join the bloc’s ranks, the EU’s executive branch recommended that war-ravaged Ukraine should be permitted to open membership talks, once it’s addressed some shortfalls.

Belgium: NATO freezes a Cold War-era security pact after Russia pulls out, raising questions on arms control

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO member countries that signed a key Cold War-era security treaty froze their participation in the pact on Tuesday just hours after Russia pulled out, raising fresh questions about the future of arms control agreements in Europe.

Many of NATO’s 31 allies are parties to the Treaty of Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, which was aimed at preventing Cold War rivals from massing forces at or near their mutual borders. The CFE was signed in November 1990 as the Soviet bloc was crumbling but was not fully ratified until two years later.

Belgian unions refuse handling arms shipments for Israel

31 October 2023; MEMO: Belgian transport workers’ unions, on Tuesday, called on their members to refuse to handle military equipment being sent to Israel to battle Hamas gunmen, Reuters reports.

The ACV Puls, BTB, BBTK and ACV-Transcom unions said in a joint statement that airport workers have seen arms shipments.

Ex-NATO chief calls Netanyahu ‘worst politician’ in Israel’s history

30 October 2023; MEMO: Former NATO chief, Javier Solana, said on Monday that he believes Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is the “worst politician” in Israeli history, Anadolu Agency reports.

“I don’t think anything good will come of this,” he told Spanish broadcaster, Cadena Ser, referring to this month’s events in Israel and Palestine. “But it could make Netanyahu disappear from Israeli politics.”

Israeli war criminals committing ‘Holocaust’ in Gaza: MEP

Tehran, IRNA - Member of the European Parliament Manu Pineda has described the Israeli regime as a war criminal, warning about a ‘Holocaust’ happening against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

Speaking in front of the Al-Khiam prison in southern Lebanon, Pineda, who is also President of the European Parliament's Delegation for relations with Palestine, said that Israel kills children, women, and journalists, and whatever it does today in Gaza amounts to a war crime; thus, the world must force Israel to pay a price for it.

Belgium: EU only making more enemies around world with its anti-Russian sanctions — French MP

BRUSSELS, October 17. /TASS/: The only thing Brussels has managed to achieve through its anti-Russian sanctions is to make more enemies for the EU worldwide, a trend that is likely to continue, Thierry Mariani, a French member of the European Parliament, said on Tuesday.

Belgium: Police shoot dead suspected extremist accused of killing 2 Swedish soccer fans on a Brussels street

BRUSSELS (AP) — Police in Belgium on Tuesday shot dead a suspected Tunisian extremist accused of killing two Swedish soccer fans in a brazen shooting on a Brussels street before disappearing into the night.

Hours after a manhunt began in the Belgian capital, Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden posted on X, formerly Twitter, that “the perpetrator of the terrorist attack in Brussels has been identified and has died.”

EU foreign policy chief compares Gaza to Ukraine: ‘You can't cut off a population’s water, utilities’

14 October 2023; AA: In an interview published Saturday, the EU’s top diplomat compared Gaza to Ukraine and said some of Israel’s military response violates international law,.

“We’ve said it in Ukraine, and we say it in Gaza: you cannot cut off water and all utilities to an entire population,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told Spanish daily El Pais. “We must keep repeating, pressuring and insisting (that Israel comply with international law).”

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