EU Lawmaker Cozzolino Charged in Corruption Probe Belgium's prosecutor office on Wednesday said that EU parliament member Andrea Cozzolino had been extradited to Belgium and charged with public corruption, criminal organization, and money laundering in relation to alleged involvement in the cash-for-influence “Qatargate” scandal. Politics
Belgian Aid Worker, Iranian Diplomat Released in Prisoner Swap Belgian aid worker Olivier Vandecasteele and Iranian diplomat Assadollah Assadi were swapped on Friday in Oman following a deal brokered by the Gulf country and a bilateral prisoner exchange treaty signed last year, which was upheld this spring by Belgium's constitutional court. Politics
EU Cancels Israeli Europe Day Reception Over Ben-Gvir Attendance On Monday, the EU delegation in Israel announced the cancellation of a diplomatic reception to mark Europe Day in Tel Aviv due to take place on Tuesday over concerns the country's right-wing national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, would be in attendance as Israel's official representative. World
Qatar Seeking to 'De-Escalate Situation' in Israel-Palestine A Qatari official said on Friday that the Gulf nation is working to de-escalate the situation in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, as tensions have soared in recent months, saying that Qatar is acting as a mediator.... Qatar
Top Iranian, Saudi Envoys Meet in China Following China's mediation of a deal to restore relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia last month, the foreign ministers of both nations met in Beijing on Thursday for the first formal gathering of their top diplomats since 2016, when relations between the two countries became highly contentiou... Yemen
Farmers’ Protest Brings Brussels’ EU Quarter to a Standstill Thousands of Belgian farmers brought traffic in Brussels to a standstill on Friday as they protested the Flemish regional government's plans to limit nitrogen emissions from agriculture. Thousands of tractors and other agricultural vehicles blocked roads leading into the capital city, while prote... Agriculture
US House Ethics Committee Opens Probe of George Santos The US House Ethics Committee announced a new subcommittee Thursday to investigate Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), who has admitted to multiple falsehoods about his background and faced scrutiny over his campaign and personal finances.... Education
EU Sets Forth 'Green Industry Plan' On Wednesday, the European Commission announced plans to loosen state aid rules and propose a new European sovereignty fund to counter the US's $369B Inflation Reduction Act and China's "unfair" subsidies to domestic green technologies. Belgium
EU: Proposed Legislation Asks Airlines to Pay More to Pollute On Wednesday, the European Union reached an agreement over a law that will see the price paid by airlines for emitting polluting CO2 emissions increase. The legislation is intended to pressure the sector towards more sustainable reforms. Weather
Pfizer Will Invest $2.5B to Expand Manufacturing in Europe US-based drug manufacturer Pfizer Inc. has said it will invest a combined $2.5B in Belgium and Ireland — hoping to make up lost revenue as COVID vaccine sales decline and patents on other drugs expire. Health
EU Caps Russian Oil at $60 Per Barrel On Friday, the European Union agreed to a $60 per barrel cap on Russian oil after the final holdout, Poland, agreed to the proposal that was drawn up by the G7. World
Report: EU Threatens Twitter Ban Over Content Moderation On Wednesday, EU commissioner for digital policy Thierry Breton warned Elon Musk that Twitter must enforce policies to protect users from hate speech, misinformation, and other harmful content or risk violating new rules that would lead to fines or even a ban. Social issues
Eurozone Inflation Drops For First Time Since 2021 According to data released Wednesday, eurozone inflation slowed for the first time in November since mid-2021 as energy prices eased. World
Belgium Begins Largest-Ever Trial Over 2016 Bombing On Wednesday, Belgium began its largest-ever criminal trial prosecuting 10 alleged jihadists accused of directing or aiding the 2016 suicide bombings in Brussels' metro and airport that killed 32 people. World
EU Agrees on New Iran Sanctions Over Ukraine Drones On Thursday, European Union countries imposed sanctions on Iran over Iranian-made drones allegedly supplied to Russia and used in attacks against Ukraine. World
EU Declares Nicaragua Envoy 'Persona Non Grata' The EU on Monday declared the head of the Nicaraguan mission to the European Union, Zoila Yanira Müller Goff, "persona non grata" amid deteriorating political relations between Managua and Brussels. World