What do famous Belgians Amélie Nothomb, Franquin, Stromae and Marouane Fellaini all have in common? Well, novelist Nothomb, comic artist Franquin, Stomae, the singer, and footballer Fellaini were all born in the Brussels district of Etterbeek. A newly re-opened restaurant in the commune now hopes to join that illustrious list of famous locals and become…
Welcome back! The Brussels hospitality sector has been very badly hit since the start of the health crisis and, sadly, numerous restaurants have been forced to shut for good. Happily, those that have survived are now emerging from what has been a long, dark tunnel. They include Osteria Romana, a gem of a restaurant –…
Philippe Geluck’s famous cat character Le Chat has been on the move for several months. It appeared in the form of giant sculptures on the Champs Elysées in Paris, and can currently be seen in Bordeaux, from where it will head for Caen, Saint-Tropez, Milan and then Geneva. In short, “the Cat is roaming”, as…
On June 26, the President of the European Parliament went to the Holy See to meet Pope Francis and the Vatican Secretary of State, His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The conversation with the Holy Father, focused on the need to protect the weakest and most vulnerable: the rights of people are the measure of all…
Parliament has adopted a resolution on the human rights situation at the Spanish/Moroccan border, alleging that the Moroccan authorities created an artificial migratory crisis in Ceuta. The Resolution alleges Morocco has used border control and migration, and unaccompanied minors in particular, as deliberate political pressure against Spain. The resolution stated that an unprecedented surge in…
On 11 June 2021, the High Court in London handed down judgment quashing an order for the extradition to Romania of Mr Gabriel Popoviciu, a high-profile, successful Romanian businessman. The Court described Mr Popoviciu’s case as “extraordinary”. The Court found that there was credible evidence to show that the trial judge who convicted Mr Popoviciu…
On 8th June, Gotham City media outlet reported that on 21 March Russian businessman Vladislav Klyushin was arrested in Switzerland at the request of the American authorities. Moreover, it took the US authorities only 24 hours to secure his arrest. Shortly afterwards, Ingrid Raiser, a spokeswoman for the Federal Office of Justice, told Agence France-Presse…
The hottest topic in the Central African Republic (CAR) with local residents and the concerned international community alike is the continued need for the presence of UN troops in the CAR. Pundits have slammed the inefficiency of UN peacekeeping missions, since those deployed to conflict-torn countries generally fail to deliver on the main aim of…
Parliament’s latest public opinion survey shows support for EU remains high, despite the pandemic, but COVID-19 impact on personal finances felt or expected by more than half of Europeans. A new Eurobarometer survey commissioned by the European Parliament and conducted between March and April 2021 shows the increasingly felt impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on…
On 7 June 2021, Council President Michel spoke with Russian President Putin on the phone. President Michel conveyed the European Council’s position on EU-Russia relations and that in their May discussions, EU leaders condemned the illegal, provocative and disruptive Russian activities against the EU, its member states and others.The EU stands united and in solidarity…
