Climate change, not El Niño, is the main force behind the fires in southern Europe
Wildfires in Greece, Portugal and Spain and a deadly US heatwave are unfolding in conditions made more dangerous by human-driven warming, while El Niño is not the direct explanation for the European fires.
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Russian missile and drone attack kills at least seven in Kyiv
A large-scale Russian missile and drone attack hit Kyiv overnight into Monday, killing at least seven people in the capital, Ukrainian authorities told AP. Other reports put the wider Kyiv-region toll at eight, including one death in Bucha district.
International
Russian missiles and drones hit Kyiv hours before NATO leaders meet in Ankara
Updated 07:45 UTC, 6 July 2026: Kyiv reported explosions after Russia launched a missile and drone attack on the Ukrainian capital, one day before a NATO summit in Ankara where Ukraine’s air defence needs are expected to dominate the agenda.
InternationalStorm evacuation interrupts Trump’s National Mall anniversary celebration
A severe thunderstorm forced a temporary evacuation of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., during America’s 250th Independence Day celebrations, before President Donald Trump’s delayed speech went ahead.
International
Portugal wildfires leave two seriously injured as southern France contains Aude blaze
Two people have been seriously injured in wildfires in Portugal, while authorities in southern France say a major blaze in the Aude area has been stabilised after a wider week of heat-driven fires across the Mediterranean south.
International
Portugal wildfires injure nine as Aude blaze stabilises with crews still on the ground
Wildfires across southern Europe have injured nine people in Portugal, while a blaze in France's Aude has been reported stabilised with 150 firefighters still working. Belgian firefighters are being sent to Portugal, according to Flemish reporting.
InternationalBelgium’s heatwave death toll exposes gaps in protecting older people at home
Belgium recorded about 1,200 excess deaths during the late-June heatwave, according to reporting citing the health ministry, with older people bearing the heaviest toll.
Health
What does Rock Werchter’s drug-and-knife tally say about festival safety near Leuven?
The Leuven public prosecutor’s office says 128 festivalgoers were caught with drugs and four with a knife during four days of Rock Werchter, according to VRT NWS and De Standaard. The figures put Belgium’s biggest summer festival back inside a wider debate about how Flemish authorities balance enforcement, prevention and harm reduction at mass events.
Justice
Trump’s delayed National Mall speech caps storm-disrupted U.S. 250th anniversary
President Donald Trump addressed crowds late on 4 July in Washington after thunderstorms forced an evacuation of the National Mall during celebrations for the United States’ 250th anniversary.
International
Why do Russia’s latest attacks and Putin’s refusal to meet Zelensky matter from Brussels?
Russian missile and drone attacks killed civilians across Ukraine on Monday, while Vladimir Putin signalled no readiness for a direct meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky. For Belgium-based readers, the immediate issue is not only battlefield escalation in Ukraine but the pressure this puts on EU policy made in Brussels: sanctions, air-defence production, Ukraine financing and Belgium’s own promised F-16 support. Flemish live coverage framed the day around “Oekraïne meldt doden door Russische aanvallen” and Putin seeing no “redenen Zelensky ontmoeten”; the strategic point is that Moscow is pairing military pressure with diplomatic refusal.
International
Why does the St Petersburg drone attack matter from Brussels?
For Belgium-based readers, the large Ukrainian drone attack on the St Petersburg region is not only another distant battlefield update. It lands directly in Brussels’ policy space: EU sanctions, NATO deterrence, Belgian F-16 commitments to Ukraine, and the unresolved question of how far Kyiv’s partners accept strikes inside Russia. Russian officials said air defences shot down 376 Ukrainian drones, including 141 over the Leningrad region around St Petersburg. Ukraine said its drones reached naval assets in Kronstadt and an oil depot in southern Russia. President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, rejected the idea of a direct meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying he saw no point in it. No specific Belgian federal reaction to this St Petersburg attack was found in reviewed sources, but Belgium is already part of the story through its 10-year security agreement with Ukraine, its pledged F-16s, Brussels-based EU decisions, and the Euroclear-linked debate on frozen Russian assets.
InternationalBBC-linked investigation identifies Russian diplomat behind ‘El Money’ Starmer arson plot
Updated 28 June 2026, 00:00 UTC | London: A BBC investigation, reported by The Guardian and La Libre Belgique, has identified 23-year-old Russian diplomat Evgeny Lyukshin as the alleged online figure known as “El Money”, who prosecutors said directed arson attacks against property linked to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in May 2025. AP reported that Roman Lavrynovych and Stanislav Carpiuc were convicted and later sentenced for the plot, while the handler was not charged.
International
Ukraine struck a St Petersburg oil terminal as Russia opened its flagship economic forum
ST PETERSBURG, 3 June 2026: Ukrainian forces struck the St Petersburg oil terminal and nearby military-linked targets as the St Petersburg International Economic Forum opened, Business Insider reported from Ukrainian military statements and Vantor satellite imagery. AP reported on 26 June that Ukraine has since continued one of its heaviest drone campaigns against Russian regions, energy sites and occupied Crimea.
InternationalLatest
Most recent across Belgium
Five thousand people evacuated as wildfire spreads west of Perpignan
Updated: 5 July 2026, 12:00 UTC. French authorities have ordered about 5,000 people to leave homes in the Perpignan region as a wildfire burns through the Pyrénées-Orientales during a severe heat episode.
International
Will fewer bus lines make Charleroi Airport harder to reach?
From 4 July 2026, train passengers heading for Brussels South Charleroi Airport are being routed through Charleroi-Central only, after the airport bus links via Fleurus and Luttre disappeared from the public transport offer. Passenger group Navetteurs.be calls the change an unacceptable waste of public money, while the official travel information now points travellers to TEC line A1 and private shuttle options.
Business
Eleven Madison Park’s plant-based retreat renews fight over sustainable fine dining
New York’s Eleven Madison Park, once the most visible fully plant-based restaurant in luxury dining, has reignited debate after moving back toward selected animal products while keeping a plant-forward menu.
Lifestyle
Can a Belgian comic voice still stand out in Avignon’s crowded theatre market?
Belgian comedian and theatre-maker Michaël Dufour is being profiled in Francophone Belgian media as a familiar Belgian presence at the Festival Off d’Avignon, where popular comedy competes for attention in one of Europe’s densest live-performance markets.
Lifestyle
Vandenbroucke wants Health to take charge of 1733 after heatwave pressure
Frank Vandenbroucke wants the federal health authorities to regain control of Belgium’s 1733 non-urgent medical helpline, L’Echo reports, after the heatwave exposed pressure on medical call handling.
HealthPortugal wildfires injure nine as southern Europe faces fresh fire pressure
Updated 5 July 2026, 10:30 UTC. Portuguese authorities are fighting wildfires around Vouzela in Viseu district after reports of nine injuries, while France has reported a separate forest fire in the Drôme department. Official alerts point to extreme heat and high rural-fire danger across parts of Portugal.
International
Thousands ordered to evacuate as wildfire spreads near Perpignan
A major wildfire in southern France has forced thousands of residents to evacuate in the Perpignan region, with HLN reporting 4,500 hectares burned and difficult firefighting conditions.
International
Firefighters stabilise Costa Brava wildfire as Portugal reports two serious injuries
Catalan firefighters have stabilised a major wildfire near La Bisbal d'Emporda on the Costa Brava, while a separate blaze in Portugal's Viseu region has injured nine people, two of them seriously, according to AFP reporting carried by Omni.
International
Dozens of Belgian firefighters head to Portugal as wildfires strain emergency crews
Dozens of Belgian firefighters are set to travel to Portugal to help fight severe wildfires after reports of serious injuries and large burned areas in the north of the country.
International
What should Charleroi parents do if free nursery school meals end in September?
Practical takeaway: parents with children in Charleroi's écoles maternelles communales should not wait until the first week of term. Ask your school direction before the summer break whether free lunches will continue, what the paid meal price will be, and which support route applies if the cost is a problem: the school's secretariat, the Ville de Charleroi's Service de l'Enseignement, or the CPAS de Charleroi. La DH reports that 24 municipal nursery schools which had been serving around 100,000 free school meals could move to no free meals at the next rentrée unless replacement funding is found. For families, the issue is less ideological than practical: what goes in the schoolbag on Monday, how much lunch will cost each week, and who to call before arrears build up. In Belgium's French-speaking school system, maternelle is for children roughly aged 2.5 to 6, and compulsory schooling begins at age 5. Meals are not the same as tuition: public education is free in principle, but hot meals, after-school care and some optional services can still generate charges. That distinction matters for international families who may assume that a municipal school means all daily services are covered.
Lifestyle
Moroccan courts convict more than 400 people after Gen Z 212 protests
Morocco’s protest story has moved from mass arrests to court outcomes. According to the Associated Press, Morocco’s public prosecutor says courts have convicted more than 400 people in cases linked to the Gen Z 212 protest wave, while 34 people have been acquitted. AP reports that 2,480 people have faced charges overall and that 1,473 remain in pre-trial detention. The figures sharpen the international context around the Brussels youth protest story Belgium Impulse has been following: the Brussels incidents remain a separate local public-order issue, but the Moroccan prosecutions show how far the wider Gen Z 212 unrest has moved into the courts. The Guardian had earlier reported broad prosecutions and rights-group allegations of abuse after demonstrations over health, education and public spending priorities. The next test is whether further trials, appeals or releases change the balance between convictions, acquittals and continuing detention.
InternationalWhat should international students and staff know about the Nathan Cofnas row at UGent?
The practical takeaway: if you study, teach or work at Ghent University, the reported dispute over the aanstelling rassenwetenschapper Nathan Cofnas is mainly an internal university-governance and academic-freedom issue, not a change to your enrolment, residence status or degree rules. Follow official UGent channels, use the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy and central student services for course questions, and contact the university ombudsperson, Trustpunt or Unia if you believe you are personally affected by discrimination or harassment. The case matters for international readers because it shows how Flemish universities handle contested appointments in English-facing research environments while operating inside Dutch-language institutional procedures.
Lifestyle
How can international residents follow Vlaanderen’s farewell to Margriet Hermans?
If you see Dutch-language headlines such as “KIJK LIVE. Vlaanderen neemt afscheid van Margriet Hermans, volg de ceremonie hier”, the practical takeaway is simple: this is a Flemish public farewell, mainly covered through Flemish media, and international residents should follow it through the original livestream page, official municipal updates and Dutch-language cultural context rather than relying on automatic translation alone. Margriet Hermans was not only a performer but also a familiar Flemish media personality and former politician, which explains why the afscheid Margriet Hermans has been framed as a wider moment of recognition across Vlaanderen. For expats, EU staff and English-speaking residents, the useful question is not only “who was she?” but “how do Flemish public farewells work, and where do I find reliable information?” Start with the media source carrying the livestream, in this case HLN’s “kijk live” page, then check whether the stad Turnhout, gemeente Oud-Turnhout, the Vlaams Parlement or the Belgische Senaat have posted official biographical or practical information. Turnhout matters because Hermans was born there; Oud-Turnhout matters because public records identify her as having served locally. If you attend any public memorial, use the Dutch names of the institutions and locations in searches: “rouwregister”, “afscheidsplechtigheid”, “gemeente”, “stad”, “parking”, “openbaar vervoer” and “livestream”. Flemish ceremony coverage often mixes personal memory, popular culture and public life in one format. That can be confusing for newcomers used to a sharper split between entertainment and politics. Hermans crossed those worlds: she was known from music, radio and television, and from Flemish liberal politics. The broader story is therefore about how Vlaanderen remembers public figures who became part of everyday domestic culture: songs on Radio 2, television appearances, campaign images, local recognition and family tributes can all sit beside formal titles and official CVs. Language is the main practical barrier. The live page may use phrases such as “neemt afscheid Margriet”, “Hermans volg ceremonie”, “Margriet Hermans volg”, “volg ceremonie hier” or “live Ach Margriet”. These are not separate events; they are headline fragments around the same farewell coverage. Use browser translation for navigation, but keep key Dutch terms visible when searching. In Belgium, official mourning or biographical information is normally published by the relevant gemeente or institution in Dutch in Flanders, French in Wallonia, and often both Dutch and French in Brussels. For this story, the natural language is Dutch because the public audience and cultural setting are Flemish. The most respectful approach is to distinguish between the public figure and the private family. Watch the ceremony if it is publicly streamed, sign only official condolence books if they are clearly opened by a gemeente or institution, and avoid reposting private funeral images outside the original media context. The next useful checks are whether the livestream remains available as a replay, whether a municipality opens a rouwregister, and whether Flemish broadcasters or cultural archives publish a retrospective of Hermans’ career.
Lifestyle
How should expats use Genk while 500 sporting scientists arrive for the Atomiade?
Practical takeaway: if you live in or are visiting Genk, treat the Atomiade as a modest but visible multi-day sports-and-science gathering, not a city-wide disruption. A local Dutch-language report says 500 sportieve wetenschappers strijken neer in Genk for the Atomiade, described as the atomiade eerste keer in Limburg. For international residents, the useful response is simple: check SportinGenk schedules before using municipal sports facilities, plan local buses through De Lijn, and use Genk's visitor pages for cycling, Thor Park and accommodation information. The wider story is less about elite sport than about how Limburg markets itself: former mining sites, cycling infrastructure and university-linked innovation are increasingly packaged together as a liveable, active region.
Lifestyle
Could Liège’s Saint-Léonard housing project still change before it is built?
A proposed mix of kots and logements near the esplanade Saint-Léonard has reopened a familiar Liège question: how to add student and city-centre housing without weakening one of the neighbourhood’s most important public spaces. The practical takeaway is simple: residents, students and landlords should treat this as an urban-planning file still shaped by permits, municipal scrutiny and possible adaptations, not as a finished building site.
Lifestyle
When a Belgian family’s Costa Brava holiday turns frightening, what should travellers do?
A violent hotel incident on Spain’s Costa Brava, reported by 7sur7 and British media, is a useful reminder for Belgian holidaymakers: in a serious problem abroad, prioritise safety, document everything, contact your tour operator or insurer immediately, and use Belgian and EU consumer channels once the emergency has passed.
Lifestyle
Belgium come back from 2-0 down to beat Senegal 3-2 in extra time at the World Cup
Belgium produced one of the wildest comebacks of the 2026 World Cup, overturning a 2-0 deficit in the final minutes against Senegal in Seattle before winning 3-2 after extra time in their last-32 tie. Habib Diarra put Senegal ahead in the 25th minute and Ismaila Sarr doubled the lead six minutes into the second half. Belgium were still two goals down entering the 86th minute, when substitute Romelu Lukaku pulled one back. Youri Tielemans headed the equaliser from Leandro Trossard's cross less than three minutes later. Deep into extra time, after a seven-minute VAR review of Lamine Camara's challenge on Tielemans, the Belgian midfielder converted a 125th-minute penalty — reported as the latest goal in World Cup history, at 124 minutes and 44 seconds. Belgium now face the United States in Seattle on Tuesday 7 July for a quarter-final place.
SportAt least six reported dead in Antwerp apartment-block fire; search continues
A severe fire tore through an apartment building on the August Vermeylenlaan on Antwerp’s Left Bank on the morning of 1 July 2026. At least six people were reported dead — a toll authorities cautioned could change as firefighters searched a block home to around 200 residents. Emergency services activated a medical intervention plan and scaled the response up across the province.
FlandersNonceveux resident suspected of trying to set employer’s home on fire in Liège case
Updated 1 July 2026, 12:00 UTC — LIÈGE: A man from Nonceveux, in the Aywaille municipality, was suspected of trying to set fire to his employer’s house, La Dernière Heure reported on 30 May 2026. The same report said the suspect had previously been convicted in a separate violent case, including for disembowelling a man. Belgium Pulse found no matching court communiqué or second news report confirming the full case file, so the central allegation is attributed to DH.
JusticeSevere hailstorm hits Belgium, with festivalgoers reported injured
Updated: 1 July 2026, 00:00 UTC. BELGIUM, Wednesday 1 July 2026: A new thunderstorm zone has crossed parts of the country, with Het Nieuwsblad reporting hailstones as large as golf balls and festivalgoers suffering injuries. The Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium says its thunderstorm warning scale treats 3-5 cm hail as an orange-level risk and hail above 5 cm as a red-level risk.
Belgium
About 30 people are injured as hail hits an outdoor concert in Liezele
Updated: 1 July 2026, 04:40 UTC — Liezele, Puurs-Sint-Amands. Around 30 people were injured when a violent hail shower struck an outdoor concert in Liezele, 7sur7 reported. The outlet said people ran for shelter as hail fell during the performance. No official casualty statement from local police, emergency services or Puurs-Sint-Amands municipality was available in the sources checked at publication time. The Royal Meteorological Institute says hail, gusts and lightning are among the hazards covered by Belgium’s thunderstorm warning system. For urgent danger, Belgium’s 1722 public service says people should call 112; 1722 is reserved for non-urgent fire-brigade interventions after storm or flood damage.
FlandersCan the UN emergency meeting stop southern Lebanon becoming a permanent buffer zone?
Brussels has a direct institutional stake in the Lebanon-Israel crisis because the next phase will be shaped through the UN Security Council, EU diplomacy and the legal architecture around Resolution 1701. Israel has expanded and entrenched positions in southern Lebanon while arguing that its forces must remain until Hezbollah is disarmed. Lebanon says that amounts to occupation and has pushed the issue back to the Conseil securite l'ONU, with a reunion d'urgence conseil reported for Monday. For Belgium-based readers, the issue is not only another Middle East escalation: it tests the credibility of multilateral rules that Belgium usually defends, affects EU crisis management from Brussels, and matters to Lebanese, Israeli and wider Middle Eastern communities in Belgium.
InternationalFire breaks out on terrace of Berendrecht eetcafe
Updated 1 July 2026, 00:00 UTC | Het Nieuwsblad reported an uitslaande brand on the terrace of an eetcafe in Berendrecht, in Antwerp's northern district of Berendrecht-Zandvliet-Lillo. No official casualty figure, cause or damage assessment was available from the sources reviewed at the time of writing.
FlandersAiseau-Presles reports two rehousing requests after flooding as crews clear streets and drains
Updated: 1 July 2026, 00:00 UTC. AISEAU-PRESLES, Hainaut, 1 June 2026: La DH reported that flooding in Aiseau-Presles led to two requests for rehousing, while municipal workers were cleaning streets and storm drains after the water receded.
Wallonia
What does Leuven’s coffee-cake thank-you say about clean streets, protected swifts and city life?
Leuven has put two small municipal stories in the spotlight: the stad treated medewerkers dienst stadsreiniging to koffiekoeken, and it marked the placement of its 1000ste nestkast beschermde gierzwaluwen. For Belgium-based readers, the practical point is not the pastry itself. It is how visible, everyday city work connects street cleaning, public appreciation, renovation rules and urban biodiversity in one compact Flemish university city. The first story is about public-service recognition. Leuven’s cleaning teams are among the workers who make dense city life function: litter collection, street cleaning after events, waste-related interventions and public-space upkeep. The second story is about a legally protected bird that depends heavily on buildings. Common swifts nest in cavities in roofs and facades, so renovation, insulation and new construction can unintentionally remove breeding places unless alternatives are installed. For EU staff, expats and residents used to seeing environmental policy as something negotiated in Brussels institutions, Leuven offers the local version: EU nature law becomes a nest box in a facade; municipal labour policy becomes a breakfast gesture for the people keeping streets usable.
FlandersFlanders flood protection is behind schedule as climate risks keep rising
Updated 30 June 2026, 14:00 CEST. BRUSSELS - Flanders is running behind on parts of its flood-protection agenda, leaving the region vulnerable for decades, De Morgen reported on Tuesday, citing warnings that protection against overstroming is achter op schema. The warning lands as Flemish government agencies continue long-running work on river, coastal and local climate-adaptation defences. The practical message for residents is direct: public works reduce risk, but they do not remove it. The Flemish government’s Waterinfo service says it provides measurements and forecasts on floods and droughts so authorities and residents can take action to limit water damage. The Flemish Environment Agency, VMM, says climate effects are already being felt in Vlaanderen and will intensify, with green-blue infrastructure and more room for water needed to counter water nuisance, flooding and heat stress. At the coast, the official Kustvisie programme shows the scale of the task. The Flemish government says the 2011 Masterplan Kustveiligheid protects the coast against severe storm surges and a 1,000-year storm until 2050, while Kustvisie sets a longer strategy for protection against up to three metres of sea-level rise. For households, the near-term steps remain local and practical: check flood-risk information before buying or renovating property, follow Waterinfo alerts during heavy rain, keep drains and cellars prepared, and treat official evacuation or traffic instructions as operational guidance, not advice. For municipalities, the pressure is on to turn adaptation plans into visible works in streets, valleys, sewers and flood plains.
Flanders
FGTB metalworkers in Hainaut and Namur escalate threat after Arizona programme-law vote
NAMUR/HAINAUT, 30 June 2026, 00:00 UTC — The FGTB Hainaut/Namur metalworkers’ branch is raising the prospect of wider industrial action after the federal Arizona coalition’s programme-law vote on indexation and pensions, according to La DH. The dispute places Walloon metalworkers at the front of the continuing union campaign against Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s federal reform agenda.
Wallonia
VIVES students turn discarded festival banners into laptop sleeves in Kortrijk
Updated: 30 June 2026, 12:00 UTC. KORTRIJK — VIVES students in West Flanders are making laptop sleeves from discarded festival banners, Het Nieuwsblad reported in its regional Kortrijk coverage on 30 June 2026. The project takes a waste stream normally linked to one-off event promotion and turns it into a practical student product. Het Nieuwsblad framed the idea around the claim that almost everything now still goes to the incinerator after use. VIVES says on its official website that the university of applied sciences has more than 20,000 students, seven campuses in West Flanders and a practice-oriented education model. OVAM, Flanders’ public waste agency, says Flemish textile collection rules now cover worn clothing, shoes, sheets and other fabrics, not only reusable clothing. The European Commission says its textile strategy aims for durable, repairable and recyclable products, wider reuse and repair services, and minimal incineration and landfilling by 2030. For readers, the service point is simple: the project is small, but it shows how festivals, schools and local makers can test reuse before paying to dispose of temporary materials.
StudentsTropical Storm Jangmi brings flood warnings to Tokyo region as evacuations widen
Updated 30 June 2026, 00:00 UTC | TOKYO — Tropical Storm Jangmi brought heavy rain into Japan’s Tokyo region on Wednesday, 3 June, with the Japan Meteorological Agency warning of flooding and AP reporting disruption to roads, flights and trains. Het Nieuwsblad reported evacuation instructions affecting 370,000 people; The Guardian later cited authorities saying 1.52 million people had been advised to evacuate.
InternationalSix Taken to Hospital After Smoke Inhalation in Molenbeek Apartment Fire
Updated 30 June 2026, 00:00 UTC. Six people were taken to hospital after inhaling smoke during an apartment fire in Molenbeek on Wednesday, 3 June 2026, according to VRT NWS and Bruzz. The same outlets reported that four flats were declared uninhabitable after the fire.
Brussels
Do Brussels Airport’s new Brazil and Tanzania links change the business case for Zaventem?
Brussels Airport has added two long-haul links in the same week: LATAM’s Brussels-Sao Paulo service, operating three times a week, and Brussels Airlines’ new direct link to Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. For passengers, the headline is simpler travel: Brussels is again directly connected with South America after about 25 years, while Tanzania becomes easier to reach without changing aircraft through another European or Gulf hub. For businesses, the point is more specific. The Sao Paulo route matters because LATAM has used Brussels Airport for cargo since 2023 and has built a European cargo base there. That makes the passenger service more than a tourism route: it sits on top of freight flows, business travel, visiting-friends-and-relatives traffic, and Belgium’s role as a logistics gateway. The Tanzania link is different. It strengthens Brussels Airlines’ long-standing Africa positioning and gives Belgian tour operators, NGOs, development actors and diaspora travellers a more direct option into East Africa. The market test will be load factors, fares and cargo use, not launch-day ceremony. Brussels Airport handled 24.4 million passengers and 795,000 tonnes of cargo in 2025, still below its 2019 passenger peak of 26.4 million but with stronger cargo volumes than before the pandemic. In that context, new intercontinental routes are not decorative: they are one way a mid-sized European airport tries to defend relevance between larger hubs such as Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt.
Business
Scott Pelley says CBS News managers pushed falsehoods after 60 Minutes firing
NEW YORK, 3 June 2026 — CBS News fired longtime 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley after a confrontation with new programme leadership, the Associated Press reported. Pelley then accused CBS managers, in a public statement reported by The Guardian and The Hollywood Reporter, of trying to put falsehoods, bias and unverified assertions into a politically sensitive story. CBS leadership, according to AP, framed the dismissal as a breakdown of trust and workplace conduct.
International
Verviers waits for the final flood-damaged Prés-Javais bridge works to end
Updated 30 June 2026, 12:00 UTC | VERVIERS, Liège province — The last bridge worksite still linked by DH to the July 2021 flood damage in Verviers’ Prés-Javais area remained a local mobility concern after DH reported on 3 June 2026 that residents were still asking when the chantier would be finished. The case is a practical reminder that, nearly five years after the Vesdre floods, some reconstruction dossiers still shape daily access, diversions and neighbourhood confidence in Verviers. Wallonia’s post-flood recovery record and the Walloon Parliament’s inquiry place such works inside a wider rebuilding effort across the Vesdre valley, where public infrastructure, river safety and local traffic all intersect.
Wallonia
Belgium’s youngest senator wants the Senate opened to students during exam periods
Mauro Michielsen, the Vooruit co-opted senator described by VRT NWS as the youngest senator in the country, wants the Belgian Senate in Brussels to be made available as a study space for students during the blokperiode. The proposal is small in budgetary terms but symbolically loaded: it would turn part of a federal institution often criticised as remote and underused into a practical public service at peak study times.
BelgiumBrussels student protest descends into fires, barricades and police water cannon
Updated 30 June 2026, 16:30 UTC — Brussels: A student demonstration in Brussels on Tuesday 30 June 2026 escalated into fires, barricades and the use of a police water cannon, according to De Standaard and Het Nieuwsblad. Both Flemish outlets reported that shared e-scooters were set alight and that police intervened after the leerlingenbetoging loopt hand in parts of the city. No official police casualty or arrest total had been published at the time of writing. The practical advice for residents, commuters and visitors is to check Brussels police, the City of Brussels and STIB/MIVB channels before travelling through the affected centre-zone streets.
Brussels
Why do Ixelles' smart neighbourhoods attract so many property projects?
Practical takeaway: if you rent, buy or live near Avenue Molière, Place Georges Brugmann, Avenue Louis Lepoutre, Châtelain or the Ixelles side of Avenue Brugmann, treat any major nearby renovation as both a market signal and an administrative process you can track. Ixelles attracts autant projets immobiliers because it combines scarce land, high resale values, large older houses, protected streetscapes, strong school and transport demand, and a bilingual Brussels planning system that gives neighbours formal ways to react. The answer to pourquoi beaux quartiers d'Ixelles attirent autant projets is not simply that developers like wealthy areas. The economics are unusually concentrated. Statbel's first-quarter 2026 figures put Ixelles at the top of the Brussels-Capital Region for median house prices, at 775,000 euros, and third for apartments, at 346,250 euros. For developers, that means a converted mansion, subdivided town house or high-end apartment scheme can absorb expensive renovation, architecture and permit costs more easily than in lower-priced communes. The most visible pressure points are the elegant residential strips around Berkendael, Brugmann, Molière, Lepoutre and the Châtelain/Bailli axis. These are not empty development zones. They are established neighbourhoods with large plots, former hôtels de maître, gardens, garages, rear workshops, institutional buildings and corner sites that can be reworked into several units. That is why residents often see proposals for conversions, extensions, roof additions, demolition-rebuilds behind retained façades, or changes from office or institutional use back into housing. For international residents, the practical lesson is to learn the local vocabulary. Ixelles is the French name; Elsene is the Dutch name. Planning notices may refer to permis d'urbanisme or stedenbouwkundige vergunning, enquête publique or openbaar onderzoek, commission de concertation or overlegcommissie. The commune/gemeente of Ixelles handles many files, while the Brussels-Capital Region, through urban.brussels and the Brussels planning rules under CoBAT, can become involved depending on the site, heritage status or scale of the project. How to check a project near you: first, look for the yellow public notice fixed on the building or site; it gives the file number, address, consultation dates and objection deadline. Second, search the file on OpenPermits Brussels or the Ixelles urbanism pages. Third, check whether the address appears in the Brussels architectural heritage inventory at monument.heritage.brussels. Fourth, if there is an enquête publique, send observations before the deadline and ask to speak at the commission de concertation if the notice allows it. Fifth, remember that objections work best when they cite planning issues: light, privacy, traffic, trees, heritage, water management, density, waste collection, construction impacts and compatibility with the Règlement Régional d'Urbanisme, not simply dislike of change. The broader view is that Ixelles is a compact case study in Brussels' housing dilemma. The region needs more homes, better energy performance and reuse of underoccupied buildings. But many of the spaces most attractive to investors are also the places residents value for architectural identity, mature trees, gardens and lower-rise streets. That tension will not disappear in six months; it is built into the city's geography and housing shortage.
Lifestyle
Why did students clash with police in Brussels over education budget cuts?
Students protesting education budget cuts and reform plans clashed with police in central Brussels, according to Politico, turning a budget dispute inside the French-speaking Community into a public-order flashpoint in the capital. The core issue is not federal education policy: most education powers sit with Belgium’s language Communities. In this case the pressure is on the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles government led by Minister-President Élisabeth Degryse, whose MR-Les Engagés majority is managing the 2024-2029 legislative term under tight budget constraints. For students, the practical question is whether savings will mean fewer course options, higher indirect costs, larger classes or weaker support services. For the government, the question is how to repair public finances without letting education spending continue to outrun available resources.
Brussels
Can Ghent’s social tenants share fairly in the energy transition?
In Ghent, a new UGent-linked discussion around the Watersportbaan district puts a practical problem at the centre of the energy transition: Thuispunt Gent manages more than 10,000 social homes across the city, but many tenants cannot make the basic investment choices that owner-occupiers can, such as installing rooftop solar panels. The VRT NWS report on residents of the Gentse Watersportbaan captures the issue in one sentence: a social tenant cannot simply put zonnepanelen on the roof. The business question is not whether solar power, insulation or energy sharing are useful. Flemish government guidance says solar panels remain attractive because they reduce dependence on suppliers and price swings, and the European Commission says buildings account for around 40% of EU energy consumption. The harder question is who can act, who pays upfront, and who receives the saving. For residents in social housing, the energy transition is filtered through ownership, building management, renovation budgets, waiting lists and trust. That makes the Watersportbaan stem energietransitie debate a local version of a much wider market failure: the households with the strongest need for lower bills often have the least direct control over the assets that could lower them.
Business
Residents of 27 social flats in Negenmanneke must move sooner over safety concerns
Updated: 30 June 2026, 00:00 UTC — Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Flemish Brabant: Residents of 27 apartments in social housing blocks in Negenmanneke must move sooner than planned after concerns were raised over fire safety and structural stability, according to Het Nieuwsblad. The local report says the affected homes are in the social housing blocks in the Negenmanneke district and that the relocation is being accelerated because of danger linked to brandveiligheid and stabiliteit. Wonen in Vlaanderen, the Flemish housing agency, states that homes in Flanders must meet minimum standards for structural stability, safety, health and basic comfort, and that unsafe or non-conforming homes cannot be rented out.
FlandersResidents of 27 social-housing flats in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw must move after fire report
Updated 30 June 2026, 18:45 UTC | Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Flemish Brabant: Residents of 27 apartments in social housing blocks must move sooner than planned after a severe fire-brigade report, Het Nieuwsblad reported. The affected homes are in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, where the local fire-safety authority is Brandweerzone Vlaams-Brabant West.
Flanders
Will Brussels’ administration reform change how residents deal with the Region?
The Brussels-Capital Region government has validated the first stage of a reform of the regional administration, according to La Dernière Heure. The decision gives Minister of Finance, Budget, Public Service and Digital Transition Dirk De Smedt a mandate to move from political intent to implementation work: mapping services, preparing changes to administrative organisation and testing where procedures can be simplified. For residents, companies and associations, the immediate effect is limited. The practical test will come later, when the government turns this first validation into legal texts, staffing decisions, digital tools and service-level changes across Brussels regional bodies.
BrusselsMenen residual waste keeps falling as city reports 100 tonnes less to burn
Updated 29 June 2026, 12:00 UTC | MENEN, West Flanders — Menen’s residual waste figures keep falling, with the city reporting about 100 tonnes less waste for incineration, according to Het Nieuwsblad. The decline fits the Flemish policy push, led by OVAM, to cut household residual waste through sorting, prevention and local collection rules.
Flanders
Why did police release images after a prisoner escaped from AZ Sint-Jan hospital in Brugge?
Police in Brugge have released images of a prisoner who escaped from AZ Sint-Jan hospital, turning a contained custody incident into a public search in one of Flanders’ most visited cities. Flemish reports said officers deployed a helicopter and tracking dogs after the man fled the hospital site, with police telling VRT NWS they were searching “met man en macht”. For Belgium-based readers, the immediate point is practical: this is a local safety and identification case, not a general warning about the hospital or Brugge city centre. Anyone who recognises the person in the images should contact police through official channels and should not try to intervene themselves.
Justice
What should families in Mons do when schools protest an education decree?
Practical takeaway: if your child’s school in Mons, Hainaut or another Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles area is affected by action against an education decree-programme, first check the school’s own communication channel, then the commune or organising authority, and finally official Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles services such as enseignement.be or Mon Ecole Mon Inscription for enrolment-related questions. The 5 June demonstration in Mons, reported by La DH, brought together enseignants, eleves, parents directions and school leadership figures against a decree-programme that they believe could weaken school staffing, organisation or support. For international families, the important point is practical rather than symbolic: school protests in Belgium’s francophone system usually do not mean a school has closed permanently or that pupils lose their place, but they can affect supervision, timetables, exams, after-school care and communication with the CPMS. Keep written records, ask for French-language notices to be clarified where needed, and contact the school secretariat before making any change of school.
Lifestyle