Belgium

Raja Nainggollan was arrested as part of an investigation into drug smuggling through the port of Antwerp. The footballer is in a temporary holding cell, and his club, Lokeren, confirmed that he was absent from training.

The EU will not include a ban on Russian LNG imports in the new sanctions package. Instead, it will present a roadmap for a gradual phase-out of Russian energy by 2027.

The President of Ukraine met with the leaders of Belgium and France at the Economic Forum in Davos. They discussed investments, economic support, agricultural and energy development.

A Belgian royal decree dating back to World War II could help preserve frozen Russian assets in the event of a Hungarian veto. Orban threatens to block the extension of EU sanctions, waiting for Trump's position.

The Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada said that Poroshenko tried to leave on January 15 to attend the EPP meeting, which ended on January 14. Stefanchuk said that he did not know the legal purpose of such a trip.

Belgium's three largest trade unions announced a 24-hour strike on January 13 over cuts to social benefits of €3 billion. Transport is expected to stop and mass protests involving 50-100 thousand people are expected.

The office of the Belgian Prime Minister received a letter containing the toxic substance strychnine. The employee who opened the envelope was hospitalized, and similar letters were also found in the office of the Minister of the Interior.

In Switzerland, starting from January 1, 2025, it will be illegal to cover your face in public places. Violations are subject to a fine.

On New Year's Eve, riots broke out in Brussels, during which 60 cars were set on fire and rescuers were attacked. Police detained 159 people and recorded more than 1,700 incidents across the city.

Telegram channels of Russian state media have become inaccessible in European countries due to violations of local laws. The blocking affected RIA Novosti, RT, Rossiya 1 and other channels in seven European countries.

In 2024, we launched 18 new Ukrainian-language audio guides to cultural sites around the world. We also donated hundreds of Ukrainian books to libraries in 8 countries as part of the Ukrainian Bookshelves project.

Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, announced his abdication on October 3, 2025. The throne will pass to his son, Grand Duke Guillaume, who has already been appointed as a representative viceroy.

Due to powerful solar flares and coronal mass ejections, the aurora borealis is expected to be seen on December 25 in the high-latitude regions of the United States. The phenomenon may recur in two weeks due to the return of an active sunspot.

European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis has called for the confiscation of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine. The EU is reassessing the risks of such a move amid a possible reduction in US aid.

NATO has officially accepted the coordination of Western military assistance to Ukraine from the United States through the new NSATU mission in Wiesbaden. The mission will include 700 personnel with bases in Belgium, Poland and Romania.

The official set up a charitable foundation in Belgium and raised funds allegedly for Ukrainian equestrian sport. Out of 790 thousand euros of donations, he appropriated 4 million hryvnias for his own needs.

Belgium plans to increase the number of troops in NATO to 1,500 in 2025. The country will also send F-16s to Iceland and return troops to the peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.

Pavlo Ostrikov's You Are Space won the Golden Eye and the Ciné+Frisson prize at the Paris International Fantastic Film Festival. The festival has been one of the key events for genre film fans since 2011.

After the fall of the Assad regime and its flight to Russia, European countries have been massively suspending consideration of asylum applications from Syrian citizens. These countries include France, Germany, Britain, Sweden, and others.

French Ambassador Gael Veyer said that Ukraine's accession to NATO would end the war and strengthen Europe's security. However, the decision must be shared by all NATO member states.

The government has allocated a record UAH 2. 7 billion for the construction of protective shelters in educational institutions of the Kharkiv region. The new shelters will have a dual purpose and will be equipped with everything necessary for a comfortable stay.

Six winners of the Radio Dictation 2024 were announced, including one participant who wrote a text without errors. A total of 12,000 entries were submitted from Ukraine and 33 countries.

Germany will transfer 650 million euros worth of military assistance to Ukraine, including IRIS-t air defense systems, tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. The package will also contain 6,500 Helsing missiles and 4,000 drones.

Google plans to change the display of search results in Europe after complaints from competitors about reduced traffic. The company will also remove hotel maps in three countries, although some competitors consider these changes insufficient.

The yacht Sea Story with 44 passengers sank near the Egyptian resort of Marsa Alam. 31 people were rescued, 4 died, 9 are missing, and their search continues.

Eurovision 2004 winner Ruslana Lyzhychko took part in the Belgian show “The Masked Singer” in the form of a Zeeduivel fish. The singer lasted 10 out of 12 episodes and dedicated one of her performances to the fallen defender of the Da Vinci.

Ukraine will play against Belgium in the playoffs for promotion to League A of the Nations League 2024/2025. The first match will be at home on March 20, the return match away on March 23, 2025.

Ukraine defeated Albania 2-1 in the final match of the Nations League. Goals by Zinchenko and Yaremchuk early in the game brought the victory and second place in the group, which gives the right to play in the playoffs.

EU military spending in 2024 will amount to 326 billion euros, which is 1. 9% of the Union's GDP. 17 member states will sign agreements on joint air defense and military research and development projects.

In September 2024, India reduced imports of Russian diamonds from $112 million to $1. 5 million due to G7 sanctions. Belgium, Hong Kong and the UAE became the main suppliers of diamonds to India.