Belgium

"In a document filed on Tuesday in the Federal Register, C.B.P. said it plans to ask applicants for a long list of personal data including social media, email addresses from the last decade, and the names, birth dates, places of residence and birthplaces of parents, spouses, siblings and children."

FR version can be found here.

"The Brussels Times and De Tijd examine the finances of the Brussels Region. The report raises questions about the true size of the debt."

Long article, but imo interesting, and also worrisome.

“Given the inhumanity of the current situation, which is also leading to emotional reactions in our own society, we believe it is undesirable to allow this concert to go ahead,” the organisers said, adding that they had chosen not to collaborate with partners who had not “distanced themselves unequivocally from that regime.”

Also in dutch on VRT.be: https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2025/09/10/gent-festival-van-vlaanderen-annuleert-muenchner-philharmoniker/

Belgian non-profit Re-born to be Alive has launched “Virtual Donors”, a campaign aimed at raising awareness of organ donation through popular video games including Minecraft, Fortnite and Baldur’s Gate 3.

The initiative encourages gamers to formally register as donors, despite Belgium’s opt-out system. Registration is crucial, the group says, because family members can still block donation in emotional moments if the deceased’s wishes are unclear.

Currently, 1,470 people in Belgium are waiting for life-saving transplants. In the “Virtual Donors” game mods, players who die in-game grant up to eight friends an extra life, reflecting the fact that one donor can save up to eight lives.

“We want to reach younger audiences through experiences that speak their language”

“Registration is not a formality but a responsibility,” said founder Stephanie Keustermans. “We want to reach younger audiences through experiences that speak their language.”

Professor Eric Hoste, head of the Belgian Transplantation Society, added: “A clear, registered choice gives peace to families, speeds up medical decisions and saves lives.”

Belgians can register their wishes via www.mijngezondheid.be. The game mods are free for registered donors through www.virtualdonors.org.

Flemish Culture minister Caroline Gennez has launched Horizon 2035, a broad brainstorming exercise on the future of Flanders’ cultural policy.

A Future Commission comprising professionals, representatives and experts from across the sector will reflect on what the cultural policy in Flanders could look like in 10 years' time.

“This is the first time such a brainstorming exercise is taking place. We are ambitious,” Gennez at the launch at Museum M in Leuven. “With Horizon 2035, we are working with the cultural sector to develop a powerful and future-proof cultural policy that will ensure that our cultural creators can continue to play their social role in Flanders in 10 years' time.”

Biggest demonstration in years!

Members from PVDA and Vooruit Antwerp are calling for the immediate removal of the Israeli flag from city hall, denouncing its presence as unacceptable amid the war in Gaza.

A United Nations expert group has called out the Belgian police for what it describes as systemic racism against people of African descent. Following a ten-day visit to the country, the group urged Belgian authorities to take immediate action, warning that discrimination by law enforcement is seriously eroding public trust.

cross-posted from: https://programming.dev/post/31953805

From time to time, important news gets overshadowed by other headlines, even though it could have a profound impact on our (online) world. To most of us, few things are more bothersome than the dreaded cookie banners. On countless websites, you’re confronted with a pesky pop-up urging you to agree to something. You end up consenting without really knowing what it is. If you try to figure out what’s going on, you quickly get lost among the often hundreds of “partners” who want access to your personal data. Even if you do give your consent, it’s questionable whether you truly understand what you’re agreeing to.

In a speech held in Brussels on Thursday, the Federal Prime Minister Bart De Wever (Flemish nationalist) laid out his government's foreign policy vision to the diplomatic corps. Mr De Wever stressed the need for international cooperation to respond to a rapidly changing global landscape.

Mr De Wever, told diplomats that conflicts, economic instability and the rise of protectionism are challenging Europe and the whole world.

The Belgian PM once again condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, stating that it is a direct attack on European values. Mr De Wever reaffirmed Belgium’s unwavering support for Kyiv.

However, conflicts are not confined to Europe and Mr De Wever also addressed the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, alongside ongoing conflicts in Sudan, Congo and Myanmar. Beyond war zones, organised crime and irregular migration pose additional major threats to stability in Europe, the Belgian Prime Minister said.

On the economic front, Mr De Wever warned against protectionism and argued that free and fair trade is the only sustainable route to innovation and prosperity. He went on to criticise what he sees as inefficiencies within the European single market and warned that without reform and deeper integration, Europe risks long-term economic decline.

Action taken by Belgium

Mr De Wever told diplomats that Belgium is taking firm action. The Federal Government has increased defence spending to meet NATO’s 2% of GDP target. Furthermore, Belgium is pushing for better coordination of defence resources within the EU. The Belgian Prime Minister also called on our allies to continue strengthening Europe’s collective security capabilities.

"Belgium is open for business, but closed for crime"

Mr De Wever went on to detail his government's “MAKE 2030” plan to revitalise Belgian industry. The plan focuses on reducing regulation, establishing a healthy labour market and increasing competitiveness. Its aim halt industrial decline and position Belgium as a competitive player in global markets.

De Wever concluded by stressing Belgium is “open for business but closed for crime.” The federal government aims to attract inward investment and also crack down on organised crime and terrorism.

To achieve these aims, Belgian diplomats will need to forge strong partnerships around the world. To this end the Sablon Diplomatic Circle has been launched. Based in Brussels, it is designed to bring to together diplomatic representatives from across the globe.

Non-paywalled version: https://archive.is/CdeEa

The bourgeois will rather dismantle Brussels's democracy than allow proletarians to have a modicum of power. We need mass protests and strikes against any attempt at annexation of any part of Brussels by Flanders.

Video games have grown into an industry with billions of customers worth hundreds of billions of euros. During this time, a specific business practice in the industry has been slowly emerging that is not only an assault on basic consumer rights but is destroying the medium itself.

An increasing number of publishers are selling video games that are required to connect through the internet to the game publisher, or "phone home" to function. While this is not a problem in itself, when support ends for these types of games, very often publishers simply sever the connection necessary for the game to function, proceed to destroy all working copies of the game, and implement extensive measures to prevent the customer from repairing the game in any way.

This practice is effectively robbing customers of their purchases and makes restoration impossible. Besides being an affront on consumer rights, video games themselves are unique creative works. Like film, or music, one cannot be simply substituted with another. By destroying them, it represents a creative loss for everyone involved and erases history in ways not possible in other mediums.

Existing laws and consumer agencies are ill-prepared to protect customers against this practice. The ability for a company to destroy an item it has already sold to the customer long after the fact is not something that normally occurs in other industries. With license agreements required to simply run the game, many existing consumer protections are circumvented. This practice challenges the concept of ownership itself, where the customer is left with nothing after "buying" a game.

• European Citizens' Initiative

https://www.stopkillinggames.com/faq

Giant FAQ on The European Initiative to Stop Destroying Games!

Europeans can save gaming!

https://www.youtube.com/clip/Ugkxly_O-3JxyBULIT283l5A1KOhnNsWC3Bj

Remember, what's the alternative?

Place to sign EU petition:

https://eci.ec.europa.eu/045/public/#/screen/home

An interesting video about Carat Duchatelet, a luxury coach builder from Liège with apparently loads of history.

cross-posted from: https://lemmings.world/post/26831727

Belgian security agents bugged a corporate box at the RSC Anderlecht football stadium that was being used by Chinese tech giant Huawei to schmooze members of the European Parliament.

They also listened into other conversations involving one of Huawei’s leading lobbyists, including in his car. The surveillance operations, confirmed by three people with close knowledge of the investigation, formed part of a wide-ranging probe into allegations of corruption that was first revealed in March. They contributed to the Belgian prosecutor’s decision, reported by POLITICO on Monday, to request that a group of MEPs have their immunities lifted so they can be investigated.