Stories from Brussels · Belgium

Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is identified as a standout figure for the Belgium national team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The goalkeeper is noted for his 2-meter height, reflexes, and area dominance.

The European Parliament has formally backed a campaign to introduce the Irish anti-cyberbullying legislation, known as Coco's Law, across the European Union. The non-binding resolution will now be considered by the European Commission.

Thibaut Poutain of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) stated that journalism is facing a decline in legal protections. He noted that mechanisms intended to protect threatened journalists are not functioning.

Founders and the tech community are struggling with unclear and slow regulatory implications following the EU's rapid rollout of AI regulations. The regulations were introduced before the full capabilities of the technology were understood.

European Parliament MEP Lídia Pereira is advocating for increased financial literacy and the creation of a European quality seal to distinguish legitimate financial influencers on social media.

The European Parliament adopted a resolution reaffirming solidarity with the Ukrainian people and authorities. The document calls for the release of all detained civilians and illegally adopted children.

Belgian radio broadcasters have issued a call to European authorities to make FM and DAB+ receivers mandatory in all new vehicles registered within the European Union. The move aims to ensure radio access remains reliable during internet network saturation.

The European Union intends to address current semiconductor shortages by investing directly in chip factories. Semiconductor analyst J. Goldberg of Seaport Research noted this trend poses a disruption risk to Nvidia. This follows a previous initiative that involved 86 billion euros in combined public and private funding. The move aims to address supply chain vulnerabilities exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic when companies faced order cancellations and production delays. The goal is to establish more robust European chip production capabilities. The European Union has passed a general ban on virtual media for children under the age of 15. Meta responded to preliminary findings from the European Commission regarding this matter. A Meta spokesperson stated that Instagram and Facebook are designed for users aged 13 and older.

An investigation is examining allegations that 13 members of parliament illegally obtained hundreds of millions of euros in EU agricultural subsidies. The case involves intercepted phone calls with the state procurement agency, OPGP, where politicians allegedly requested favors. Accusations suggest the funds were used for non-existent livestock or agricultural land to benefit specific constituencies. The investigation explores whether the officials incited embezzlement by exploiting their parliamentary immunity.

A criminal gang allegedly evaded 2 million euros in taxes through the sale of counterfeit cigarettes. A police investigation is looking into a scheme where advantages were offered via social media to facilitate cancellations.