NATO intern arrested on suspicion of spying

"An intern who worked at Nato’s military headquarters has been arrested on espionage charges.
The woman, a Canadian citizen of Chinese origin, is accused of spying “on behalf of a third country” and belonging to an unnamed “criminal organization”, prosecutors said.

She worked as an intern at Nato’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (Shape) in the Belgian city of Mons.
The site is the base of Allied Command Operations, which is responsible for planning and carrying out the operations of the 32-member transatlantic alliance.
The woman was detained after coming to the attention of its security services, who reported her to Belgian intelligence officials. Federal judicial police in Charleroi carried out searches at the suspect’s home and workplace on Thursday.
The woman’s name, what country she was allegedly working for, the criminal organization she is said to have belonged to, and the nature of her alleged spying have not been revealed." msn

Riots in Brussels: Hooded gangs rampage through city center

"A demonstration in the Belgian capital against controversial cuts to education spending has

descended into violence. It comes against the backdrop of mounting opposition to the government’s efforts to balance the budget.
What began as a largely peaceful protest by thousands of students and teachers in central Brussels later turned violent, with hooded individuals reportedly setting fires, damaging property and clashing with police. Some social media users posting videos on X claimed the unrest had been fueled by groups of migrant youths who infiltrated the demonstration.
Protestors were opposed to a package of austerity measures put forward by Belgium’s French Community government, which oversees French-language education. The reforms would raise annual university tuition fees for most students from €835 ($964) to around €1,194 and require some secondary-school teachers to take on additional classroom hours without extra pay.
Officials say the measures would save €300 million and help address a budget deficit projected to reach €1.9 billion. The roughly 35% increase would bring fees more closely into line with those at Flemish universities, according to the government." RT

Western companies miss deadline to exit Russia’s main drone production site

"Manufacturers from Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, France, and the U.S. continue operating in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone, where Russia produces thousands of Shahed drones capable of reaching the EU.

A huge industrial site in Tatarstan, a region in central Russia, has gained notoriety for its outsized role in Russia's war against Ukraine.
The site, known as the Alabuga Special Economic Zone (SEZ), is Russia's main facility for producing Shaheds, its primary long-range attack drones used in the war against Ukraine.
Launched after the Kremlin invaded Ukraine in 2022, the drone plant has produced tens of thousands of Shaheds, known in Russia by the domestic name Geran." KI

Farmers light fires outside the European Parliament building in Brussels

"Protesters lit fires and hurled potatoes at riot police who responded with teargas and water annon in Brussels on Thursday, as tensions boiled over at a farmer demonstration against the EU’s planned trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur.

About 1,000 honking tractors rolled into the Belgian capital to heap pressure on an EU leaders’ summit where the deal’s fate hung in the balance.“We’re here to say no to Mercosur,” Belgian dairy farmer Maxime Mabille told AFP. “It’s like Europe has become a dictatorship,” he said, accusing European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen of seeking to “force the deal through”.
At least 7,000 farmers staged a mostly peaceful march through the capital’s European quarter, where the Mercosur deal loomed large over an EU summit focused on funding Ukraine’s war effort.
But rowdy scenes erupted outside the European Parliament, where farmers lit a bonfire of tires and hay and threw tubers at the police, who fired back with teargas – with black smoke filling surrounding streets." msn

Netherlands opens fire on suspicious drones near air base housing U.S. nuclear weapons

"Dutch forces attempted to shoot down mysterious drones spotted near the Volkel Air Base in
the Netherlands, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans announced.

"Last night, drones were spotted above Volkel Air Base," Brekelmans wrote on X. "Weapons were deployed from the ground to shoot them down. The drones left and have not (yet) been found."
The incident is currently under investigation, Brekelmans said.
The Volker Air Base houses U.S. nuclear weapons and Dutch F-35 fighter jets. It is not the first military base in Europe with an American nuclear arsenal to be plagued by suspicious drones in recent weeks: Drones were sighted near Belgium's Kleine Brogel Air Base for three nights in a row between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2.
In response, Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken said that the sightings appeared to be part of an espionage operation." KI

British anti-drone unit deployed to Belgium

"A British anti-drone unit has arrived in Belgium to counter “hybrid threats,” Defense Minister Theo Francken announced on Sunday in a post on X.
London confirmed the deployment, citing several drone sightings reported over Belgium last week. Sir Richard Knighton, head of the British Armed Forces, acknowledged that the origin of the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) spotted over the area remains unknown." RT

EU fails to convince Belgium to seize frozen Russian funds

"EU Commission officials have failed to make Belgium change its mind on tapping frozen Russian central bank assets to fund the government in Kiev, Euronews reports. 

The country still opposes the plan, citing legal and financial risks, following a meeting, it said." RT

Drones spotted over military airbase in Belgium

"In the night drones were seen flying over Belgium's Kleine-Brogel Air Base.
Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken emphasized on social media platform X that a drone detection system has been operating at the base for some time. According to him, photos of unidentified drones were taken." Ukrin

Russia reacts to Belgian threat to ‘wipe Moscow off the map’

"Russia has accused Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken of irresponsible rhetoric after he suggested that NATO could “wipe Moscow off the map.”

In an interview with De Morgen newspaper published on Monday, Francken brushed off concerns that the currently shelved delivery of US-made Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine could trigger an all-out war between Russia and NATO.
He claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not use nuclear weapons because the US-led bloc “will wipe Moscow off the map,” and that a conventional attack on Brussels would also result in Moscow getting “flattened.”
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko told RBK on Wednesday that Francken’s words were in line with “the atmosphere of military psychosis” prevalent in Western Europe." RT

Ukrainian man stabs five in central Amsterdam

"The man who stabbed five people in central Amsterdam has been identified as a 30-year-old

Ukrainian citizen from Donetsk. Amsterdam police detained a man at the scene of a knife attack near Dam Square and later identified him as a Ukrainian citizen. The suspect checked into a hotel in Amsterdam the day before the attack. The victims include two elderly Americans, a 26-year-old Polish citizen, a 73-year-old Belgian woman, and a 19-year-old Dutch woman." NV

Russian court convicts Belgian mercenary

"A Russian court has sentenced in absentia Belgian national Jetmir Hussein to six years in a general population penal colony for participating in the Ukraine conflict on the side of Kiev, Moscow’s Prosecutor’s office reported on Thursday.

In a statement on its Telegram channel, it stated that the 25-year-old has been found guilty of acting as a mercenary in an armed conflict.
Prosecutors established that Hussein, who does not hold Ukrainian or Russian citizenship, travelled to a training camp in Ukraine’s Lviv Region in March 2022 that is said to belong to the International Legion of the Territorial Defense of Ukraine.
There, with the goal of receiving “material compensation,” investigators claim that Hussein joined the International Legion as a mercenary, underwent military training and “agreed to participate in hostilities against representatives of the security forces of the Donetsk (DPR) and Lugansk People’s Republics (LPR), as well as servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.”
The prosecutor’s office said that Hussein’s case was heard by the Moscow City Court which, due to the absence of the defendant, has issued an arrest warrant for him and placed him on the international wanted list." RT

Military Court Sentences 3 Americans, 34 Others to Death

"A military court in Congo handed down death sentences Friday to 37 people, including three Americans, after convicting them on charges of taking part in a coup attempt.The defendants, who also included a Briton, Belgian, Canadian and several Congolese, can appeal the verdict on charges that included terrorism, murder and criminal association. Fourteen people were acquitted in the trial, which opened in June.

Six people were killed during the botched coup attempt led by the little-known opposition figure Christian Malanga in May that targeted the presidential palace and a close ally of President Felix Tshisekedi. Malanga was fatally shot while resisting arrest soon after live-streaming the attack on his social media, the Congolese army said. A website in Christian Malanga’s name said his family settled in Salt Lake City in the 1990s as part of a refugee-resettlement program. He participated in the U.S. Army Junior ROTC, it said. He returned to Congo to run for political office in 2011 but was arrested “on bogus charges” and held for several weeks by police officers who beat him, it said. 

In July, Marcel Malanga told the court he was not involved in planning the coup and that he and Thompson had been forced to join in while visiting his father. “Dad had threatened to kill us if we did not follow his orders,” Reuters quoted him as saying." WJ

Hungary Vows One-Way Bus Tickets for Illegal Migrants to EU Capital Brussels

"Hungary said that it will bus illegal migrants to the European Union capital of Brussels,

Belgium if the bloc attempts to force Budapest into accepting supposed asylum seekers who broke into other EU nations.
Standing before a fleet of busses in Budapest the Hungarian politician said per Magyarnemzet: “If the European Union forces Hungary to let in illegal immigrants, Hungary will offer the migrants to transport them to Brussels for free after completing the European procedure.” Breitbart

Saudis Threatened To Sell European Bonds If Russian Assets Were Confiscated

"In a fascinating geopolitical development, Bloomberg reports that Saudi Arabia privately

hinted earlier this year it would sell some (or all) of its European debt holdings if the G-7 confiscated Russia's frozen assets. Now we know, and as Bloomberg notes "the Kingdom’s finance ministry told some G-7 counterparts of its opposition to the idea, which was meant to support Ukraine, with one person describing it as a veiled threat." The Saudis specifically mentioned debt issued by the French treasury. Most of the $300 billion in frozen Russian assets are held in Europe - particularly France, Germany, and Belgium. Which makes today's report from Bloomberg even more interesting from a geopolitical fissures perspective, as it means that as a result of its ability to spark a liquidation panic in Europe's unstable bond market, it has far more leverage than Ukraine and the "virtue signaling" western media." ZH

Belgium’s Anti-Trump Prime Minister Resigns After Suffering Right Wing Election Victory

"Right wing parties gained ground in Sunday’s national elections in Belgium, largely at the expense of left wing and green parties, prompting the liberal coalition Prime Minister to fall on his sword and announce he will resign.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo will resign, he said, reflecting on the poor performance of his governing coalition in the country’s ‘Super Sunday’ election which saw residents vote for their new parliament as well as regional representatives, and for their new members of the European Parliament. While Belgium didn’t experience a landslide victory, the gaining of ground by a handful of right-wing parties and the cliff-edge collapse of the country’s two Green parties has been enough to shift the electoral picture in the country, making the present centrist-globalist coalition untenable. Anti-Russia hawk De Croo said on Sunday night: “For us it was a particularly difficult evening, we lost. From tomorrow, I will be a resigning Prime Minister. But the liberals [will be back].” De Croo will stay on as caretaker Prime Minister until a new government can be formed, which in Belgium can typically take an extremely long time, over a year in some previous elections." Breitbart

Chaos Erupts In Brussels As Rubber Bullets Fired At Farmers Protesting Outside EU Parliament

"Rubber bullets and water cannons were deployed against hundreds of European farmers protesting outside the EU Parliament building in Brussels on Thursday. The farmers threw eggs, set off fireworks, and started fires near the building while demanding that European leaders stop punishing them with more taxes and rising costs imposed to finance a so-called 'green agenda.'" ZH

Deadly Storm Ciarán Brings 100-Plus-mph Winds To Northwest Europe, Knocks Out Power To Millions

"Record-breaking winds in France and across much of Western Europe left at least seven people dead and several others injured as Storm Ciarán swept through the continent overnight, plunging vast numbers into darkness, devastating homes and causing travel

mayhem in several countries. Winds of more than 118 mph slammed the northern tip of France’s Atlantic coast, uprooting trees and blowing out windows. Huge waves slammed into French ports and shorelines, as wind flattened street signs and ripped off roofing. 1.2 million French households were left without electricity. Local trains were canceled across a swath of western France, and all roads in the Finistère region of Brittany were closed. In Spain, where the storm battered much of the country with heavy rains and gale force winds, emergency services in Madrid said a woman died. Parks in the capital and other cities in Spain were closed, and several trains and flights were canceled. Two people were killed by falling branches in central Ghent, Belgium, including a five-year-old child who was taken to hospital but died a few hours later. A storm warning was issued for the North Sea coast in Germany, and a warning of high winds for part of the Baltic Sea coast. Thousands were also without power in the United Kingdom. Sharp gusts blew roofs off buildings and toppled trees. Britain’s Environment Agency urged people to prepare for inland flooding, as some river levels remain high, together with ground that is saturated. By just after midday, there were 82 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and 197 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, in place across England. Dutch media reported that several people had been hit by falling trees in different parts of the Netherlands, one person killed in the southern town of Venray." WeatherChannel

"Islamist Terrorist Attack" In Brussels; Shooter Still At Large

"An unidentified shooter killed two people near the center of Brussels in what Belgian

officials condemned as a ‘terrorist attack’, prompting the country to raise its terror threat level to 4, the highest since 2016.
Media and social media platforms aired amateur videos showing a man shooting several times near a station using a large weapon, with the gunman, who claimed to belong to the IS (Islamic State), said to be on the run. As the events unfolded, Sweden was playing Belgium in a Euro 2024 qualifying match at the national King Baudouin Stadium in northern Brussels.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that Europe had been "shaken" by a "terrorist attack" in Brussels, after two Swedes were killed in a shooting. Belgium's crisis center has raised Brussels' terror alert status to its highest level, and France was tightening controls at its border with Belgium, France’s interior minister, Gérald Darmanin." Euroriv

Unrest sparked by teen’s killing spreads to Belgium, 64 arrested

"Nationwide riots triggered by French police’s fatal shooting of a 17-year-old spread to
Belgium, unleashing chaos that resulted in 64 arrests, City of Brussels police revealed......Hordes of young people gathered in Brussels, using social media meetups to evade the authorities’ grasp and reassembling at the next location when police got too close. As the rioters settled on the Anneessens neighborhood and nearby Midi Station as the targets of their rage, the Anneessens metro station was closed for the night and buses through the neighborhood stopped or rerouted." RT

Denmark and Netherlands to lead European coalition in providing F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots

"Denmark and the Netherlands, in cooperation with the United States, will start developing a
framework for comprehensive training of Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation aircraft, in addition, Norway, Belgium, Portugal and Poland have offered to contribute to the training....including the F-16." Ukrin