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Swiss President Alain Berset to step down at end of the year
Swiss President Alain Berset to step down at end of the year
ZURICH Swiss President Alain Berset is to step down at the end of the year and leave the
2023-06-21 19:18
Brussels Midi Station, once a stately gateway to Belgium, has turned into a festering sore
Brussels Midi Station, once a stately gateway to Belgium, has turned into a festering sore
Belgium acknowledged Thursday that its major rail gateway, the Brussels Midi Station, has become a festering sore of drug abuse, poverty and violence that is a major stain on a nation preparing to take on the presidency of the European Union. The government vowed to tackle the problem, but some critics say action is coming way too late, while others say that any cleanup operation will only push the big-city problems to other neighbourhoods. Belgium, one of the wealthiest nations in the world, with a major tourism industry, has neglected the once-stately Midi Station for decades. It has become a symbol of dysfunctional government as increasingly many of the 160,000 daily commuters and tourists no longer fully feel safe. The increasing spread of crack cocaine and open dealing and use of drugs in the neighbourhood over the past year have exacerbated an already bad situation to the point that petty theft, fights and harassment of tourists have become everyday headline news in the nation of 11.5 million. Belgium takes on the presidency of the 27-nation EU in January for six months. Governments who hold the presidency typically use the opportunity to bask in the global attention to promote their nation. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said at a news conference Thursday that he felt he had to take action and no longer leave security at such a key time to a warren of local authorities who had proven they were not up to the task. “The challenge is one of security that we owe to everyone passing through Brussels. It is about the livable conditions in the neighbourhood, and of course, it is about the image of Brussels and the image of our nation,” he said Thursday. As an immediate measure, it was announced that a special police station will be set up at the existing station at the train station to make interventions easier. But far more fundamental issues are at stake, said historian, former politician and Brussels pundit Luckas Vander Taelen. “Nobody has done anything for years. So this problem gets always worse. And that’s what happens today — everybody seems concerned. But I wonder what is going to change here," he said. Vander Taelen blamed Belgium's Byzantine political structure of overlapping local, regional and national authorities who he said all too often blame each other instead of actually doing something in unison. “There are too many levels of power in Brussels and that paralyses everything,” he said. As criticism mounted, police organized highly publicized raids through the massive railway station, picking up and detaining several people while a cleaning team did away with much of the muck and dirt. Those are only stop-gap solutions though, said Ariane Dierickx of the l'Ilot aid group, which provides services for the homeless and needy. “It was shocking to see that all these people that have been rejected by society are being picked up by police vans while they are not criminals,” she said. “It shows how inadequate the response is.” Dierickx said it would only move the problem to other areas. Belgium's image is being soiled in other places too, De Croo's critics say, since problems at the Nord Station, another major train hub in the capital, haven't been much better. One of the major issues has been the rise of drug trafficking and its accompanying violence in Belgium. The northern port of Antwerp has turned into a main gateway for Latin American cocaine cartels into the continent and cocaine seizures there have more than doubled in the past half decade, according to customs officials. Because of that, relatively inexpensive cocaine has boomed in Brussels and crack cocaine has become a massive security issue, especially around the Midi station. Read More Carrasco dismisses criticism of human rights in Saudi Arabia after transfer to Al Shabab Swimmers enjoy sunshine and a dip at lido celebrating 100th anniversary World War I memorials in France and Belgium are vying again to become UNESCO World Heritage sites Belgium imposes a ban on shelter for single men seeking asylum to make place for families The Ukraine war, propaganda-style, is coming to Russian movie screens. Will people watch? The Ukraine war, propaganda-style, is coming to Russian movie screens. Will people watch?
2023-09-08 18:47
Andrew Tate claims to teach society ‘stoicism, emotional control’ as Tristan Tate backs brother, here’s what youth thinks of Top G
Andrew Tate claims to teach society ‘stoicism, emotional control’ as Tristan Tate backs brother, here’s what youth thinks of Top G
Andrew Tate also claimed that he has previously denounced knife crimes publicly and that attacking him is 'dangerous' for society
2023-09-28 13:28
Australia and China open their first high-level dialogue in 3 years in a sign of a slight thaw
Australia and China open their first high-level dialogue in 3 years in a sign of a slight thaw
Australia and China have started their first high-level dialogue in three years in a sign of a slight thaw to relations between countries that have clashed on human rights, COVID-19 and trade
2023-09-07 15:54
Florida man stumped after finding out why his cars looked 'nibbled' on by unidentified creature on August 16
Florida man stumped after finding out why his cars looked 'nibbled' on by unidentified creature on August 16
The Florida man and his wife saw damage on both sides of the windshield, and said it appeared to have been 'attacked by something'
2023-08-16 20:16
'It's something that's a part of my DNA': Ryan Seacrest signs iHeartMedia deal till end of 2027
'It's something that's a part of my DNA': Ryan Seacrest signs iHeartMedia deal till end of 2027
Ryan Seacrest has been with iHeart as their morning voice of LA station for around 20 years
2023-11-30 01:59
House votes to revoke tougher EPA emissions regulation for trucks
House votes to revoke tougher EPA emissions regulation for trucks
The House voted Tuesday to rescind a Biden administration emissions regulation for heavy-duty trucks.
2023-05-24 04:55
Retail sales up 0.4% in April, buoyed by solid job market and declining prices in some areas
Retail sales up 0.4% in April, buoyed by solid job market and declining prices in some areas
Consumers picked up their spending modestly in April from March, particularly in dining out and online, buoyed by a solid job market and easing inflationary pressures
2023-05-16 23:58
James Cameron says he figured days ago that the Titan submersible imploded, but hoped he was wrong
James Cameron says he figured days ago that the Titan submersible imploded, but hoped he was wrong
Filmmaker and deep-sea explorer James Cameron says he figured soon after learning that a Titanic-bound submersible was missing that it had imploded and its occupants were dead -- days before officials announced that very outcome.
2023-06-23 15:46
Celebs who fell in love with restaurant workers
Celebs who fell in love with restaurant workers
Celebrities, accustomed to the glare of the spotlight, have been known to fall head over heels for the unsung heroes of the culinary world
2023-09-12 18:17
Chris Christie town hall - live: 2024 candidate onstage for CNN event with Anderson Cooper after Trump attacks
Chris Christie town hall - live: 2024 candidate onstage for CNN event with Anderson Cooper after Trump attacks
Former New Jersey governor and 2024 presidential candidate Chris Christie will appear before Americans on Monday night in a town hall hosted by CNN. Less than a week ago, Mr Christie officially entered the already-packed race for the Republican nomination. He joins former president Donald Trump, former vice president Mike Pence, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley and more. Thus far, the former New Jersey official is polling well behind the rest of the Republican frontrunners, barely cracking one per cent support. The former governor launched his campaign positioning himself as a moderate-conservative alternative to former president Donald Trump, who Mr Christie called a “self-consumed, self-serving, mirror hog.” Mr Christie will likely continue to set himself apart from the former president, who he twice endorsed, in the town hall. It is set to begin at 8pm EST, hosted by Anderson Cooper.
2023-06-13 08:29
Missing Titanic sub search team expand search area as oxygen fears mount
Missing Titanic sub search team expand search area as oxygen fears mount
More boats and underwater vehicles will join the search for five people lost inside a submersible.
2023-06-22 15:17