Belgium

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Skydiver Accused of Killing Love Rival Via Parachute

Prosecutors say she sabotaged victim's chutes

(Newser) - A Belgian woman has gone on trial in Brussels, accused of murdering a love rival by sabotaging her parachute and causing her to plunge to her death. Els "Babs" Clottemans allegedly tampered with the main and reserve chutes of experienced skydiver Els Van Doran, who died after crashing into...

Lawyers Forced to Ditch Bras in Jail Screenings

Bras of 'prettiest' Belgians somehow set off metal detectors, they complain

(Newser) - Female attorneys became suspicious when their bras—particularly those worn by young, attractive women—suddenly set off metal alarms at a Belgian prison and had to be removed. Now they're angry. "Metal detection checks seem very difficult to carry out when a pretty, young lawyer or visitor reports to...

French Assembly Votes to Ban Burka
French Assembly Votes
to Ban Burka
Jul 14, 2010 1:41 AM CDT

French Assembly Votes to Ban Burka

European nations lining up in crackdown

(Newser) - The French National Assembly has voted nearly unanimously to ban the burka in public, and the Senate is expected to do the same in a matter of weeks. France will likely become the second European nation after Belgium to crack down on the Islamic garb. Similar bills are also pending...

Pope Slams 'Deplorable' Church Sex Raids

Belgian police action 'unprecedented'

(Newser) - Raids by Belgian police investigating priest sex abuse are "deplorable," an angry Pope Benedict lashed out yesterday, adding to the chorus of Vatican criticism of the Belgian government. Police last week searched several Catholic Church buildings and seized nearly 500 files and a computer in Leuven, Belgium. Belgium...

Man Guns Down Judge and Clerk in Belgian Court

Nearby school closed as police hunt for suspect

(Newser) - A female judge and a court clerk were shot dead earlier this morning in the middle of a session in Belgium's main court in Brussels, the BBC reports. Shots were heard ringing out from the Palais de Justice at about 11:15am local time (4:15 ET). The victims were...

Belgium Passes Burka Ban

 Belgium Passes Burka Ban 
Apr 30, 2010 8:53 AM CDT

Belgium Passes Burka Ban

Bill, which bans any kind of face covering, passes unopposed

(Newser) - Belgium's lower house of parliament today voted virtually unanimously in favor of a law aimed at banning burkas in public public places. The bill passed with 134 in favor, two abstaining, and none opposing. It moves now to the Senate, where it is expected to pass, but not before its...

African Seeks Ban on Racist Tintin in Belgium

Tintin in the Congo ' offensive'

(Newser) - A Congolese man living in Belgium wants a Tintin book banned in the cartoon character's homeland. Tintin in the Congo, written in the late 1920s, has been widely attacked for its crude and offensive racial stereotypes. "It makes people think that blacks have not evolved," said Bienvenu Mbutu....

Belgium Votes Today to Ban Muslim Veils

French may soon have similar law

(Newser) - Belgium is expected today to become the first nation to ban face-covering Muslim veils in public. Supporters of the bill say they're motivated by concerns about security as well as taking action to protect women's rights. "We think all people in public must show their face," Belgium lawmaker...

Coma Man's 'Communication' Proved False

Neurologist says Rom Houben is conscious, but can't communicate

(Newser) - The story of a Belgian man who began communicating after more than 20 years in a coma made headlines around the world, but the skeptics have now been proven right. Rom Houben's neurologist says further tests have found that the facilitated communication method, in which a therapist guided Houben's fingers...

20 Killed in Head-On Belgian Train Crash

Wrong-way driver ignored repeated warnings

(Newser) - At least 20 people were killed at rush hour today in Belgium when two commuter trains crashed head on south of Brussels. Both train drivers and conductors were among the dead. One mangled train perched atop the other as rescuers used cranes to get to dozens of passengers and some...

Woman Kills Son, 8, in Posh NYC Hotel: Cops

Socialite's child apparently OD's in failed murder-suicide

(Newser) - An 8-year-old boy was found dead today in a luxury hotel in Manhattan after his socialite mother apparently botched a murder-suicide attempt, police say. Gigi Jordan, 49, was taken to Bellevue Hospital after being found "babbling incoherently" in her $600-a-night room at the Peninsula New York on Fifth Avenue....

Freed Belgians 'Deeply Concerned' About Hikers

Americans in solitary in Iran for 6 months under extreme pressure

(Newser) - Two Belgians who’ve just been freed from Iranian prison say they’re “deeply concerned” about the “well-being” of three American hikers being held there, who will have logged 6 months next week without any contact with their families or lawyers. “Iran, please free the hikers,”...

Reporters Try to Live on Twitter, Facebook Alone

Journalists will hole up in French farmhouse, use only social media

(Newser) - Five journalists plan to lock themselves in a French farmhouse and try gathering news using only Facebook and Twitter. During their 5-day sojourn, the journalists will be cut off from all other links to the outside world—there will be no TVs, and other web surfing is strictly prohibited. Then...

Coma Doc Checking Dozens of New Cases

Belgian searches for more victims of 'locked-in' syndrome

(Newser) - The Belgian neurologist who discovered that a patient thought to have been in a coma was actually conscious for 23 years has been checking dozens of other patients for signs of awareness. And he has discovered consciousness in some of the 50 patients he checks annually with his state-of-the-art equipment,...

Coma Man's Words May Not Be His

Experts doubt Houben's 'facilitated communication'

(Newser) - Ron Houben's poignant words after being locked for 23 years inside his paralyzed body may not be his own, according to some skeptical experts. They believe the Belgian, misdiagnosed as being in a vegetative state, is definitely sentient. But they note that an "interview" with him relied on "...

Coma Man Was Conscious for 23 Years
Coma Man Was Conscious
for 23 Years
Nov 23, 2009 3:30 AM CST

Coma Man Was Conscious for 23 Years

'I was witness to my own suffering,' says Belgian

(Newser) - A man believed to be in a coma for 23 years following a car accident was actually conscious but completely paralyzed. "I dreamed myself away," said Belgian Rom Houben, now 49. A doctor finally made the correct diagnosis and discovered Houben's brain was completely normal and functioning. With...

Euro Farmers Protest Falling Prices With Huge Milk Dump

800,000 gallons in Belgian field after recession takes big toll

(Newser) - European farmers today dumped 800,000 gallons of milk in a Belgian field, AFP reports, in a protest against a dramatic dive in prices. The group behind the scene says three French farmers committed suicide in the past week over prices, which have fallen by as much as half as...

Clijsters Caps Comeback With Crown
 Clijsters Caps 
 Comeback  
 With Crown  
us open
Sep 13, 2009 10:25 PM CDT

Clijsters Caps Comeback With Crown

Belgian rebounds from 2-year hiatus to capture 2nd major

(Newser) - After 2 years off, Kim Clijsters needed just two sets to capture US Open title No. 2 tonight at Flushing Meadows. The 7-5, 6-3 victory over Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark capped a dramatic run by the 26-year-old Belgian, who was unseeded in her third tournament since un-retiring. Her 18-month-old daughter,...

'Swine Flu Ship' Docks In France

France, Belgium see first swine flu deaths

(Newser) - A cruise ship carrying 60 crew members diagnosed with swine flu and 70 more showing symptoms has docked in southern France, the BBC reports. The infected will receive onboard treatment in Villefranche-sur-Mer. French officials say Spanish authorities confirmed the diagnosis, but Royal Caribbean, which owns the Voyager of the Seas,...

Sour Beers Put Smiles on US Brewers' Mugs

(Newser) - The ever-adventurous US microbrewing community has embraced a new flavor, the Los Angeles Times reports, and it’s sour. Brewers are taking a page from the Belgian playbook and turning out tart lambics and gueuzes aged in oak barrels. “Sour beers are our connection to the ancient history of...

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