Journal De Bruxelles - News from Brussels, Belgium, Europe and the world

NATO's European members scrambled Friday to get clarity from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on troop shifts by Washington, as they sought to placate President Donald Trump's ire on Iran ahead of a July summit.

More than a million Muslims are gathering in Mecca for the hajj pilgrimage overshadowed by the Middle East war, as animosity smoulders across the region despite a fragile ceasefire.

Phil Foden and Cole Palmer are among a number of high-profile names that are set to miss out on Thomas Tuchel's England squad for the World Cup, according to multiple reports on Friday.

NATO's European members scrambled Friday to get clarity from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on troop shifts by Washington, as they sought to placate President Donald Trump's ire on Iran ahead of a July summit.

UK police investigating former prince Andrew said Friday they are also open to probing a claim of sexual misconduct against King Charles III's brother.

Asian markets rallied Friday as optimism over US-Iran talks boosted regional equities, while rising oil prices kept inflation concerns in focus.

Carlo Petrini, whose worldwide Slow Food movement has spent 40 years promoting quality traditional cooking and sustainable farming, has died at the age of 76, his organisation announced Friday.

New Delhi's iconic auto-rickshaws have received a Donald Trump-themed makeover to mark the United States' 250th Independence celebrations and the upcoming India visit of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but not everyone is a fan.

The two dominant forces in European women's football over the last decade go head-to-head in Saturday's Champions League final as Barcelona take on Lyon in Oslo, with the Catalans facing up to the potential end of an era while their opponents target a record-extending ninth title.

Organized criminals killed at least 25 people, including civilians and police officers, Thursday in two attacks in northern Honduras, authorities said, as the Central American nation prepares a crackdown on crippling gang violence.

The coach of the first North Korean sports team to visit the South in eight years said his players were not "rough" as they prepare for Saturday's Asian Women's Champions League final.

A wind turbine billed as the world's tallest is rising in eastern Germany, winning praise as a beacon for a clean, green energy future and headwinds from the far-right AfD party.

For 20 years, Millicent Turay has supported her family by collecting mangrove oysters near Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, a common livelihood along the west African coast.

Hemmed in by a jihadist blockade of the Malian capital, Muslims in Bamako have been forced to spend Eid away from their families this year.

Paul McCartney led an all-star lineup for the final episode of "The Late Show" as frontman Stephen Colbert bowed out after broadcaster CBS cancelled his show as it courted US President Donald Trump.

A pair of luxury Hermes handbags that once belonged to a jailed Vietnamese property tycoon sold at auction for more than $500,000, state media reported, as the government seeks to recover funds linked to a $27 billion fraud.

Deep-sea mining companies face a blizzard of litigation if they forge ahead with "unlawful" plans backed by US President Donald Trump to dig critical minerals from the ocean floor, the head of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) told AFP on Friday.

Japan's former world champion figure skater Shoma Uno said Friday he was coming out of retirement and targeting an Olympic spot in ice dance with partner Marin Honda.

Bayern Munich face holders Stuttgart in the German Cup final on Saturday knowing defeat will sour what had been one of their most promising seasons in recent memory.

La Liga draws to a close this weekend with several matters still to be resolved, even though Hansi Flick's Barcelona have already been crowned champions.

Form and fitness concerns are hanging over some of football's biggest names just three weeks before the World Cup kicks off.

India's power producers have set a record for electricity generation as swathes of the world's most populous nation swelters in an intense heatwave, the ministry of power said.

Asian markets rose Friday as optimism over US-Iran talks buoyed equities, though higher oil prices kept inflation concerns in focus.

Japan's inflation slowed more than expected in April, government data showed Friday, as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi considers further measures to drive down costs linked to the Middle East war.

The New York Knicks used an explosive third-quarter to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-93 on Thursday and take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Eastern Conference finals.

NATO's European members will look to sound out US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on troop cuts by Washington Friday, as they seek to smooth over President Donald Trump's ire ahead of a July summit.

Unearthing small boats from under the sand at dawn before launching them towards Britain packed with people, migrant smugglers are increasingly operating from Belgium -- to the concern of local authorities.

The season-opening Tour Down Under will next year become the first WorldTour race to hold men's and women's stages on the same course, on the same day, and over the same distance, organisers said Friday.

Forecasters say a potentially "super" El Nino is rapidly taking shape in the Pacific -- but whether it evolves into a history-making event could hinge on fickle winds and other volatile atmospheric shifts.

French giants Paris Saint-Germain secured a 14th league title last week to continue their recent Ligue 1 domination.

Holders Bordeaux-Begles are aiming to establish themselves as one of club rugby's dynasties when they face four-time winners Leinster in the Champions Cup final on Saturday in Bilbao, Spain.

In 1970 it was the introduction of yellow and red cards. In 2018 VAR made its World Cup debut, while in Qatar in 2022 a FIFA directive to referees led to huge extensions to the amount of stoppage time played in games.