Musician and film-maker’s story about a Belgian-Congolese man who takes his white wife to DRC to meet the family is complex, risky and bold Congolese-born rapper, musician and film-maker Baloji (né Serge Baloji Tshiani) was a prizewinner at Cannes last year with this feature directing debut: a dynamic, teemingly populated, multistranded and tonally elusive picture which I initially thought would benefit from comparisons with Jordan Peele’s horror classic Get Out. In fact, it’s more complicated than that. Koffi (Marc Zinga) is a Congolese man living in Belgium and married to a white woman, Alic ..read more

Bruges court heard how defendant had condition called auto-brewery syndrome sometimes brought on by intestinal problems A Belgian man has been acquitted of drunk-driving because he has auto-brewery syndrome (ABS), an extremely rare condition whereby the body produces alcohol, his lawyer has said. Anse Ghesquiere said on Monday that in “another unfortunate coincidence” her client worked at a brewery, but three doctors who independently examined him had confirmed he had ABS ..read more

In Brussels and Berlin, flimsy excuses were trotted out to stifle political debate Two conferences in two European cities. Two attempted bans (though only one successful). Two different responses from politicians and the media. All of which tells us something about the state of free speech today. Last Tuesday, Emir Kir, a mayor in Brussels, created international headlines when he tried to ban a National Conservative conference in the city. The attempt failed, denounced as “unacceptable” by the Belgian prime minister, Alexander de Croo, and ruled unlawful by the top administrative court. Do you ..read more

Belgian PM condemns move by local mayor to shut down radical rightwing conference as ‘unconstitutional’ UK politics – latest updates A radical right conference that was addressed by Nigel Farage and Suella Braverman as police arrived to close it down has resumed after a Brussels court overturned a local mayor’s attempt to stop it. Following moves condemned as “unacceptable” and “unconstitutional” by the Belgian prime minister, Alexander De Croo, organisers of the National Conservatism conference went to the conseil d’état, Belgium’s supreme administrative court ..read more

Rishi Sunak’s authority suffers blow as several Conservatives vote against bill, which clears first Commons hurdle with 383 votes to 67 At 12.30pm a transport minister will respond to an urgent question in the Commons tabled by Labour on job losses in the rail industry. That means the debate on the smoking ban will will not start until about 1.15pm. Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, is one of the Britons speaking at the National Conservatism conference in Brussels starting today. The conference, which features hardline rightwingers from around the world committed to the NatCons’ ‘fa ..read more

Emir Kir ordered police to close down radical rightwing conference attended by Suella Braverman and Nigel Farage UK politics – latest updates The UK prime minister has rounded on Belgian authorities for closing down a radical rightwing conference in Brussels that was addressed by British politicians including Nigel Farage and Suella Braverman. After a day of chaos, claims and recriminations, the decision by a local Belgian mayor to stop the National Conservatives (NatCon) event was also condemned as “unacceptable” by Belgium’s prime minister, Alexander De Croo ..read more

Authorities in Brussels have ordered the closure of a radical right conference that was addressed by British politicians, including Nigel Farage and Suella Braverman. Authorities arrived as Nigel Farage, the Reform UK honorary president, was speaking and shut down the event while Suella Braverman was on stage. The order banning the National Conservatism conference was issued 'to guarantee public safety' according to Emir Kir, a mayor in Brussels. The venue was the conference’s third, after others had cancelled bookings. Concert Noble, near the EU Commission and European parliament, pulled the ..read more

Former home secretary will rub shoulders with populist right from across the globe, including Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán Rishi Sunak is being urged to stop his former home secretary from attending a rightwing convention featuring figures who have been under investigation for extremism, in the latest sign of his waning control of his party. Suella Braverman, who has been a central plotter against the prime minister since she left the cabinet, is set to be one of the keynote speakers at the National Conservatism (NatCon) conference in Brussels this week ..read more

Belgian PM says Russia is trying to influence forthcoming elections to weaken European support for Ukraine Prosecutors in Belgium have opened an investigation into alleged payments by Russia to members of the European parliament following an intelligence operation in Brussels, the Belgian prime minister has revealed. Alexander De Croo said Moscow’s objective was to weaken support for Ukraine in Europe ..read more

Act now on air quality in the Belgian capital, which is among the filthiest in Europe, say doctors and environmentalists More than 100 doctors and environmentalists in Brussels have called on their politicians to follow London and Paris and take measures to improve the choking air pollution in the Belgian capital. According to IS Global research, Brussels is ranked as the eighth worst of more than 800 European cities for nitrogen dioxide, which damages the lungs and is one of the main byproducts of internal combustion engines. The capital of the European Union is also ranked 308th out of 858 c ..read more