Belgium pulls more Haagen-Dazs ice-creams from sale

BRUSSELS - Belgium on Tuesday extended an order to recall certain Haagen-Dazs ice-creams from sale after the discovery of traces of a chemical linked to cancer, such as lymphoma and leukemia. 

The move was triggered by an EU food safety alert and Spain and France have also issued recalls of several Haagen-Dazs products.

After already recalling 10 products last Friday, the Belgian national food health agency added seven more Haagen-Dazs products to the list on Tuesday. 

The latest move concerns tubs and minicups made by Haagen-Dazs, a brand owned by US manufacturer General Mills, with use-by dates of between March and April 2023, with flavours including Vanilla, Belgian Chocolate, Macadamia Nut Brittle and Pralines & Cream.

Customers who had bought Haagen-Dazs products affected by the recalls were told not to eat them, destroy them and to contact General Mills for a refund.

The alert was relayed on the EU's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed system at the request of France, which last month detected 2-Chloroethanol in checks on some Haagen-Dazs products, triggering the initial recall.

2-Chloroethanol is a compound found in ethylene oxide (ETO), a carcinogenic chemical used as a pesticide and cleaning chemical, and has properties that damage DNA. 

General Mills said last week that "trace levels of ETO can be sourced to one ingredient (vanilla extract) provided by one of our suppliers".

Outside the EU, Brazil's ANVISA health monitoring agency last month issued its own alert over vanilla Haagen-Dazs products imported from France.

Despite its name, Haagen-Dazs does not have Nordic origins. It was founded by a Polish-Jewish couple in New York who gave it a brand they thought sounded Danish.

Agence France-Presse

Protest against coronavirus restrictions turns violent in Brussels

BRUSSELS — Police fired teargas and used water cannons on Sunday to disperse protesters pelting officers with cobblestones and fireworks as a demonstration in Brussels over government-imposed COVID-19 restrictions turned violent.

A few thousand protesters marched peacefully through the center of the Belgian capital to the neighborhood which hosts the headquarters of European Union institutions, where the demonstration reached its endpoint.

In the EU quarter, a group of protesters wearing black hoods and chanting "liberte" (freedom) started to throw stones at the police, who reacted with teargas and water cannons, according to footage and reports from Reuters journalists present.

Demonstrators were protesting rules imposed in October that oblige people to show COVID-19 passes to access bars and restaurants.

"I can't bear discrimination in any form, and now there's the vaccine pass which is discriminatory, sanctions for (unvaccinated) carers which are discriminatory too, there's mandatory vaccination which is heading our way," one protestor, martial arts teacher Alain Sienaort, said.

"That's all discrimination, so we have to fight it. We don't want a dictatorship."

The protest followed new measures announced on Friday to curb one of Europe's highest infection rates, including mandatory mask wearing for most primary school children and a lengthening of the school holidays.

In late November, a much larger number of demonstrators clashed violently with the police in Brussels. That led to dozens of arrests, injuries among police officers, and widespread property damage. 

(Reporting by John Cotton, Sean Carter, and Francesco Guarascio; Editing by Jan Harvey)

-reuters-

'I thought I would never wake up,' Belgian doctor says after surviving COVID-19

BRUSSELS - A Belgian urologist has spoken of his "incredible" experience, having survived COVID-19 and been discharged from intensive care after three weeks in a coma.

"I was seeing my end," Antoine Sassine said from his room at Brussels' Delta Chirec hospital, where he used to work. "I thought I was going to die and would never wake up."

The 58-year-old and his team were all diagnosed at the hospital and he was admitted to the intensive care unit when his symptoms worsened.

Sassine was placed in an induced coma, but says he was aware of his desire to fight the disease and that he also had visions of his late father.

Describing the experience as "incredible", Sassine, who was moved out of intensive care on Tuesday, said: "I saw my father, who died four years ago. I spoke with him."

"My greatest joy was when I woke up and saw the faces of my friends, it was indescribable."

Now he is looking forward to hugging his family, who he has not seen since he was diagnosed, and recuperating at home.

Belgium has reported 38,496 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 5,683 deaths. (Reporting by Yves Herman Writing by Marine Strauss Editing by David Goodman)

-reuters-

Hospitals turn to snorkel masks to ease respirator overload

BRUSSELS - As hospitals face an overload of COVID-19 patients struggling to breathe, innovative medical staff are turning to snorkeling masks from sports stores to stop their lungs from collapsing.

The idea started in Italy, the European country worst-hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with hospitals in other nations taking note and adding their own specific medical parts to make it work.

One such is the Erasme Hospital on the outskirts of Belgium's capital Brussels. It is attached to the city's ULB university -- and through it to a private spin-off, Endo Tools Therapeutics, whose knowhow in 3D printing for medical use has proved invaluable.

"They are to be used for patients with severe respiratory problems. The aim is to avoid having to intubate the trachea of the patient and put them on a respirator," said Frederic Bonnier, a respiratory physiotherapist at the hospital who also teaches at the university.

He spearheaded the design of a custom-made valve that fits to the top of full-face masks, where the snorkel is meant to go, allowing them to connect to standard BiPAP machines that feed pressurized air into masks. 

This helps prevent the collapse of alveoli, lung air sacs needed for the intake of oxygen into our bodies and the exhalation of carbon dioxide. Pneumonia brought on by COVID-19 inflames the lung membrane and fills those sacs with liquid.

STOP-GAP SOLUTION 

In the worst-case infections, patients have to be hooked up to respirators in intensive-care units. 

But respirators are in desperately short supply worldwide because of the sheer number of patients. 

The snorkeling mask solution could be a stop-gap measure for patients on the brink of intensive-care treatment but for whom no beds nor respirators are available. Hospital masks for the less-intensive BiPAP (bilevel positive airway pressure) machines are also lacking.

Bonnier said that from Monday, he will be testing 50 of the masks on patients. 

They are the same brand as those used by Italian doctors, donated by the French sportswear retailer Decathlon that has stores worldwide. The masks themselves are made in Italy.

He explained they were far more comfortable than the hospital ones that fit over the nose and mouth, biting into the skin. But he cautioned they were not tested to medical standards, meaning they were one-use only, unable to be sterilized between patients. 

The Italian design for the 3D-printed valve also needed reworking. 

"It seemed fairly complicated to make, pretty heavy, not very comfortable. So we had the idea to go a little further by thinking on it and developing our own connection part," he said.

The new plastic valve connectors have now been 3D-printed and are ready to be tested.

Bonnier added that health workers in COVID-19 wards could also use the masks for protection against the virus. But he fears the public will start panic-buying them, thereby depriving hospitals of a potentially life-saving product. 

He also said that, even if the tests prove conclusive, there were still questions about how many of such masks could be made available by sporting companies, under what conditions.

RETAILER CAUTIOUS

Learning of the emergency use being made of its snorkeling masks, Decathlon expressed "interest" -- but also prudence.

"At the moment we don't have confirmation that these solutions really work," it said on its Twitter account.

"If we see successful try-outs, and these hospitals confirm to us that some tests work, then we'll keep you informed. But in the meantime, beware of unsourced and unverified information spread on social media in recent days."

Agence France-Presse

Belgium passes 2,000 coronavirus cases, deaths mount

BRUSSELS - The number of coronavirus disease cases recorded in Belgium surged past 2,000 on Friday and the number of deaths jumped by 16 to 37, authorities said.

According to the country's national crisis center, 462 new confirmed cases of the virus have been reported, bringing the total to 2,257 in a country of 11.4 million people.

Two-thirds of the new cases overnight were in Dutch-speaking Flanders, in northern Belgium.

Emmanuel Andre, a spokesman for the crisis center, said Belgium was better prepared than Italy had been when it became the focus of the European outbreak, but that hospitals would need more space for the most serious cases.

In the past 24 hours, another 203 people have been admitted to hospital in Belgium, and 164 of them will require intensive care, such as breathing assistance.

"The average age of those hospitalized is around 60," he said. "In Belgium, we have 1,900 beds equipped with ventilators, and places are being set up today to increase this number."

"We are expecting demand to increase in the coming days," Andre warned.

Europe is now the epicenter of the pandemic that emerged in China in December, with Italy now the hardest country.

Belgium is now one of several European countries to order a national lockdown, although one less sternly enforced than in neighboring France -- and with more exceptions.

Already, bars and restaurants are shut and many people have been asked to work from home and to avoid socializing and crowds, but officials expect the measures to tighten.

"Everyone should respect these measures, and in my opinion, exceptions to the rules will come to an end in the coming days," another crisis center spokesman Benoit Ramacker said. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Belgium names first woman prime minister

BRUSSELS -- Belgian Budget Minister Sophie Wilmes has been chosen as the country's new caretaker prime minister -- a first for a woman, the current premier Charles Michel said on Saturday.

The 44-year-old still has to be sworn in by King Philippe, who is expected to announce the nomination formally on Sunday at the earliest.

Michel, who is set to take over as European Council president on December 1, had said on Friday he intended to step down by the beginning of November "at the latest."

Belgium has not had a fully functioning federal government since a coalition headed up by Michel collapsed in December 2018.

He has stayed on as caretaker premier ever since.

The political situation was further complicated by a very fragmented result of parliamentary elections in May.

"Congratulations Sophie Wilmes, who is being put forward to the King as caretaker prime minister," Michel said on Twitter.

Wilmes, who is seen as an ally of Michel's and was first elected to parliament in 2014, was chosen by a ministerial committee.

Belgium has a reputation for political crises. In 2010-2011 it was without a government for 541 days -- a record.

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Records tumble in Europe as heatwave bites

PARIS -- Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands recorded their highest ever temperatures as a European heatwave soared towards its peak on Wednesday, impacting rail transport and prompting a number of drownings with people taking to the water.

Cyclists in the Tour de France in southern France had to puff their way over the course in well over 30 degrees Celsius while in the Netherlands, farmers have been leaving their cows outside to sleep, rather than bringing them in at night.

Belgium registered an all-time high of 39.9 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) at the Kleine-Brogel military base, beating a record that dated back to June 1947.

In Germany the temperature soared to 40.5C (104.9F) in western Geilenkirchenthe, surpassing the previous record of 40.3 (104.5)

In the Netherlands, 38.8C at Gilze-Rijen, in the south, displaced a record dating back 75 years.

The second heatwave in less than a month has focused new attention on climate change and a host of French cities broke records on Tuesday. Wine capital Bordeaux hit 41.2C (106.16F) while the central city of Vichy climbed to 41.3C (106.3F).

Paris is facing its hottest day on Thursday with the French capital's 70-year-plus record of 40.4C (104.7F) forecast to fall. Cooler weather with rain was expected to provide relief from Friday.

"It's too much for us," said Sven Schenk, 29, a logistics worker from Germany who was visiting Paris. "We're not looking forward to tomorrow! But we haven't changed our plans."

RAIL CHAOS

Britain's Met Office predicted a chance that the UK temperature record of 38.5C (101.3F) which was recorded in Faversham, Kent, in August 2004, will also be exceeded on Thursday at the peak of the heat.

Britain's Network Rail said it was slowing down trains in response to the extreme weather. 

French trains were also slowed down and the national rail operator SNCF advised travelers in the worst affected areas to delay journeys planned at the peak of the heatwave Thursday.

Thalys and Eurostar train services between Brussels, Paris and London were disrupted by a failure on an overhead power line, although it was not immediately clear if this was due to the heatwave.

A Eurostar train bound for London tore down part of the cable support just outside Brussels. The 600 passengers were eventually taken back to Brussels, the Belga news agency said.

Across the area affected by the unusually high heat, people tried to cool off in lakes and rivers.

In London, police were searching for three people who went missing in the River Thames while swimming while three people have drowned in Germany since Tuesday.

Dutch media said hundreds of pigs died when a ventilator failed at Middelharnis.

TAKE CARE OF OTHERS

France's weather office said the scorching conditions "require particular care, notably for vulnerable or exposed people" with almost the entire country under an orange-level weather alert, the second highest level.

Paris in particular remains haunted by the early summer of 2003 when 15,000 deaths were blamed on the heat and the authorities were bitterly criticized for not mobilizing fast enough.

"We need to take care of ourselves but above all others, especially those who are alone, and be able to detect the first symptoms of heatstroke," said Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.

Local authorities have placed restrictions on water usage in many areas due to drought-like conditions that have seen ground and river water levels fall dramatically.

CLIMATE CHANGE

This summer's second heatwave has amplified concerns in Europe that human activity is heating the planet at a dangerous rate.

The June 26-28 blast of heat in France was four degrees Celsius (7.2 Fahrenheit) hotter than an equally rare June heatwave would have been in 1900, the World Weather Attribution (WWA) team said this month. 

One study by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology said the deadly, weeks-long heatwave across northern Europe in 2018 would have been statistically impossible without climate change.

Swedish teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg, who has highlighted the problem of global warming through school strikes, warned MPs at France's parliament of dire consequences if "business as usual" continues until 2030.

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Belgium students join climate change protest

BRUSSELS - Thousands of students on Saturday skipped classes and braved the bad weather to join the Global Strike for Future Belgium.

More than 30,000 people of all ages gathered in the main streets of Brussels to protest against climate change, which aims to pressure Belgium to implement a new climate policy along European institutions ahead of the next summit on March 21 and 22.

The march began at 1:30 in the afternoon at Brussels North Station and ended at the climate village at South Station. Other cities namely Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp, and Leuven have also staged marches.

Previous similar demonstrations which were organized by Youth for Climate have successfully taken place in Brussels since January 10 this year.

The global action was inspired by a Swedish student, Greta Ernman Thunberg, who became prominent after staging the first school protest for climate outside the building of Swedish Parliament.

Thunberg skipped classes on Fridays stating that “the climate strike is the biggest lesson of all."

It was also Thunberg who inspired secondary students in Antwerp and in Brussels in organizing regular marches on Thursdays.

Students have asked all politicians to stop political gimmicks and should start acting now if they want to save the planet.

“Today we are already at 1.1 degrees and we cannot wait until the earth becomes even more warmer. What we want the government to do is to cut all 11 percent emissions, all the more economically developed countries, they have to cut 11 percent right now in order to reduce emissions," European school student Patricija Marjauskaite said.

The students insisted that it is very important to take actions while there is still time.

“We need the protests to keep happening around the world , a very pointed focus, with this number 11 percent so that politicians have no way of getting around ignoring these protests," said Jules Pye, another student.

Meanwhile, former beauty queen turned model, Pinay-Belgian Bernadette de Leener said everyone should take part in addressing the climate change problem even without joining the protest.

De Leener enumerated simple ways on how we can help address the climate change:

- Buy local,organic and seasonal food whenever possible
- Avoid products in non-recyclable containers
- Walk, cycle or use public transport instead of car
- Take train instead of plane for near holiday destinations
- Plant trees in your garden
- Try to use less water in the shower
- Refuse plastic bags when you shop, instead, take your own bag
- Buy less or only what is essential
- Use less electricity

She said it is important to remind people that climate change is in fact caused by human behavior and should be conscious about the fact that it will have a direct impact on us.

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Pogba dedicates France win to Thai cave survivors

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia -- Paul Pogba dedicated France's World Cup semi-final win against Belgium to the 12 boys who survived a harrowing ordeal trapped underground in Thailand.

The final five members of a young football team were rescued from a flooded Thai cave on Tuesday after spending 18 harrowing days trapped deep inside, completing an astonishing against-the-odds rescue mission that captivated the world. 

Elite foreign divers and Thai Navy SEALs extracted the final batch of four boys, plus the 25-year-old coach, via a treacherous escape route that required them to squeeze through narrow, water-filled tunnels in darkness. 

Following the 1-0 win in Saint Petersburg, Manchester United midfielder Pogba tweeted: "This victory goes to the heroes of the day, well done boys, you are so strong." 

FIFA boss Gianni Infantino had invited the boys' Wild Boars football team to Sunday's World Cup final last week. 

But FIFA said it had been informed "that due to medical reasons, the boys will not be in a position to travel to Moscow". 

"FIFA's priority remains the health of everyone involved in the operation and we will look into finding a new opportunity to invite the boys to a FIFA event to share with them a moment of communion and celebration," a spokesman said. 

The Thai footballers, aged from 11 to 16, had been stuck deep underground after setting off to explore the cave with their coach after training on June 23. 

FIFA also expressed condolences to the family of a Thai Navy SEAL who died after running out of oxygen during the rescue operation on Friday. "Our thoughts are with his family," FIFA said.

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FIFA World Cup: Umtiti header sends France into final

ST. PETERSBURG - Samuel Umtiti's 51st-minute header sent an impressive France into the World Cup final with a 1-0 win over Belgium in an absorbing first semi-final on Tuesday.

Didier Deschamps' side will face England or Croatia in Moscow on Sunday as the French look to lift the trophy for the second time following their triumph on home soil in 1998.

In an enthralling tactical match, it was once again a set-piece that proved decisive with Umtiti's near-post header from an Antoine Griezmann corner settling matters.

Belgium took early control of midfield with France content to sit deep and eliminate the threat of counter-attacks from Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne.

But it was by no means a purely negative approach as the French offered their own danger on the break, perfectly illustrated when Paul Pogba’s delivery sent Kylian Mbappe racing towards goal and Belgium were thankful their keeper Thibaut Courtois was alert to snuff out the danger.

The first real opening came in the 16th minute when De Bruyne hooked the ball into the path of Hazard whose shot was just wide of Huge Lloris’s far post.

Hazard was dangerous again moments later when he cut in from the left and unleashed a rasping drive which clipped off the back of Raphael Varane and just over the bar.

From a Belgium corner, Toby Alderweireld tested Lloris with a smart shot on the turn but as the half progressed France began to create more.

Olivier Giroud flashed a header just wide and Mbappe set up Benjamin Pavard whose low shot was kept out by the outstretched leg of Courtois.

It was a fascinating first half and all that was missing was a goal but one came soon after the break.

From Griezmann's corner, Umtiti beat Marouane Fellaini at the near post and powered a header home to put France ahead.

Fellaini flashed a header just wide and Axel Witsel forced a good save out of Lloris as Belgium pushed forward for an equaliser and France hung on in six minutes of stoppage time to book their place in the final. 

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FIFA World Cup: Belgium stuns Brazil to reach semifinals

KAZAN, Russia - Belgium struck early and held off a late Brazil fightback to send the five-times champions tumbling out of the World Cup with a 2-1 victory in an end-to-end thriller on Friday that earned them a semifinal against France.

A Fernandinho own goal and a brilliant Kevin De Bruyne strike gave Belgium a spot in the last four for the second time after 1986 and sent Brazil home at the quarter-final stage for the third time in the last four World Cups.

Brazil dominated possession and carved out chance after chance but could not score until substitute Renato Augusto headed home Philippe Coutinho's cross 14 minutes from time.

Roared on by the vast majority of the crowd at the Kazan Arena, the Brazilians poured forward to try and save the game but Roberto Firmino, Augusto and Coutinho spurned gilt-edged opportunities to level the scores.

If Belgium's first goal in the 13th minute had an element of luck, the ball going into the net off Fernandinho's shoulder from a corner, the second in the 31st minute was a shining example of counter-attacking football.

Romelu Lukaku took the ball with his back to goal, turned into space and stormed past Fernandinho up the pitch before releasing De Bruyne on his right for the playmaker to rifle the ball into the net from the edge of the box.

De Bruyne, playing in a more advanced role than he had in Belgium's previous four matches, was at the heart of his team's best work, managing the transition from rearguard defence to attack with vision, pace and accuracy.

This was no repeat of Belo Horizonte four years ago, when Brazil were thrashed 7-1 by Germany in the semi-finals on home soil, and Tite's side kept their shape and composure.

Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, though, made a fine saves from Coutinho and Serbian referee Milorad Mazic waved away penalty appeals from Neymar and Gabriel Jesus.

The Brazilians finally got some reward for their efforts with Augusto's header and Belgium needed a brilliant fingertip Courtois save from Neymar in the last seconds to secure a date with neighbours France in St Petersburg on Tuesday. 

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No Filipino casualty in Belgium shooting, DFA says

MANILA - The Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said no Filipino was hurt in a suspected terror attack in Belgium, as it sympathized with the European nation over the incident.

Earlier in the day, a gunman shot dead 2 police officersbefore killing a bystander in the Belgian city of Liège, about 100 kilometers south of the capital, Brussels.

"We condole with the Government of Belgium and the Belgian people and stand in solidarity with them," Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement.

The Philippine Embassy in Brussels reported no Filipinos were among the casualties in the carnage. About 100 Filipinos live in Liège, it said.

A terrorist investigation was launched into the incident, which came as Belgium was on high alert after a string of attacks including twin suicide bombings in Brussels in 2016 claimed by the Islamic State group.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Two killed when explosion destroys buildings in Belgium

BRUSSELS - Two people were killed and 14 injured when an explosion in the Belgian city of Antwerp destroyed three buildings.

Police said two bodies were found under the debris on Tuesday following the blast on Monday evening. Five people were seriously injured and another was in a critical condition after the explosion in a part of the city where many students live.

Police said an investigation was underway into the cause of the blast. They have excluded it being the result of an attack. Belgian media said it was likely to have been a gas explosion.

Belgium has been on high alert since deadly suicide bombings in 2016 and a wave of Islamist attacks across Europe.

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Pouille wraps up 10th Davis Cup title for France

LILLE, France - France won their 10th Davis Cup title when Lucas Pouille crushed Steve Darcis 6-3 6-1 6-0 to give the hosts a 3-2 victory in the final against neighbors Belgium on Sunday.

Pouille was never threatened in the decisive rubber after David Goffin had given Belgium both their points with impressive displays in the singles.

Les Bleus, however, had more strength in depth, winning a singles match through Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Friday and Saturday's doubles with Richard Gasquet and Pierre-Hugues Herbert.

It was their first title since they beat Australia away in 2001 before three defeats in the final - in 2002, 2010 and 2014 - while Belgium have yet to win the title, having now lost three finals after defeats in 1904 and 2015.

Yannick Noah, the last Frenchman to win a grand slam title, celebrated his third Davis Cup success as captain after leading France to victory in 1991 and 1996.

"It was a victory we had been dreaming off," said Noah. "It's a united group. It was a tough weekend against a good Belgian team. Lucas played a fantastic final match."

Belgium captain Johan Van Herck added: "I would not change anything. We have regrets about losing, it's normal that we are disappointed after a tough weekend. In sports it's never nice to be second".

STRAIGHT SETS

Goffin gave the visitors a 1-0 lead by beating Pouille in the opening singles before Tsonga levelled by defeating Darcis on Friday, the number ones both prevailing in straight sets.

France took the lead thanks to the pairing of Gasquet and Herbert, who had never played a competitive match together but beat Ruben Bemelmans and Joris De Loore in four sets.

Goffin was again a notch above the rest on Sunday, levelling the tie at 2-2 against Tsonga with a 7-6(5) 6-3 6-2 win as the world number seven sent the tie into a decider.

The final match was anti-climactic as Pouille went for the throat, racing to a 3-0 lead against Darcis, who never seemed to stand a chance on the indoor hardcourt even if he had won all of his five matches in the competition before.

World number 18 Pouille, who was born 75 km from Lille, held serve to take the first set and never looked back, claiming 12 games in a row and closing it out on the first match point when a sorry Darcis sent a shot long.

"There's nothing more beautiful than winning as a team in front of my friends and family. Now we're going to celebrate and enjoy it," said Pouille.

(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Clare Fallon and Ken Ferris)

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F1: Hamilton marks 200th race with victory in Belgium

Vettel finished second, Ricciardo third

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium-- Lewis Hamilton celebrated his 200th Formula One race in style on Sunday with a pole-to-flag Belgian Grand Prix victory for Mercedes that halved Sebastian Vettel's championship lead to seven points.


The Briton's fifth success in 12 races this season, and 58th of his career, came a day after he equaled Michael Schumacher's all-time record of 68 pole positions.

"Sebastian put a great fight on but this is what I said I was coming to do so I did it," Hamilton told the crowd from the podium.

Vettel finished second for Ferrari, 2.3 seconds behind, after pushing his rival all the way without being able to get close enough to make a move stick in what amounted to a two-horse race of relentless pressure.

"It was really intense because every lap I was waiting for Lewis to do a mistake. He didn't," said Vettel, whose next race is Ferrari's home Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

"He was probably waiting for me to make a mistake. I didn't," added the German, who set a race lap record of one minute 46.577 seconds in the closing stages.

With eight races remaining, four-times champion Vettel has 220 points and Hamilton 213.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo took third place for Red Bull after a storming re-start following a late safety car period that had closed the gap to the frontrunners and triggered a flurry of pitstops.

Ricciardo, on fresh ultra-soft tyres, passed Hamilton's team mate Valtteri Bottas to surge into the top three, with the Finn also losing out to the Ferrari of compatriot Kimi Raikkonen as he ran wide.

Germany's Nico Hulkenberg finished sixth for Renault, Romain Grosjean was seventh for Haas and Brazilian Felipe Massa took eighth for Williams.

MAX RETIRES

"It's pretty much for all the Dutch here, so thanks for hanging around," said Ricciardo, whose teenage team mate Max Verstappen retired shaking his head in sheer frustration after eight laps.

It was his sixth retirement in 12 races.

"There are so many fans paying a lot for the tickets and you finish like this. That cannot happen with a top team," said Verstappen, whose orange-clad compatriots accounted for a majority of the crowd.

While Hamilton and Vettel played out their own private duel, there was plenty of action further down the field with the Force India duo of Mexican Sergio Perez and Frenchman Esteban Ocon playing a starring role.

The simmering pair clashed twice, the second time bringing out the safety car when Ocon -- who finished ninth -- tried to get past on the run down to Eau Rouge and was almost squeezed into the wall.

"I can accept the first one -- perhaps he couldn't see me but the second one was ridiculous. He was risking our lives. He risked my life," said a furious Ocon.

Debris from his car's broken front wing littered the track while Perez's right rear tire was punctured, leaving him limping back to the pits on a rim.

"It looked like Sergio squeezed Esteban into the wall and came out the loser of that scrap," the team's chief operating office Otmar Szafnauer told Sky Sports television, warning that the team would read the riot act.

"We’ve let them race up until now. If they can’t do it in a manner which is good for the team, then they won’t be racing any more," he said.

Spaniard Fernando Alonso was also an unhappy man in the McLaren, the double world champion making a storming start but his Honda-powered car's lack of speed leaving him with an impossible task and increasingly frustrated before retiring.

"Embarrassing, embarrassing," he had said earlier.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

'Who's the king?' Burger chain ad angers Belgian monarchy

BRUSSELS - The Belgian royal family on Saturday rapped Burger King over an online advertising campaign suggesting a new "king" for the European nation.

The offending advert, found on the whoistheking.be website in French and Dutch, asks users to pick between "King Philippe" on the left and "Burger King" on the right.

Those who choose Philippe -- represented by a cartoon image that doesn't seem to resemble the real monarch -- are then asked: "Are you sure you want to elect King Philippe? He won't be the one to cook your fries".

But the Belgian royal family was not amused.

"We disapprove of this approach," royal spokesman Pierre Emmanuel de Bauw told AFP, saying the monarchy had contacted the burger chain over the ad.

"The use of the King's image is subject to authorization," he said.

"In this particular case, we received no requests. Since it is for commercial purposes, we would not have given our authorization."

Burger King's majority shareholder the Bertrand group bought French fast-food rival Quick in 2015 and has steadily re-branded Quick outlets in France.

But the deal maintained the Quick brand in Belgium, Luxembourg and outside of Europe, which is now being partially phased out with Burger King set to open its first Belgian outlet in June in the northern port city of Antwerp.

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Pogba fires France as Belgium, Portugal run riot

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -- A searing first-half strike from Paul Pogba handed France a 1-0 win at rivals the Netherlands as Belgium and Portugal clocked up 6-0 victories and Christian Benteke grabbed a slice of World Cup qualifying history.

Criticised by coach Didier Deschamps for his performance in Friday's 4-1 win over Bulgaria in Paris, the world's most expensive footballer emphatically replied with a towering display for Les Bleus in Amsterdam in the most eye-catching fixture on Monday.

The Manchester United midfielder's powerful hit from 25 metres out after half an hour left diving Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg able to get his hands to the fizzing ball but unable to stop it.

"I didn't speak to him (Pogba), I just said a few words to him before entering the changing rooms, 'I have confidence in you,'" said Deschamps.

"The match confirms what he is able to do. Pogba was much better in everything he did. He showed what he can do.

"We never doubted he could do it. We mustn't forget Paul is relatively young and he can still progress."

France, losing finalists on home soil at Euro 2016, are equal on seven points at the top of Group A with Sweden, who beat Bulgaria 3-0 at home in Solna. The two countries will play on November 11 at the Stade de France.

Pogba, 23, was imperial in front of a central defence made up of Raphael Varane and Laurent Koscielny, who pushed back wave after wave of Dutch attacks.

And Pogba nearly doubled his account with a header off a Dimitri Payet corner on 66 minutes just lacking power.

"If the team has a good match, I have a good match," said a defiant Pogba. "If it's a bad match, I have a bad match.

"We're not going to talk about individual performances. It's true it's not always nice to hear criticism, 'bad things' about myself. There wasn't any answer. Today it was a good team effort."

The French had a slight scare in the final minute but Hugo Lloris did well to keep out a Memphis Depay effort on the line.

"It's an important win for us, even if we could have had a larger lead," said Deschamps.

"We could have hurt them more in the first half. It's good to have got these two victories."

The Dutch failed to make it to the Euros and now sit third in the group, needing to improve fast if they are to make it to Russia in 2018.

"Our goalkeeper made a mistake which he never makes in training," said coach Danny Blind.

"We played better in the second half and we should have had at least a point because we had chances at the end of the match."

- Quick-fire -

Belgium and Portugal went on goal sprees against minnows Gibraltar and the Faroe Islands.

Belgium striker Benteke set a new World Cup record for the fastest goal ever -- just seven seconds -- on his way to a hat-trick in Faro.

Belgium top Group H on nine points out of nine, ahead of Greece on goal difference.

The 25-year-old Crystal Palace forward picked up the ball in the first action in Faro and racing towards goal with the Gibraltar defence in disarray left goalie Deren Ibrahim with no chance.

Benteke's quick-fire goal eclipsed the previous best of 8.3 seconds achieved by San Marino's Davide Gualtieri in a World Cup qualifier against England in November 1993.

Portugal, bidding to catch Group B leaders Switzerland, matched their 6-0 win over Andorra on Friday.

Andre Silva scored a hat-trick for the European champions before captain Cristiano Ronaldo netted his fifth goal in four days, with Joao Cancelo and Joao Moutinho also scoring late on.

Switzerland maintained their unbeaten run, coming away 2-1 winners from Andorra with Fabian Schaer and Admir Mehmedi scoring in either half.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Belgium identifies Brussels bomb suspect, suicide bombers

#TERRORISME A rechercher - Najim LAACHRAOUI https://t.co/8WCyCZdJP9 pic.twitter.com/S4UZnG3XYf

— Avis de recherche (@police_temoin) March 21, 2016

BRUSSELS - Belgian police have identified a prime suspect in Tuesday's Brussels blasts and two suspected suicide bombers, linking them directly to Islamic State militants behind last November's Paris attacks, Belgian media reported on Wednesday.

Najim Laachraoui, 25, is believed to be the man seen on CCTV pushing a baggage trolley alongside the bombers and then running out of the Brussels airport terminal.

Earlier some media reported that he had been captured in the Brussels borough of Anderlecht, but they later said the person detained was not Laachraoui.

Police and prosecutors refused immediate comment but the federal prosecutor was due to hold a news conference at 1200 GMT.

The death toll in the attacks on the Belgian capital, home to the European Union and NATO, rose to at least 31 with some 260 wounded, Health Minister Maggie De Block said on VRT television. It could rise further because some of the bomb victims at Maelbeek metro station were blown to pieces and victims are hard to identify.

One of the suspects seen on CCTV pushing baggage trolleys at Brussels airport just before the explosions was identified as Brahim El Bakraoui, public broadcaster RTBF reported. It said his brother, Khalid, blew himself up on the metro train.

Both had criminal records for armed robbery but had not previously been linked by investigators to Islamist militants.

Laachraoui is wanted in connection with the Paris attacks. His DNA was found on at least two explosives belts used in those attacks and at a Brussels hideout used last week by prime Paris suspect Salah Abdeslam, who was arrested last Friday after a shoot-out with police.

RTBF said Khalid El Bakraoui had rented under a false name the apartment in the city's Forest borough, where police hunting Abdeslam killed a gunman in a raid last week. He is also believed to have rented a safe house in the southern Belgian city of Charleroi used to mount last November's Paris attacks.

The Syrian-based Islamist group claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attacks, four days after Abdeslam's arrest in Brussels, warning of "black days" for those fighting it in Syria and Iraq. Belgian warplanes have joined the coalition in the Middle East, but Brussels has long been a centre of Islamist militancy.

SECURITY REVIEW

The attacks sent shockwaves across Europe and around the world, with authorities racing to review security at airports and on public transport, and rekindled debate about European security cooperation and police methods.

Prime Minister Charles Michel cancelled a trip to China and convened his inner cabinet to discuss security. Belgium observed a nationwide minute's silence at noon (1100 GMT). King Philippe, the premier and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker attended a memorial event at Commission headquarters.

More than 1,000 people gathered around an improvised shrine with candles and street paintings outside the Brussels bourse.

The Brussels blasts fuelled political debate across the globe about how to combat militants.

"We can and we will defeat those who threaten the safety and security of people all around the world," said U.S. President Barack Obama.

Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination to succeed Obama in November's U.S. election, suggested suspects could be tortured to avert such attacks.

Police searched an apartment in the northern Brussels borough of Schaerbeek late into the night, finding another bomb, an Islamic State flag and bomb-making chemicals.

Local media said authorities had followed a tip from a taxi driver who may have driven the bombers to the airport.

An unused explosive device was later found at the airport and a man wearing a light-coloured jacket and a hat, believed to be Laachraoui, was seen running away from the terminal after the explosions.

CLOSING IN

Security experts believed the blasts, which killed about 20 people on a metro train running through the area that houses EU institutions, were probably in preparation before Friday's arrest of locally based French national Abdeslam, 26, whom prosecutors accuse of a key role in the Nov. 13 Paris attacks.

He was caught and has been speaking to investigators after a shootout at an apartment in the south of the city a week ago, after which another Islamic State flag and explosives were found. It was unclear whether he had knowledge of the new attack or whether accomplices may have feared police were closing in.

Islamic State said in a statement that "caliphate soldiers, strapped with suicide vests and carrying explosive devices and machineguns" struck Zaventem airport and Maelbeek metro station.

It was not clear, however, that the attackers used vests. The suspects were photographed pushing bags on trolleys, and witnesses said many of the airport dead and wounded were hit mostly in the legs, possibly indicating blasts at floor level.

The two men in dark clothes wore gloves on their left hands only. One security expert speculated they might have concealed detonators. The man in the hat was not wearing gloves.

About 300 Belgians are estimated to have fought with Islamists in Syria, making the country of 11 million the leading European exporter of foreign fighters and a focus of concern in France and other neighbours over its security capabilities.

Reviving arguments over Belgian policies following the Paris attacks, in which 130 people were killed in an operation apparently organised from Brussels, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin spoke of "naiveté" on the part of "certain leaders" in holding back from security crackdowns on Muslim communities.

Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders retorted that each country should look to its own social problems, saying France too had rough high-rise suburbs in which militants had become radicalised.

Life began to return to normal in Brussels on Wednesday, with some public transport working and cars returning to the European district, but the metro system remained closed and the airport was still shut to travellers.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Eiffel Tower lit with Belgium's colors after Brussels attacks

PARIS - The Eiffel Tower was lit up Tuesday evening with Belgium's national colors in solidarity with the victims of the Brussels attacks.

The iconic symbol of Paris was bathed in black, yellow and red lights as dusk fell to honour the victims, with the toll put at around 35.

"Paris and Brussels are united. The Eiffel Tower has been lit up in the Belgian colours," Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo wrote on Twitter.

She will head to Brussels on Wednesday "to express the solidarity of Parisians with the people of Brussels," her office said in a separate statement.

"Toda, Europe is targeted at her heart," Hidalgo said earlier Tuesday. "Once more it is basic values that are attacked: freedom, humanism, tolerance and unshakeable commitment to democracy."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Brussels attacks a 'black day for Europe'

Belgium's European partners responded with shock and solidarity Tuesday after "terrorist attacks" at Brussels airport and a city metro station near the European Union's institutional heart left at least 21 people dead.

Russia and Turkey -- themselves targets of attacks in recent months -- condemned the blasts, saying they bore out the need to fight terrorism.

"Today is a black day for #Europe. The horrible events in #Brussels affect us all. We are steadfastly at the Belgians' side," German Justice Minister Heiko Maas said on Twitter.

"Our Union's capital is under attack. We mourn the dead & pledge to conquer terror through democracy," the Greek foreign ministry said in a tweet.

It added in French,"Nous sommes tous Bruxellois," -- "We are all citizens of Brussels."

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven described the blasts as "an attack against democratic Europe. We will never accept that terrorists attack our open societies."

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said: "My heart and spirit in Brussels, Europe," while Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said "the Brussels attacks strike the heart of our Europe."

Danish counterpart Lars Lokke Rasmussen denounced the blasts as a "despicable attack."

In other reactions:

-- Russian President Vladimir Putin: The "barbarous crimes... demonstrate once again that terrorism has no borders and threatens people around the world. Fighting this evil calls for the most active international cooperation."

-- Turkish Foreign Minister Volkan Bozkir: "Every effort must continue to fight terrorism without distinction and those who support terrorism."

-- Polish President Andrzej Duda: "The fight against terrorism is the duty of every one of us."

-- Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic: "The world is shocked by these terrorist attacks, which jeopardise all the values of civilisation that we strongly support."

-- The Syrian opposition, the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), said: "The people of Syria stand with the people of Belgium in solidarity... The world must stand united to defeat terrorism."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com