All articles tagged with #belgium
A 26-year-old Belgian car salesman, Clément Vandenkerckhove, was legally recognized as the son of Prince Laurent after a paternity DNA test. He becomes a prince with equal inheritance rights to Laurent’s private estate but will not receive a royal allowance or perform official duties, and he may choose to adopt the Laurent family name or keep his own as he joins the royal family.
Belgium’s Prince Laurent has legally recognized Clement Vandenkerckhove, a 26-year-old former Opel car salesman, as his secret son, giving him equal inheritance rights to Laurent’s private estate alongside his half-siblings but without any royal duties, throne rights, or a royal allowance; the revelation followed a TV documentary and echoes past Belgian royal paternity cases.
Melting ice on the Trift Glacier in Valais, Switzerland exposed the remains of two Belgian hikers who disappeared in 1992; DNA testing confirmed the men, aged 39 and 41 at the time, after a hiker spotted the remains on July 26 and authorities recovered them for forensic identification.
A Belgian car salesman named Clément learns he is the son of Prince Laurent after a DNA test (99.5% match), a revelation he only discovers in adolescence. The case echoes the country’s past paternity saga involving King Albert II and Delphine Boël, and it comes as Belgian law since 2013 restricts public allowances to a small group of royals.
Europe’s late-June heat wave caused about 16,000 excess deaths across the continent, with Wallonia in southern Belgium reporting a single-day total of 313 deaths and a 77% higher-than-expected death rate from mid‑June to early July as hospitals struggled and temps topped 100°F. Yet locals and officials resist widespread air conditioning, with only about 20% of European homes cooled—citing power-grid strain, costs, and environmental concerns—while authorities focus on cooling spaces and renovations and doctors warn that vulnerable populations still need AC.
A major wildfire in Belgium’s Hautes Fagnes region expanded toward the German border, burning about 30 square kilometers as cooler weather and rain temporarily eased conditions for hundreds of firefighters, aided by international air support; the King visited emergency crews and evacuations remained in place. In Greece, investigators probed a Salamina wildfire that killed two people, with arson and negligence arrests reported alongside a separate blaze near Athens that was contained. In France, the Landes blaze was brought under control after days of evacuations, with a 12‑million‑euro aid package pledged for the hardest‑hit Gironde/ Landes areas. The events underscore Europe’s blistering, drought‑driven heat—linked to climate change—and officials warned some peatlands and affected landscapes could take decades to recover.
Massive wildfires driven by a heatwave hit Europe, with about 12 square miles burned in Belgium’s High Fens prompting evacuations of roughly 600 residents as hundreds of emergency personnel and assistive EU support battled the blaze; on Salamina island near Athens, two people were killed while authorities evacuated beachgoers as around 260 firefighters, 15 ground teams, 10 aircraft and 8 helicopters fought a fast-spreading fire. The EU Civil Protection Mechanism has been activated, with aid from Sweden, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.
Belgium’s High Fens nature reserve is facing the country’s largest wildfire on record, with over 250 firefighters on the scene and European air support arriving after two villages were evacuated; the blaze has scorched about 3,000 hectares and remains out of control.
Europe is battling wildfires driven by heat and drought, with Belgium reporting its largest blaze in recorded history in the Hautes Fagnes peatlands; the EU activated the Civil Protection Mechanism, deploying helicopters and water-bombing aircraft from Sweden, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, while firefighters and residents confront blazes in Belgium, Germany, France, Croatia, Greece and Spain and evacuations continue.
Firefighters are battling large wildfires in Belgium’s High Fens and on a Greek island near Athens, with two deaths reported on the island as Europe contends with heat and dry conditions that fuel ongoing fire danger.
Firefighters are battling a major wildfire tearing through Belgium's High Fens nature reserve, evacuating two nearby villages as the blaze—described as the country's worst in recent history—threatens homes; water-bombing aircraft and EU civil protection reinforcements are assisting, but difficult boggy terrain and shifting winds are hampering efforts amid a wider European wildfire wave.
Construction workers digging a sewer under a former Brussels-area brewery in Sint-Gillis-Dendermonde uncovered about $10.4 million in gold coins, bars and other valuables. Police cataloged the haul and stored it in a high-security federal vault; under Belgian law the rightful owner has five years to claim it, so the workers cannot keep the treasure. Authorities warned treasure hunters away from the site, and the community hopes the find could aid those in need through the building’s welfare organization.
Construction workers digging a sewer in Belgium discovered a stash of gold valued at about $10 million. Police secured and inventoried the haul before transferring it to a high-security government vault.
During a routine renovation in Sint-Gillis-Dendermonde, Belgium, builders uncovered a stash of gold worth about 9 million euros (roughly $10.4 million), including ingots and coins. The haul was turned over to police and is now held by CAW Oost-Vlaanderen; Belgian law allows the owner to claim it within five years, otherwise the finder and owner may split the loot. The find has drawn crowds to the demolition site, and there's speculation the owner could be a local brewing family (Van Assche).
Builders renovating a house in east Flanders, Belgium, uncovered a stash of gold bars and coins worth about €9m sealed inside the cellar walls. The loot has been moved to a secure location as police investigate; anyone hoping to claim it faces a five-year window. The property is owned by the charity CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, and under Belgian law the rightful owner has five years to come forward. If unclaimed and not linked to crime, hidden treasure on someone else’s property may be divided between the finder and the owner, meaning both the builders and the charity could benefit depending on future claims.