MEXICO CITY A resolution could be reached in March on a trade dispute between the United States and

Get ready to swoon as we introduce you to the six hottest rugby players at the World Cup 2023

Esmeraldo Enrique attempted to sell N95 masks that he never had at the peak of the pandemic in July 2020

Belgium acknowledged Thursday that its major rail gateway, the Brussels Midi Station, has become a festering sore of drug abuse, poverty and violence that is a major stain on a nation preparing to take on the presidency of the European Union. The government vowed to tackle the problem, but some critics say action is coming way too late, while others say that any cleanup operation will only push the big-city problems to other neighbourhoods. Belgium, one of the wealthiest nations in the world, with a major tourism industry, has neglected the once-stately Midi Station for decades. It has become a symbol of dysfunctional government as increasingly many of the 160,000 daily commuters and tourists no longer fully feel safe. The increasing spread of crack cocaine and open dealing and use of drugs in the neighbourhood over the past year have exacerbated an already bad situation to the point that petty theft, fights and harassment of tourists have become everyday headline news in the nation of 11.5 million. Belgium takes on the presidency of the 27-nation EU in January for six months. Governments who hold the presidency typically use the opportunity to bask in the global attention to promote their nation. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said at a news conference Thursday that he felt he had to take action and no longer leave security at such a key time to a warren of local authorities who had proven they were not up to the task. “The challenge is one of security that we owe to everyone passing through Brussels. It is about the livable conditions in the neighbourhood, and of course, it is about the image of Brussels and the image of our nation,” he said Thursday. As an immediate measure, it was announced that a special police station will be set up at the existing station at the train station to make interventions easier. But far more fundamental issues are at stake, said historian, former politician and Brussels pundit Luckas Vander Taelen. “Nobody has done anything for years. So this problem gets always worse. And that’s what happens today — everybody seems concerned. But I wonder what is going to change here," he said. Vander Taelen blamed Belgium's Byzantine political structure of overlapping local, regional and national authorities who he said all too often blame each other instead of actually doing something in unison. “There are too many levels of power in Brussels and that paralyses everything,” he said. As criticism mounted, police organized highly publicized raids through the massive railway station, picking up and detaining several people while a cleaning team did away with much of the muck and dirt. Those are only stop-gap solutions though, said Ariane Dierickx of the l'Ilot aid group, which provides services for the homeless and needy. “It was shocking to see that all these people that have been rejected by society are being picked up by police vans while they are not criminals,” she said. “It shows how inadequate the response is.” Dierickx said it would only move the problem to other areas. Belgium's image is being soiled in other places too, De Croo's critics say, since problems at the Nord Station, another major train hub in the capital, haven't been much better. One of the major issues has been the rise of drug trafficking and its accompanying violence in Belgium. The northern port of Antwerp has turned into a main gateway for Latin American cocaine cartels into the continent and cocaine seizures there have more than doubled in the past half decade, according to customs officials. Because of that, relatively inexpensive cocaine has boomed in Brussels and crack cocaine has become a massive security issue, especially around the Midi station. Read More Carrasco dismisses criticism of human rights in Saudi Arabia after transfer to Al Shabab Swimmers enjoy sunshine and a dip at lido celebrating 100th anniversary World War I memorials in France and Belgium are vying again to become UNESCO World Heritage sites Belgium imposes a ban on shelter for single men seeking asylum to make place for families The Ukraine war, propaganda-style, is coming to Russian movie screens. Will people watch? The Ukraine war, propaganda-style, is coming to Russian movie screens. Will people watch?

By Takaya Yamaguchi TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan's government is set to increase its fiscal loan and investment programme in a planned

All models of Onewheel electric skateboards are being recalled after the maker Future Motion received reports of four deaths of users between 2019 and 2021 and multiple reports of serious injuries.

Israeli police that they arrested two Israeli settlers after they stormed a Palestinian village in the West Bank in a rampage that left one Palestinian dead

Actress Emma Watson has stunned fans who joke she has made them “pregnant” after sharing a swimsuit photo. The 33-year-old shared a series of images on Instagram with her 72 million followers showing her enjoying the ocean and surfing. In one image, Watson could be on the beach seen wearing a long-sleeved black swimsuit with cut-outs at the waist and jewels accessorizing the area. In the image, she tagged the Instagram account for Prada Beauty. Watson also wore multiple necklaces and bracelets and balanced a yellow surfboard on her head while looking off into the distance. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter On Instagram, she captioned the image, which has been liked almost 2 million times, with surfing and wave emojis. The post drew over 4,000 comments from some of the star's fans who were clearly left mesmerised by the image. One of them joked: “I saw this photo and now I'm pregnant.” Someone else commented: “Look at this woman, she is so pretty!! OMG.” “EMMA IN HER ACTIVE ERA IS THE BEST THING EVER,” another said. Another image in the Prada Beauty campaign showed Watson on the surfboard in the water, this time wearing a different black swimsuit. “Holy moly…How can someone become more and more divine?” asked a fan. Last year, Prada Beauty announced Watson as a brand ambassador, writing: “Muse is more than just a muse. More than just a face. More than the perfect embodiment of the Prada woman. “[Watson is] the epitome of female modernity, a celebration of female multi-dimensionality across the world.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

The FBI improperly searched an intelligence database for information on suspects in the January 6, 2021, US Capitol riot and people arrested at 2020 protests after the police killing of George Floyd, according to a court opinion that was unsealed and released Friday.

Four weeks before the season, four-star cornerback Aaron Scott poked the bear in his commitment to Ohio State, which pissed off the Michigan fanbase.There might be 118 days until "The Game," but it's never too early to stir the pot when talking about the magnitude of the Ohio Stat...

The Utah Jazz are making their game broadcasts available over-the-air starting this coming season, becoming the latest franchise to pivot to a new option for fans and potentially reaching more viewers than ever before

By Melanie Burton MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Western Australia will overturn its 2021 Aboriginal cultural heritage protection laws, set out after the