Belgium

Defence Minister Nikos Dendias will sign an agreement for Greece's accession to the NATO missile-defence project European Sky Shield initiative on Thursday in Brussels.

The Sky Shield air defense system, initiated by Germany, intends to bolster NATO's protective capacity over Europe.

On a farm in northern Belgium, not far from the hundreds of tractors blocking Europe's second-biggest port to demand more respect for farmers, Bart Dochy was switching on his computer, waiting for a government program to load with maps of his land next to empty digital boxes demanding to be filled with statistics on fertilizer, pesticides, production and harvesting.

For the girls selected by Marina Maljkovi, it was important for Germany to win against Brazil, or for the host of the qualifying tournament not to triumph with a seven-point lead.
That's what happened, Germany defeated Brazil 73:71 in the last match of the qualifiers.

EU lawmakers and governments struck a watered-down deal on Thursday on the rights of workers at Uber, Deliveroo and other online companies.

The two sides had reached a provisional agreement in December but subsequent opposition from France, Ireland, Greece, Lithuania and other countries torpedoed the deal, forcing legislators back to the negotiating table.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mehmet Kemal Bozay and EU Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira signed the official authorization agreement for a 400 million euro aid package to be provided to Türkiye through the EU Solidarity Fund for the region affected by the Feb. 6 earthquakes last year.

A standoff between Belgian farmers and authorities continues to wreak havoc on the border between Belgium and the Netherlands, with blockades hindering the passage of vehicles, including those destined for the vital port city of Antwerp.

In a substantial protest on Thursday, farmers unleashed chaos near the European Parliament, pelting eggs and stones at the iconic building. The demonstration, fueled by grievances over taxes and escalating costs, turned volatile as fires ignited in the vicinity.

Convoys with hundreds of angry farmers driving heavy-duty tractors arrived at European Union headquarters, bent on getting their complaints about excessive costs, rules and bureaucracy heard and fixed by EU leaders at a summit Thursday.

The roadblocks are taking place near the European Quarter, where EU leaders are expected to attend an extraordinary meeting of the European Council.
The plan is for them to present their complaints about exorbitant prices, rules and bureaucracy to the EU's leaders at a summit scheduled to discuss aid to Ukraine.

The European Union plans to launch a naval mission in the Red Sea within three weeks to help defend cargo ships against attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen that are hampering trade and driving up prices , the bloc's top diplomat said Wednesday.