Politically and symbolically any attack on Belgium – the state where the political and administrative center of NATO is located – is by implication an attack on the US and its global dominance, French journalist and founder of Agora Erasmus political organization Karel Vereycken told Sputnik. [...]

Following the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris in November, Brussels’ town hall was lit in the colors of the French flag. Today, sadly, the Eiffel Tower is being lit for Brussels. On Tuesday, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced that the tower would be lit in black, yellow, and red, to show solidarity after terrorist attacks of the morning left at least 31 dead and many more injured. [...]

Brussels, the administrative capital of Europe, was turned into a war zone after a series of deadly bomb blasts caused the city to shut down all transport links to the outside world. Zaventem International Airport was struck by two blasts during the early morning rush hour. [...]

The Bundesbank has announced plans to repatriate some of Germany’s gold reserves from abroad. At least half of the country’s gold would be transferred to Frankfurt by 2020, according to Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann. Weidmann says 366 tons of gold worth €11.5 billion have been delivered to Frankfurt so far. "There are now about 1,400 tons or 41.5 percent of our gold reserves here," t [...]

The corporate media has virtually ignored Jean-Claude Van Damme’s commentary on the US election. Van Damme told the French TV show Le Grand Journal the global elite, controlled by “people like the Rothschild” will determine the outcome of the election and Ted Cruz and Donald Trump will not be elected. [...]

In the context of the current refugee crisis, leaders of the European Union reached an agreement on the deal with Turkey. The package of measures agreed on Friday morning is now awaiting approval by the Turkish government, German newspaper Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten (DWN) reported, referring to Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel. [...]

The Dutch parliament has passed a landmark resolution calling on the government to halt the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia, accusing the Gulf kingdom of "violating international humanitarian law" as a result of its military offensive in Yemen. The bill is the first of its kind to be passed by a European Union member state following developments in the EU parliament last month, [...]

Controversial changes to the Polish Constitutional Tribunal brought in by the Law and Justice (PiS) party, following its election in October 2015, have been blasted as "crippling" and undermining the basic principles of democracy. A report by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe — a separate body from the European Union founded in 1949 to protect democracy, human rights and the rule [...]

The launch of the first joint ESA-Roscosmos mission to the Red Planet serves partly as a response to the "stupid political" anti-Russian sanctions, according to Alexey Novikov, spokesman for the Russian Federal Space Agency Roscosmos. In an interview with Sputnik, Alexey Novikov, spokesman for the Russian Federal Space Agency Roscosmos, described the launch of the first joint ESA-Roscosmos miss [...]

Following her party's success in the German regional elections, the chairwoman of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party told RT that the results were “even better” than anticipated, and that AfD is needed in the country. Official election results proved significant success for AfD, which received enough votes to get into three state legislatures. [...]

Stability used to define Germany's political system. But the refugee crisis has fundamentally changed the country's party landscape. The rise of the fringe has eroded the traditional centers of power. Seven or eight months ago, Germany was a different country than it is today. [...]

With her refugee policies, Chancellor Merkel has isolated Germany to a greater degree than any of her predecessors. The Balkan Route has been closed down against her will and many EU leaders believe her overtures to Turkey are delusional. There were times when interactions between the German [...]

NATO Supreme Allied Commander Philip Breedlove recently took US hawks' campaign of Russia-baiting up a notch, suggesting Russia and Syria have 'deliberately weaponized' refugees to 'break European resolve'. The remarks, and the mainstream media's ability to convey them with a straight face, are an indication of a broken system, experts suggest. [...]

Hundreds of tractors disrupted traffic in the Finnish capital on Friday, when thousands of farmers arrived in Helsinki to protest the catastrophic situation in the agricultural sector and ongoing sanctions against Russia. [...]

Austria’s interior minister signaled its opposition towards a mooted but not yet finalized EU-Turkey refugee deal. The minister says she is “extremely critical” of the agreement, citing the situation with freedom of speech in Turkey. "I am extremely critical. I am seriously wondering whether we are taking ourselves and our values seriously or if we are throwing them overboard," Johanna Mi [...]

Several top Christian Social Union officials have said their party, an ally to Angela Merkel’s CDU, is against a visa-free regime with Turkey and the prospects for its EU bid because Ankara plays “cat and mouse” and raises demands “like at a bazaar.” [...]

Mercedes-Benz has congratulated BMW on their centenary with a friendly advertisement and a less benevolent hint. BMW received a “Happy 100th birthday!” message from its long-time domestic rival Mercedes-Benz in a cool little video posted on Facebook. /* */ The video’s opening showed the signature BMW grille, but in the next five seconds it became clear how [...]

US authorities are expanding their investigation against German Volkswagen AG over emissions, media reported. The US Department of Justice is planning to apply the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act, FIRREA, which has been repeatedly used against banks after 2008 [...]

A recent survey carried out in the United States and European countries shows that an overwhelming majority of US citizens do not believe that Europe is is playing an important role in the fight against Daesh terror group. /* */ [...]

Instead of leaving the period of the Cold War, the West made a serious political mistake which has led to a significant deterioration of relations with Russia, German analyst Thomas Kunze said in an interview with Spiegel Online. The current policy of the US and Europe is a huge disappointment for those who understand that global stability and security are impossible without effective cooperati [...]

The West continues to rapidly lose its clout, which had been based on democracy and human rights, according to the German newspaper Tagesspiegel. Tagesspiegel columnist Malte Lehming believes that even though Western countries are still full of ambitions, they are swiftly losing their power, which had previously based on their adherence to democratic principles and respect for human rights, RIA [...]

German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel has attacked Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump saying he poses “a threat to peace” as well as “economic development.” In February, Trump criticized Chancellor Angela Merkel for her refugee policy. The German vice chancellor took aim at Trump and also right-wing politicians in Europe, saying they were all a threat to “social cohesion. [...]