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European travel sector urges ‘swift implementation’ of EU Covid Certificate: Over 60 travel and tourism organisations in Europe call on the EU Member States to “swiftly” implement the ‘Digital Covid Certificate’ for travel during the pandemic now that a provisional deal was reached.
EU promises humanitarian aid to north-east Syria but has no direct access to the region: The European Commission is planning to allocate humanitarian aid to north-east Syria which is controlled by a Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration.
Threshold for next relaxations reached: fewer than 500 Covid patients in ICU: As of Thursday, fewer than 500 Covid-19 patients are admitted to intensive care units in Belgian hospitals, meaning that an important condition to start the first stage of the “summer plan” on 9 June has been met.
80+ migrants stopped on Oostduinkerke beach before making risky crossing: More than 80 transmigrants were detained last night in Oostduinkerke on the Belgian coast, while waiting to embark on a dangerous crossing to the UK.
Flemish companies say they’re struggling to find suitable employees: Flemish companies say they’d like to hire as economic activity begins to pick up in Belgium now that the coronavirus vaccination campaign is well underway, but they’re struggling to find suitable staff, according to a survey by the employers’ federation Voka.
‘We are still assuming that Conings is alive,’ federal prosecutor says: As the manhunt for the fugitive career soldier Jürgen Conings (46) moved back to the Hoge Kempen National Park in Limburg on Thursday, the authorities continue to assume that the man is still alive.
SNCB launches faster, direct trains to the coast next weekend: Belgian train company SNCB is launching a pilot project with direct reservations trains to and from the coast during the weekend of 5 and 6 June, aiming to use the system during the busier summer season.
Activists hold protest at Brussels arms company, saying ‘war starts here’: Activists held a protest on Thursday afternoon, climbing onto the roof of Brussels arms company SABCA (Sociétés Anonyme Belge de Constructions Aéronautiques) to unfurl a massive banner reading ‘War Starts Here,’ and spreading fake blood at the factory gate.
Anticipating recovery, Airbus to produce more planes in 2023 than before the health crisis: European aircraft manufacturer Airbus told its suppliers to “prepare for the future,” announcing on Thursday their intent to produce more single-aisle aircraft in 2023 than they’d planned on prior to the global coronavirus pandemic.
Nearly a quarter of cancer deaths could be avoided if no one smoked: In the run-up to World No Tobacco Day on 31 May, the Cancer Foundation is drawing attention to the proportion of cancers caused by smoking.
The Brussels Times
