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The Kinder chocolate factory has been ordered to close due to salmonella outbreaks

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After being linked to dozens of salmonella cases, a Kinder chocolate factory in Belgium has been ordered to close.

The Belgian food safety authority has also ordered the recall of all Kinder products produced at Ferrero’s Arlon factory. Salmonella cases suspected to be linked to Kinder chocolate have been reported in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Belgium. Ferrero has issued an apology and admitted to “internal failures.”

The factory was ordered to close by Belgium’s food safety authority, the AFSCA, after Ferrero failed to provide complete information for its investigation.

The investigation is still ongoing, according to the AFSCA, and the factory will only be allowed to reopen if Ferrero can provide the necessary assurances that it is in compliance with food safety regulations. In a statement, Belgian Agriculture Minister David Clarinval said: “Such a decision is never easy to make, but the current situation necessitates it. Our citizens’ food security must never be overlooked.”

All Kinder Surprise, Kinder Surprise Maxi, Kinder Mini Eggs, and Kinder Schokobons products are affected by the recall.

The AFSCA has also requested that companies remove the products from their shelves and that consumers refrain from eating them. Ferrero recalled some of its Kinder chocolates from stores in the United States on Thursday due to concerns about salmonella contamination. A number of Kinder Surprise chocolate egg products were also recalled in the UK earlier this week.

The UK’s Food Standards Agency announced on Friday evening that none of the recalled products should be consumed, regardless of their best before date.

All of the sweets in question were produced in the same Belgian factory.

In Asia, including Hong Kong and Singapore, some Kinder chocolates have been recalled. Ferrero previously described the recalls as “precautionary,” claiming that none of its Kinder products had tested positive for salmonella when they were released for sale.

It came after an outbreak linked to Kinder Surprise eggs infected more than 60 people in the UK, the majority of whom were young children.

On Wednesday, the European Commission announced that it was investigating dozens of suspected salmonella cases linked to chocolate consumption in at least nine countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Belgium.

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Protest breaks out in Brussels over custodial death

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The custodial death of a young man in Brussels has triggered a serious protest across the country, leaving several police officers and protesters injured.

The convey of a member of the Belgium royal family has also been attacked during the protest.

Several people have been booked in connection with the protest.

The protesters have partially destroyed a police station situated in the capital city of Belgium.

The identity of the person who has died in the police custody has not yet been revealed by the European media.

As per an explanatory statement released by the police, the victim has been arrested during a routine check for restriction violators. The statement, released by the police, says the person has fallen unconscious and later died shortly after he was arrested.

The incident has triggered a serious global attention. A serious investigation has been demanded on the incident.

The development has inflicted a serious injury over the image of the European country, which houses the main buildings of the European Union, which is the most powerful economic union established in the continent of Europe and in the world.

Neither the European Union not those countries which lead the union has responded to the development yet.

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Belgium: Princess Delphine meets her half brother for the first time

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In a surprise move, Belgium Princess Delphine has met her half brother, King Philippe, personally for the first time in her life.

The princess was an illegitimate child of former King Albert.

It took years for the princess to make the king accept her as his child. It was made possible with the help of a lengthy legal battle.

The meeting, thus, has attained huge media attention. It has been an emotion filled function.

It has been like a reunion of two beautiful souls.

The royal family has given a warm welcome to the princess.

The princess now shares the same royal status as her half brother, who is the legitimate child of former King Albert.

The function has invited wide public attention. Many have taken to social media platforms to share their opinion regarding the meeting.

Most of them have shared positive views about the meeting.

The meeting has been aggressively covered by International media houses.

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Belgian ex-King’s love child seeks sane rights as her father’s legitimate children

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The love child of the former Belgian King Albert II has approached a court in Belgian seeking the same rights and titles as her father’s legitimate children.

The case has been taken to the court by artist Delphine Boël.

Marking an end to the decade long legal war launched by the love child, King Albert admitted he was Ms Boël’s father early this year.

Though Ms Boel’s mother, Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps, never married the king, she had an 18-year affair with the King. It was before he become the King.

It was in the year 1999 that rumours of an illegitimate child first emerged. It was an unauthorised biography about Albert’s wife Queen Paola that publicised the story.

The report fueled a royal scandal and media gossip in Belgium.

It was during an interview taken during the year 2005 that Ms. Boël first alleged on the record that King Albert was her biological father.

Actually, it was when he lost his immunity to prosecution that she opened court proceedings.

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UK likely to include more countries to its travel quarantine list

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The European country of the United Kingdom is likely to include more countries to its travel quarantine list in a bid to defend the country from the threat posed by the Covid-19 outbreak.

At present, several countries such as Belgium, Bahamas and Andorra are in the list. This means that those coming to the UK from the said countries will have to self-isolate for at least fourteen days.

As per a latest report, France may also find a place in the list. The UK has not yet specifically mentioned which all countries will enter the list.

Recently, the UK has warned its citizens not to travel to Belgium, Andorra and Bahamas if there is no urgency.

There is no surprise that Belgium has occupied the top position in the list. Belgium has one of the highest coronavirus case rates in Europe at 49.2 per 100,000 people. To understand the depth of the issue, it is important to compare the case rates of other European countries with Belgium: in the UK, it is 14.3 per 100,000; and in Spain, it is 27.4 per 100,000.

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Belgium expresses apology for colonial abuse

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Belgium’s King Philippe has admitted that what his country had done to the Democratic Republic of Congo during the colonial period was wrong.

In a letter to the president of the African country, the King of Belgium has expressed his deep regret for the wrongs his country committed during the dark period of colonial rule.

The crucial letter has been sent to respect the 60th Independence Day of Democratic Republic of Congo.

The African country – now a huge military power – had been under the control of Belgium till the country secured independence in the year 1960.

Needless to say, the colonial rule over the African country was brutal. Millions of locals lost their lives during that dark period.

Colonial atrocity was a forgotten topic. It was – probably purposefully –  avoided from most high profile discussion tables in the past.

It was the custodial death of a Black American that brought the subject back to spotlight. It even torched a global movement for the betterment of black and for the elimination of racial discrimination, named Black Lives Matters.

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Belgian prince attracts penalty for breaking lockdown measures

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The fine of $11,800 has been imposed on Belgian Prince Joachim, who has been found to have violated the measures imposed to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in Spain.

The Prince actually reached Spain to take part in an internship program. He was supposed to observe a 14 day quarantine period. But, on the second day of his arrival he violated the rule by attending a public function.

He later contracted the disease.

He has apologized for the mistake he committed. He has expressed his willingness to face the legal consequences of his irresponsible action.  

He is supposed to pay the fine amount within a timeframe of 15 days. If he does, he only have to pay the half of what he has been asked to pay.

If he fails to do so, he may attract severe legal action.

The issue has attracted serious global attraction. Many have commended on this issue in certain social media platforms. In the coming days, more discussions are expected to happen over why certain high profile persons find happiness in violating the measures imposed to save the world from the clutches of the Covid-19 outbreak.V

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Mali govt criticises the arrest of Singer Rokia Traore in France

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A day after a renowned Mali singer, Rokia Traore, was arrested in the European country of France on an arrest warrant issued by Belgium in connection with a family dispute filed in a Belgian court, the Mali government has released a statement supporting the singer, strongly criticising the arrest of the singer.

The African country has called the arrest illegal, saying that the fact that the singer is a Diplomatic Passport holder.

A person with a Diplomatic Passport has certain privileges. He/She cannot be arrested without the consent of his/her country.

The singer’s lawyer says that the singer was on her way to appear before the Belgian court to defend her estranged husband’s petition seeking the custody of their five-year-old daughter.

The singer faces several serious charges in Belgium. She is accused of kidnapping and hostage-taking.

As per a latest report, she is on hunger stroke in a French jail where she has been taken after her arrest.

The case is likely to disturb the diplomatic relation between the African country of Mali and the European country of France.


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Belgium Euthanasia Case: Accused Doctors Acquitted

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In a historic judgement, at least three doctors, who faced a criminal charge for the improper handling of a case of euthanasia, have been acquitted on the ground that the prosecution has failed to prove beyond the scope of doubt the case filed against the doctors.

The testimony of the family members of the woman who was helped by end her life by the doctors that their beloved’s death was improperly handled by the doctors approached to carry out the procedure has failed to make much impact in the final verdict of the court.

It was in the year 2002 the controversial euthanasia law was implemented in the European country of Belgium.

Since the year 2002, several controversial cases have emerged in connection with the controversial law.

The case that has finally closed with the acquittal of the doctors is the first euthanasia case that has gone through the court procedure.

The latest judgement is a landmark judgement. The verdict may alter the current that flows against the controversial euthanasia law.

Anyway, the demand for more clarity in the euthanasia law cannot be ignored completely. The country should address the crisis at the earliest, if it wishes to make the law less complicated.


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