Vue lecture

Belgian Authorities Say $10 Million Supply of Birth Control Has Not Yet Been Destroyed

Contraceptives bought by U.S.A.I.D. have been in limbo in a Belgian warehouse. The U.S. government said the products were destroyed, but local authorities found them.

© Hilary Swift for The New York Times

Belgian officials said the contraceptives the Trump administration claimed to have destroyed were still at this warehouse outside Antwerp, Belgium.
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$10 Million in Contraceptives Have Been Destroyed on Orders From Trump Officials

The birth control pills, IUDs and hormonal implants were purchased by U.S.A.I.D. for women in low-income countries. They had been in limbo in a Belgian warehouse after the U.S. cut much of its foreign aid.

© Hilary Swift for The New York Times

The warehouse in Geel, Belgium, where millions of contraceptives bought by U.S.A.I.D. were stored when the U.S. government defunded the agency.
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Belgium to Recognize Palestinian State, Joining Pressure on Israel

The recognition was conditioned on the release of hostages by Hamas. It comes after similar moves by other countries as they try to push Israel to end the war in Gaza.

© Virginia Mayo/Associated Press

Belgium’s foreign minister, Maxime Prévot, in February. He said his country would recognize a Palestinian state in response to the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza.
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Even 2025’s Chaos Couldn’t Keep Brussels From the European August Holiday

With President Trump’s trade moves, war in Ukraine and wildfires, it was a busy month for the European Union. But not in Brussels.

© Ksenia Kuleshova for The New York Times

The European Commission’s becalmed headquarters, the Berlaymont building, in Brussels on Tuesday.
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