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Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll sit before closed-door talks with Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak (not pictured). As pressure mounts in the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified efforts to secure a peace deal , urging Kyiv to accept a revised framework before the American Thanksgiving holiday. The proposal, reportedly a 28-point plan , has drawn sharp criticism for heavily favoring Moscow’s interests, including demands that Ukraine cede territory, limit its military, and abandon aspirations to join NATO. In recent days, Trump warned that Ukraine risks losing access to U.S. intelligence and weapons if it fails to agree to the plan by November 27. His administration has framed the deadline as a necessary step to end the nearly four-year war, but many in Kyiv view it as coercive. Ukrainian President V...
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Belgium Secures Budget Deal Amid Nationwide Strike Plans

 

                                  All flights to and from Brussels airport this coming Wednesday have been cancelled .  


Belgium’s coalition government has reached a long-awaited budget agreement, but the country is still bracing for three days of disruptive strikes that began Monday.

Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s five-party coalition struck a deal after marathon negotiations, plugging a €9.2 billion budget gap by 2029. The agreement aims to improve Belgium’s debt position by €32 billion. The country’s deficit currently stands at 5.4% of GDP, with public debt at 104.7%.

Despite the breakthrough, unions are pressing ahead with a three-day national strike to protest austerity measures and pension reforms. The strike is unfolding in three waves:

  • Monday: Rail and public transport workers walked out, forcing cancellations of Eurostar services and reducing domestic train operations to one or two out of three.
  • Tuesday: Schools, childcare centers, and hospitals are joining the action, further disrupting daily life.
  • Wednesday: A full general strike is planned, with all sectors participating. Brussels Airport and Charleroi Airport have already announced that no flights will depart on Wednesday.

Union leaders argue that the government’s reforms unfairly burden workers, while officials insist the measures are necessary to stabilize Belgium’s finances. The strikes are expected to cause widespread travel chaos and service shutdowns, underscoring the deep divide between the government and organized labor.

The budget deal may have prevented a government collapse, but the strikes highlight the political and social challenges ahead for De Wever’s administration. As Belgium attempts to balance fiscal responsibility with public discontent, the coming days will test both the resilience of its institutions and the patience of its citizens.

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