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    Brussels Court Orders 3 Linked to Qatar Bribery Case to Stay in Prison

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    Belgian officials said they suspected a Gulf country of trying “to influence the economic and political decisions of the European Parliament.”BRUSSELS — A court in Belgium ruled on Wednesday that two suspects in a case linking current and former European lawmakers to alleged bribery by Qatar should remain in prison until trial and that a third should wear an electronic monitor, as the snowballing scandal continued to rock European Union institutions.Four people, including Eva Kaili, a former vice president of the European Parliament who is from Greece, were charged last week with corruption, money laundering and participation in suspected bribes from Qatar, in what may be the biggest scandal in the history of the Parliament.A court hearing for Ms. Kaili was postponed until Dec. 22, the office of the Belgian federal prosecutor said on Wednesday, so she remains imprisoned outside Brussels. Parliamentary lawmakers also stripped Ms. Kaili of her title as vice president during a plenary session in France.Court documents seen by The New York Times identified the other suspects as Pier Antonio Panzeri, a former member of Parliament; Francesco Giorgi, Ms. Kaili’s partner and an assistant to a current European lawmaker; and Niccolo Figa-Talamanca, secretary general of a Brussels-based charity. Mr. Panzeri and Mr. Giorgi were ordered to remain detained until trial, and Mr. Figa-Talamanca was ordered to be placed under electronic monitoring.Two others were arrested in Italy in connection with the case, the Belgian prosecutor’s office said.Belgian officials said they suspected a Gulf country of trying “to influence the economic and political decisions of the European Parliament.”The Belgian intelligence services have been working for more than a year with similar services in other countries to “map suspected bribery” of European lawmakers, the justice ministry told The Times.A Brief Guide to the 2022 World CupCard 1 of 9What is the World Cup? More

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      Belgium’s Golden Generation Reaches the End as Croatia and Morocco Move On

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      AL RAYYAN, Qatar — After the final whistle of a scoreless draw between the golden generations of two small European nations’ soccer teams, the end came for one of them. Eras in soccer last only so long, injuries and age catching up to all.The tie was enough for Croatia to advance to the knockout stage of this World Cup. Its players, several of whom were on the field when Croatia lost the 2018 World Cup final in Russia, will get to play at least one more game in Qatar. They hugged and slapped hands after Thursday’s game ended at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.But Belgium — a team that rose to new heights, and spent several years atop the world rankings and finishing third in 2018 — will go home. Once expected to contend for a World Cup title during an era in which it was able to call upon some of the world’s best players at several positions — goalkeeper, midfielder, forward — Belgium instead never won a major international title, or even reached a final. Now, its stars are unlikely to play together again. Most of Belgium’s top players are in their early to mid-30s. This trip to Qatar was their final collective shot.“A huge disappointment for us,” Belgium Coach Roberto Martínez said.After the game, Romelu Lukaku, 29, Belgium’s career leading scorer, was moved to tears and consoled by teammates on the sidelines. Axel Witsel, 33, a midfielder, collapsed to the ground, as did the 33-year-old defender Toby Alderweireld. Kevin De Bruyne, 31, a midfielder widely considered one of the best players in the world, walked around saying his goodbyes.Martínez, Belgium’s coach since 2016, later admitted that he hugged everyone because it was to be his final game as the team’s leader.A Brief Guide to the 2022 World CupCard 1 of 9What is the World Cup? More

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      After Belgium’s Loss to Morocco, Violence Breaks Out in Brussels

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      Riots erupted in the heart of Brussels and several other Belgian cities on Sunday after Belgium was upset by Morocco, 2-0, at the World Cup.Video footage shared online showed crowds overturning and setting ablaze a car Brussels, the Belgian capital. Local reports said rioters also set fire to electric scooters and threw bricks at other vehicles. A Brussels police spokeswoman, Ilse Van de Keere, told reporters that one person had suffered injuries.It was not immediately clear if the protests were between rival fans of the teams.The center of Brussels is on fire after the match. 🇲🇦🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/D0zznXZ00d— Yassin Akouh (@Yassin_Akouh) November 27, 2022
      In response, the police in Brussels deployed water cannons and fired tear gas to disperse the crowds, videos showed. It was unclear if anyone was arrested.Mayor Philippe Close of Brussels said in posts on Twitter that he strongly condemned the incidents. He advised soccer fans to stay away from the city center. “The police are doing everything they can to maintain public order,” he added.The city of Antwerp also saw an eruption of violence after the match.The police in the neighboring Netherlands said that riots had also broken out in Rotterdam, a port city; the Dutch capital, Amsterdam; and The Hague. Footage shared online showed charred vehicles in the middle of one street.Riot police officers in Rotterdam tried to break up a group of about 500 soccer supporters who had tossed fireworks and glass at officers, according to the authorities.The World Cup, held this year in Qatar, has had several upsets, with Japan trouncing Germany, 2-1, and Argentina falling to Saudi Arabia, 2-1, before coming back to beat Mexico 2-0, and resurrect its chances of advancing. More