A southern Dutch city has incurred the ire of nearby Belgian towns by opting to move seven cannabis-vending coffee shops closer to the border to dilute the nuisance it claims is caused by drug tourism.

Belgian pop artist Guy Peellaert, whose work includes album covers for the Rolling Stones and David Bowie and posters for films such as `Taxi Driver,` has died, his agent said Wednesday.

Peellaert died Monday in Paris aged 74 after a long illness, Noemie Mainguet said.

Belgian pop artist Guy Peellaert, whose work includes album covers for the Rolling Stones and David Bowie and posters for films such as `Taxi Driver,` has died, his agent said Wednesday.

Peellaert died Monday in Paris aged 74 after a long illness, Noemie Mainguet said.

The nephew of Herge, author of the comic-book boy reporter Tintin, will auction off some of his uncle`s sketches, photos and letters in Paris on Friday, a Belgian newspaper reported.

Georges Remi said he had `some misgivings` about the sale of the items, which belonged to his Belgian uncle of the same name -- Herge was his famous pen name.

The nephew of Herge, author of the comic-book boy reporter Tintin, will auction off some of his uncle`s sketches, photos and letters in Paris on Friday, a Belgian newspaper reported.

Georges Remi said he had `some misgivings` about the sale of the items, which belonged to his Belgian uncle of the same name -- Herge was his famous pen name.

BANGKOK, Oct 19, 2007 (AFP) - Two Dutchmen and two Belgians alleged to be part of a global drug trafficking gang have been arrested on Thailand's resort island of Samui, police said Friday.

Ronald Koornwinder, 46, and Paulus Meyer, 44, from the Netherlands, and Koen Van Staay, 30 and Kelly Cautereels, 25, from Belgium, were nabbed at a house Thursday on the island, some 670 kilometres (415 miles) south of Bangkok.

BRUSSELS, Oct 15, 2007 (AFP) - Six people went on trial in a Brussels court Monday over their suspected roles in recruiting and sending would-be suicide-bombers to Iraq.

The group is suspected in particular of having recruited 38-year-old Muriel Degauque, a Belgian woman from the southern city of Charleroi who is thought to be the first female suicide bomber in Iraq from Europe.

Investigators have built up a 'weighty' case against the group using intercepted phone calls, Internet chat and mobile phone text messages, according to judge Pierre Hendrickx.

BRUSSELS, Oct 15, 2007 (AFP) - Newly created zinc producer Nyrstar unveiled plans on Monday to raise up to 2.3 billion euros via a stock market flotation aimed at tapping growing investor interest in booming base metals.

The Belgium-based company began operations in September after its two 50:50 shareholders, Umicore of Belgium and Zinifex of Australia, merged their zinc smeltering businesses earlier this year.

Initially, 70 percent of Nyrstar's stock is to be offered at 18 to 23 euros per share, raising 1.35-1.6 billion euros (1.92-2.28 billion dollars).

BRUSSELS, Oct 14, 2007 (AFP) - A Belgium resistance fighter of World War II, Andree De Jongh, who founded a group that saved some 800 Allied aviators, has died at the age of 91, according to her family cited by the press Sunday.

De Jongh, founder of the 'Comet' escape network during the war, died in Brussels on Saturday.

The network helped more than 800 British pilots get back home, according to www.cometeline.org, an Internet site run by former resistance members.

BRUSSELS, Oct 12, 2007 (AFP) - A baby girl was born over the Sahara desert during the night aboard a Brussels Airlines flight from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Belgium, the company said in a statement Friday.

Baby Daniella -- named after the co-pilot for the Kinshasa-Brussels flight -- 'is doing fine thanks to the help of two doctors who happened to be aboard as well as the crew,' the statement said.

A 31-year-old Congolese woman, who was not identified, gave birth to the child at around 0200 GMT as the Airbus A330-300 was flying over the Sahara.

ANTWERP, Belgium, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - An Antwerp court gave a right-wing extremist a life sentence on Thursday for murdering a young girl and her Malian nanny last year in a case that shocked Belgium.

With his head bowed towards the floor, 19-year-old Hans Van Themsche showed no reaction as his sentence was read out.

A jury of 12 men and women found Van Themsche guilty late on Wednesday of murdering two-year-old Luna Drowart and 24-year-old Oulematou Niangadou and making an attempt on the life of a third woman in May 2006.

ANTWERP, Belgium, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - An Antwerp court gave a right-wing extremist a life sentence on Thursday for murdering a young girl and her Malian nanny last year in a case that shocked Belgium.

Staring at the floor, 19-year-old Hans Van Themsche showed no reaction as his sentence was read out.

A jury of 12 men and women found Van Themsche guilty late on Thursday of murdering two-year-old Luna Drowart and 24-year-old Oulematou Niangadou and making an attempt on the life of a third woman in May 2006.

KIGALI, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - A Rwandan court convicted a former official now living in Belgium of rape and incitement to rape, months after he was acquitted of genocide by the UN tribunal, state media reported Thursday.

The criminal court in the southern Rusizi district on Wednesday handed down a life sentence to Emmanuel Bagambiki, governor of Cyangugu in the south during the 1994 genocide, said Radio Rwanda.

'Bagambiki was found guilty of having raped girls and women and of having incited others to do so,' the station reported.

BRUSSELS, Oct 10, 2007 (AFP) - A right-wing extremist was found guilty on Wednesday of murdering a young girl and her African nanny last year in a case that shocked Belgium, the Belga news agency reported.

Hans Van Themsche, 19, faces up to life imprisonment when his sentence is handed down on Thursday for murdering two-year-old Luna Drowart and 24-year-old Oulematou Niangadou and making an attempt on the life of a third woman.

BRUSSELS, Oct 10, 2007 (AFP) - Belgium on Tuesday inched towards the formation of a new coalition government as the main parties struck agreements on several issues, the lead negotiator said.

Negotiators struck deals covering foreign relations, European policy, development cooperation, international security and defence, said a statement from leading Flemish politician Yves Leterme.

The substance of the agreements was not revealed.

Belgium's main political parties clinched a first deal in the coalition talks on the delicate topic of immigration late Monday.

THE HAGUE, Oct 9, 2007 (AFP) - The high-speed train-link between Amsterdam and Paris with the so-called Thalys trains suffered a setback Tuesday, with the announcement of a new delays to the service, initially due to start in December.

Dutch Transport Minister Camiel Eurlings said in a letter to parliament that a plan to start the high-speed service at 160 km/h (100 mph) in December was 'dangerous.' There is no new date fixed for the Dutch part of the high-speed rail link to open.

BRUSSELS, Oct 9, 2007 (AFP) - British pop group The Police have cancelled gigs in Belgium and Germany because singer Sting has 'serious voice problems,' organisers announced Tuesday.

A concert in Antwerp, Belgium on Tuesday was cancelled along with one scheduled the following day in Mannheim, Germany.

That leaves just one outing, in Dusseldorf on October 13, before the group, who have reformed 30 years after they started out, head to Britain to wind up the European leg of their reunion tour.

BRUSSELS, Oct 9, 2007 (AFP) - The Belgian parliament reconvened Tuesday with no new government in place four months after a general election amid a political impasse between Dutch- and French-speaking parties.

For the first time since King Leopold I assumed the throne of the new kingdom of Belgium in 1831, deputies and senators opened their parliamentary session without a government fully able to lead the country.

BRUSSELS, Oct 8, 2007 (AFP) - Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht has told embassies abroad how to handle queries on Belgium's political crisis, his ministry said Monday, amid calls in some quarters to split the country.

'It is clear that our country will have a government in good time,' De Gucht wrote in a memo to Belgian ambassadors and envoys.

'The pragmatic spirit' and the 'typical search for a compromise' would prevail, he said in his message to all Belgian embassies, a copy of which AFP obtained. The document was issued in both Dutch and French.

BRUSSELS, Oct 8, 2007 (AFP) - Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht has told Belgian embassies abroad how to handle queries on the current political crisis, his ministry said Monday, amid calls in some quarters for the country to split.

'It is clear that our country will have a government in good time,' De Gucht wrote in a memo to Belgian envoys.

'The pragmatic spirit' and the 'typical search for a compromise' would prevail, he said in his message to all Belgian embassies, a copy of which AFP obtained. The document was issued in both Flemish and French.

DUBLIN, Oct 8, 2007 (AFP) - King Albert II and Queen Paola of Belgium were welcomed to Ireland by President Mary McAleese on Monday when they began a three-day state visit to the country, a spokeswoman said.

The royal couple are also due to meet Prime Minister Bertie Ahern and will visit the Leinster House parliament building where they will be greeted by the speakers of both houses of parliament.

RHODE-SAINT-GENESE, Belgium, Oct 7, 2007 (AFP) - Around 350 Flemish nationalist extremists protested in a town near Brussels on Sunday, burning Belgian flags and calling for independence from French-speaking Wallonia.

With banners declaring 'Death to Belgium!' and 'Wallonian rats pack your bags!' the demonstrators gathered in Rhode-Saint-Genese, a town on the fault line of the country's current political crisis -- located in Dutch-speaking Flanders but 60 percent Francophone.

BRUSSELS, Oct 2, 2007 (AFP) - French oil giant Total on Tuesday faced a renewed Belgian probe into its alleged support of Myanmar's military regime as authorities reopened an investigation into the firm.

Belgium authorities are reopening a case brought by Myanmar refugees that Total was involved in crimes against humanity in their country, the refugees' lawyer said.

Four refugees accuse the company of having used forced labour provided by the military regime to build a gas pipeline, according to lawyer Alexis Deswaef.

BRUSSELS, Oct 2, 2007 (AFP) - Belgium authorities are to reopen an investigation into accusations by refugees from Myanmar that French oil giant Total was involved in crimes against humanity in their country, the refugees' lawyer said Tuesday.

Four refugees accuse the company of having used forced workers offered by the military regime to build a gas pipeline, according to lawyer Alexis Deswaef.

Authorities are also to reopen an investigation into possible crimes against humanity targetting the regime, he said.

BRUSSELS, Oct 2, 2007 (AFP) - A cradle of the Art Nouveau in Europe, Brussels will fete many of the finest examples of the style in the city by throwing open its doors to dozens of private homes usually closed to the public.

As the Belgian capital boomed at the end of the nineteenth century, Art Nouveau became all the rage among Brussels' upper crust, which chose the fresh new look to ornate many of the houses that sprung up at the time.

ANTWERP, Belgium, Oct 1, 2007 (AFP) - A Belgian teenager, on trial for murdering a toddler and her African nanny in a race-hate crime, on Monday apologised and told the court he loathed his actions.

On the first day of his double murder trial, Hans Van Themsche, 19, who admits the crimes, said 'I want to say how much I loathe what I have done.'

'I want to apologise to the victims, to their friends and also to foreigners,' he continued with head bowed.

ANTWERP, Belgium, Oct 1, 2007 (AFP) - A right-wing extremist went on trial in Antwerp on Monday, under a new law against hate crimes, for the murder of a young girl and her African nanny which sent shockwaves across Belgium last year.

In a hesitant voice and with head lowered, Hans Van Themsche, 19, replied to the routine court questions on his name, age, profession and other details.

He is being tried under a new law against hate crimes -- the first time it has been used since it came on the books in 2003 -- according to a spokesman for the prosecutor.

ANTWERP, Belgium, Oct 1, 2007 (AFP) - A 19-year-old far-right extremist went on trial in Antwerp on Monday for the racially driven murder of a young girl and her African nanny last year which sent shockwaves across Belgium.

In a hesitant voice and with head lowered, Hans Van Themsche replied to the routine court questions on his name, age, profession and other details.

He is being tried under a new law against hate crimes -- the first time it has been used since it came on the books in 2003 -- according to a spokesman for the prosecutor.

BRUSSELS, Sept 30, 2007 (AFP) - A 19-year-old far-right extremist goes on trial Monday in Antwerp for the racially driven murder in May last year of a young girl and her African nanny which sent shockwaves across Belgium.

Hans Van Themsche is to be tried under a new law against hate crimes -- the first time it has been used since it came on the books in 2003 -- according to a spokesman for the prosecutor.

Two months after the killing, some 20,000 people participated in a march against racism in Antwerp, Belgium's northern second city.

BRUSSELS, Sept 30, 2007 (AFP) - Top Flemish politician Yves Leterme Sunday faced the tough task of forming a new coalition government after Belgium's King Albert II gave him a second chance to break a lingering political deadlock.

Leterme in August failed to shepherd Belgium's main Dutch and French-speaking parties into a coalition to end a political stalemate and the monarch summoned the 46-year-old leader of the Flemish Christian Democrats late Saturday to a picturesque country chateau to give him a second chance.

BRUSSELS, Sept 29, 2007 (AFP) - Belgian King Albert II on Saturday named -- for a second time -- top Flemish politician Yves Leterme to form a new government as efforts accelerated to break a political stalemate gripping the country.

After his Flemish Christian Democrats came out on top in a June 10 general election, Leterme already tried once to form a coalition government, but failed at the end of August due to tensions between Dutch and French-speaking parties.

BRUSSELS, Sept 29, 2007 (AFP) - Belgian King Albert II on Saturday named -- for a second time -- top Flemish politician Yves Leterme to form a new government, 111 days after a general election.

'The king charged Mr Yves Leterme to form a government. He accepted the mission,' the Royal Palace said in a terse statement.

After his Flemish Christian Democrats came out on top in June 10 a general election, Leterme already tried to form a coalition government, but failed at the end of August.

BRUSSELS, Sept 29, 2007 (AFP) - The first signs of progress to form a new Belgian government emerged Saturday when the royal palace announced that conditions were ripe for relaunching stalled negotiations.

After the person charged with sounding out political parties on their positions reported back to King Albert II, the palace said that 'there are enough converging elements to allow negotiations to begin again.'

BRUSSELS, Sept 29, 2007 (AFP) - The first signs of progress to form a new Belgian government emerged Saturday when the Royal Palace announced that conditions were ripe for negotiations to restart to end the political crisis.

After the person charged with sounding out political parties on their positions reported back to King Albert II, the Royal Palace said that 'there are enough converging elements to allow negotiations to begin again.'

BRUSSELS, Sept 29, 2007 (AFP) - The first signs of progress to form a new Belgian government emerged Saturday when the Royal Palace announced that conditions were ripe for negotiations to restart to end the political crisis.

After the person charged with sounding out political parties on their positions reported back to King Albert II, the Royal Palace said that 'there are enough converging elements to allow negotiations to begin again.'

BREMERHAVEN, Germany, Sept 28, 2007 (AFP) - German customs officials said Friday they had seized cocaine with an estimated street value of 30 million euros (42.5 million dollars) that had been hidden among hundreds of wine bottles.

The 400 kilogrammes (880 pounds) of cocaine was seized in the port city of Bremerhaven.

A customs spokesman in nearby Hamburg said it was the biggest cocaine bust in Germany in six years and led to the arrest of three suspected dealers in the Belgium city of Antwerp.