Belgium’s day was marked by continued federal budget talks, student protests affecting hundreds of high schools and a life-threatening autocross crash in Ingelmunster. Sports and international stories also drew attention, alongside record rainfall in Catalonia and a troubling report on AI-generated child sexual abuse images.
The Belgian federal government is continuing negotiations this Sunday to find €10 billion and restore budget balance. Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s first proposal was deemed “unbalanced” by MR and “indigestible” by Les Engagés. The talks pit spending cuts against new revenue, while MR is proposing an economic stimulus plan.
At an autocross event in Ingelmunster on Sunday afternoon, a spectator was left in life-threatening condition when a competing car ended up in the starting area. The car veered off the track for reasons not yet known. The victim was taken to hospital; the driver was also seriously injured. Emergency services are investigating the exact circumstances of the accident.
In France, classes will be fully or partially suspended on Monday at 400 to 500 high schools where safety conditions are not met. The education minister announced the measure on Sunday. Twenty-four schools have been set on fire or vandalized amid the student protests, which began at the start of the week.
Severe storms hit the Spanish municipality of Madrigueras, in Albacete, on Friday, killing a 102-year-old woman. Rescue services brought 90 people to safety after the entire municipality was affected by the storms. According to the regional government, 142 litres of rain per square metre fell in some areas, causing severe flooding.
Remco Evenepoel will compete Sunday in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in the road race at the European Cycling Championships. The Belgian is targeting the only major title still missing from his palmares: European road champion. The attempt comes one week after his disappointing performance at the world championships in Montreal.
The Formula 1 race referred to as the Bahrain Grand Prix is taking place at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. Max Verstappen is currently leading the race. The Dutch driver has a five-second lead over Kimi Antonelli, who leads the world championship. The race is live, and the standings may change constantly.
Kevin De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans remain in Belgium’s squad for the trip to France despite their suspensions. Belgium beat Turkey 3-0 on Friday evening. The next match against Les Bleus takes place in Paris on Monday evening. The buildup to the match is being followed in a live blog.
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) warns that more AI-generated child sexual abuse images have emerged in the first months of this year than in all of 2025. The organization calls the development deeply concerning. It is urging the European Union to swiftly introduce rules enabling decisive action against their spread.
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