Brussels desk

Filed from the Brussels desk — including multi-city pieces that also ran elsewhere.

Business · 3 October 2026

World Bank Launches ‘AI for Equality’ Pilot, Promises Robots Will Finally Pay the Rent

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

The World Bank unveils a tongue‑in‑cheek AI pilot aimed at narrowing the inequality gap, sparking debate over whether algorithms can really balance the books or just shuffle the numbers.

World · 2 October 2026

French Schools Fall into ‘Urban Violence’ as 564 Institutions Turn into Protest Arenas

Pieter Lang, Brussels desk

Over 560 schools across France were shuttered after nationwide protests over learning conditions, with some 3,000 teenagers detained and classrooms turned into impromptu street markets. The unrest, which has already left…

Environment · 2 October 2026

France’s Schools Shut, Students Demand Cooler Classrooms, EU Backs Out of Heat‑Proofing

Inès Vogel, Brussels desk

A wave of French high‑school protests over long hours, overheating classrooms and staff shortages has led to 400 schools closing and 2,000 arrests, prompting Brussels to reassess its own heating regulations.

Finance · 2 October 2026

Eurozone Inflation Climbs to 3.8% as Eurostat Declares Prices Have Taken Up a Full‑Time Job

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

Eurostat reports euro‑area inflation at 3.8% in September, nearly double the ECB’s target, prompting markets to wonder if rate hikes will soon need a ladder. An annexed forecast hints at more surprises ahead.

Business · 2 October 2026

EU convenes emergency diesel summit after ex‑president hints at US reserve release

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

A former US president’s suggestion to tap American diesel reserves triggered a Brussels‑led emergency summit, sending euro‑area diesel prices to record levels and prompting a flurry of market‑ready communiqués.

Environment · 1 October 2026

From Moo to Miso: Dutch Cattlemen Harvest Rice to Save Peatlands, Farmers Claim ‘We’re Farming the Future’

Inès Vogel, Brussels desk

In a bold bid to curb peatland subsidence, Dutch cattle farmers have swapped cows for rice paddies, turning former pasture into shimmering fields of grain in a bid to reduce CO2 emissions.

World · 1 October 2026

French Secondary Schools Turn Into Battlefields: Students, Police, and a Missing Baguette

Pieter Lang, Brussels desk

A wave of French student protests that began over resource shortages has turned into a chaotic melee, leaving dozens injured and hundreds in custody as teachers scramble to keep the lesson plan afloat.

Business · 30 September 2026

Europe’s Diesel Deluge Turns Trucks into Tortoises, Farmers into Fuel‑Starved Sentries

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

Soaring diesel costs from refinery hiccups and a looming US export ban are grinding European logistics, agriculture and industry to a halt, prompting a tongue‑in‑cheek forecast of a ‘diesel winter’.

Finance · 30 September 2026

Paris to auction €340 bn of debt, promising investors a free croissant with every bond

Etienne Marlow, Brussels desk

France plans to issue a record €340 billion of sovereign bonds next year, pairing the debt with a tongue‑in‑cheek promise of complimentary croissants for investors, while markets brace for a fiscal souffle.