A Belgian court today ruled that a suspect in the killing of two schoolgirls whose bodies were found hidden in a storm drain will remain in custody, despite protests from his lawyers who argued there was no evidence to link him to the crimes.

IT MAY not stir the blood quite like a 25 yard volley to the roof of the net, a save in a penalty shoot-out or a last minute winner that lifts a cup or staves off relegation, but anyone who has ever fallen under football’s spell should sit up and pay attention to a compensation case which is currently before the Belgian courts.

EUROPE’S richest soccer clubs want to put the boot into national football bodies.

IRISH MEP Brian Crowley has warned that a football compensation case currently before the Belgian courts could have serious financial implications for the FAI.

EUROPE’S top court has warned the Irish authorities to ensure that employers are paying full social security contributions for staff who work abroad.

INFLATION in the euro region slowed in December as its appreciation reduced the cost of imports and stagnant consumer spending deterred shops from raising prices.

BELGIUM Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt took office as head of a new centre-left government that immediately agreed to replace a war crimes law which has soured Belgium’s relations with the US.

At least 20 people were killed when four explosions tore through the Moroccan coastal city of Casablanca damaging a synagogue, the Belgian consulate and a Spanish restaurant, officials said.

Yasser Arafat has been accused in a Brussels court of crimes against humanity.

Budget airline Ryanair is to challenge a Belgian Government loan to its ailing national carrier Sabena in the courts, chief executive Michael O’Leary said today.

Two nuns sat impassively in the dock today as a lawyer told how they had enthusiastically ‘‘embraced’’ genocide when it swept across Rwanda to the gates of the convent where up to 7,000 terrified people were seeking refuge.