Pope Francis tempered his Easter Sunday message of Christian hope with a denunciation of “blind” terrorism, recalling victims of attacks in Europe, Africa, and elsewhere, as well as expressing dismay that people fleeing war or poverty are being denied a welcome, as European countries squabble over the refugee crisis.

WITH the air of casual racism the French love to deploy against their northern neighbours, Nicolas Sarkozy warned that the European Union was in danger of playing “Belgium roulette” — it’s like Russian roulette, but in this version, all the chambers of the revolver contain a bullet.

BELGIUM celebrated its entrance into the Guinness Book of Records for taking the longest time to form a government with striptease on the streets, beer drinking and a fries revolution.

President McAleese is paying a state visit to Belgium and Italy next week ahead of a meeting with the Pope.