Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo fired tear gas to disperse protesters who burned tires and US and Belgian flags near Western embassies and United Nations offices in Kinshasa on Monday.

French jihadi Salah Abdeslam, sentenced to life in prison over the 2015 Paris attacks, has been transferred from Belgium back to France. The return was delayed after lawyers claimed it would violate his human rights.

Belgium assumes the EU Council Presidency on January 1. It has an ambitious agenda fleshed out before Europe and Belgium switch to pre-election campaign mode later in the year.

In Belgium, a recent documentary on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church has caused shock and soul-searching, reigniting a debate about the way religion is funded in the country. Unlike in neighbouring France, the Belgian state finances officially recognised religions, with representatives of the Catholic Church receiving the best pay. But the abuse scandal has seen many people demand a change in the rules.

The gunman's motives remain unclear, but Belgium's federal prosecutor in charge of terrorism has taken over the case, with the suspect at large. Belgium's prime minister said the victims were both Swedish.

Given the increasing pressure on housing, the Belgian state secretary for asylum and migration, Nicole de Moor, wanted to prioritize women and children. The decision has been criticized by human rights organizations,

Like many European countries, Belgium has been witnessing a crisis in its asylum system for several months. With its welcome centres and public services stretched to breaking point, NGOs are now sounding the alarm. They say more resources are needed to help process the many unaccompanied minors arriving in Belgium, with three quarters coming from Afghanistan.

The suspected Iraqi immigrant is said to have belonged to an al-Qaeda cell which carried out a series of deadly bombings in Baghdad. Belgian prosecutors said the attacks killed at least 376 people.