Belgian foreign minister steps down to help sick husband

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium’s foreign minister is stepping down so she has more time to devote to her husband, who was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer. Sophie Wilmes said in a letter on Thursday that her job “demands rigor, availability and total commitment that will not allow me to provide help and comfort that Christopher and our children will need.” The 47-year-old Wilmes served as Belgium’s first female prime minister during 2019-2020. She also was the nation’s first female foreign minister. It wasn’t immediately clear who would take over the job amid the geopolitical strife linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine.