The Belgian government has withdrawn a controversial proposal to ban night-time flights at Brussels airport to combat noise pollution.

The government took the decision after the international courier firm, DHL, threatened to remove its multi-million dollar business from Brussels.

Instead, the cabinet will set up a working group to look into the problem of airport noise.

The BBC Brussels correspondent says environmentalists, who backed the night-flight ban, may see the move as putting the interests of big business ahead of those of ordinary citizens.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service