Authorities in Belgium are going to supply the entire population of 11 million citizens with iodine pills to protect against a potential nuclear war in Europe. Health Minister Maggie De Block says the drastic measure is to safeguard members of the public against a potential nuclear accident. Yahoo News reports: Iodine pills, which help reduce radiation build-up in the thyroid gland, had previously only been given to people living within 20 kilometres (14 miles) of the Tihange and Doel nuclear plants. Health Minister Maggie De Block was quoted by La Libre Belgique newspaper as telling parliament that the range had now been expanded to 100 kilometres (60 miles), effectively covering the whole country. The health ministry did not immediately respond to AFP when asked to comment. The head of Belgium’s French-speaking Green party, Jean-Marc Nollet, backed the measures but added that “just because everyone will get these pills doesn’t mean there is no longer any nuclear risk,” La Libre reported. Belgium’s creaking nuclear plants have been causing safety concerns for some time after a series of problems ranging from leaks to cracks and an unsolved sabotage incident. Last week Germany asked that the 40-year-old Tihange 2 and Doel 3 reactors [...]