Good afternoon.
It's a busy Monday for news today, and most of it dominated by international affairs, obviously. But it will be a busy week ahead for Belgian news as well.
This afternoon, the first of the new F-35 fighter jets arrive in Belgium, to great fanfare from government ministers. Tomorrow, there is yet another national strike (check our piece here to keep up with what and where will be affected), which we will be covering with live updates throughout the day.
There are also continuing Federal budget talks today. Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA) was due to give his annual "state of the union" address tomorrow as well - although it's now just been announced that he is postponing this by a week in expectation that the budget will be agreed by then. All serious stuff.
Because of this, I thought it might be nice for a change to draw a few of the pieces we produced over the weekend to your attention – in case you completely disconnected and did not read any news.
One of the more unusual pieces over the weekend was an article about BoHo – the moniker for an area in Antwerp named "second coolest in the world" by those doyens of coolness themselves, Time Out Magazine. We sent our reporter to tread the pavements of the district and see what locals thought of their newfound status.
This wasn't the most unusual piece, though. Take a look at this profile of one of Belgium's forensic pathologists. There are several working across Belgium, all in a job that most of us could barely imagine doing, never mind actually do every day. He has seen some of the worst of humanity in his daily work. So how does he switch off?
All is revealed – literally - in the piece.
Be prepared for the disruption tomorrow, and follow it all in The Brussels Times.
Belgium in Brief is a free daily roundup of the top stories to get you through your coffee break conversations. To receive it straight to your inbox every day, sign up below:
1. EU rolls out new electronic border control system
From fingerprints to facial scans: the EU's digital border controls aim to curb overstays and deter fraud — but will six months be enough for full implementation? Read more.
2. How does Belgium dispose of its nuclear waste and are safety concerns justified?
In the past, Belgium's low-level nuclear waste was thrown into the sea - but as a new waste facility shows, things have moved on dramatically in recent years. Read more.
3. EU scraps vote on controversial child sexual abuse law – sparing Belgium a dilemma
The so-called 'chat control' regulation would force services like WhatsApp and Signal to monitor photos shared by users. Read more.
4. ‘Like Lego sets’: US kit-based drones set to be built in Belgium
"With this system, you can build a drone of up to 600 kilos in just five hours.” Read more.
5. Nearly 10 years after Brussels terror attacks, Maelbeek metro station will get a facelift
"It goes without saying that we are paying special attention to Maelbeek," said outgoing Brussels Minister for Mobility Elke Van den Brandt. Read more.
6. Woman injured in house fire in Brussels
A fire broke out in a three-storey house in Brussels. Read more.
7. Price of gold hits new record
Gold prices have surpassed last week's record. Read more.
