Bonjour, goeiemiddag and good afternoon!
Today you've got Maïthé Chini again, giving you the latest on what's happening in Brussels and Belgium.
Despite the fact that we are well into the summer holiday period, there is plenty of news happening. Unfortunately, most of it is distressing.
Six people died in a fire in the OXY Tower near Place De Brouckère in central Brussels on Tuesday. The fire broke out at about 07:30 in the lift shafts of the building, which was being renovated by around 250 workers.
According to the Brussels Labour Inspectorate, an elevator cable may have snapped following the fire, causing the device to plummet with the victims inside. Belgian media are reporting that four of the victims worked at the Alken-based metal company On Time Metalworks BV. No details have yet been released on their identities, but reports suggest they were Belgian and Romanian nationals.
Meanwhile, in Antwerp, dozens of people were hospitalised after a hydrogen fluoride leak on a cargo ship in the port. Some 155 people, most of them port workers and crew workers, have undergone medical checks after inhaling fumes from the corrosive substance.
Of those, 28 people showed more serious symptoms and remain under observation in hospital. One of them is being treated in intensive care. Read the full story here.
Next up, a very different kind of story – although not necessarily good news for Belgium either: new research has found that English-language barriers are forcing Belgian managers to stay silent in meetings.
If you were ever in an international meeting with businesspeople from the Benelux and wondered if they were just nodding in agreement even though they did not understand what was being said, there is a high chance that you were right on the money.
In a survey by Amsterdam-based language AI company DeepL, 76% of professionals in the Benelux said that native English speakers unintentionally exclude colleagues by speaking too quickly, using idioms and making cultural references that not everyone understands.
News Editor Ugo Realfonzo took a deep dive into the report and highlighted the hidden financial and productivity costs of language barriers. Find out what this means here.
Speaking of communication issues, next up, we have a typical Belgian story, this time about whether self-driving cars will soon be spotted on the roads of Brussels simply because the Flemish Region has approved them.
Earlier this week, Regional Flemish Mobility Minister Annick De Ridder (N-VA) gave her green light to a law that would allow self-driving Teslas on Flemish roads.
That decision also has consequences for Belgium as a whole – including Brussels. However, the Brussels Government was not informed of this matter before it became public, and it is safe to say that they are not too happy about being presented with a done deal. Get the full lowdown here.
Lastly, I would like to point you to a story by our reporter Christopher Richards about population trends. While the EU's population is expected to decline by 2050, Belgium is bucking the trend. Why is Belgium different? Find out here.
And should you have comments, tips, corrections or suggestions, you know what to do: m.chini@brusselstimes.com.
See you later!
Maïthé
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. After approval in Flanders, are self-driving cars coming to Brussels?
In Brussels, every system will be judged "based on evidence, not hype". Read more.
2. Five Belgians and a Romanian national died in OXY building fire in central Brussels
According to the Brussels Labour Inspectorate, an elevator cable may have broken, causing the device to crash. Read more.
3. Dozens of people hospitalised after chemical leak in Port of Antwerp
Specialist teams are working to seal the leaking container before removing it safely. Read more.
4. English-language barriers force Belgian managers to stay silent in meetings
Belgian professionals are also feeling excluded because of native English speakers speaking too fast or making references they do not understand. Read more.
5. Brussels’ broken democracy – and the case for starting again
"The roots of this dysfunction stretch back to the 1970s and 1980s, when the fault line between Brussels' French-speaking majority and its Dutch-speaking minority dominated the city's political life." Read more.
6. EU’s population is expected to decline: What are the trends in Belgium?
Across the EU, seven in 10 regions are projected to see population declines by 2050. Read more.
7. Belgian National Day 2026: What to expect in Brussels on 21 July
Parades, royal ceremonies and fireworks: Belgium celebrates its 193rd birthday in Brussels and across the country next week. Read more.
