Bonjour à toutes et à tous, dag allemaal!
Maïthé here, back again with the English-language news of the day. The main story on our homepage today is about a phenomenon that has been taking over the streets of (parts of) Brussels in recent years: urban rodeos.
Have you ever been kept awake by a stream of screeching motorbikes, all the while doing wheelies, honking and generally being very loud and obnoxious? Turns out you're not alone.
The phenomenon has become a serious disturbance for residents living near the Atomium and the Heysel plateau, leaving them feeling powerless and fed up, reports Anas El Baye.
Anas spoke with Vincent Bourgeois of the Stop Rodeo Atomium citizens' initiative, which has been fighting tooth and nail to put a stop to the phenomenon for over a decade now.
Belgium does not currently have a specific legal framework covering the matter, meaning that police can only arrest participants for violating existing traffic rules, such as speed limits and certain forms of dangerous driving.
Unfortunately, this means that the cat-and-mouse game between the riders and the police is unlikely to stop anytime soon. Find out what's been happening here.
We also have a fun story about Belgium's unofficial capitals for you today. While Brussels is the country's administrative capital, it also claims the unofficial title as capital of Europe.
But, as reporter Josse Van Dessel explains, there are many more capitals dotted across Belgium. From the better-known ones like Antwerp for diamonds and Leuven for beer, there are also some eyebrow-raising ones like the capital of giants, or even snails.
Some go back centuries, others are more recent inventions to stand out from the crowd, but they all give their town a distinct identity. Let Josse take you on a quintessentially Belgian ride.
On the topic of rides, a new taxi service has launched in Brussels. Taxi Gustave brands itself as a "100% Belgian mobility platform" that is aiming to "reinvent the taxi" with fairer pay and greater transparency. The company is capping the commission that drivers have to pay the platform at 15% – much lower than with several other major players. Find out more here.
Lastly, we have a nice column by our American summer intern Anika Austvold on our website today. She looks back on her experience and the cultural differences between the US and Europe.
From owning guns to taking long lunch breaks, Anika advocates for leaving assumptions behind and actually getting to know each other. Read about her Euro summer here.
As always, if you have comments, tips, corrections or suggestions, you know where to find me: email me at m.chini@brusselstimes.com.
Take care!
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1. Brussels residents fed up with decade-long battle against urban rodeos
An urban rodeo is "the intentional and repeated carrying out of manoeuvres with a motor vehicle that breach road-safety rules and either endanger other road users or disturb public peace." Read more.
2. From snails to giants: An introduction to the self-proclaimed Belgian capitals rivalling Brussels
Brussels might be the official administrative capital of Belgium, but it is far from the only capital in the country. Read more.
3. Three of the best spots to watch the 2026 solar eclipse in Brussels
Brussels will witness the largest solar eclipse visible from Belgium since 1999 on Wednesday, 12 August. Read more.
4. Yellow heat warning extended to Sunday across Belgium
Although temperatures are expected to dip slightly on Tuesday, the Royal Meteorological Institute said the respite will be temporary. Read more.
5. New York Times ranks Belgian city among best in Europe to escape mass tourism
Unlike many of Europe's mass-tourism destinations, the Belgian city has so far managed to avoid being completely overrun by visitors. Read more.
6. New ‘100% Belgian’ taxi platform comes to Brussels
The company promises fairer pay and greater transparency than other taxi platforms. Read more.
7. Lost in translation: What I’ve learnt as an American in Brussels
I came to Brussels expecting cultural differences. What I found were conversations that revealed transatlantic misconceptions. Read more.
