Good afternoon from Avenue Louise.
Today you’ve got me, Katie Westwood, back in your inbox with another helping of Belgian news for an English-speaking audience.
Our lead story looks at the gang warfare that continues to play out in the streets of Saint-Gilles. Over the past week, a series of explosions has rocked the commune, sowing fear and alarm among residents.
On Saturday, a local school had its windows blown out when a shisha bar was targeted. The violence is suspected to be rooted in intimidation and revenge attacks between rival gangs linked to the Moroccan mafia, which has a powerful role in distributing the drugs smuggled in from the Port of Antwerp.
Brussels Times News Editor Ugo Realfonzo, a long-time resident of Saint-Gilles, has done sterling work reporting on the situation. Today, he looks at the tawdry blame game emerging among politicians. We can only hope that the authorities get their act together before innocent bystanders get hurt.
The arrival of spring does all kinds of funny things to us humans. When I worked as a crime reporter, I noticed an uptick in violence as the weather grew warmer.
For those of us with a gentler disposition, spring means that love is in the air. At this time of year, you can’t move for all the frisky interns snogging on Place Lux (though not, I hasten to add, in The Brussels Times newsroom – we run a tight ship here).
It’s all well and good when you’re in the first flush of love, but what about those of us in long-term relationships? With our busy jobs and lives in Brussels, how can we make time for one another?
Help is at hand from our resident lifestyle agony aunt Kristina Chetcuti, who has fielded a question from one of our readers about sex in long-term relationships.
What I like about Kristina’s response is that she doesn’t come up with the usual glib nonsense about how to spice up your sex life. There are no suggestions about “role play”, wearing lingerie or (horror of horrors) shower sex. Just common-sense solutions. I urge you to read it.
Sex is nice, but have you tried taking the Waterbus on the Brussels canal? From 1 May, the Waterbus will resume operations, sailing to the centre of Vilvoorde as part of the region’s tourism drive. Now we’re talking.
Elsewhere, Aoife White gives us her usual lowdown on everything happening in Brussels this weekend for kids.
If you have any comments, tips or suggestions to improve our coverage, please feel free to drop me an email at k.westwood@brusselstimes.com.
Bye for now!
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. ‘Shocking, detached from reality’: How is Brussels responding to latest drug explosions?
Three mayors have torn into the Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin for blaming them for drug trafficking in south Brussels. Read more.
2. Dear Kristina: ‘Are we having enough sex?’
Health and lifestyle specialist Kristina Chetcuti answers The Brussels Times readers' dilemmas. Read more.
3. Brussels Waterbus to target tourists rather than commuters
The service returns on 1 May, with plans to integrate Waterbus tickets into the Museum Passes, also under consideration. Read more.
4. Ryanair to close check-in and bag drop-off 20 minutes earlier
This, Ryanair says, will give passengers more time to get through airport security. Read more.
5. Over 840,000 deaths per year are linked to psychosocial risks at work
These work-related psychosocial risks are associated with cardiovascular diseases and mental health conditions such as suicide. Read more.
6. EU-backed €300m train line extension to reshape Barcelona’s rail links
Journey times and connectivity in Barcelona’s eastern Eixample district will improve with a major €300m rail project backed by the European Investment Bank. Read more.
7. Brussels for kids: What to do with your family this weekend – 25 to 26 April
This weekend, a stroll around the city centre could reward you with a circus show. Or head further afield for the chance to get your baby photographed on a lilypad. Read more.
