Good afternoon. This is Katie Westwood with Belgium in Brief.
I wanted to bring an end to our summer newsletter hiatus to let you know that changes are afoot at The Brussels Times.
Having taken over as Managing Editor at the start of the year, I am standing down from the role and will be leaving The Brussels Times today.
I take comfort in knowing my reign was short, but not quite as short (and hopefully not as financially devastating) as that of Liz ‘Lettuce’ Truss as British prime minister.
I will hand over my responsibilities to someone you are all familiar with – my trusty Belgium in Brief compadre, Maïthé Chini. You can expect Maïthé’s missives back in your inbox next week.
I am proud of the work we have done at The Brussels Times over the past year. Our team of reporters have produced some outstanding work, writing about the pleasures, as well as the pitfalls, of living in Brussels.
As a dyed-in-the-wool local news hack, my preference will always be for stories that examine how decision-making by local authorities impacts people’s lives.
I hope this has shone through in our work – from Rita Alves’s piece on the challenges of getting around Brussels in a wheelchair, to Maïthé’s examination of the problems faced by Dutch-speakers in a supposedly bilingual city and Ugo Realfonzo’s sterling work on urban planning. Léa Huppe’s piece on ‘Jersey barriers’ was another slice of classic local news to be proud of.
We didn’t always get it right. You may have noticed some bias slipping through now and again. But having stood in one too many dog turds during my time in Brussels, I make no apologies for my blatantly pro-cat, anti-dog agenda. (Shoutout to Isabella Vivian for the funniest headline in the history of The Brussels Times with her story about dog mess in Brussels).
I said in my first newsletter that I wanted to highlight the positive contribution to the life of the city by its many immigrant communities. We have a made good start on this with lovely features by Isabella on the Greek and Spanish communities, and by Kosmos Khoroshavin on the Chinese community. I hope this series will continue once I have left.
This week, one of the city’s communities was torn apart by a shocking act of violence – sadly a recurring theme in this newsletter. On Monday night, a shopkeeper was killed in robbery in the Matonge district of Ixelles. Jaswinder Singh, 67, was well-known in the area for his kindness and amiability.
Reporter Anas El Baye went to Matonge to speak to business owners about his death and listen to their concerns about crime and insecurity in this part of Ixelles. Read his piece here.
I also wanted to draw your attention to a fascinating piece by Leo Cendrowicz on a Belgian company which is making waves in the drone market.
Finally, I’d like to thank you all for engaging with our work so readily over the past year. Since starting this newsletter, I’ve received messages from correspondents in some surprisingly far-flung places wishing to keep abreast of developments in Belgium.
People have written in with all kinds of good suggestions – on how to improve our coverage, and how to improve things in the city. These messages have brightened my day and made our reporting better.
Thanks also to our regular contributors Kristina and Aoife, and to James Kanter, David Young and Leo for your support and sage advice.
As always, if you have any comments, tips or suggestions, you can find me (for now) at k.westwood@brusselstimes.com. From tomorrow, you can direct everything to Maïthé at m.chini@brusselstimes.com.
I wish you all a wonderful summer, wherever you are currently laying your hat.
See you around,
Katie
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. ‘You can feel the tension in the air’: Ixelles businesses sound the alarm after killing of beloved shopkeeper
"The area has changed noticeably. Violence has increased," one shopkeeper told The Brussels Times. Read more.
2. The Belgian company betting on Europe’s drone future
"The next battle will be machine against machine," Frank Vanwelkenhuyzen, founder and chief executive of DroneMatrix, told The Brussels Times. Read more.
3. Everything you need to know about the upcoming e-scooter ban in Brussels
With shared e-scooters set to be taken off the streets of Brussels in September, some may be breathing a sigh of relief, while others will be sighing in frustration. Read more.
4. Energy prices: Belgian consumers advised against rushing into fixed-term contracts
With energy prices continuing to rise in August, consumer rights organisation Testachats has issued advice to consumers. Read more.
5. Residents evacuated after huge fire breaks out in warehouse in Schaerbeek
Firefighters expect clearance and cooling operations to continue for many hours. Read more.
6. Two-thirds of Belgian drivers drive too fast in 30 km/h zones – but much depends on the region
The average speed in these zones was 41 km/h. Read more.
7. What to do in Brussels this weekend: 7 – 9 August
From classical music festivals and local folklore to Art Nouveau and one of the world's biggest Caribbean events, here's what's on this weekend. Read more.
