A Belgian news presenter faced racism on her first day on the job, an isolated chemist was arrested after placing explosives by railway on outskirts of Brussels and Ostend beaches trial no smoking zones.
Here’s a recap of the news you should know in Belgium this morning:
1. Bloody rooster projected on Walloon Parliament building
Activists projected a bloodied rooster onto the facade of the Walloon Parliament on Thursday evening, in a high-visibility protest against the Belgian region’s arms exports to countries with contested human track records. The protest, which started at around 22:00, was interrupted by 1:00 AM because whirring from the projector caused a nuisance to the neighbourhood. Read more.
2. ‘Xenophobic’ comments hit debutant news anchor on first day on the job
On her first day on the job, a Belgian news anchor on Thursday received an onslaught of “virulent” comments and reactions that have been qualified as racist and which have since been condemned by her employer. One of them reportedly asked whether it was possible to “let a Belgian read the news in Belgium.” RTL has condemned the comments. Read more.
3. Makeshift campsite found as search for missing Belgian backpacker continues
Australian police on Thursday found a makeshift camping site around the area of a Byron Bay lighthouse, a discovery which could breathe new life into the search efforts for a Belgian backpacker who disappeared without a trace at the end of May. Read more.
4. Belgium’s Most Wanted list leads to 11 arrests
In the less than three years since it was created, Belgium’s list of the most wanted serious criminals has led to 11 arrests, the federal police announced. There are currently 19 wanted criminals on the list, including two women, one of whom, Fehriye Erdal, wanted for a triple terrorist killing in Turkey. She has been on the run since 2006, when she escaped in broad daylight in Brussels from a state security surveillance team trailing her. Read more.
5. E-scooter collision leaves man severely injured
One person has been admitted to the hospital and is severely injured after being involved in an electric scooter clash that took place on a busy road of a Brussels municipality on Thursday evening. Read more
6. ‘Isolated chemist’ detained after explosives found by railway on outskirts of Brussels
Police have detained an unidentified man after a small bag of explosives was found by the train tracks near a Brussels municipality on Thursday. The amount of explosives found in the bag was too small to blow up a train, Denis Goeman, spokesperson for the Brussels prosecutor’s office said. Read more.
7. No-Smoking zone introduced at Ostend Beach this summer
Named “Het Nieuwe Strand” (the new beach), the project will run from July 1 to August 31. The no-smoking zone will occupy a 200-metre strip of beach between Polé Polé Polé Beach Bar and Bondi Beach Bar. Read more.
Jules Johnston
The Brussels Times
