Belgium in Brief: Two Belgian universities in world top 100, Belgian fugitive arrested and train service reduced

Belgium in Brief: Two Belgian universities in world top 100, Belgian fugitive arrested and train service reduced
KU Leuven. Credit: Bernt Rostad

Two Belgian universities have been ranked in the world top 100, a fugitive Belgian arms dealer has been arrested in Portugal and Brussels airport cargo handlers are in the red once more.

Here’s a recap of the news you should know in Belgium this morning:

1. Two Belgian Universities in world Top 100

According to the Shanghai Academic Ranking, an annual ranking of universities, both the University of Ghent and the University of Leuven are in the world's top 100 universities. The University of Ghent comes in at number 66, while the University of Leuven comes in 85th place. Read more. 

2. Train service reduced by half on Saturday due to strike

One in two trains will run on Saturday, 17 August, due to the train strike called by the Railway Workers' Union. However, 70% of trains are confirmed for the Pukkelpop festival in Hasselt. Read more. 

3. Fugitive Belgian arms dealer arrested in Portugal

A notorious arms trafficker who was sentenced in 2018 to four years in prison and has since been a fugitive, has been arrested in Portugal. According to VTM, there has not been an armed conflict in  35 years in which he was not involved as a trafficker of weapons. Read more. 

4. Man stabbed in Rochefort brawl dies

A 38-year-old man was stabbed during a brawl in Roquefort on the evening of 10 to 11 of August and has since died. The suspect will appear before the Namur Council Chamber on Friday. Read more.

5. Up to 30% of total food produced worldwide is lost or wasted

A new report released by the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reveals that land is being put under critical pressure from both human activity and climate change. The report recommends better land management and food production for tackling climate change and, according to an IPCC spokesperson, was written for the most part by authors from developing countries. Read more. 

6. Brussels Airport cargo handlers again in the red

Brussels Airport's rival cargo handlers, Swissport Belgium and Aviapartner Belgium, were both operating at a loss in 2018. The two companies stressed in their final reports that they have been taking measures to improve their finances. Read more. 

7. Colleagues of dead firemen come to the aid of bereaved families

Colleagues of the two firemen who died last Sunday in a fire in Beringen in Limburg province will donate their bonuses to the families of the dead firemen. According to the Commander of the North Limburg zone, death allowances for firefighters are not satisfactory. Read more. 

Evie McCullough

The Brussels Times 


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