Belgium in Brief: Missing teen, Tomorrowland in numbers and Venezuelan 'euro'

Belgium in Brief: Missing teen, Tomorrowland in numbers and Venezuelan 'euro'

Drug smugglers in Antwerp call police on themselves after an embarrassing incident, The latest number of arrests at Tomorrowland and the Belgians escape to the (tax-free) sun in Portugal.

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

1. Search continues for 15-year-old missing in river

The search for a 15-year-old boy who fell into a river in Angleur will continue on Thursday after being called off following an hour of unsuccessful scouring which turned up no results. Read more

2. What has changed as of 1 August?

Bars across Belgium will have a limit of four gambling machines, with the added new condition that only adults are allowed to play. This is just one of many changes to the country as of 1 August. Read more.

3. Tomorrowland in numbers: drugs, arrests and crime figures

As Tomorrowland ends for another year, figures have emerged on the number of arrests made, drugs confiscated and crimes committed during the two weekends of the massive electronic festival in Flanders. Read more.

4. Belgian drug smugglers call police on themselves after getting stuck in a shipping container

Last Thursday, as Belgium recorded its hottest day ever, two suspects became stuck in a metal box full of cocaine at the Port of Antwerp. They eventually had to call the police for help. Read more

5. ‘Europe’s best-kept secret’: More and more Belgians move to Portugal for the sun and to escape taxes

Capitalising on the low cost of living, pleasant weather and interesting real estate opportunities, more and more Belgians have consequently chosen to retire in Portugal. Read more.

6. Belgian Scout camp goes zero-waste

A Belgian Scout group has proven that it is possible to make a zero-waste Scout camp, providing there is enough preparation. Fourteen units embarked on the adventure, banning supermarket purchases, promoting local shops and producers, eliminating packaging and using sustainable containers, buying in bulk, manufacturing hygiene products, such as toothpaste. Read more.

7. Police warn of payments with Venezuelan coins that resemble 1 euro coins

A Flemish police zone has issued a warning to residents that payments are being made with Venezuelan Bolivar coins instead of euro coins. While similar in size and shape, that is where the comparison ends, with 1 Bolivar being worth about 0,0001 euro, or 11.000 times less than a euro. Read more.

Jules Johnston

The Brussels Times


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