Two women have been found dead on the streets of Brussels, both homeless, apparently caused by hypothermia. Following the sudden change in the weather to temperatures more common in autumn, the two women died in separate circumstances. One was found by the statue in the small park near Marché au Porcs; the other on the Rue Navez on the edge of Laeken and Schaerbeek. The second woman was taken to hospital, but could not be revived. The other woman was declared dead at the scene by a medical examiner. The…
Read MoreMonth: October 2018
Jeroen Meus on failed restaurants: “I made a huge mistake”
TV chef, cookbook publishing legend and restaurateur Jeroen Meus has admitted blame for the failure of his Würst chain of upscale hot dog restaurants in Leuven, Antwerp and Ghent. “I have a failing, and I’m not proud of it,” he told De Tijd in a weekend interview. “I let this out of my own hands, and that was my mistake.” Meus opened the Würst restaurant in Leuven in 2015, after running the fine-dining restaurant Luzine in the city to great success. But having become a household name with a variety…
Read MoreHow many hours do we work?
Work a 38-hour week, do you? Well, according to the human resources business Acerta the average Belgian worker only puts in 24 hours a week, though these calculations also include employees on a part-time contract! Acerta took a look at 40,000 contracts and came to the conclusion that employees only work 63% of the maximum hours set out in labour contracts. Of course, some people work part-time and that drags down the total. Then there are also holidays including public holidays and employees can also take time off due to…
Read MorePost office unions issue strike notice
The Belgian trade unions have issued a notice about the strike. On Thursday evening, negotiations between the unions and the post office broke down. On Sunday evening, the socialist Union ACOD issued a statement to the press on behalf of all unions that represent the staff of the post office, which announced the failure of official negotiations with the leadership of the B-post. The unions are unhappy about a plan drafted by bpost bosses for the future of the post office. Furthermore, “The perilous working conditions currently endured by bpost…
Read More110 flights cancelled at Brussels Airport Monday
110 out of 630 flights scheduled to depart Monday from Brussels airport have been cancelled, due to strike actions carried out by baggage handler Aviapartner, according to the airports spokes-person. Aviapartner’s management will have meetings with the unions during the day. Brussels Airport’s spokes-person says that passengers have not asked if they could spend the night at the airport. “We have not been informed of any such requests, and have therefore not set up any temporary beds, but of course passengers may have spent the night on their own initiative,”…
Read MoreChinese deal in Charleroi: electric cars made in Charleroi as from 2020
The Walloon Region and Chinese car builders Thunder Power have clinched a deal worth 175 million euros. Thunder Power will use the former Caterpillar plant near Charleroi to manufacture electric cars for the European market. The deal would create 350 new jobs in a first phase. Two years ago, the American multinational Caterpillar announced it would close its plant in Charleroi, shedding some 2,000 jobs. A heavy blow for the Charleroi area, which is already battling unemployment woes. But now there is good news. After months of negotiations, the Walloon…
Read MoreGlobal trend towards smaller families
UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, published last week a report on reproductive rights and the demographic transition in the world. The report explains a global trend towards smaller families as a reflection of people making choices to have as few or as many children as they want. “Choice can change the world,” said Sietske Steneker, director of UNFPA Brussels Office, at a press briefing (17 October). “When people lack choice, it can have a long-term impact on fertility rates, often making them higher or lower than…
Read MoreSpeed checks: less than 3% of drivers found to be driving too fast
The institute Vias, and the police, indicated on Friday that less than 3% of drivers speed checked on Wednesday and Thursday were found to be driving too fast. The checks came during the tenth speed control marathon. Between 6 a.m. on Wednesday and 6 a.m. Thursday the federal traffic police and 130 police zones conducted speed checks across the entire country. In total, 27,877 drivers checked were exceeding the speed limit, compared to 33,500 during the previous marathon in April.
Read MoreRestaurant turns away families with children – justified or not?
The food service industry and the dining public were split into two factions this week, after news that a restaurant in the seaside resort of Nieuwpoort had turned away a mother and child. The incident took place at the Brasserie Sir Charles on the sea-front, which operates an adult-only policy, indicated by a sign at the entrance to the restaurant (see photo). Owner Noel Brossé explained: “Every summer I suffer thousands of euros worth of damage caused by children,” he told Het Nieuwsblad. “Children who drop glasses and plates, or…
Read MoreSerdyuk said that he handed over to the American lawyers data on shootings at the Maydan
The lawyer of the fugitive ex-president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych Vitaly Serdyuk said that the employees of the company Aver Lex, as well as the lawyer Oleksandr Goroshinsky, met this week with the US lawyers John Pappalardo and Joe Reader during their visit to Ukraine. Serdyuk is convinced that the materials provided to the American colleagues “will be a subject of detailed consideration at the highest level in the United States.” This week, lawyers of Aver Lex together with lawyer Alexander Goroshinsky met with their American colleagues John Pappalardo and…
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