A new campaign by the Belgian army is looking to recruit people from diverse backgrounds, a Brussels woman turns 110 and Belgium gets a new (trilingual) coat of arms.
Here’s a recap of the news you should know in Belgium this morning:
1. Far-right leader: ‘late Flemish neo-nazi was a great man’
The leader of the far-right Vlaams Belang (VB) party refused to apologise for lauding a Flemish neo-nazi at the time of his passing, saying he made the comments before assuming a political mandate. Read more.
2. Brussels woman joins Belgium's supercentenarian club at 110
A woman in the municipality of Auderghem celebrated her 110th birthday at the end of July, becoming the second-oldest living person in the Brussels-Capital Region and joining the club of Belgium's five known supercentenarians. Read more.
3. Brussels Airlines plane turns back mid-flight after discovering defect in landing gear
Passengers on a Brussels Airlines flight bound for Burkina Faso were caught off guard when they learned that a technical issue with the plane meant they were going be flying back to Belgium. Read more.
4. Belgian army seeks Muslims in new diversity recruitment campaign
A new recruitment campaign launched by the Belgian military is looking to encourage people of diverse backgrounds to join the army’s ranks, with a special focus on drawing in people of the Islamic faith. Read more.
5. ‘Anderlecht clears Roma camp; Molenbeek lets theirs remain
The commune of Anderlecht has sent in police to clear out a camp of some 30 Roma, including ten children and babies. Meanwhile, in Molenbeek, which has a camp of its own, the municipal authorities have decided to take no action for the time being. Read more.
6. Belgian police launch search for two Albanian truck drivers
At the request of the Albanian police, the Belgian police are looking for two Albanians, after millions of euro were found in their truck. Local police found the money during a routine check at the Albanian port of Durrës. Read more.
7. Belgian royal coat of arms gets a ‘modern’ update
A move to make the royal coat of arms more modern, announced this week by several media outlets, shows that King Philippe is not limited to traditions that are sometimes outdated and is living with the times,” according to a Belgian historian. Read more.
Jules Johnston
The Brussels Times
