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Naughty Nights

Burlesque comes to Belgium courtesy of Radio Modern

In a cold room on a Sunday afternoon, a group of halfnaked women with heavily made up faces watch as a tall, regal and impossibly sexy woman wriggles and spirals in a modern belly dance. Instead of applause at the end of her performance, she turns expectantly towards a thin woman who has been sitting in the corner, watching her tight lipped. Obviously not impressed, Miss Deena Ray delivers some hard-hitting advice to the girl adorned in a peacock headdress and gold-bead harem pants; she wants to know why the performer still has her top on.

This is burlesque. Performer and teacher Miss Deena Ray is guiding a handful of specially-selected women as they create Belgium’s very first burlesque dance troop, to be called Schoon Madammen (Beautiful Madams).

Courtney Davis
(February 3, 2010)

Calls for “zero tolerance” on crime

Brussels policeman shot by robbers during car chase

The justice and interior ministers are due to present a plan today (3 February) to clamp down on crime in Brussels, following widespread calls for “zero tolerance” in response to continuing unrest last week in Anderlecht, including the shooting of a police officer in an attempted hold-up.

On Monday, 1 February, justice minister Stefaan De Clerck met with the Brussels prosecutor; at the same time, the police chief for Brussels-Elsene met with magistrates and with Brussels mayor Freddy Thielemans. One aspect of the new policy is certain to be an increase in cooperation between the various police zones in the capital.

Alan Hope
(February 3, 2010)