Researcher at the University of Antwerp have developed a vaccine for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in adults, using cells from the patient’s own immune system. The research, which took 10 years, showed promising results in 50% of patients with a high risk of relapse, pushing average survival times to 52 months. AML is a cancer of the blood cells affecting mainly people over 60 and treated with chemotherapy. The new vaccine tackles the high rates of return of the cancer.

A man of Pakistani origin died in June of an infection caused by so-called super bacteria, which is resistant to antibiotics, the Free University of Brussels (VUB) hospital has revealed. The bacteria, which originates from the Indian subcontinent, produce a protein that makes conventional antibiotics useless. They can only be tackled with colistin, which can be toxic to the kidneys and nervous system at the high doses used. The man lived in Brussels but was hospitalised with an open leg wound while visiting Pakistan. It is likely he was infected during his hospital stay.

ING Bank has sent a letter to its clients aged over 60 apologising for the plan to limit their cashpoint withdrawals to €1,000 a week. “As the bank that listens, we couldn’t ignore your reaction,” chairman Eric Dralans writes in the letter. However ING is now trying to revive the proposal within the sectororganisationFebelfin.“We’re seeing a large increase in bank-card fraud, particularly involving older customers,” Dralans told De Standaard. “However, the solution we proposed wasn’t the right one.”

Despite not winning any medals, Flemish swimmers smashed Belgian records at the Budapest European Swimming Championships.The best finish was Kim Janssens, who took fifth in the final of the 50m breaststroke. In her semi-final, the 19-year-old set a Belgian record, with 31.55 seconds. The 4x100m women’s medley, featuring Jasmijn Verhaegen, Elise Matthysen, Kimberly Buys and Annelies De Maré, came in seventh, nearly 10 seconds behind the British winning team. Kimberly Buys, meanwhile, broke the Belgian 100m backstroke record.

An officer of the Brussels police opened fire last week on a bull running free in the Haren neighbourhood. Two bulls had escaped from their stall, and one of them charged at the police. Two shots were fired, one of which injured the bull slightly. The animals were later returned to their stall by the owner.

Police in Antwerp were last week called to a disturbance in the Den Brandt park, to find two ice-cream vendors battling it out with sauce bottles over a sales pitch. The competing vendors held a heated discussion over the rights to a sales spot, tempers became heated and the cherry-sauce started to fly. Police were able to calm them down, and no arrests were made. (And no-one was injured.)

A student in Antwerp has posted a video on YouTube to reveal a security problem involving the bike racks installed by the city. In the video, Tuur Buys shows how by simply removing the screw-on cap from the bike-stand, a chained-up bike can be detached from the rack. Antwerp city has already been notified, a spokesman said. New racks will be installed later in the year.