The week in brief: 10 April

Longer waits at Brussels Airport (pictured) last Friday were caused by passengers turning up for their flights much earlier than necessary, a spokesperson for the federal police said. Friday saw the introduction of stricter identity checks on anyone entering or leaving the Schengen zone. The airport advises arriving two hours before departure time. 

Mohammed R, the man who drove a car loaded with weapons at high speed on the Meir pedestrian street in Antwerp last month, has not been charged with attempted murder or terrorism, according to VRT. He is still in custody, charged only with illegal possession of weapons.

The first of two titan arum flowers in the Botanic Garden Meise is blooming, with the second, larger flower expected to follow at the weekend. The Amorphophallus titanum, native to the rain forest of Sumatra, is known for its pungent odour, compared to a rotting carcass. It is an endangered species, and, thanks to the simultaneous blooming, the gardens will now be able to pollinate for the first time. It will take pollen from the smaller bloom and use it to pollinate the second flower. This should produce seeds that will help contribute to the restocking of the plant’s numbers.

The port of Antwerp has welcomed a decision to lower the toll for lorries using the Liefkenshoek tunnel between the hours of 22.00 and 6.00, starting in July. Lorries pay €14 to €19 toll during the day, which would be cut to €3.65 to €6 at night. The reduction is intended to encourage hauliers to travel through at night, thereby reducing traffic congestion.

People in Belgium recycled a record 114,000 tonnes of electrical equipment in 2016 via the Recupel system – the equivalent of 10.2kg per household, Recupel said, or more than 32 million appliances.

A van carrying 15 people crashed and overturned on the Brussels ring road last week following a police chase. None of the occupants was in the country legally, and the driver, a minor, is being held on suspicion of human trafficking. Five of the 14 passengers, including two children, are in hospital in serious condition.

Tiany Kiriloff the Belmodo fashion blog and creative agency and the subject of last week’s Face of Flanders has regained access to her Instagram account, after it was hacked and held for ransom. Kiriloff is one of the most active Instagram users in the country, with 190,000 followers. Her account was recovered, she said, thanks to rapid action by Instagram and parent company Facebook.

The Belgian Crisis Centre has been awarded the annual 112 Award by the European Emergency Number Association for its work on 22 March last year, when terrorists attacked Brussels Airport and metro. The centre’s D5 communications team was praised for its “exceptional contribution” in the use of social media to keep the population informed of the situation.

The federal police have announced a new speed-check marathon on 19 April, the first Wednesday after the spring school holidays. Hundreds of officers will be present at 900 locations across the country to catch speeding drivers. On the last occasion a year ago, 32,000 drivers were caught speeding, 6% of all of those checked.

Michel Moortgat, CEO of brewers Duvel Moortgat, based in Puurs, Antwerp province, has acquired a majority share in the Flagey building in Brussels. The building is home to both the Brussels Philharmonic and media concern Bruzz. Moortgat now owns 68% of the shares, with more than 20% owned by the Flemish and Brussels regions and the federal government, which increased their own holdings to block Moortgat’s attempt at a complete takeover. 

Bruges and Hasselt are the most bicycle-friendly cities in the country, according to a survey carried out by Test-Aankoop among residents of 12 cities. Bruges also led the field for air quality. In Flanders, however, only one in three residents regularly uses the bike to travel to school, work or shopping.

The federal minister responsible for disability policy, Zuhal Demir, has introduced an amendment to the law to allow municipal stewards the right to check documentation on blue disabled parking cards in order to crack down against fraudulent users. According to the social security ministry, about 228,000 expired cards are circulating in the country.

A bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) was spotted off the coast of Ostend last week. This is the first time the whale has been seen in Belgian waters, according to nature conservancy organisation Natuurpunt. There are only about 10,000 bowhead whales left in existence.
© Brussels Airport Company