Storm alert: concerts cancelled and budget tensions
This Friday, Belgium is under an orange alert due to the risk of storms, leading to the cancellation of several cultural events. At the same time, the country is expressing its disagreement over the future European budgetary framework, while police have resolved a kidnapping case in Braine-le-Comte.
The Federal Public Service (FPS) Home Affairs has activated the 1722 helpline, intended for non-urgent fire service interventions in the event of storms or flooding. Due to the weather forecast, concerts scheduled for this Friday at the Cinquantenaire Park in Brussels for the Fête de la Musique have been cancelled. Despite this, around 800 other free concerts remain scheduled throughout the weekend in Wallonia and Brussels.
On the political front, the leaders of the twenty-seven European Union member states have agreed to finalize a new budgetary framework by the end of the year. This project defines the spending and deficit rules that states must respect. However, Belgium has made it known that the current proposal is "unacceptable as it stands," signaling difficult negotiations ahead.
In judicial news, four suspects were arrested in Braine-le-Comte following the kidnapping of a person accompanied by a ransom demand. The intervention of special units from the federal police allowed the victim to be freed safe and sound. Furthermore, the justice system has ordered that Marc P., a man suspected of child sex offenses who had been assaulted by a relative of a victim, be sent to the criminal court.
For more information and to discover other news, visit the News section of the application. There, you will find details on the new measures for the Ath slaughterhouse or the inauguration of a participatory mural in Anderlecht.