Belgian news in brief, 19 August 2005

Telenet appeals for football rights

Telenet will appeal against the Competition Council over the warding of the television rights to Belgian football matches to rival Belgacom. In May, the League of Belgian Professional Clubs awarded the TV rights to Belgacom. Telenet had the rights up until the end of last season with its Wallonian partner BeTV. Telenet fought the decision, but a court dismissed Telenet’s complaints at the end of June and the competition council did the same a month later. Telenet has not announced it will appeal.

Fish stings plaguing beachgoers

A large number of children have been stung by small weever fishes along the Belgian coast in recent days. The weever fishes hide under the sand in low water areas. In most cases, a warm water bath can alleviate the sting, but the fish can be dangerous for people who develop an allergic reaction. A 14-year-old girl of Sint-Pieters-Leeuw was treated in hospital on Thursday after being stung on the beach at De Panne. The weever fish’s numbers have tripled in recent years and have been plaguing Belgian beachgoers in recent days. The fish lives along the coast of France and Spain, but global warming has seen it migrate to more northerly waters.

Dog bites boy’s ear off

A dog has bitten off the ear of a nine-year-old boy in Overemere, located near Ghent. A golden retriever stuck its head through a fence and bit the boy as he walked past. The boy was able to free himself from the dog and is recovering reasonably well.

And the most popular wedding song is …

Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers is the most popular opening dance at Flemish wedding receptions. That was revealed during a survey of DJs who perform on a weekly basis at weddings, newspaper ‘De Standaard’ reported.

Subject: Belgian news