Belgian news in brief, 25 August 2005

10,000 Flemish homeless in 2004

Some 10,309 youths and young adults up to the age of 25 have requested social services help to find accommodation in Flanders last year, newspaper ‘De Morgen’ reported. While it is difficult to compare figures, social workers believe that homelessness, especially among youth, is a growing problem. The figures were provided by the support group Steunpunt Algemeen Welzijnswerk.

Baby body found in Schelde

Antwerp justice authorities have launched an investigation after the body of a baby was found in the Schelde River on Wednesday. Construction workers at a petrol station in Schelle found the body after it washed ashore. The body was in an advanced state of decay. It was thus difficult to determine the sex of the baby. It is also uncertain how the child died. Initial estimates put the bay a two-months-old. An autopsy was to be performed on Thursday.

Television via your mobile phone

Clients of mobile phone company Proximus will be able to watch television on their GSM from 15 September. They will be able to receive channels such as VTM, Vitaya, JIM and CNN. Proximus will be the first telecoms firm in Belgium to launch 3G services for the wider public. The technology will see the streaming of video footage and sound accelerated by 10 times the rate of current possibilities. Video telephone calls will also be possible. Customers will need special mobile phones in order to use the technology. Proximus is a subsidiary of Belgacom.

Theft a sour note on qualifier win

After Anderlecht players clinched a spot in the European Champions League, they were given the bad news: the lockers had been broken into. Mobile phones, credit cards, passports were stolen from the change room. Strangely, the room was found to be locked and police found no traces of forced entry. Training staff escaped the theft, because they used a different locker room. Anderlecht defeated Slavia Praha 2-0.

Subject: Belgian news