Belgian news in brief, 4 October 2005

New Muslim executive elected

Some six months after elections for a new Muslim Council, the Muslim executive has also been elected. The executive is the point of contact between the Belgian Islamic community and federal government. It includes representatives from Turkish, Moroccan, Pakistani and Albanian communities. A woman, Hacer Düzgün from Limburg is the deputy president. In council elections in March, Düzgün polled the most votes, broadcaster VRT reported.

Atomium to reopen on Valentine’s Day

The renovated Atomium will be inaugurated on 14 February 2006. The monument, whose nine balls have been given a shining new hull, will be reopened to the public on 18 February. Deputy Prime Minister Laurette Onkelinx and Atomium director Henri Simons will officiate at the ceremony. Entry price will remain EUR 9, but between February and April, the price will be EUR 7. A large public party will be organised at the Atomium next spring, newspaper ‘Het Gazet van Antwerpen’ reported.

Meise resident shoots burglar

A Meise resident shot a man during a burglary at about 11pm on Monday. Police were informed shortly after that an unknown man has dropped a wounded man at a hospital in Antwerp. The injured man is believed to be one of the burglars. His injuries are not life-threatening. The burglars smashed a bedroom window open with a brick, but were soon confronted by the residents. One of the residents opened fire, shooting one of the burglars, both of whom escaped the scene. The injured man was arrested at the Antwerp hospital, newspaper ‘De Standaard’ reported.

Pro-sperm donor advertising campaign

The Academic Hospital in Brussels has a shortage of sperm donors, prompting its Centre for Reproductive Medicine to launch an advertisement campaign to encourage more volunteers to come forward. A special donor centre is also to be set up on the campus of the Dutch-speaking Brussels Free University. The university said despite progress made in fertility treatment, there are still many childless couples that can only be helped through anonymous sperm donations.

Subject: Belgian news