Today's Top Stories - August 20, 2012

5,000 demonstrators take to Brussels streets to call for prison reform

Demonstrators marched from North Station to the Justice Palace on Sunday in protest against the possible conditional release of Dutroux accomplice Michelle Martin. The march was organised by Jean-Denis Lejeune, father of Julie Lejeune, one of the two girls who was killed. Belgium’s appeal court is due to decide upon the conditional release of Martin to a convent near Namur on August 28. Lejeune and Pol Marchal, father of another of Dutroux’s victims An Marchal, were met by Justice Minister Annemie Turtelboom after the march. She said that greater consideration would be given to the victims in the discussions on conditional release procedures that the government is due to launch today. 

Dutch traffic offenders leave Belgium scot-free

Dutch drivers who commit traffic offences on Belgian soil are no longer getting fines sent to them back home, because the Belgian police finds it too time-consuming to ask for identification of number plates via a new computer system. Until this year, the Belgian police would ask the Dutch Traffic Department (RDW) for car identifications via fax or e-mail, but since the beginning of 2012, the Dutch no longer use these informal methods because of the number of man hours involved. It is estimated that thousands of Dutch drivers have not been penalised for traffic offences committed in Belgium since January 2012.

North Sea scores 6 out of 10

Belgium received a rating of 64 out of 100 in the Ocean Health Index published by the scientific magazine, Nature, and which charts marine health among territories with a coastline. The score puts Belgium in 22nd position out of 171; slightly higher than the world average of 60. In Europe, Poland gets a significantly lower score (42%), while elsewhere China’s 53% rating puts them ten points behind the United States. The highest score in the world (86%) goes to Jarvis Island, an uninhabited island in the South Pacific, while Sierra Leone comes last with 36%. One-third of countries have a score lower than 50% - and only 5% have a rating of 70% or more. 

Leonard Cohen politely declines Ghent honorary degree

Leonard Cohen has turned down an honorary degree from the University of Ghent, claiming that it was “very thoughtful but not necessary”. The Canadian singer played five sell-out concerts on Ghent’s St Peter square last week – three of which were attended by Ghent mayor Daniël Termont. “Cohen and his musicians claim to be totally in love with the city,” he said, “and because they stayed here for a while [they also rehearsed at Flanders Expo for a week] the idea was for the University of Ghent to give Leonard Cohen an honorary degree, and for a ceremony to take place at the town hall. He let us know that, while this was very thoughtful, it was not necessary.  He explained that, if he said yes, he would have to devote time and effort to writing and give an acceptance speech, and he would rather save his energy for his concerts. Which, given his age – the man is almost 78 – is totally understandable.” 

BBC seeks 1,700 extras for historical TV series to be filmed in Bruges

The British TV corporation is looking for Belgian extras via casting agency XtraZ. It will start filming the series The White Queen in the historic city from September until March 2013. Extras are required for the roles of noblemen and women, servants, peasants, soldiers, families and period instrument musicians. The Belgian casting agency said extras need to be available for the whole period of filming. The series will be set in the 15th century and feature the Wars of the Roses, the 30-year series of dynastic battles between the royal houses of York and Lancaster that began in 1455.