Today's Top Stories - July 10, 2012

Flemish teenagers feel ‘mostly Belgian’
The majority of Flemish 14-year-olds define their identity as Belgian first, according to a survey by the Catholic University of Leuven. Their municipality comes second, followed by their province and/or Flanders, with Europe coming last. Only in the province of Limburg are the results slightly different: Limburgers see their municipality as the most important factor, followed by nationality. The university questioned 3,426 teenagers. The strong showing of municipalities is not surprising, says survey coordinator Marc Hooghe: “Local identities are stronger in Belgium than in the Netherlands. What is striking is the high score of Belgium.” A high presence of immigrants among the respondents is not the cause, as the representative sample features only teenagers born and raised in Flanders.

Picqué proposes ‘welcoming’ induction course
Brussels Region minister-president Charles Picqué is in favour of a ‘welcoming course’ for newly arrived immigrants, which would make it compulsory for them to learn French or Dutch. Picqué, who prefers the term ‘welcoming course’ to ‘integration course’ as used in Wallonia and Flanders – even though the concept is very similar – stresses the importance of learning one of Brussels’ two official languages. “Language, especially in a large city, is the best way to avoid identitarian insularity. The absence of any linguistic basis can be an obstacle to the challenge of living together,” he said yesterday. EU nationals and diplomatic staff would be exempt from the course.

Madonna concert far from sold out
Madonna’s concert at the Roi Baudouin Stadium this Thursday may constitute a coup for Brussels, but tickets are still widely available. There are many possible reasons: the underwhelming response to Madonna’s latest album (MDNA), high ticket prices, the fact that many people are on holiday, and the singer’s somewhat disappointing performance at Werchter two years ago. For those who opted not to go for financial reasons, the good news is that ticket prices have now been lowered, in the hope of filling the stadium. Even so, the weather may have the last word...

Iconic alternative Brussels bar shuts
In a move that will send shockwaves through fans of alternative cultures, live music and late-night drinking, the DNA bar on Plattesteen in central Brussels has closed down, after the owners declined to renew the lease to the tenants. Founded in 1983, the DNA quickly became a Mecca for alternative cultures such as punk, gothic and grunge, as well as a rite of passage for budding bands or established acts testing out new material in front of a small audience. The venue, with its distinctive giraffe-patterned outside walls, also hosted after-show parties for bands who had just played at the nearby Ancienne Belgique.

Belgium wins Fourth of July apple pie bake-off
Diplomacy in Washington DC has a lighter side, as demonstrated by last week’s inaugural Fourth of July Apple Pie Contest Among Foreign Nations – which was won by Belgium. The light-hearted affair was organised by the State Department, and the rules were simple: “Be creative. Use apples”. Contestants had a month to fine-tune their dishes, some of which were made by embassy chefs, representatives and ambassadors’ wives. The panel of judges consisted of Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema, Pie Sisters co-owner Alli Blakely and undersecretary of state for management Patrick Kennedy. Belgium came first out of 15 countries with a concoction described by the Washington Post as a “fruity eagle on a patriotic background”.