Katie Westwood

Brussels, Liverpool, Paris

Journalist at Freelance

Journalist at The Brussels Times

Articles

Cases of disease spread through air conditioning rising in Belgium

5 days ago | brusselstimes.com | Katie Westwood

The number of Legionella infections has dramatically increased in Belgium over the past few years, according to a new study by researchers at UZ Brussels. Legionella infections are caused by the Legionella bacteria. The most serious and deadly form is Legionnaire’s disease, a severe form of pneumonia. Legionnaires’ disease does not spread from person to person, but is contracted through inhaling droplets of infected air. Legionella is a type of bacteria naturally present in fresh water and soil.
Where will Belgians go on holiday this summer?

1 week ago | brusselstimes.com | Katie Westwood

Three-quarters of Belgians intend to go on holiday this summer, but half plan to go back to the same place they visited last year, according to a report by Europ Assistance. Many Belgian holidaymakers choose to travel to European destinations. For the summer of 2025, France comes top of the list for travellers, with 22% of Belgians interviewed planning to take their holiday here.
King Philippe on abdication, Dire Straits and the thing he regrets

1 week ago | brusselstimes.com | Katie Westwood

In a video published on YouTube earlier this week, King Philippe of Belgium broke with tradition to open up to the Belgian public. To mark his 65th birthday in April, the monarch's children invited the public to submit questions they had always wanted to ask him. The Royal Palace said that it had received questions from Belgians of all ages. A total of 2,614 questions were submitted, 38 of which he addressed in a 40-minute video.
80% of foxes in Brussels infected with highly contagious disease

1 week ago | brusselstimes.com | Katie Westwood

Mange is a common disease in foxes. Credit: Tj HolowaychukSpotting an urban fox going about its business is one of the pleasures of living in a city. But fox-lovers in Brussels have been advised to admire the animals from afar after it emerged that 80% of the city’s foxes are infected with mange – also known as scabies. Mange is a highly contagious skin disease caused by parasitic mites. It causes intense itching, hair loss and skin lesions.
Iconic Woluwe bookshop-restaurant set to close its doors

1 week ago | brusselstimes.com | Katie Westwood

Brussels is set to lose another of its cherished institutions with the closure of Cook & Book, a bookshop and restaurant in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert. Cook & Book opened its doors more than 20 years ago, offering customers a unique shopping and dining experience. Located in a sprawling, supermarket-sized building near Roodebeek metro station, the store is divided into nine bookshops, each with a different theme.
Heat and ozone warning issued as Belgium gripped by high temperatures

1 week ago | brusselstimes.com | Katie Westwood

The warning phase of the High Heat and Ozone Peaks Plan has been activated from Thursday, Belgium’s Interregional Environment Cell, CELINE, has announced. According to forecasts from the Royal Meteorological Institute, IRM, temperatures will exceed 28°C at the Uccle reference station from this Friday, 20 June. Highs of up to 27°C are expected in Belgium today.
In pictures: Adorable baby elephant born in Pairi Daiza zoo

1 week ago | brusselstimes.com | Katie Westwood

The baby elephant was born in Pairi Daiza earlier this month. Credit: Pairi Daiza. A baby elephant was welcomed into the world at Pairi Daiza zoo earlier this month. On the morning of 14 June, one of the park’s resident Asian elephants, Farina, gave birth to a male calf. "The newborn is doing well. So is his mother. Both are pampered and followed with the utmost care by the park's teams, within their united matriarchal group," said the zoo.
UK lawmakers fear Belgium’s ‘slippery slope’ on euthanasia

1 week ago | brusselstimes.com | Katie Westwood

Belgium’s approach to euthanasia has come under the spotlight in the UK in recent weeks as British MPs debate whether to legalise assisted dying in the UK. A key House of Commons vote is expected to take place this Friday which would determine whether the bill progresses to its next parliamentary stage. Belgium’s liberal approach to the issue has frequently been raised during parliamentary debates on the subject.
Eyewatering new parking charges coming to Brussels this summer

1 week ago | brusselstimes.com | Katie Westwood

The cost of parking a vehicle in Brussels is set to rise dramatically from July after city authorities announced a new set of parking tariffs. As part of the budgetary changes coming into effect on 1 July, the City of Brussels will be increasing parking costs in the city centre. Brussels City Council has approved an overhaul of parking rates for the 2025 financial year, with prices set to be aligned with those of parking.brussels. These tariffs have been used elsewhere in the region for some time.
No more passport queues at Brussels Airport this summer?

1 week ago | brusselstimes.com | Katie Westwood

People will be spending less time in passport control queues at Brussels Airport if the airport police's ‘summer plan’ works out. In recent months, some people have waited in line at Brussels Airport for up to two hours, causing immense frustration for travellers. In response to concerns about the airport’s ability to handle large numbers of passengers, Interior Minister Bernard Quintin announced on Monday that it would be implementing a 'summer plan'.