Today's Top Stories - July 13, 2012

Belgian theatre company tipped for Edinburgh success

Belgian company Ontroerend Goed (literally, “touchingly good”) has been earmarked for success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe by the Scotsman newspaper. In its July 12 edition, the Scottish daily selected the company’s new show, All That Is Wrong, as one of 50 recommended shows (out of 2,695). Its preview reads: “After dividing people with last year’s Audience, the Belgian provocateurs are back with the final part of the trilogy about teenage life that began with Once And For All… and Teenage Riot, this time focusing on just two of their young cast.” All That Is Wrong runs from August 2 until August 12 at Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre.
http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/music/news-and-features/50-recommended-shows-at-this-year-s-edinburgh-fringe-1-2405821

Vertonghen moves to Tottenham – finally

It was one of early summer’s most protracted transfer sagas, but now the deal is officially done and dusted: Jan Vertonghen has moved from Ajax Amsterdam to Tottenham Hotspur. The 25-year-old Belgium international expressed his desire to move to the London side months ago, but two major obstacles came up. First, there was the departure of Spurs manager Harry Redknapp, then the Dutch club’s reluctance to pay Vertonghen a percentage of any transfer fee – something he claimed he was contractually entitled to. Ajax and Vertonghen’s representatives finally came to an agreement and new Tottenham head coach André Villas-Boas is thrilled by the defender’s arrival.

Ticket websites break the law

One in three ticket websites breaks the law, according to a report by the Federal Public Service for Economy. In total, 24 websites were monitored, including some based abroad. The main offences recorded include overcharging, not sending tickets and failing to mention that an event is sold out. A bill will be introduced in September to regulate the online sale of tickets. Ideas being discussed include granting a ‘certified’ label to law-abiding ticket operators and introducing a mark-up cap of 10 percent above a ticket’s face value.

Log on and meet your neighbours

The idea behind StreetPage.be is simple enough: get to know the people who live around you and “turn your street into a village”.  Two years after its launch, the website’s success (more than 10,000 members since Wednesday) marks a personal triumph for its inceptors, Patrick Dumont, Cédric Couvreur and Axel Lefebvre, whose concept has been dubbed “Facebook for neighbours”. The comparison is unjust, says Lefebvre. “It’s better to have 50 neighbours than 500 fake friends. Our website is a virtual tool, yes, but for the benefit of a real community,” he says. While using StreetPage.be is free, running the site isn’t. Two years ago, it received financial help from the Walloon and Brussels regions, and hopes in future to generate money through advertising revenue.

Classical music to keep disruptive youths away

The authorities in Kortrijk are to play classical music in the city’s Begijnhofpark in an attempt to drive unruly youths away. Loudspeakers will be installed in the park as early as next week. The move follows similar schemes in the UK, Australia, the Netherlands and the US. “We want to bring a pleasant atmosphere to the park,” explains Kortrijk mayor and former justice minister Stefaan De Clerck. “But obviously, if by the same token it helps keep trouble at bay, then it’s a bonus.” Picnic tables and benches will also be installed.