Two federal ministers – Steven Vandeput (defence) and Jan Jambon (home affairs) – as well as migration secretary Theo Francken are in Iraq this week for talks on security and migration issues. Belgium is part of the international coalition in Iraq to combat IS, with 280 Belgian troops posted in...

Can a smartphone game bring Brussels together? That’s what the people behind Think Twice hope. It was released on 22 March, the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks at the airport and metro that left 32 dead. Sven Van de Perre (pictured), a designer with more than 20 years of experience in...

Flemish environment minister Joke Schauvliege has approved a budget of €1 million for this year for the purchase of land to grow new woodland. The subsidy will cover 60% of the cost of the land. The funding comes from the woodland compensation fund. Anyone who receives a permit to remove existing...

Since the introduction last year of a new document for doctors to use when writing up sick notes for periods of incapacity for work, the average duration of absence has decreased by nine days, writes Het Nieuwsblad based on a study by the Independent Insurance Funds. Medical practicioners have been...

A van carrying 15 people crashed and overturned on the Brussels ring road early on Tueaday morning after a police chase. The driver, a minor, has been held on suspicion of human trafficking, the prosecutor’s office has confirmed. Five of the occupants of the vehicle were seriously hurt when it...

ING has prepared a very large severance package for its employees over the age of 55 as part of the major reorganisation of the bank in Belgium. About 1,500 employees will be allowed to retire early under the new plan, and they will continue to receive 60-80% of their current salary until their...

According to Tertio, a Catholic weekly newspaper in Belgium, the number of adult men and women to be baptised in Belgium every year during the Easter Vigil in the Catholic Church continues to rise. Tertio gathered information from Catholic churches across the country and found that at least 229...

Sebastien Joris, the federal police force’s liaison officer for Turkey, is not guilty of errors that allowed one of the terrorists involved in last year’s attacks to enter Belgium undetected, federal home affairs minister Jan Jambon has said. “It appears that Joris followed procedure,” Jambon said...

Bruges and Hasselt are the most cycling-friendly cities in Belgium, according to a survey by Test-Achats which last year polled 4,500 residents from 12 Belgian cities, writes Knack. While the results show that all of the cities have room for improvement when it comes to bicycle friendliness, Bruges...

In front of the Bourse in Brussels city centre on Sunday, a man was arrested after he attacked several people with a kitchen knife. One victim's ear was injured in the incident. The attacker is accused of attempted robbery, reports the prosecutor. A police patrol near the Bourse was alerted by...