People who switch from part-time to full-time employment will from now on automatically benefit from extra days off and will be entitled to a total of 20 days’ statutory holidays, L'Echo and De Tijd report. Practically speaking, this means they won’t have to wait for two years before they are...

Belgian finance minister Koen Geens and state secretary John Crombez have introduced a bill to the parliamentary social affairs committee providing for the introduction of a new tax regime for occasional work carried out in the hotel and catering industry, writes Tax News' Ulrika Lomas . The bill...

A brand new Lego Store opens today in Wijnegem Shopping Center, outside Antwerp - the very first specialist Lego shop in the Benelux, reports De Standaard. The 150 square metre shop boasts, beside the famous blocks in all sizes and colours, a wide range of Lego toys including exclusive and hard-to-...

As announced by Ambassador Brenton in this month’s column , the University of Wolverhampton opened a brand new Brussels office on September 16, an outpost aimed at ensuring the university’s presence at the heart of future policy development on European funded research. The office’s location, close...

State secretary for mobility Melchior Wathelet and insurance company Ethias want to introduce a scheme where motorists who equip their vehicles with winter tyres would receive a bonus, the SudPresse newspapers report. The idea is to offer motorists an incentive in the form of a bonus and / or a...

Pensions minister Alexander De Croo has revealed that records from his department show that 13,638 Belgians aged over 65 have never applied for a state pension, the SudPresse newspapers report today. More than half of them live in Flanders. Of these 13,638 people, nearly 4,400 are in their sixties...

Belgian biotech company Galapagos has signed a cooperation deal worth up to $405m (approximately €300m) with U.S. firm AbbVie to develop a new treatment for cystic fibrosis, reports Reuters’ Robert-Jan Bartunek . AbbVie will make an upfront payment of $45m and the Belgian firm is eligible for a...

More than 200 cyclists, made up of Grenadier Guards and members of their families have set off on a 375-mile trip from Horse Guards Parade in central London, heading to Waterloo (via Ypres) to raise money for their regimental charity, The Colonel's Fund Grenadier Guards , reports ITV London News ...

A Belgian bar and restaurant on the Malaysian island of Penang has become a hit — although some of the traditional Belgian dishes have been adapted to suit local tastes. “Situated on the ground floor right by Gurney Drive, the Brussels Beer Café is a large, air-conditioned contemporary restaurant-...

Physiotherapist Kathleen Goossens, 45, from Zwijnaarde, East Flanders talks about what she earns and how she spends it What exactly do you do as a physiotherapist? I help people with their rehabilitation, but also offer them support and advice with regards to losing weight, doing more sports and...