Gert Cockx, president of the police union SNPS, and his wife were arrested yesterday based on suspicion of tax fraud, conflict of interest, misuse of company property and bribery, confirmed the office of the prosecutor in Mechelen in Het Laatste Nieuws . Last week the investigating judge in the...

If you’re looking for European or international news in English, then one common port of call is the BBC. Most cable television networks in Belgium offer BBC1 and BBC2 for free. And if you’re looking for the BBC Brussels team in person, you need only head behind the Berlaymont building to the third...

Here you have Henri Matisse, in his Vence studio, wearing a cap and dressing gown, and holding a dove in his hand. There a wall with a gaping hole, undoubtedly damaged by shelling: several children are playing around it, in the rubble; one is jumping over a section of the wall. Further on, the...

Where does that leave your pension, and how can you make sure of building up your state, company and private pensions while in Belgium? The answers are far from simple to understand and plan for, even for an employee who remains in one country for the same company over an entire career. For an...

The federal finance ministry is repeating last year’s experiment in which members of the public can show up in person to get help filling in tax forms during the month of June. Last year’s pilot project saw about one million taxpayers using the service. The help session are open at tax offices...

Belgian tennis player Alison Van Uytvanck’s extraordinary French Open run has taken her into the quarter-finals, after she beat Andreea Mitu of Romania 6-1, 6-3 in Paris yesterday. Tomorrow she faces Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky, who yesterday beat Czech fourth seeded Petra Kvitova, a two-time...

The Japanese airline All Nippon Airways (ANA) will this autumn launch a direct connection between Brussels Airport and the Japanese capital Tokyo, the airline announced today. Flemish minister for tourism Kris Peeters reacted pleased with the news, Belgian media report. With the new connection,...

Belgian legislation is not clear enough when it comes to the ban on the physical punishment of children, says the Council of Europe. "The corporal punishment of children, although forbidden by Belgian law, is not prohibited in a clear, binding and precise manner,” the Council ruled. In February...

Belgium’s defence ministry will next month place an order for 40 smart vests with defence and security company Thales Netherlands. The ultramodern vests make it possible for ground troops to communicate directly with other soldiers and vehicles, to transmit their position to friendly troops via...

It’s the annual celebration Neighbours Day (La fête des voisins/ Dag van de beuren) today. Aimed at encouraging community awareness and combatting social isolation, individuals can register a party, get information on how to host an event, or simply hold an impromptu gathering. My neighbours and...