The number of armed robberies in the area of Brussels City and Ixelles/Elsene is on the decline, with 49 incidents so far in 2014, reports brusselnieuws.be. That is less than the previous year, and significantly less than several years ago. In 2009, for example, there were 191 reported armed...

Luc De Vos, lead singer of the Flemish band Gorki, died at the weekend at the age of 52. According to an autopsy ordered by the Ghent prosecutor’s office, the cause of death was acute multiple organ failure. Both foul play and suicide have been ruled out, and no further details have been released...

A leading doctor has called for more inspections of emergency services and intensive care departments after several hospitals in Belgium were found to be generating extra income through dubious methods. In 17% of cases, an emergency room doctor refers the patient to another specialist, but in some...

The number of accommodations listed on the website Airbnb.com in Belgium increased from 3,000 to 5,000 in the past year. In Brussels, the number of accommodations increased by 174% in 2014, reports Le Soir . Airbnb, the website where individuals can offer a house or room for rent to tourists, has...

Agriculture Minister Joke Schauvliege has announced a new measure for the protection of purebred dogs. As of January, breeders of pedigree dogs will be required to register their dogs and carry out a mandatory blood test on the animals, in order to prevent the breeding of sick animals, report Het...

Belfast punk-rock band Stiff Little Fingers make an appearance at Magasin 4 tonight (Saturday) with latest album No Going Back. Originally formed in 1977, the band broke up in 1982 before getting back together in 1987. There have been a few changes in the line-up, but the present foursome includes...

Rail unions have expressed anger over Belgian rail boss Jo Cornu’s letter to staff, which threatened them with privatisation if the company’s financial situation doesn’t improve. Cornu had written to staff informing them that the NMBS was in a “perilous state” and that the government might have to...

The federal minister of health, Maggie De Block, is working on a decree that would enable the sale of medicinal cannabis in chemists across the country. Currently, the only cannabinoid medicine available in Belgium is Sativex, which is only prescribed to patients with muscle spasticity due to...

Belgium’s national football team remains fourth in the Fifa world ranking published on Thursday. With 1,417 points, the Red Devils had a chance to overtake Colombia (1,450) for third place, but would have needed a victory in the European Championship qualifier against Wales, which ended in a...

The Belgian government is considering taking measures to save energy this winter, including making it mandatory to shut off the lights at public buildings in the evening. As the country faces possible power outages this winter, the government is urging both businesses and individuals to leave the...