The three runners up for the Christmas signature bake were MCI Sweetie Pies (iced fruitcake in the form of a Christmas gingerbread sleigh complete with lollipop reindeer), Cambre Gourmand (a chestnut cake with buttercream icing and seasonal decorations) and Gateauverit (a deceptively simple but...

The Flemish socialist party wants to turn Brussels’ main thoroughfares into one-way streets to ease the city’s chronic traffic congestion and make it more liveable. Brussels parliament member Jef Van Damme said that radical solutions were needed to tackle traffic congestion in the capital. SP.A’s...

The prefect of the Rive Gauche Athenaeum in Laeken in Brussels has been suspended following incidents last week when three teachers were hospitalised. The incident took place last Friday, when a number of students ran riot in the school's corridors. One teacher who stepped out of her class to...

The street-sweepers of Brussels-City have written to the federal interior minister Joëlle Milquet to complain about having to clean up after police horses. Mounted police are based in Etterbeek, and officers on horseback carry out regular patrols on the streets of Brussels to improve the police...

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) has added the horseback shrimp fishers of Oostduinkerke on the Flemish coast to the world list of intangible cultural heritage at its annual meeting in Azerbaijan yesterday. The shrimp fishers ride their Brabant draft...

Local authorities at the coast were last night making preparations for storm weather expected today that could lead to the highest water levels in 30 years. Breakwaters were reinforced, while fire brigades checked their stocks of sandbags. Boat owners were advised to bring their boats into marinas...

Belgium stands at number 15 on the list of the world's least corrupt countries, drawn up annually by Transparency International. TI's list covers politicians, police, the justice system and public services in 177 countries. In 70% of cases corruption is considered to be a “serious” problem. None of...

The royal palace has confirmed the delivery of an anonymous letter to the newsroom of the Dernière Heure newspaper in which the author threatens to kidnap Princess Elisabeth. The newspaper immediately contacted the palace and police, a spokesman said. The royal couple, meanwhile, went ahead with a...

A massive pile-up yesterday morning involving more than 130 vehicles closed the A19 motorway at Zonnebeke, West Flanders, for the entire day and evening. One person was killed and 13 were critically injured. The fire service installed emergency lighting as dusk fell to allow clearing-up work to...

Proba-V, a European microsatellite, has successfully completed its six-month test phase. The Proba-V ( pictured ) will now monitor the status of global vegetation until 2015, providing information on, among other situations, crop yields, droughts and desertification. The Proba-V satellite – which...