The largest book fair in the low countries, Boekenbeurs in Antwerp, was the location for the setting of the world record yesterday for the largest number of books ever toppled in a domino chain. Organisers stood the books on end in elaborate patterns, winding the chain around the stands of the fair...

The largest book fair in the low countries, Boekenbeurs in Antwerp, was the location for the setting of the world record yesterday for the largest number of books ever toppled in a domino chain. Organisers stood the books on end in elaborate patterns, winding the chain around the stands of the fair...

Ulrich Hauschild ( pictured ) officially took over as Bozar’s new music director in January, 2013, succeeding the vastly experienced and successful Christian Renard, who had held the job for 20 years. What made the 46-year-old from Munich come to Brussels? “If you compare Bozar to other cultural...

The Brussels public transport authority MIVB has bowed to pressure from passengers and renamed one of the two stations at Simonis in the north-east of the city in Koekelberg. The metro site will now be split into stations Simonis and Elisabeth. The problem arose in 2009 with the extension of the...

Up north As luck would have it, Flanders has exactly half of the six recognised Trappist brewers in Belgium: the abbeys of Westmalle, Westvleteren and Achel. Their production, however, is much less than half: about 130,000 hectolitres compared to 186,000 in Wallonia. Of the three, Westvleteren is...

Squatters removed by police from the disused Gesú convent in St-Josse in the early hours of Monday morning have been lodged temporarily in a municipal crisis centre, mayor Emir Kir said. The situation of each of the 119 squatters remaining at the time of the eviction, among them 38 children, will...

Five percent of doctors working in hospital across Belgium suffer from a burnout, while an additional 18% are at serious risk of having one. That is the alarming conclusion of a survey commissioned by the federal public health ministry. The data will be used to develop a policy that deals with and...

Flemish tourism minister Geert Bourgeois unveiled the new Visit Flanders exhibition stand yesterday at the World Travel Market in London. Flanders will be the guest region of the World Travel Market, one of the tourist industry’s largest trade fairs, for the next two years. The new stand ( pictured...

The Flemish authorities will not accept any more adoption requests concerning children from Morocco, while awaiting the outcome of a case before the Cassation Court. The case concerns a child that was placed two years ago with a Flemish couple, who have now been approved for an adoption by the...

Brussels-City mayor Freddy Thielemans has confirmed that he will leave office in December, handing over the chain of office to his long-rumoured successor Yvan Mayeur, chairman of the city's social aid agency CPAS. Thielemans' departure plans were leaked some months ago, but were denied at the time...