Belgium is counting the cost of violent storms that swept across the country on Thursday evening, bringing downpours and strong gusts of wind to most regions, along with hail and lightning in some parts. The storm blew in from France, hitting Hainaut first. A lighting strike is reported to have set...

Mention India to someone and the first things that will probably spring to mind are its vibrant colours and great cuisine. It’s hardly a surprise then that news of the first Indian Food Festival in Brussels was greeted with great excitement. So far 11,000 people (and counting) have already...

Emma and Louis were the most popular names for newborn babies in Belgium in 2014, according to the latest figures from the government statistical service. This is the twelfth year that Emma has been top choice for girls, while Louis marks a second year as the most popular boy's name. Things are...

Consumer organisation Test-Aankoop and public transport users’ group TreinTramBus (TTB) have jointly called on the rail authority NMBS to scrap a recently introduced regulation imposing a €7 surcharge on anyone buying their ticket on the train rather than ahead of boarding. Previously, a passenger...

The number of people reporting their baggage missing has reached record levels, according to travel insurance organisation Touring. In the first six weeks of the holiday period this year it received 405 reports of lost luggage, up 11% on last year. Over the past five years, the number of reports...

It’s hard to imagine a time when cars drove through Brussels’ stunning Grand Place, but in the early 1970s that was exactly the case. In 1971, this very magazine, The Bulletin, already nearly a decade old, launched a campaign to ban traffic in the square. “The most beautiful parking lot in the...

An extension of bereavement leave for Belgian employees is back on the table, according to employment minister Kris Peeters. The idea was put on hold three years ago on grounds of cost. At present, someone who has experienced bereavement can take two or three days off work, depending on the...

A row has broken out over Belgium's scientific research base in the Antarctic. Two competing expeditions for the 2015-16 season are currently being prepared, according to a report in Le Soir . On one side is the International Polar Foundation, lead by the charismatic explorer Alain Hubert. It ran...

Energy companies that bill customers who leave for another provider could face fines, the economy ministry has warned. Last week it was revealed that one electricity provider, Essent, was sending invoices to customers who terminated their contract to sign up with another provider. Since 2012,...

It was once a contemplative interlude in the ten-day Brussels Summer Festival but now little sibling Classissimo is a stand-alone event. The 9th edition of the classical music festival starts this evening (Friday) in Théâtre Royal du Park. Young talented musicians are centre stage in a programme...