The new King Filip has awarded warrants to 111 recognised royal suppliers, including toy shop Serneels, the palace has announced. The new king maintains 90 of the royal warrants taken over from his father, the retired King Albert II. Of the old guard, 22 were allowed to lapse, and there are 11...

The Brussels branch of British book chain Waterstone’s invites you to get a head-start on your holiday shopping as it launches this year’s Christmas catalogue . The after-work event begins at 18.00 on Thursday and promises a festive atmosphere, light refreshments and great prices on all non-...

Normal service has been resumed at Brussels Airport, as unions representing the pilots of Brussels Airlines suspended industrial action until at least the end of next week. Unions yesterday accepted the principle of an agreement reached with management. The agreement covers the four main areas of...

Two workers were killed yesterday in an explosion at the Total oil refinery in the port of Antwerp. The incident, described by the company as “a steam explosion”, took place at about 15.00 in a part of the refinery that produces petroleum ether. A steam explosion takes place when pressure inside a...

The number of students in Brussels’ Dutch-language schools has reached an all-time high, with nearly 41,000 students in nursery, primary and secondary education. The education system is growing much faster than its French-speaking counterpart, which, while increasing in general, is seeing a...

The Brussels regional government has started a campaign to encourage job-seekers to consider a career with the Brussels regional government. Yesterday minister-president Rudi Vervoort, together with employment minister Céline Fremault and secretary of state for the civil service Bruno De Lille, met...

The Justice Palace in Brussels was evacuated yesterday morning around 09.30 after a bomb threat. Police found nothing and the building was opened again before midday. An anonymous caller had announced that three bombs were timed to go off between 10.00 and 10.30. The building was cleared, though...

Brussels now has more Michelin stars than Rome, Milan or Berlin, according to the celebrated restaurant guide's international director Michael Ellis. On Monday the guide announced its ratings for Belgium for the coming year, including two new one-star restaurants in Brussels, and one new two-star...

The National Botanic Garden of Belgium in Meise, just outside Brussels, will cost the government of Flanders €4.6 million a year when it comes under the region’s control in 2014, the government’s financial auditors have reported. After more than a decade in which much of the infrastructure of the...

Scientists at the Free University of Brussels (ULB/VUB) have succeeded in getting diabetic mice to produce their own insulin, enabling them to balance their blood sugar levels. Future research has to demonstrate whether their technique can be applied in therapies for diabetes patients. The...