Belgium is no slouch when it comes to quirky, unique or historical hotels. Here are a few of our favourites, to suit all budgets and occasions. Budget Funkey Hotel, Brussels From the moment you walk through the door, you know you’re in no ordinary budget hotel. Bright colours and modern fittings...

Belgium’s love affair with home building and renovation reaches its apex with Batibouw , the annual fair which opens to the public from Saturday until 8 March at Brussels Expo in Heysel. This year’s theme ‘Start to renovate’ reflects the increasing trend for home extension and refurbishment. This...

Plateform Marolles, the driving force behind the protest against a new underground parking lot in Brussels’ Marolles neighbourhood, is organizing a week of festivities to celebrate the scrapping of the plans. From 14 to 21 March, concerts, film screenings, readings, art exhibitions and a ball will...

National minimum wages in the European Union member states vary considerably from country to country, according to figures released on Thursday by the statistical office of the European Union (Eurostat) . Bulgaria’s minimum wage of €184 gross per month, for example, pales in comparison to that of...

In the case of convicted terrorist Nizar Trabelsi’s extradition to the US, the European Court has ruled that Belgium must pay Trabelsi €90,000 in damages for violation of human rights, reports La Dernière Heure. The court condemned Belgium for not waiting for its ruling on the case before handing...

Police investigating the murder of Sofie D’Hondt during the carnival celebrations in Aalst have called on members of the public to search videos and photos they may have taken on Sunday, 15 February, for clues. D’Hondt, they said, does not appear on footage taken from security cameras. “During the...

Federal economy minister Kris Peeters told the construction industry yesterday that he is working on a “range of measures” to reduce the high number of bankruptcies in the sector. Speaking at the Batibouw building fair in Brussels, he said he was concerned at the high level of financial problems...

Hans Bonte, the mayor of Vilvoorde, has threatened legal action against rail authority NMBS and the rail infrastructure company Infrabel regarding promised renovation works on his city’s main railway station. Infrabel announced in early 2014 a budget of €20 million for renovations, which would...

Mayor of Charleroi Paul Magnette wants World Press Photo to withdraw its award given to the photographer who staged photos of the city and its inhabitants. To this end, Magnette has written to The New York Times and the jury of World Press Photo, reports De Standaard. The winners of the World Press...