Brussels-Capital Region’s public works minister, Brigitte Grouwels, hopes to increase residents’ participation in the region by focusing on its 100 neighbourhoods. Launching a new project called Wiki’Hood yesterday, she said she wants to improve city life by encouraging citizens to play a more...

Didier Bellens, the former CEO of state-controlled telecoms company Belgacom who was removed from his post last autumn, has demanded €5 million in damages for what his lawyer described as “a politically motivated dismissal”. According to Bellens’ own calculation, his contract still had one year...

After a week of increased flu activity, Belgium fulfilled all the necessary criteria and a flu epidemic was officially declared earlier this week by the National Scientific Institute of Public Health (WIV-ISP). “Last week, 230 out of 100,000 residents visited a doctor to treat flu-like symptoms,”...

Soon locals and visitors alike will experience improved public transport on the Belgian coast, as well as in Flanders’ two largest cities – Ghent and Antwerp. The Flemish government has announced a public tender for the renovation of De Lijn trams in these three areas as well as new trams. Flemish...

Certain road signs in Brussels - and around the country - may soon include English translations. Yesterday, the Senate Commission for Home Affairs approved a bill allowing Belgian road signs to be in a language other than one of the three national languages (Dutch, French and German). The main...

A number of changes to regulations for taxi drivers in Brussels were announced yesterday, including a fare increase and the scrapping of a double fare outside the region. The cost of travelling by taxi in Brussels is to go up by 20c per kilometre, bringing the new total to €2 per kilometre, the...

According to a report by the OECD, the annual average net contribution of a mixed Belgian- and foreign-born household was €16,830 in 2013. That’s 83% more than the average net contribution made by a fully Belgian-born household (€9,159). The numbers come from the OECD report “International...

Another outcome of this winter's unusually mild temperatures that won’t have consumers complaining is low gas bills. According to Fluxys, the independent operator of Belgium’s natural gas system, consumption went down by 14% compared to last winter. The data, taken between December 1and February 17...

Since 2011, the socio-cultural organisation Internationaal Comité has been co-operating with dozens of cultural associations to set up info sessions, workshops and networking initiatives that helped parents from other countries to find their way in the Flemish education system. More than 300...

The “Napoleon Trail in Wallonia” – a tourist trail retracing the steps of the Emperor in Belgium during his hundred days campaign in 1815 – was officially opened yesterday afternoon by the Walloon Minister for Tourism Paul Furlan. The trail, extending over 94 kilometres from Beaumont to Waterloo,...