There are an estimated 2,000 young girls in Belgium at risk of being genitally mutilated, reports the Gazet van Antwerpen. Most of them live in Brussels, but in Antwerp alone there are hundreds of girls at risk of being circumcised, warns the Group for the Abolition of Sexual Mutilation . According...

Figures published by motoring association VAB suggest that drivers using diesel need to do 30,000km before it starts costing less than standard unleaded petrol, reports Flanders News . A year ago, a driver using diesel had to cover 25,000km a year to benefit from the investment; two years ago the...

Making the most of the end of the school holidays is the circus arts festival Hopla! that pitches its tents in Brussels every spring. The 2013 caravan is in the Royal quarter of Laeken on April 11, Place Sainctelette and Tour & Taxis on April 12 and Place Sainte-Catherine April 13 and 14. Roll...

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists has published a list of those who use Singapore- or Hong Kong-based fiduciaries and offshore companies in the Virgin Islands and Cook Islands to ensure tax impunity. Among the 100-odd Belgians on the list, the name of Pierre Bocquet (...

Following reports detailing a sharp rise in anti-Semitic and racist hate crimes in Belgium, interior minister Joëlle Milquet has called for a collective and governmental response to the issue. Milquet last week told parliament she would strengthen the monitoring of anti-Semitism in Belgium through...

Hundreds of counterfeit €50 notes are circulating in the Halle-Vilvoorde area, west and north of Brussels, reports Flanders News . The local police have received at least eight reports of fake banknotes, and police spokesman Serge Roelens said they were being laundered through places such as food...

The Ministry of Defence will launch an internal investigation following the release of a video showing Belgian soldiers doing the Harlem Shake in a state of near-undress. The images, which went viral via Facebook and YouTube, show about 20 squaddies wearing risqué underclothes and assorted non-...

Belgium’s official development assistance (ODA) dropped by 13% from 2011 to 2012, according to a report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Belgium’s ODA amounted to 0.54% of gross national income (GNI) in 2011, below the target of 0.7% and resulting in Belgium dropping...

Bank employee Jan Talboom, 37, from Ghent, talks about what he earns and how he spends it. What do you think of your salary? I think it’s not bad (€2,000 per month after tax + meal tickets + health insurance + bank products) but it can always be better. It’s important to judge your wages in...

While most people leave the house to go to work, a growing number of independents and freelancers work from home. As comfortable and convenient as spending the entire day in your home office may sound, it can also be isolating, limited daily interactions with other people. Or, with a lot of...