Police in the Brussels-Ixelles area issued 432 fines between October 2023 and July 2024 for drinking alcohol in public spaces, mainly in the city centre, new figures reveal. The number represents an increase of 50% over the course of a year, RTBF reports, though this is attributed to a stronger...

The city of Brussels is preparing to celebrate the return of Belgium’s paralympic team from Paris on Monday with a public reception at the Bourse. Paralympic Team Belgium won a total of 14 medals at the games: seven gold, four silver and three bronze. It finished 19th in the medal table; China was...

September marks a crucial time for raising awareness about childhood cancer, a disease that affects thousands of children and families across Europe. Did you know that every year in Europe, 35,000 new cases of childhood cancer are diagnosed, and over 6,000 young lives are lost? Another major...

Belgium’s latest state bond issue will pay a 2.75% interest rate for the one-year note and 2.8% for the 10-year note, authorities have confirmed. With normal withholding taxes of 30% for each, the net interest rates are 1.925% and 1.96%, respectively. The two bonds will be issued on 16 September,...

Belgian theme parks had a lackluster summer due to the changeable weather, with a very rainy July and a particularly hot August having an impact on attendance. A spokesperson for Walibi said the weather clearly set the tone: “July got off to a very slow start, as did the weather. August was a very...

If you're new to the country, understanding how to gain recognition of your existing qualifications and skills in order to find work in Belgium, or to undertake further study, is no easy task. The Expat Welcome Desk has asked the experts of Bon , one of the Brussels agency for newcomers (as well as...

The closure of the Audi factory in Forest is all but certain, according to unions, following confirmation from a works council that the Volkswagen group, under which Audi falls, will not allocate a new model to be manufactured at the Forest plant. “That means the factory will close,” the joint...

A fifth of Brussels schools are exposed to severe air pollution, according to a new study from environmental organisation Les Chercheurs d'Air using UCLouvain's SIRANE software programme for modelling air pollution. The schools are exposed to concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) that are two to...

The free BD Comic Strip Festival at Tour & Taxis’ Gare Maritime is a colourful delight for fans of the ninth art. For its 14th edition, it announces a new chapter. While giant balloons bob above exhibitions, signing sessions, markets, workshops, guided tours and comic characters, a packed...