An estimated 92% of all homes and 95% of schools and hospitals in Brussels will require renovations to meet the energy standards that will come into effect in 2050, according to new research by construction federation Embuild. Of the 5.7 million homes in Belgium today, only a small proportion meets...

Budget airline Ryanair has scrapped plans to reduce its flights to and from Belgium - and has even announced an increase in services - after it successfully lobbied for a new passenger tax at Charleroi airport to be abolished. Ryanair, which is known for using out-of-town airports to serve major...

The Horta Museum , former home and studio designed by pioneering Brussels architect Victor Horta, is entering a new phase of extensive renovation in a programme combining restoration, refurbishment and renewal. Conservation and restoration works have already been under way at the Unesco world...

Belgian interior minister Bernard Quintin (MR) wants to deploy a total of 90 soldiers on the streets of Antwerp and Brussels, he told the De Zevende Dag programme (VRT). Some 45 soldiers would be responsible for security in the Jewish quarter of Antwerp. The other half would go to Brussels to work...

A popular Irish pub and restaurant in Brussels' EU district has been ordered to temporarily close after failing a food hygiene inspection. Kitty O'Shea's, opposite the Berlaymont, was visited by inspectors from Belgium's Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (Afsca) last week. An Afsca...

The Olympic Winter Games in Italy have officially begun, not only as a venue for athletic excellence, but also as a stage where fashion and culture converge. Even before the games officially kicked off on 6 February, the event was already buzzing on social media. Not because of individual athletes...

Non-Dutch-speaking shop assistants in Brussels can now take free Dutch classes, as part of a new initiative from the Huis van het Nederlands aimed at improving language skills in the retail sector. The programme responds to growing demand from local businesses, particularly in the city centre. “We’...

The City of Brussels handed out almost €1 million in fines last year for illegal dumping, as authorities stepped up efforts to tackle waste left on streets and in public spaces. According to new figures, more than 7,000 fines were issued in 2025 for clandestine waste deposits, ranging from...

Two days of union action have been announced for Tuesday 10 February and Thursday 12 February - but Belgian railway workers will not be participating after the Council of State struck down their appeal against a rejected strike notice. One day of action already took place on Thursday 5 February,...

A technical problem at BNP Paribas Fortis bank has resulted in certain customers being charged multiple times for card payments. An estimated 40,000 transactions were affected, but the total amount remains unknown. The bank has confirmed the problem and said that a solution was being worked on. The...