The government of Flanders has approved all of the necessary permits for the construction of the Uplace shopping and leisure complex planned for Machelen, just outside Brussels. The decision to go ahead with the project has been widely criticised, including by the government’s coalition parties...

Passenger cars in Belgium last year travelled 0.2% fewer kilometers than in 2013, according to a study by the Federal Public Service (FPS) Mobility and Transport. The study reveals that Belgians rack up more mileage than Dutch and French drivers, but less than German drivers. Each Belgian driver...

Greek song is on the menu at Muziekpublique tonight with brother-and-sister duo Angélique & Photis Ionatos performing their latest album. While the pair reflect on the current pathos of their home country, African musicians bring a message of hope in a concert next Saturday at the same venue...

Staff at big American corporations in Belgium donate more than 50,000 hours of their time and more than €2m to worthwhile causes in the local community each year, according to a new study published today by the American Chamber of Commerce. With about 900 US firms in Belgium, employing some 140,000...

The amount of activities and events that take place in Brussels' Park Cinquantenaire has taken its toll on the park, especially the trees, says Brussels environment minister Céline Fremault, who is calling for a more balanced programme of events. This year there were a total of 396 events organised...

A series of illuminated art installations are lighting up the Brussels inner Ring Road this month. A number of important sites along the main roads leading to the city centre are to light up every evening until 3 January in a series of art installations on office buildings, historic city gates,...

Last month in Belgium, 4,040 scheduled trains did not depart from the station or complete their journey, according to the monthly punctuality report of railway companies SNCB and Infrabel. Several strikes in October are largely responsible for the high number, writes De Standaard . Last year in...

Social network site Facebook has closed access to all pages to anyone without a Facebook profile. The move is the American company’s response to a court decision last month on protection of information and was immediately condemned by the privacy commission and by federal privacy secretary Bart...

Belgians spend an average of €350 million each year on gifts for the holiday of Saint Nicholas, writes De Morgen . The 6 December holiday is a big one for gift-giving in Belgium, according to figures from the West Flemish consultancy WES, which surveyed 2,000 Belgian adults and found that 58% of...

A photo of Belgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde relaxing at a spa in France's Brittany at the moment when the terror alert in Brussels was raised to maximum level 4, has caused a stir after it was published in the French satirical weekly Le Canard Enchainé . The royal couple responded to the...