Of Brussels’ 256 private butchers, more than half do not sell pork or other non-halal meats following the guidelines of Islam. That’s 55% of the city’s butchers, according to La Dernière Heure based on figures from regional trade agency Atrium. It is the first year that the figures have been...

No, worms in the kitchen not the newest hypoallergenic pet craze. These are working worms: you give them some soil and feed them your bits of vegetable scraps and last weeks’ gone off mashed potatoes and they will work diligently to break down your waste and create fine, nutrient-rich soil. It’s...

Some 350 lorries blocked traffic on the inner Ring Road in Brussels yesterday, a demonstration organised by three road haulage industry federations. The action was in protest at the Flemish government’s plans to impose a road toll on lorries over 35 tonnes from April of next year. The protest (...

Jinx has been voted the smartest cat in the country, according to a recent poll conducted by Felix brand cat food, report various Belgian media. As many as 2,467 cat owners signed up their cats for a chance to win the title. Other than Jinx, from Halle in Flemish Brabant, the poll found that the...

The Ebola virus in West Africa is evolving more slowly than expected, a development that bodes well for the effect of a new vaccine that will soon be used. That is the conclusion of an international study published in the scientific magazine Nature . Five Belgian scientists – from the University of...

We all know that Belgium is full of good beer. It’s one of the few facts that most people abroad will be able to tell you about our small country. But look around today and you’ll see that the world is full of good beer. These days, everyone with some hops and a bucket seems to be making their own...

Last year there were about 14,750 insurance brokers active in Belgium, 11% less than in 2013 and nearly half as many as in 2003. The industry expects the downward trend to continue, reports De Tijd . Belgians spent nearly €28 billion on insurance premiums in 2013, but the need for an insurance...

In 2014 there were 102,100 millionaires in Belgium, or people with assets worth more than 1 million USD (€890,000). That is 7,600, or 8.1% more millionaires than the previous year, according to the 19th World Wealth Report by Capgemini consultancy and RBC Wealth Management. The "high net worth...

"We currently have 16 planes in Belgium - four in Zaventem and 12 in Charleroi. Soon there will be a lot more,” says Ryanair marketing director Kenny Jacobs in an interview with Libre Belgique . The low-cost airline has big plans for the Belgian market, aiming to grow by 20% next year to a total of...

Michel Tubbax, CEO of the non-profit Vlaams-Brusselse Media (VBM), has been asked to step down by the board of directors. Members of the organisation’s staff had demanded Tubbax’s resignation after a decision to close radio station FM Brussel. Staff issued a statement saying they were “relieved and...