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The paradox of thrift: sometimes it’s wise to borrow

In a previous article, I highlighted the importance of spending less than you earn. Peripheral eurozone countries are currently having this message rammed down their throats. Many economists, however, have pointed out an inherent flaw with global austerity: if everyone saves more, who makes up for...

Running for Retrak: Week 8

Well, I’m halfway through my training for the Brussels 20km , and though it may not be very British – stiff upper lip, emotions to yourself and all that – it seems like a good time to look back and give thanks for a few things. Thanks sun, for finally emerging this week, meaning I can shed a few...

All parking fines issued between 2003 and 2010 ‘illegal’

Belgium’s Constitutional Court has ruled that part of a federal law that transferred the authority to issue parking tickets to the municipalities goes against the Belgian constitutional system, reports Flanders News . This could mean that countless parking tickets issued by municipalities between...

40,000 fewer summer jobs for students

This summer there will be 40,000 fewer jobs available for students wanting to earn extra money, the Corelio newspapers report today. This represents a 10% decrease on last year. Supermarkets, technology companies, metal factories and the food industry are the sectors in which most summer vacancies...

Over 600,000 naturalisations since 2000

More than 600,000 Belgian naturalisations took place between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2012, it was revealed yesterday. In 2000 Guy Verhofstadt’s government ratified a fast-track naturalisation process, as a result of which 608,322 foreigners became Belgian citizens. Interior minister Joëlle...

Tournai: ‘Belgium’s best-kept secret’

If Bruges is the Venice of the north, then Tournai is its Siena, writes the Daily Telegraph’s Mark Skipworth . Yet the charms of this prosperous town, on the ley lines of European history, are largely undiscovered. Romans, Franks, Spanish, French and Austrians have all left their mark in a fusion...

New car registrations down 11%

The number of new cars registered in Belgium last month was down by 11.42% compared to the same period last year, reports Reuters’ Philip Blenkinsop . The figures released by the Belgian Federation of Car Industries yesterday show that 53,076 new vehicles were registered in March 2013, compared to...

Café La Brocante

Submitted by Robyn Boyle on Wed, 04/03/2013 - 11:31

Every day at 6.00, without fail, the stall holders are there, setting up their wares, prepping for another day of haggling and selling. I spot a shabby wooden coffee table and pay €5 for it (and all its potential). Meanwhile, my friends are happily turning the handle on their own great find: an old-fashioned coffee grinder. Finally, we duck inside a café for a drink and a bite to eat.

Building character: Brunfaut’s Progressive Architecture

Chances are you’ve never really thought about the origins of Brussels’ Central Station, as you rush through on your way home. The terminal of Brussels Airport in Zaventem is another building that is taken for granted as travellers pass through its doors; it serves its purpose, and we don’t think...

March exceptionally – if not record-breakingly – cold

Last month was officially the coldest March since 1962, with temperatures averaging only 3°C, mainly due to the prevailing wind from north to northeast. Such a low average makes the past month an exceptional one, but not a record one, said meteorologist David Dehenauw of the Royal Meteorological...

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