Pensions minister Alexander De Croo has revealed that records from his department show that 13,638 Belgians aged over 65 have never applied for a state pension, the SudPresse newspapers report today. More than half of them live in Flanders. Of these 13,638 people, nearly 4,400 are in their sixties...

Belgian biotech company Galapagos has signed a cooperation deal worth up to $405m (approximately €300m) with U.S. firm AbbVie to develop a new treatment for cystic fibrosis, reports Reuters’ Robert-Jan Bartunek . AbbVie will make an upfront payment of $45m and the Belgian firm is eligible for a...

More than 200 cyclists, made up of Grenadier Guards and members of their families have set off on a 375-mile trip from Horse Guards Parade in central London, heading to Waterloo (via Ypres) to raise money for their regimental charity, The Colonel's Fund Grenadier Guards , reports ITV London News ...

A Belgian bar and restaurant on the Malaysian island of Penang has become a hit — although some of the traditional Belgian dishes have been adapted to suit local tastes. “Situated on the ground floor right by Gurney Drive, the Brussels Beer Café is a large, air-conditioned contemporary restaurant-...

Physiotherapist Kathleen Goossens, 45, from Zwijnaarde, East Flanders talks about what she earns and how she spends it What exactly do you do as a physiotherapist? I help people with their rehabilitation, but also offer them support and advice with regards to losing weight, doing more sports and...

Only 1,775 people have obtained Belgian citizenship this year, it appears from figures released yesterday by MP Carina Van Cauter (pictured). In 2012, 45,000 people had acquired Belgian nationality, 38,000 of whom as the result of an application. For 2013, the figure currently stands at 1,775 - a...

European statistics reveal that 20% of Belgians own exactly 61.2% of the country’s assets, Le Soir reports today. Conversely, according to data released by the National Bank of Belgium, the bottom 20% only own 0.2% of Belgium’s wealth. "Belgium is characterised by an uneven distribution of wealth...

Belgium's deputy prime minister Joëlle Milquet joined cabinet ministers from more than a dozen European countries at Rome’s Palazzo Chigi yesterday in a show of support for Italy's first black cabinet minister, who has been attacked with racist taunts ever since she was appointed in April. The...

Ghent has been singled out as Belgium’s most veggie-friendly city by celebrated British vegetarian food writer Jane Hughes. “There's no history of meat-free eating in Belgium – even the chips are often cooked in lard,” she writes in the Guardian’s Word of Mouth blog . “Belgian vegetarian food makes...

Belgium has selected The Broken Circle Breakdown as its entry in the foreign-language film race at next year’s Academy Awards, writes Variety’s Shalini Dore . Directed by Ghent’s Felix van Groeningen, The Broken Circle Breakdown is a drama about the love affair between tattoo artist Elise (Veerle...