Not Siegfried Bracke (N-VA) but Patrick Dewael (Open VLD) is the new speaker of the federal House of Representatives, after a voting round filled with suspense yesterday. With the support of his own N-VA, as well as CD&V and MR, the road to the speakership seemed wide open for Bracke. In the...

The Constitutional Court has overruled an article in the law that splits the judiciary district Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde. The article required both the Brussels public prosecutor and the labour judge to be French speaking, with Dutch speaking deputies. The Order of Flemish Bars, the Dutch Order of...

After Bart De Wever’s resignation as informateur in forming a new federal government last week, King Philippe appointed Charles Michel, chair of the French-speaking liberal party MR, as the new informateur. Michel will begin talks, he says, “with a blank sheet”. On Friday, Michel met unions and...

Rail traffic is nearly completely paralysed across the country, after the socialist rail trade union CGSP/ACOD followed through on their earlier call for a 24-hour strike, starting at 22.00 on Sunday. The union is protesting against shortage of staff and SNCB/NMBS’ lengthy recruitment procedures...

In a surprise turn of events, 24-year-old Jens Debusschere (Lotto-Belisol) from Roeselare won this year’s Belgian national road race in Wielsbeke, West Flanders, on Sunday, pushing the pre-race favourite Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma - Quick.Step) into third place. In a sprint finish, Debusschere beat...

Most of the 3,000 Red Devils supporters in Brazil have returned to Belgium, reports La Dernière Heure . According to the latest figures out, only 600 remain to watch the Belgium vs US match on 1 July in Salvador. American fans are due to outnumber Red Devils’ fans quite considerably at tomorrow’s...

Independent TV production house Woestijnvis has been awarded the right to produce live Belgian first-class football for the coming three years, the Jupiler Pro League has announced. Woestijnvis will now handle the televised images for the three broadcast rights holders: Belgacom, Voo and Telenet...

Belgium sailed through to the second round of the World Cup on Thursday, after beating South Korea 1-0 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The Red Devils, who have now won all three of their first-round matches, now take on the US on Tuesday, 1 July, in Salvador de Bahia. As in Sunday’s match against Russia, the...

The socialist rail trade union ACOD has confirmed it will take strike action for 24 hours starting at 22.00 on Sunday, 29 June. NMBS CEO Jo Cornu, who is experiencing the first strike since taking over the top job, said that “by striking, they are smearing the image of the NMBS. They’re damaging...

The leaders of the 28 countries of the European Union gathered in Ypres, West Flanders, on Thursday to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War. The delegation made their way through Ypres to the sound of drums to the Menin Gate, on which are inscribed the names of 60,000...