Fruit growers across Belgium are doing everything they can to prevent night frost from affecting the blossoms of their trees which are now in full bloom. If the blossoms freeze, they could die, with disastrous consequences for the fruit harvest. The farmers are using everything from braziers to...

In 2013, the number of wills drawn up in Belgium increased by 36 percent, and the trend is expected to continue in 2014. Not only notaries benefit from the increased interest in estate planning; NGOs and charitable organisations have also noticed a sharp rise in their income from gifted inheritance...

One laugh a day keeps the expat blues away Been having a case of the frowns lately? Then the festival Juste Pour Rire (Just for Laughs) in Brussels this April 28 to May 7 may be just what the doctor ordered. Originating from Montreal, Juste Pour Rire is a world-renowned comedy festival 30 years in...

The student councils of Brussels University College (HUB), the Free University of Brussels (VUB), Erasmus University College and the LUCA school of arts have presented a joint memorandum in the lead-up to the May election. Their goal is to turn Brussels into a veritable student city. The memorandum...

After months of negotiations, the Antwerp Port Authority has reached an agreement with General Motors (GM) to buy the site of the former Opel Antwerp factory ( pictured ). The Port Authority will take over the 96-hectare site for “a price in line with the sum proposed by a panel of experts in 2013...

Furniture retailer Ikea has launched an outdoor poster campaign to promote its new spring collection, promising to inject some “much-needed” colour into Belgium. The campaign features bright single-coloured posters with an optical illusion: they appear to be one solid block of colour, while closer...

The Brussels Commercial Court has requested that alternative taxi service Uber put a stop to all its activities in Brussels, at the risk of a €10,000 fine. Uber is an American company that brings private drivers in contact with potential passengers through a smartphone app. Taxi Association Taxis...

There are 11,769 people incarcerated in Belgian prisons, a record high, reports De Standaard . The prison population has been on the rise since 2008: from 9,804 to 11,769 on April 1 this year. According to the latest data provided by Justice FPS, Belgian prisons have a capacity of 9,592 places,...

April flowers bring May tax declarations It is that dreaded time of year again. Any day now, you will receive a tax form from the Belgian Finance Ministry in that all too recognizable brown envelope (or perhaps you already have). As expats registered as foreigners in a Belgian city hall, we all...