How did King Philippe and Queen Mathilde remember Pope Francis?

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde honour Pope Francis, who died on April 21, 2025. They praised his compassion, leadership and remembered his meaningful visit to Belgium. King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of

2 days ago

World

Meat sector warns Flemish restrictions on labour migration could undermine food supply

The Belgian meat industry has criticised a proposal by Employment minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA) to tighten labour migration rules, warning it could jeopardise food security.  The plan would make it harder to

3 days ago

Business

‘A good shepherd with a big heart’: Belgian clergy and politicians on death of Pope Francis

Politicians, academics and clergy in Belgium have responded to the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88. The news was announced on the morning of Easter Monday by the Vatican.

3 days ago

World

World’s best padel players return to Brussels for the Premier Padel Tournament

Brussels will host the fourth edition of the Brussels Premier Padel Tournament over the Easter weekend, marking the second European stop of the 2025 Premier Padel season. The event will take place

5 days ago

Sport

Proportion of private-sector employees with disabilities is falling, study shows

Only 0.23 per cent of employees in Belgium’s private sector had a disability in 2024, a decrease of around 8 per cent compared to 2023, according to figures from HR specialists Acerta

5 days ago

Business·Society

Belgian Council of State halts €3.4bn train deal with Spanish manufacturer after legal challenge

The Belgian Council of State has suspended the decision of the national railway company NMBS/SNCB to award a €3.4 billion contract to the Spanish manufacturer CAF. The move follows a legal challenge by Alstom,

6 days ago

Society

Young buyers boosted real estate sales in Belgium during first quarter

In the first three months of 2025, Belgium saw a jump in real estate sales, according to the notary federation Fednot. Bart van Opstal, a Fednot spokesperson, explained that more young buyers

6 days ago

Politics

Chipmaker Melexis to set up end-to-end manufacturing in China

Belgian chipmaker Melexis will work with a Chinese semiconductor manufacturer to assemble end-to-end products in China for the local market from 2026. Melexis has been outsourcing parts of the chip manufacturing process

1 week ago

World

Two Belgian films selected for Cannes’ prestigious Directors’ Fortnight

Two Belgian films – La Danse des Renards and Loyen – have been selected for La Quinzaine des Cinéastes (Directors’ Fortnight), a major parallel section of the Cannes Film Festival. The 57th

1 week ago

Society

Film Fest Gent launches new award for Belgian film composers

Film Fest Gent has announced a new award: the WSAward for Belgian Film Composer of the Year. The prize will be given for the first time on 15 October, during the 25th

1 week ago

Arts & Entertainment

Police unions to strike in dispute over nuclear safety handover

The National Syndicate of Police and Security Personnel (NSPV) and the VSOA police union have jointly issued a strike notice from 26 April to 5 May, in protest against Interior minister Bernard

1 week ago

Society

Expo 2025 Osaka: Belgian pavilion showcases leadership in medical innovation

The World Expo opens this Sunday in Osaka, Japan, where Belgium will be showcasing its cutting-edge expertise in medical innovation rather than its traditional culinary staples. The Belgian pavilion, themed “Human Regeneration”,

2 weeks ago

Innovations

Belgian government reaches crucial Easter deal

Shortly before midnight on Friday, the Belgian federal government concluded a long-awaited ‘Easter agreement’, marking a major milestone in this legislature. Prime minister Bart De Wever (N-VA) presented a comprehensive growth path

2 weeks ago

Politics

Hallerbos bluebell bloom attracts visitors, but officials urge sustainable access

Every spring, from mid-April to early May, the Hallerbos forest in Flemish Brabant is transformed into a spectacular carpet of purple bluebells, attracting thousands of visitors. As the 2025 Hyacinth Festival gets

2 weeks ago

Earth & Climate

Belgian company delays IPO over global market turmoil

Belgian company I-care Group is delaying its plans to enter the stock market due to the economic instability caused by US trade tariffs.  The specialist in predictive maintenance for industrial machinery, based

2 weeks ago

Business

Spotify paid out 34m euros in Belgian music royalties last year

Spotify has paid out over 34 million euros in music royalties to Belgian rights holders in 2024, an increase of 11 per cent compared to 2023. It’s the first time the streaming

2 weeks ago

Innovations·Business

Belgian Court of Audit recommends suspension of SNCB train contract with Spanish firm

The auditor of the Belgian Council of State has recommended that the decision by the national railway company SNCB to award a major train contract to the Spanish manufacturer CAF be suspended,

2 weeks ago

Business

Belgium pledges €1 billion in annual aid to Ukraine as defence ties deepen

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked Belgium for a new €1 billion support package announced during prime minister Bart De Wever’s first official visit to Ukraine on Tuesday. De Wever (N-VA) was

2 weeks ago

World

254 fallen soldiers commemorated in Brussels on Veterans Day

A ceremony was held on Monday at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Brussels to commemorate Belgian military personnel who lost their lives during operations since 1945. A total of 254

2 weeks ago

Society

Singer Manu Chao to perform in Brussels, Ghent and Genk in May

French-Spanish singer-songwriter Manu Chao will perform three times in Belgium at the end of May for his new “Ultra Acoustic” tour. He will play at the “Human’City” concert in Brussels, the Afro

3 weeks ago

Arts & Entertainment

PM: Belgium ‘would not arrest Netanyahu either’

Belgium would not arrest Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visited the country, according to his Belgian counterpart Bart De Wever. “I don’t think there is any European country that would

3 weeks ago

Politics

Hungary to withdraw from International Criminal Court

“Hungary is leaving the ICC. The government will initiate the withdrawal procedure, in accordance with the international legal framework,” Gergely Gulyas, chief of staff to prime minister Viktor Orban, announced on Facebook.

3 weeks ago

Politics

Year-on-year Tesla registrations down 70 per cent in Belgium

Tesla, the US electric car manufacturer, saw registrations in Belgium plummet in March. Registrations of Tesla cars fell by almost 70 per cent compared to March 2024, figures from industry federation Febiac

3 weeks ago

World

More than one million spectators expected for Sunday’s Tour of Flanders

More than a million spectators are expected along the route of the Tour of Flanders on Sunday. To minimise the risks, the organisers are advising spectators to spread out and avoid the

3 weeks ago

Sport

Belgium introduces mandatory ‘cyber licence’ for internet users

From April 2026, internet users in Belgium will need to pass a mandatory cybersecurity test to access online services, as part of the government’s strategy to make the country one of the

3 weeks ago

Innovations

Liberals of Open VLD to launch new party name at ‘starting moment’ in September

Open VLD will organise a “starting moment” of a renewed Flemish liberal party in mid-September, with a new name. The party leadership reached an agreement on a “joint project” on Monday, according

3 weeks ago

Politics

31 March strike: Hundreds of artists protest in Brussels and Antwerp

Hundreds of artists, actors and staff from the cultural sector are protesting on Brussels’ Muntplein and Antwerp’s Operaplein against the planned reforms of the federal government, as part of the national strike

3 weeks ago

Society

Future of North Sea energy island in limbo as government delays decision

The Belgian government has postponed its decision on the development of the Princess Elisabeth energy island in the North Sea, Energy minister Mathieu Bihet announced on Monday. The government wants to take

3 weeks ago

Business

Empty chairs at Antwerp’s central square symbolise toll of colorectal cancer

The non-profit organisation Stop Darmkanker (Stop Colorectal Cancer) has on Monday morning filled Antwerp’s Grote Markt, the city’s central square, with 248 empty white chairs. Each chair symbolises someone who died in

3 weeks ago

Opinion

Belgium rejects US pressure on corporate diversity policies

Finance minister Jan Jambon, Foreign minister Maxime Prévot and Equal Opportunities minister Rob Beenders have rejected US pressure on the diversity policies of Belgian and European companies. Belgium immediately contacted the US

3 weeks ago

World

Nina Pinzarrone finishes 7th at world figure skating championships

Nina Pinzarrone has finished seventh at the World Figure Skating Championships in Boston, in the US. As a result, she qualified for next year’s Winter Olympics in Italy and even secured Belgium

4 weeks ago

Sport

Rwanda suspends all Belgian aid and cooperation following diplomatic rift

The Rwandan government has announced an immediate ban on all aid and cooperation from Belgian entities, following a recent deterioration in diplomatic relations between the two countries. The decision was reported by

4 weeks ago

Politics

Engineer again most attractive profession for Belgians

Engineer is again the most attractive profession for Belgians, just as in 2011 and 2019, shows a new survey with 3,000 respondents by HR service provider Randstad. Fisher and bicycle courier are

4 weeks ago

Breaking news

What to expect from the national strike on 31 March

Belgium is bracing for major disruption on Monday 31 March as the country’s two largest unions – the socialist ABVV and the Christian democrat ACV – plan a national strike. This follows

4 weeks ago

Society

Gezondheidsmakers Kempen leads health program in 27 towns

Kempen – Towns in Kempen joined Gezondheidsmakers Kempen, led by Lieselot Wynants, signing a health charter to promote well-being through exercise, smoke-free areas, mental health programs, and preventive healthcare like the 10,000 steps

4 weeks ago

Society

Belgian government wants to earmark part of defence budget for space industry

The Belgian government wants to devote part of the country’s defence budget to the space sector. Science minister Vanessa Matz said this on Thursday during a visit to Liège-based aerospace company Safran

4 weeks ago

Innovations

LGBTQI+ rights in the US prompt Belgium to update travel advice

As announced earlier this week, the Belgian Federal Public Service (FPS) for Foreign Affairs officially updated its travel advice for the United States on Wednesday evening, citing recent changes in the treatment of

4 weeks ago

Society

North Sea ecosystem under pressure from pollution and climate change

The marine ecosystem of the Belgian North Sea is under pressure from pollution and climate change, according to a report published on Wednesday by the Federal Public Service (FPS) of Health, Food

4 weeks ago

Earth & Climate

Belgian companies and researchers file record number of European patent applications

Belgian companies, universities and research institutions have filed a record 2,615 patent applications to the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2024. 66 per cent of these applications came from Flanders, which ranks

4 weeks ago

Innovations

Belgium’s prison population hits record high 

Belgium’s prisons have surpassed 13,000 inmates for the first time. Overcrowding has left hundreds sleeping on the floor, while thousands of short-term offenders wait for a place. In response, officials are calling

4 weeks ago

Society

‘Moroccan measles variant’ found in Brussels sewage water

Research by KU Leuven university shows that the so-called “Moroccan variant” of the measles virus has been found in sewage water in Brussels. Morocco is currently facing a large measles outbreak, but

1 month ago

Society

Original K3 reunites for anniversary concerts

Belgium’s original K3 pop trio has announced a long-awaited reunion. Karen Damen, Kristel Verbeke, and Kathleen Aerts, who formed the first lineup in 1998, will return for a series of concerts in

1 month ago

Arts & Entertainment

Belgium secure Nations League survival with victory over Ukraine

Belgium’s national football team will remain in the top tier of the UEFA Nations League after a 3-0 victory over Ukraine in Genk on Sunday evening. Goals from Maxim De Cuyper and

1 month ago

Sport

Singapore’s president begins state visit to Belgium

Singapore’s president, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, has arrived in Belgium for a three-day state visit aimed at strengthening diplomatic and economic ties between the two nations. The visit begins with a formal welcome from

1 month ago

Opinion

Belgium must invest up to €25bn a year to be carbon neutral by 2050

Belgium needs to make additional investments of up to 25 billion euros, 4.3 per cent of its GDP, to become climate neutral by 2050, according to a report by the Federal Climate

1 month ago

Earth & Climate

2/3 IC Trains run Monday amid Metisp-protect strike till March 30

Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Over two-thirds of scheduled IC trains will operate on Monday as per SNCB’s announcement for the period of Metisp-Protect’s railway worker strike. Metisp-Protect labour union’s strike will

1 month ago

Society

Government plans consumer courts: Beenders aims for legal ease

Brussels -Special courts are planned by the federal government to accommodate consumer legal claims. Vooruit Minister of Consumer Protection Rob Beenders disclosed this information through a Het Laatste Nieuws interview. The federal

1 month ago

Politics

Brussels pays tribute to victims on 9th anniversary of terrorist attacks

The victims of the 2016 Brussels attacks were remembered at Zaventem airport and Maelbeek metro station on Saturday. Officials held a minute’s silence at 7.58am at the airport and 9.11am at the

1 month ago

Society

Frozen fries producer Lutosa invests €225 million in Waregem site

Frozen potato products manufacturer Lutosa is investing 225 million euros in its Waregem plant, the company announced on Saturday. The investment will increase the plant’s capacity and make it more sustainable. Lutosa

1 month ago

Business

Belgian students win World Diplomacy Championships for twelfth time

Belgium has for the twelfth time won the World Student Diplomacy Championship. The championship, in the form of a competitive simulation of the United Nations, took place in the Philippine capital Manila. 

1 month ago

Society

Belgium start life under new coach with tough defeat to Ukraine

Belgium lost their first game under new coach Rudi Garcia 3-1 to Ukraine on Thursday night, in the first round of the Nations League play-offs. If they don’t win the return leg,

1 month ago

Sport

Nine out of ten construction firms struggle to find staff

Nine out of ten firms in the construction industry find it “problematic” to find staff, according to a survey of 233 companies carried out by construction association Embuild. Nearly seven out of

1 month ago

Society

Belgium, Rwanda expel diplomats over DR Congo conflict

Rwanda has accused Belgium of repeatedly undermining Rwanda over the M23 offensive in Congo. Belgium and Rwanda are expelling each other’s diplomats in tit-for-tat moves as part of an escalating dispute over the conflict in

1 month ago

Politics