Tuesday, August 9, 2022
The Brussels Times Magazine
'Situation could become serious' if no rain falls by October, but how likely is this?

'Situation could become serious' if no rain falls by October, but how likely is this?

Flemish Environment Minister said that "if no drop of rain has fallen by the end of October, the situation will become very acute," but how likely is this?

Old sexist law makes it hard for certain people to get Belgian citizenship

An old law that lets citizenship pass through the father still has an impact on people who were born before 1967.

Flexi-jobs: Increasing interest in side gigs as life becomes more expensive

As the cost of living skyrockets, so-called flexi-jobs, allowing people to work unlimited hours on the side without being taxed, have become increasingly popular.

Brussels cemetery subject to repeated robberies

“150 funeral plots out of 2,000 have been targeted in barely three weeks.”

'Those who need care will have to learn to wait': Pressure grows on health care sector

The pandemic, staff shortages and verbal aggression against care givers are part of the reasons why waiting lists for patients remain long.

First grain shipment from Ukraine since war stuck after company refuses delivery

The cargo was denied by a Lebanese company due to the delivery delay, however, it only arrived late because no ships could Ukraine due to the ongoing war.

EU calls on Israel to restore a political horizon after unconditional ceasefire in Gaza war

“We are left to manage the conflict from one round of violence to the next in the absence of a real possibility to peace.”

Hidden Belgium

The Belgian Stonehenge

The Belgian Stonehenge

Derek Blyth

Bestselling author Derek Blyth picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets of Belgium every day

Le Chou

Le Chou's week in review

Hungary-Taiwan Swap | Great Scottish Wall | Giant Russian Mouse Havoc

Le Chou's week in review
Belgium in Brief: (Not) handling the heat

Belgium in Brief: (Not) handling the heat

Have you been feeling prickly lately? Moody, irritable? It could be due to the heat.

'Like we are in Congo': Liberal leader of MR called out for trivialising racism

While the remark about the "dirtiness of Brussels" did not come from Georges-Louis Bouchez himself, at no point did he intervene, contradict or reframe what the interviewee was saying.

Fewer than 3,000 daily Covid-19 infections in Belgium

After surpassing 3,000 towards the end of June, the number of new Covid-19 infections being recorded every day has once again decreased below this figure.

FBI searches Trump's Florida home as part of White House records investigation

Donald Trump, who was in New York at the time, said in a statement that his home in Florida was "under siege, raided and occupied by a large group of FBI agents."

Flexi-jobs: Increasing interest in side gigs as life becomes more expensive

As the cost of living skyrockets, so-called flexi-jobs, allowing people to work unlimited hours on the side without being taxed, have become increasingly popular.

EU Tracker

On the agenda
  • September 1 - Green Deal D-Day

    EU lawmakers and governments have now brokered their negotiating positions on a lot of the main Green Deal updates. That means that talks between them and the Commission can now start. The bulk of this work will start in September.

  • September 9 - Finance ministers meet

    Finance ministers meeting, agenda here.

  • October 3 - Eurogroup meeting

    Eurogroup meeting agenda here.

  • October 6 - EU Presidency summit.

    Czech EU presidency Council summit.

  • October 11 - Energy chiefs meet

    Energy ministers meet for an informal summit. Preparing for the winter heating season will likely be the main item on the agenda.

  • October 18 - Commission to-do list

    EU Commission publishes its work programme for 2023.

  • October 18 - Agri meet

    EU farm ministers meet for a two-day agricultural summit. Details here.

  • October 20 - EUCO comes back

    Full EUCO summit. Meeting page here.

  • October 26 - Zero pollution

    Commission publishes its zero pollution package of rules and regulations. 

  • November 30 - Recycle, reuse, recycle again

    European Commission publishes its updated circular economy package.

  • December 1 - EU-US TTC

    The next round of the EU-US trade and technology council is scheduled for December.

  • December 31 - Czech out time

    Czechia hands over the reins of the EU presidency to Sweden.

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The Brussels Times Magazine
Current Issue: Summer 2022
How garden cities became the green idylls of Brussels

The garden city movement, nurtured at the beginning of the 20th century, brought a tranquil, rustic character to Brussels communes. The r...

One man’s junk is another’s treasure at the flea market extraordinaire

You can find anything there from a grandfather clock to silver cutlery, from a plastic doll to an African face mask.  “The market s...

Brussels Food & Drink

What are the most delicious foods, refreshing drinks, coolest cafés and swankiest restaurants in Brussels at the moment? Here are some ...

How the inventor of English died in Flanders

William Tyndale brought the scriptures to the masses when he translated the Bible into English. Yet for his troubles, he was hounded into...

Tomorrowland is another day

One of the world’s largest music festivals takes place in sonic Boom, a Belgian town aptly named to host the summer electronica spectac...

Belgium’s football queen

How well do you know your Belgian football? Here’s a quick quiz question to test your knowledge: can you name the top three all-time hi...

Why Petra De Sutter is more than the world’s highest-profile transgender politician

As the world’s highest-profile transgender politician, Petra De Sutter is used to being in the spotlight. But as Belgium’s Deputy Pri...

The growing pains of Belgium’s armed forces

One of the perks of being a Belgian academic dealing with defence is that I am regularly invited to change-of-command ceremonies of units...

Belgian SAS co-founder Jaak Daemen dies aged 97
Demand for firm action on increased violence against Belgian nursing staff
Twitter admits to data breach exposing contact info for 5.4 million accounts
Young people often attacked around Jeux d'Hiver nightclub in Bois de la Cambre

Education

Accomodation crunch forces some Dutch universities to ask foreign students to look elsewhere
Belgian primary school test results slump in 2022
What to expect from Belgium's French-speaking schools' reform

World

EU calls on Israel to restore a political horizon after unconditional ceasefire in Gaza war
FBI searches Trump's Florida home as part of White House records investigation
Third hottest July on record

Health

'Those who need care will have to learn to wait': Pressure grows on health care sector
Fewer than 3,000 daily Covid-19 infections in Belgium
Diabetes drug out of stock in Belgium as non-patients use it to lose weight

Politics

'Like we are in Congo': Liberal leader of MR called out for trivialising racism
Conner Rousseau: 'If Vlaams Belang and PTB get even bigger, the end of Belgium will come closer'
Belgium's Foreign Minister gives 'message of hope and determination' for denuclearisation at the UN

EU Affairs

Russian forces threaten to blow up Europe’s largest nuclear reactor
European Union to begin gas saving plan on Tuesday
1,000 Ukrainian patients have been transferred to hospitals in EU countries

Belgium News

Influencers should not share their address on social media, says Media Minister
E313 motorway to Antwerp completely blocked after truck accident
Four Brussels hospitals will soon offer vaccination against monkeypox

Business

Twitter admits to data breach exposing contact info for 5.4 million accounts
Production resumes at Barry Callebaut factory after salmonella outbreak
Volkswagen unveils 'flying car' prototype

Sports

Champions League: Union Saint-Gilloise travel to Glasgow to secure ticket for next round
Champions League: Rangers unphased by deficit against Union Saint-Gilloise
Jupiler Pro League: Anderlecht win against Seraing, Union fall at Mechelen

Art & Culture

Grease star Olivia Newton-John dies aged 73
Hidden Belgium: The Belgian Stonehenge
Swiss city to get its first cemetery coffee shop

Brussels

'Like we are in Congo': Liberal leader of MR called out for trivialising racism
Young people often attacked around Jeux d'Hiver nightclub in Bois de la Cambre
Elephant statue in front of Africa Museum to be renovated next year

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