Hey, hallo, goeiedag!
Here I am, back again with your daily roundup of The Brussels Times stories.
First of all, we give you some more insight into why so many websites were taken offline yesterday, following the exposure of a critical PHP vulnerability.
Until yesterday, I had no clue what that meant or why so many people seemed to be panicking over it. Today, several important websites in Belgium are still offline.
Luckily, my more tech-savvy colleague Josse Van Dessel explained what was (and still is) happening, why it matters, and what is being done to fix it.
Next up: Belgium will be hit by a storm tomorrow. Across the country, conditions are expected to deteriorate further, with heavy rainfall and strong winds expected as gusts potentially reach between 80 and 100 km/h. Read more here.
Meanwhile, another kind of storm is brewing: despite negotiations that lasted into the night, Belgium’s top ministers have still failed to find a deal on the budget for 2027.
If parliament is to approve the budget on time, an agreement must be reached by the end of this month. Otherwise, the government risks having to rely on provisional twelfths, a stopgap system under which monthly spending is authorised in the absence of a full budget.
Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA), however, has already made clear that he wants to avoid that scenario at all costs. But is there a viable alternative? Read the full story here.
On the topic of Belgium’s budget, we also have an explainer about why the country has such a big deficit. Reporter Christopher Richards took a look at why the current budget imbalance has been a product long in the making.
Over the last ten years, a decline in tax revenues relative to the size of the economy has compounded the country's budget challenges. Built up over time, the deficit is not the result of one-off shocks. Christopher tells you more.
And to end on a cheerful note: Christmas might still seem far away, but as reporter Anas El Baye says, Mariah Carey is slowly defrosting somewhere in Beverly Hills. The City of Brussels understood the message and announced the dates for its popular Winter Wonders Christmas market. Anas tells you what to expect.
And as always, if you have comments, tips or suggestions, you can drop me an email at m.chini@brusselstimes.com.
Don’t forget your umbrella!
Belgium in Brief is a free daily roundup of the top stories to get you through your coffee break conversations. To receive it straight to your inbox every day, sign up below:
1. Why does Belgium have a budget deficit?
Belgium's tax revenues have fallen short of what would be expected given economic growth. What has caused these annual shortfalls over the last decade? Read more.
2. Storm Austen to batter Belgium with 100km/h on Friday, code yellow across the nation
Belgium has activated the 1722 emergency assistance number as strong winds and heavy rain are forecast, with gusts of up to 100 km/h expected on Friday. Read more.
3. Major Belgian websites still offline after critical PHP flaw, millions of attacks detected
Several websites are still offline on Thursday morning following the discovery of a security leak in the popular programming language PHP. Read more.
4. Businesses are escaping high tax Brussels to Flanders and Wallonia
Local property taxes have been rising across the Brussels-Capital Region, setting up a potential exodus of businesses to neighbouring Flanders as office leases come up for renewal. Read more.
5. ‘The situation is difficult’: Ministers end round of talks without budget agreement
Belgium’s top ministers ended talks late on Wednesday evening without finding a deal on the budget for 2027.
6. How Belgium’s consul-general found herself fleeing Israeli settlers in the West Bank
Belgium's consul-general recounts how a peaceful mission to protect Palestinian farmers turned violent when masked Israeli settlers attacked a diplomatic delegation. Read more.
7. New ‘major’ national demonstration in Brussels on 23 November
The three main trade unions in Belgium are calling for a new "major social mobilisation" on the streets of Brussels on 23 November. Read more.
