Ciamberlani building restored

The renovation of one of Brussels' most important Art Nouveau buildings has finally been completed after five years of work. The privately owned Ciamberlani building is considered a masterpiece of Belgian architect Paul Hankar, who was a contemporary of the...

Brussels fare dodgers go free

Brussels public transport company STIB has found itself in a tight spot after it was told by the Brussels police at the start of its anti-fare evasion campaign that it cannot demand the identity of people who are caught trying...

Public transport hikes for Brussels

Public transport prices in Brussels are set to rise by up to 19 per cent in 2010. Brussels STIB public transport network has announced an average price rise of 2.53 per cent from February 2010. However, monthly MTB passes, that...

Brussels inaugurates new public toilets

Brussels has armed itself against the epidemic of people urinating on its streets by bringing in a new network of public toilets and urinals. The problem has become such that Brussels deputy mayor for health Karine Lalieux has labeled it...

Brussels Cambio cars get free parking

Brussels residents using the Cambio car-sharing scheme will now be able to park free of charge anywhere in the city. Cambio allows registered users to hire a range of vehicles, located in spots all over the city, by the hour....

Brussels make plans to cut deficit

Brussels has announced that it will make €290 million of cuts in 2010 to meet a central government budget deficit of 10 per cent. Public transport and public works will be the main victims of the proposed cuts; environment, energy...

Crime in Brussels threatens ex-pats

European parliamentary representatives and EU civil servants no longer feel safe in Brussels, says Belgian daily Le Soir. The Belgian capital, especially the area most frequented by the thousands of expatriates who live and work there, has been dubbed an...

Brussels water rates rise more than expected

The three-stage rise in Brussels water rates, labelled by environment minister Evelyne Huytebroeck “excessive”, will be even higher than was first announced by the Intercommunale Bruxelloise de Distribution d’Eau (IBDE) in the last week of September. The portion of...

Tintin and Snowy return

The six-meter high, 600 kilo giant effigies of comic book characters Tintin and Snowy, which normally grace the rooftop of Brussel’s seven-storey Lombard building overlooking the city’s Gare du Midi, are back on the roof of the building after having...

Brussels needs anti-discrimination training

The Brussels minister for employment and economy, Benoît Cerexhe, has warned that the city faces massive problems if employers do not put new policies in place to combat what he sees as widespread discrimination. He cites a lack of training...