Belgium

Shops in Belgium will soon be allowed to remain open until 21:00, and seven days a week; the measure is expected to be validated to relax businesses' opening hours and meet modern needs

1 in 4 young foreign workers in Belgium feels overqualified for their job, says recent analysis by Statbel, especially at entry-level, and 1 in 5 Belgian youth have jobs below their skill level, while the country has the second highest job vacancy in EU

A veterinary care group is calling on pet owners to add their animals to the blood donation register to cope with the severe shortage of animal blood donors; according to AniCura transfusions help surgery recovery and increase effectiveness of medication

Bankruptcies in Belgium increased by 7,13% year on year in May, according to the latest monthly report from commercial information bureau GraydonCreditsafe, the highest figure since 2013; in Flanders alone, bankruptcies reached a record high of 570

A new legislation came into effect in Brussels to regulate rental property prices in a bid to preserve housing access; affecting over 30.000 homes, mostly short-term rentals, it establishes a rent exceeding 20% of the regional rates would be a violation

Schools in Flanders ditched plans to provided a laptop to each primary education student, while are encouraged to develop collective ICT infrastructure; the regional government has also announced it will fully reimburse schools for asbestos removal costs

A railway workers' strike will take place from 22:00 on 27 April until 22:00 on 4 May, the second called by the rail union after a week-long strike disrupted service at the end of March; workers are denouncing retirement reforms and working conditions

Authorities will start cooperating more closely to better share information in the fight against radicalization and extremism among minors: the number of minors involved in terrorist activities is on the rise and many at risk of radicalization are minors

In response to the "alarming political interference" in academic research in the United States, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel is opening 12 postdoc positions for international researchers, namely American scholars working in socially significant fields

A new record was set on Friday for the warmest March 7 since measurements began in 1880, the Royal Meteorological Institute confirmed, with 17,7 degrees; the last record was recorded in 1991

A rare hoverfly, unseen in Belgium for over a century, was discovered in Averbode; the fact is even more noteworthy because two related species, the 'bijlsprietje' and the 'duinheidedwerg', were also found in the same area

A digital platform will be available in Flanders to handle administrative tasks after the death of a loved one to significantly reduce processing time and 'ease the burden of bereavement'; use will be mandatory from 1 January 2026

In 2024, 411.021 counterfeit articles were seized in Belgium, almost double the previous year's total of 217.053, announced the Ministry of Economic Affairs