Helen Lyons

An estimated 1,000 accommodation places are being cut from asylum seeker centres in the Brussels region as of this month, while the country continues to grapple with a migration crisis.

Brussels' first permanent open-air swimming pool could open on the rooftop of the site of the former abattoir in Anderlecht by 2030.

There were more than 200 excess deaths in Brussels and more than 2,500 across the whole of Belgium that can be attributed to this summer’s three heatwaves, according to new figures from Sciensano, the country’s health institute.The first heatwave - from 18 June to 1 July - claimed the most lives with 1,747 more deaths than usual, representing an excess mortality rate of 47%. The figure for Brussels was initially reported as 159 excess deaths, but this has since been revised to 196, still the highest death toll during a heatwave since records began in 2000.The toll from the second heatwave between 4 and 17 July came to 550 nationally, representing an excess mortality rate of 15%. This includes 310 deaths in Flanders, 198 in Wallonia and 42 in Brussels.During the third heatwave from 28 July to 16 August, Sciensano recorded an excess mortality rate of 7% in Flanders (221 deaths) and 10% in Wallonia (171 deaths), but no increased mortality rate for Brussels.The deadliest day of the summer was 27 June. Some 641 people died on that day alone, representing an excess mortality rate of 147%.It is not only the elderly included among the heat-related deaths. A significant excess mortality was also observed among people under the age of 65.According to Sciensano, how deadly a heatwave is depends, among other things, on the duration of the heat, the temperatures and ozone pollution.To determine the excess mortality rate, Sciensano first calculates how many people would normally be expected to die, by region and by age group.It then compared these figures with the actual number of deaths. A Sciensano spokesperson noted that these figures were interim and may still differ from the final result, which are expected by the end of the month.

The amount of people taking sick leave lasting more than a year due to a mental health condition continued to rise in 2025, according to the latest data from the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (Inami).

A five-day strike has begun in all Belgian prisons as trade unions protest against persistent overcrowding, staff shortages and problems relating to infrastructure and security.

Belgium's consumer protection agency Test-Achats has published the findings of its investigation into various music festivals, mainly to assess how consumer-friendly on-site payment methods were.

The former site of the Brussels Audi factory has finally secured a buyer in the form of Heylen Warehouses, following an agreement made in collaboration with the Brussels region.The redevelopment of the site will enable SMEs and large companies to set up in the Forest location, with a stated aim of creating 3,000 new jobs in the long term to replace those currently considered lost as a result of the German car company’s departure in February 2025.“Our shared commitment is to transform this site into an industrial hub open to the city, featuring a diverse ecosystem and fully integrated into the fabric of Brussels and Belgium,” said Laurent Hublet, regional minister for employment and the economy.The project, called "Rings Park 21", is a mixed-use regeneration scheme that involves maintaining and developing industrial activities, providing spaces for SMEs and innovative businesses, partially opening the site to the public, and revitalising Forest-Midi station.Which companies will set up there has not yet been decided, but Heylen Warehouses said that it was in discussions with a wide range of potential candidates, not just large international companies.“The development of the site will be tailored to market needs. What the city, the neighbourhood and businesses are asking for will determine what is established there,” said Yordi Van den Brande, business development manager at Heylen Warehouses.“It’s essential that the site offers a clear place for the local economy: SMEs, craftspeople and entrepreneurs who wish to grow within their own city. We are ‘open for business’ and invite anyone interested to get in touch.”The parties are currently finalising the legal documents governing the transaction and no financial details have yet been disclosed.When the Audi Brussels site closed last year, more than 3,000 workers and subcontractors lost their jobs. Just half of them had found new employment a year later.

Almost a quarter of the automatic number-plate recognition cameras in Brussels are faulty and half of all images are unusable, according to the

Brussels DJ Felix De Laet, known worldwide as Lost Frequencies, is part of a team of entrepreneurs opening a restaurant in the Belgian capital next year.Aiming for a January 2027 debut, the restaurant will occupy the site of former seafood restaurant Le Toucan sur Mer on Avenue Louis Lepoutre in Ixelles, which closed in June after 17 years of business.The former restaurant’s owners declared bankruptcy "despite excellent occupancy rates", according to a farewell message posted on social media.There will be four Brussels partners behind the next restaurant at the location, including Lost Frequencies.Joining the artist in the venture is Marvin Weymeersch, chief executive of Hangar, which organises concerts and festivals featuring electronic music. With him is his business partner and co-founder, Cameron Heal.The hospitality experience and expertise will come via entrepreneur Victor Roisin, owner of the restaurants Gratin and Moutarde and the recently opened bar Petit Bailli in Ixelles.“Opening a restaurant has always been something of a dream of ours,” said Weymeersch.“We were able to view the premises quickly, made an offer and three days later we heard it had been accepted.”Details regarding the future restaurant have not yet been shared, but what is known is that it will have "a musical touch", with DJs performing from time to time, although there are no plans to transform the restaurant into a club.The four business partners are currently looking for a new head chef.The Toucan brasserie located next to the former seafood restaurant will remain open as before.Lost Frequencies is known for hits such as Are You with Me and Where Are You Now, and was the first Belgian artist to reach the milestone of one billion streams on Spotify.

Dozens of African students have been left in the lurch following the bankruptcy and closure of a private IT school in the European Quarter in Brussels.