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5,700 more dollar millionaires in Belgium

2013-06-18T17:15:00.000+02:00

Last year, the number of Belgian dollar millionaires grew with almost 6,000. That's according to Capgemini's annual World Wealth Report on HNWI's or High Net Worth Individuals. Belgium now boasts 82,600 dollar millionaires, who represent a total capital of 153 billion euros. The global population of dollar millionaires increased with 10 percent to some 12 million last year. They represent a total wealth of 34,500 billion euros, a new record. New millionaires emerged in particular in Asia and the United States.

Different governments agree to cooperate better

2013-06-18T15:42:00.000+02:00

The federal and regional governments in Belgium held a joint session to discuss measures to give Belgian businesses a boost, wage costs and pensions. Chairing the meeting was PM Elio Di Rupo. Cooperation is the key word, but it remains unclear who will pay for what exactly.

American nanny gets 4-year prison sentence

2013-06-18T10:53:00.000+02:00

A 32-year-old American nanny has been given a 4-year prison sentence by a court in Bruges. She was also ordered to pay 7,500 euros in damages to the victims in a case of assault and battery.

[VIDEO] - And suddenly Belgium had tropical weather

2013-06-18T16:39:27.000+02:00

18/06/13 - Tuesday saw temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius and more, becoming the hottest day of the year so far. Many travelled to the coast to enjoy the cool sea breeze, but many pupils and students had to find other ways of tackling the heat.

[VIDEO] - Motorist convicted after piling up traffic fines

2013-06-18T16:13:00.000+02:00

18/06/13 - An Antwerp court has imposed a prison sentence of 59 months on a 41-year-old man for repeatedly breaking traffic rules. The man also has to pay over 45,000 euros in fines, and his driving licence has been suspended for the rest of his life.

Belgian's return from Syria sparks political row

2013-06-18T11:18:00.000+02:00

A minor who had joined the rebels in the Syrian civil war, has returned safely to Belgium. His mother picked him up in Turkey. The news was announced by Foreign Minister Didier Reynders, which was not to the liking of Interior Minister Joëlle Milquet, who preferred more discretion in the case to spare the boy and his family.

Rail services to be disrupted on Thursday 27 June

2013-06-18T09:57:00.000+02:00

The Flemish socialist trades union ACOD has announced industrial action for 27 June - next week on Thursday. Jean-Pierre Goossens of the ACOD says that the action is scheduled to last 2 hours, between 10 a.m. and noon, but the Walloon trades unions want to make it a 24-hour strike. Rail services are bound to be heavily disrupted.

Alfacam thrown a lifeline by EMG

2013-06-18T12:02:00.000+02:00

Alfacam, the Belgian media company that was declared bankrupt in April, will be taken over by Euro Media Group (EMG). The news was reported by De Tijd. EMG had the highest takeover bid and will acquire Alfacam's technological know-how and equipment. At least 25 employees could keep their job after all.

Illegitimate daughter wants to haul King before the courts

2013-06-17T15:15:00.000+02:00

The illegitimate daughter of King Albert II, Delphine Boël is taking the King, her half-brother Crown Prince Filip and her half-sister Princess Astrid to court. Ms Boël is taking action in the courts in order to obtain DNA evidence to prove that she is King Albert II’s daughter and that she is the half-sister to Price Filip and Princess Astrid.

[VIDEO] - Gutman reiterates denials

2013-06-17T17:15:55.000+02:00

The American Ambassador to Belgium Howard Gutman has once again denied that he used the services of prostitutes in a Brussels park. He did so during a visit with his wife to the Flemish Brabant municipality of Zemst.

[VIDEO] - Lorry burning like a torch on the E19 Motorway

2013-06-17T16:00:46.000+02:00

17/06/13 - A burning truck on the busy E19 Motorway linking Brussels to Antwerp caused long traffic jams on Monday morning. The problems continued until the late afternoon. A lorry carrying inflammable liquids caught fire, but the truck driver escaped without injuries. It is not clear what caused the fire.

[VIDEO] - "I'm really an emotional guy"

2013-06-17T15:15:54.000+02:00

17/06/13 - The VRT's Sportweekend crew arranged an interview with the British sprinter Mark Cavendish. It was an open-hearted conversation, which showed that the Manxman is feeling good in his Belgian cycling team. In the next Tour de France, which is coming up in two weeks, Cavendish wants to fill a gap.

Lelièvre given day-release

2013-06-17T15:55:00.000+02:00

The Sentencing Court in Brussels has ruled that Michel Lelièvre will be allowed to leave prison under escort five times for a period of eight hours. Michel Lelièvre was the child sex killer Marc Dutroux right-hand-man.

Missing girl back home

2013-06-17T16:19:00.000+02:00

A teenager missing since Friday turned up unharmed at her mother’s home on Sunday evening. Police had launched a nationwide appeal to find 13-year-old Sonia Kriebels after she disappeared from Brussels North Railway Station on Friday afternoon.

Martin pays Lambrecks 40 euro

2013-06-17T12:52:00.000+02:00

For the first time since her conviction in 2004, the ex-wife of the child sex killer Marc Dutroux has paid money into the bank account of at least one of her victims.

Belgian satellite makes important breakthrough

2013-06-17T12:10:00.000+02:00

The Belgian Proba-V satellite has made history by becoming the first ever satellite to receive signals from aircraft. At a later stage, the European Space Agency ESA hopes to develop a system to monitor aviation from space.

“Showrooming” on the increase

2013-06-17T14:36:00.000+02:00

According to the small business federation NSZ, a growing number of shopkeepers are being confronted with so-called showrooming. "Showrooming" is a phenomenon where by customers visit shops to look at and gain information about products that they later buy cheaper on the internet.

Health mutual publishes hospital rankings

2013-06-17T11:23:00.000+02:00

The Christian Health Mutual (CM) has broken with convention and published a list informing its members which hospitals offer the best treatment for oesophageal cancer. The only two Flemish hospitals that are currently recommended on CM’s list are the university hospital in Ghent and Leuven for what is a very complex treatment. .

Exorcism in Federal Parliament

2013-06-16T11:53:00.000+02:00

A number of members of the far-right party Vlaams Belang are reported to have had an exorcism carried out in the Federal Parliament. The “Parliamentary Prayer Group’ that includes members such as the the conservative Christian Alexander Colin MP (ex Vlaams Belang) and the Vlaams Belang MP Tanguy Veys attended the exorcism in June of last year.

[VIDEO] - A great weekend for Flemish film-makers

2013-06-16T17:48:41.000+02:00

It’s been a great weekend for Flemish film -makers Broken Circle Breakdown to the main prize at the Festroia Film Festival in Portugal, while Brasserie Romantiek was awarded the public’s prize. Elsewhere, at the Animation festival in the French town of Annecy the young Gent filmmaker Robbe Vervaeke won the prize for best debt film for "Norman".

[VIDEO] - Travellers told to leave

2013-06-16T17:41:10.000+02:00

The Rom Gypsy family that lives in the caravans here in Heist-op-den-berg bought this site that used be taken up by holiday chalets a couple of years ago. However, a recent visitor from the Flemish Planning Inspectorate was the bearer of bad news.

Decomposed body found in Park

2013-06-16T16:10:00.000+02:00

The body of a man has been found in a park in the East Flemish town of Zelzate. The body was discovered on Saturday evening and was in an advanced state of decomposition.

Belgian takes gold in Miami

2013-06-16T16:37:00.000+02:00

The Fleming Dirk Van Tichelt has won a gold medal at the Judo Grand Prix in the American city of Miami (Florida). Another Fleming, Ilse Heylen took bronze.

Budget review talks under way

2013-06-16T15:16:00.000+02:00

The budget review talks got underway on Saturday afternoon with ministers in Belgium’s Federal Government needing to find half a billion euro to ensure that this year’s budget deficit remains below 2.5% of GDP.

Belgium joins Commission against the Death Penalty

2013-06-16T14:20:00.000+02:00

The Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders has accepted an invitation to join by the Commission’s Chairman Frederico Mayor during the fifth International Congress Against the Death Penalty in the Spanish capital Madrid.

Flemish diabetics scale Italian mountain

2013-06-16T13:32:00.000+02:00

A group of fifteen Flemish diabetics have succeeded in cycling up the Mount Stelvio in the Italian Alps. The group’s aim was to prove that anyone can achieve anything if they put their mind to it, as well as raising money for diabetes research.

Flemish films score at Festroia International Film Festival

2013-06-16T12:33:00.000+02:00

A total of four Flemish films were honoured during the awards ceremony at the Festroia International Film Festival in the Portugese city of Setúbal.

A new rail service to The Hague?

2013-06-15T14:41:00.000+02:00

The city authorities in The Hague are continuing with their plans to launch a rail service between the Dutch capital and Brussels. The Germany-owned transport company Arriva that also operates bus and train services in the UK is one of the firms that is a candidate to operate the new service.

[VIDEO] - Antwerp Six reunited

2013-06-15T16:40:35.000+02:00

The final year students from the Antwerp Fashion Academy showed their creations on Friday evening. All this was under the watchful eye of the so-called Antwerp Six: Marina Yee, Dirk Bikkembergs, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dries van Noten en Dirk Van Saene.

Woman raped in Elsene night shop

2013-06-15T15:33:00.000+02:00

A 28-year-old women was held for four hours and raped repeatedly in a night shop in the Brussels municipality of Elsene last weekend.