It is reported that the ban on smoking at outdoor tables will be delayed again: https://www.brusselstimes.com/belgium/2378766/belgium-again-delays-terrace-smoking-ban-after-council-of-state-objections

This is absolutely shameful and appalling. Tens of thousands of people dying each year because of air pollution and smoking, and it costs our healthcare billions of euros each year.

Literally billions of our taxes are wasted each year because we have to treat and save people who smoke or were poisoned by years of exposure to smoke and fumes.

I really believe this is one of the rare topics that should unite everyone - from PvDA to NVA and MR.

Ik ben al zo'n 25 jaar fan van Placebo en kijk enorm uit naar het concert in de AFAS Dome (of mag ik nog Sportpaleis zeggen?) op 1 november.

Enig probleem is terug thuis geraken na het concert. De laatste trein vanuit Antwerpen Centraal is al rond 23:35. Als de support gedaan heeft en Placebo speelt 2 uur, dan is het al snel 23u voor het concert gedaan is. Dan moet je al van je zitje in sneltempo richting metro en hopen dat je bij de gelukkigen bent die de eerste metro hebben richting station. Veel te onzeker, dus dat ga ik niet doen.

Ik vermoed dat ik niet de enige Placebo fan aan de kust ben, en hoop dat ik met iemand kan carpoolen terug richting zeetje na het concert. Is er iemand hier met wie ik na het concert zou kunnen carpoolen??

PS1: ik heb BlaBlaCar al meermaals gecontroleerd, maar er is voorlopig geen aanbod.

PS2: er is de optie van een nacht hotel, maar ik vind het een beetje weggegooid geld om in eigen land op hotel te gaan. Dan wordt het wel een erg duur concert, alsof je naar een buitenlands concert gaat maar dan zonder de citytrip inclusief.

A few days ago, two police officers stopped me and immediately took my driving licence because they claimed they saw me using my phone while driving. I never touched my phone. I was holding a drinks can in my left hand and steering with my right.

The officers were parked perpendicular to the road, in a regular sedan, while I was driving a Peugeot Expert in heavy rain. My wife was in the passenger seat. They insisted they were 100% certain, and there was no real opportunity to discuss it. I wrote on the PV that I disagreed and believed they had mistaken the can for a phone.

I've since checked my OnePlus's Android diagnostic logs, which show that the screen remained off and there was no recorded unlock or interactive use during the relevant five-minute period.

I'm trying to obtain the PV and will consider legal advice, but I'm wondering how realistic it is to successfully contest this in Belgium, given the evidential weight of a police officer's statement.

Has anyone here challenged a traffic PV under similar circumstances? Did technical evidence and witness testimony make a difference?

I'm not looking to avoid responsibility for something I did. I've accepted the consequences of a previous phone-use offence because I was guilty. This time, I know the allegation is wrong, and I want to know whether I have a fair chance of proving that.

Like the title says.

This is going to be my first proper job, so it’s all new to me.
On paper, everything seems great, but as I’ve experienced with student jobs in the past, a bad work culture, manager, or colleagues can ruin the experience.

If, hypothetically, I decide after two or three weeks that I don’t like the job, for whatever reason, what’s the worst-case scenario?

Heeft iemand die kaart eigenlijk ooit effectief nodig gehad? Wat is het ergste dat kan gebeuren als je die kaart niet kan tonen moest je toch effectief opgenomen worden in een andere Europees land gegeven dat de meeste mutualiteiten ook nog een reisbijstandsverzekering hebben (Mutas).

I just turned 20 this month and I've been looking for a job in Brussels since I came here in September, I feel like everyone wants the same thing: experience (wich I can't gain without a job in the first place) and to not be so young, whenever I mention I'm 20 I don't even get a reach back I'm just ignored.

I'm not picky about working I can do anything that doesn't require a degree or specialization and I'm starting to wonder if I'm just not looking in the right place.

Long story short where can I even start looking for a job in Brussels?

Due to cuberdons’ resemblance to a certain facial feature, they’re also known as neuzekes, or “small noses” in Flemish. It’s only fitting, then, that the bitter vendor disputes surrounding the sweet have become known as the “War of the Noses.” The rivalry began in 2011 in Ghent’s Groentenmarkt, when vendor Sonny Breine opened a stall outside Carl Demeestere’s store. Demeestere retaliated by opening his own stall right next to his competitor. After each vendor displayed signs criticizing the other’s product, tensions escalated into screaming matches and a fist fight that resulted in a two-week confiscation of both their licenses in 2014. 

more here: https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/cuberdons-war-of-the-noses-ghent-belgium

Hi, for a while now I've been getting texts about verification codes. I've been ignoring them but am wondering whether I should be worried and what I could possibly do about it. Anyone else experiencing this?