Liz Newmark

Brussels

Journalist at Freelance

Freelance journalist passionate about Brussels, cycling and patrimoine.

Articles

Student accommodation fees climb due to lack of supply

1 week ago | thebulletin.be | Liz Newmark

Monthly rents for students have risen by an average of €100 over the past five years, according to newly published analysis by Kotkompas – a tool developed to comment on the student housing market. According to the research, the average student rent in shared accommodation in Belgium is €575 including charges. For a studio, the price rises to €780 per month on average. Unsurprisingly, the most expensive town to stay away from home in Belgium is the capital, where rents average €680 per month.
Ombudsman sees growing complaints about digitisation of admin

1 week ago | thebulletin.be | Liz Newmark

The increasing difficulty of finding a human to talk to, instead of being directed to an online form or chatbot if you have a problem with your bank, tax office or housing association, is becoming more problematic, according to a new report by regional mediation institution, Ombuds Bruxelles. Forced to go it alone on digital platforms when talking on the telephone is not an option, citizens are confronted with complex instructions rarely formulated in accessible language, the ombudsman found.
Midi police officers accused of colluding with criminal gang

1 week ago | thebulletin.be | Liz Newmark

Three police officers from the Brussels-Midi police zone have gone on trial for collusion with the criminal underworld following a shooting incident that claimed a young life. The prosecution is asking for prison sentences between 15 and 20 months for the men. However, the police officers continue to maintain their innocence, and their lawyers will defend them at the next hearing. The events date back to July 2020. A young man, Soufiane Benali, was shot dead in a drug-related shootout.
Belgium must change its prison policy, says new report

1 week ago | thebulletin.be | Liz Newmark

The state of Brussels’ prisons - notably overcrowding, poor staff working conditions and inadequate access to support for the inmates - are not conducive to rehabilitation, according to a new report by the Brussels Federation of Institutions for Inmates and Former Prisoners (Fidex).
Calls for tougher regulations to stop rogue funeral directors

1 week ago | thebulletin.be | Liz Newmark

The president of Belgium's funeral sector federation has called for “clear and uniform regulations” after reports of rogue funeral directors taking dead bodies "hostage" to get a better chance of directing their funerals. On 21 January, Teresa Sdralevich found her ex-partner had died after a fall. As the police could not reach the relatives, they asked the funeral director they worked with to take the body to the municipal morgue. After that, Sdralevich could choose a funeral director.
New measures aim to combat 'excessive' rents in Brussels

1 week ago | thebulletin.be | Liz Newmark

The Brussels parliament has adopted a proposal for an ordinance to combat unfair rents and set up a Joint Rental Commission (JRC) with the aim of stopping over-priced rental accommodation in the capital The ordinance, tabled by Ecolo, Groen, the Parti Socialiste (PS), Vooruit (Flemish Socialists), PTB-PVDA (Belgian Workers’ Party) and the minority TFA (Team Fouad Ahidar) sets 1 May 2025 as the date when several amendments to the Brussels Housing Code come into force on this new rent committee...
Belgium achieves record battery collection rate

1 week ago | thebulletin.be | Liz Newmark

Belgium has surpassed all previous battery collection rates, collecting more than 4,000 tonnes of used batteries in 2024, battery collection organisation Bebat has announced. With this level, Belgium is reportedly the world champion when it comes to battery collection per person per year. The 4,029 tonne collection rate recorded last year represents a 3% increase on 2023, while the number of new batteries placed on the market fell by 4%, RTBF reports.
What’s on this week: 11 to 17 April

2 weeks ago | thebulletin.be | Sarah Crew |Liz Newmark

The Villa Empain and the Boghossian Foundation present a themed dialogue between ancient Egypt and contemporary art in the exhibition Timeless gazes: from pharaohs to the present day. Some 130 works from the prestigious archaeological collections of the Fondation Gandur pour l’Art include rare objects of daily life and funerary art. Offering further insight into fascinating pharaonic life are 40 paintings, photographs and sculptures from the foundation’s collection of African contemporary art.
Badly parked drivers in Uccle told: Don't be a Putin and 'annex' the pavement

2 weeks ago | thebulletin.be | Liz Newmark |Paul McNally

Angry pedestrians in Uccle have begun a campaign to protest against people who park illegally, putting stickers on cars saying: "Don’t be a Putin. Do not annex the pavement."On one day in late March alone, some 175 cars received these notices on their rear windows, referring to Russian president Vladimir Putin’s desire to annex Ukraine. The collective ‘Le Piéton Ucclois en a Marre’ (Uccle pedestrians are fed up) was set up by residents who were tired of what they see as inaction by the commune.
Brussels starts its battle against Asian hornets

2 weeks ago | thebulletin.be | Liz Newmark

As the weather gets warmer, Asian hornets, an invasive species that threatens honey bees and other pollinators, become more common. To stop the spread of this insect, Brussels Environment sets hornet traps for a seven-week period. The aim is to catch the queens to prevent them building new nests. “It is currently impossible to eradicate the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) in Belgium and Europe,” Brussels Environment said.