A cherished Christmas tradition returns to Brussels this year. It is the annual Christmas concert in the city’s magnificent Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula. It takes place on Friday, December 27 at 5pm and is again organised by the association ARS in Cathedrali. The concert features the Choir of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation which…
Author: Martin Banks
Cancer on the Front Line
Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash Three courageous female health professionals who work in Ukraine have told this website of the “nightmarish” conditions they have to work under as a result of the war. They were in Brussels this week to attend a major cancer summit. It is estimated the war has so far…
Action to help cancer patients in conflict zones
Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash The Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have had a significant impact on cancer patients, emphasising the need for global collaboration in response to these crises. Recognising the need for a voice to address such challenges, the European Cancer Organisation (ECO) has created a new Focused Topic…
Campaign to Improve Animal Welfare
Photo by Suzanne Tucker on Unsplash Campaign group Compassion in World Farming is calling for improved animal welfare at EU level. It wants European lawmakers to ensure that such action is central to the new Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare’s role in the new mandate and not just to the job title, in the…
Ice Mountain
End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists
Photo by Korie Cull on Unsplash International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists is being marked with the launch of a new initiative aimed at protecting the media in their work. To mark the international day on 1 November, the National Union of Journalists, NUJ, has launched its new Journalists’ Safety Tracker….
Commemorating Armistice Day 11 November
Christmas LightShow at Planckendael Zoo
Fancy brightening up those upcoming dark winter nights? It is not so easy but one annual tradition promises to bring a bit of much needed cheer to the lives of Belgians; It is called “China Light Zoo”, a festival in which the Planckendael Zoo at Mechelen is illuminated with a colourful light show. This year…
Autumn’s Comforting Food
Autumn is the favourite time of the year for UK chef Lisa Chee, partly for the comforting food it means she can cook. At a time of ongoing great uncertainty for the horeca sector, she offers some enviable advice to would-be chefs and restaurateurs. In an interview with this website, Lisa, who runs a thriving…
MEPs Support Taiwan’s Campaign to Join International Organisations
Photo by Tom Ritson on Unsplash MEPs have adopted a resolution that condemns China’s continued military provocations against Taiwan and firmly rejects any unilateral change to the status-quo in the Taiwan Strait. These attempts, it says, particularly by means of force or coercion, will not be accepted and will incur a decisive and…