kernelle

Since the introduction of the NIS2 legislation last October, 2410 organizations from critical sectors have registered with the Center for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB). The largest ever cyber security operation in the country is currently underway. During this period, reports of cyber incidents increased by 80%.

Cybercrime is set to explode in the coming years. The new European Network and Information Security Directive (NIS2) aims to improve the cybersecurity and resilience of essential and key services in well-defined sectors in the EU.

Belgium was the first European member state to fully implement the new NIS2 directive. Belgian organizations covered by the NIS2 legislation have until tomorrow to register on the website atwork.safeonweb.be on a mandatory basis and are currently taking the necessary security measures such as protection against cyber attacks and data breaches.

news.belgium.be

https://pippinbarr.com/it-is-as-if-you-were-on-your-phone/info/

Want to be on your smartphone and do nothing at the same time? Not in the hyperbolic sense, actually nothing. You could call it meditating or avoiding social contact, however you look at it, this site got a great laugh out of me when I realised its purpose, or perhaps lack thereof.

https://kiwix.org/en/applications/

From the most useless link to the most useful: this is Kiwix, a platform to behold. Distributing knowledge everywhere, Kiwix brings the power of the internet to the offline world. Having support for all platforms, even a Raspberry Pi can be used to create a local copy of Wikipedia, Stack-Overflow, iFixit or any other treasure trove of digital knowledge.

https://github.com/Stirling-Tools/Stirling-PDF

As a versatile tool for distributing a formatted document, PDF's are a great solution. They also come with a lot of frustrations, some security related, some editing related. Stirling PDF is a self-hostable PDF manipulation tool. Providing a way to edit, add, merge, secure, watermark, OCR and much more. Depending on your workload, it could just be a must-have.

https://thenostalgiamachine.com/

Travel back in time to any nostalgic era with ease using this link. Provide them with a year and it'll spit out a list of clickable songs with their accompanying era accurate videoclips.

Dutch food delivery service Takeaway.com will soon offer home delivery on medicines to Belgian consumers.

In cooperation with pharmaceutical retailer Phoenix group, Takeaway.com will deliver products from BENU (formerly Lloyds Pharmacy) to the doors of Belgian clients. Customers will be able to order painkillers, skin care products, feminine hygiene products and other essential goods from within the app.

brusselstimes.com

Radiance', the first Franco-Belgian event dedicated to 100% female esports, will be held on 15 March at La Tricoterie in Brussels, organisers announced on Thursday. The event is being organised to mark International Women's Day (8 March).

In the world of esports, women are underrepresented and face numerous obstacles in their professional pursuits, according to the French Embassy in Belgium and Belgian non-profit Gaming Factory, both of which are behind the initiative.

A 2020 study by the Syndicat des Editeurs de Logiciels Libres found that 47% of video game players are women, yet only 6% of them are represented on the esports scene. The organisers believe that a structured, responsible and inclusive esports environment must include women.

brusselstimes.com

Belgian police have raided several locations in the country as part of an investigation into corruption within the European Parliament.

Prosecutors said the alleged corruption was "under the guise of commercial lobbying", and that several people had been detained for questioning.

According to officials, an address in Portugal was also searched by local police in relation to the case.

Belgian newspaper Le Soir said the investigation was linked to Chinese tech giant Huawei and its activities in Brussels since 2021. The BBC has approached Huawei for comment.

bbc.com

Every person registered in Belgium will be able to request a digital copy of their physical identity card for their smartphone from November next year. The digital version, which will not be mandatory, will be as valid as the physical card.

From the age of 15, all people in Belgium are required to carry their identity card with them at all times. Failure to show an identity card is punishable by a fine of €26 to €500. However, people who grew up outside Belgium may not instinctively remember to carry theirs on them.

The digital identity card offers a solution to this problem. From November 2026, anyone who wants a digital ID will be able to apply for one free of charge, Interior Minister Bernard Quintin (MR) confirmed on VRT Radio 1. "We have so many things on our phones, including our payment cards. So it's also time for a digital identity card."

The digital document will have the same validity as the physical card, and can be used for identification and authentication. People will also be able to use it to identify themselves within the Schengen zone.

Importantly, the digital card will not replace the current physical card – both systems will co-exist for the time being – and having this version will not be mandatory, meaning people who solely want a physical copy can continue to use this system.

Security threat?

The Interior Ministry has not yet presented a prototype of the new system, so it is currently unclear what form it will take.

The Ministry is still working on the technical side, but this is not easy, Quintin said. As the digital ID offers so many possibilities, this also makes it a target for cybercriminals. "We are living in an era of cybercrime, so security is highly important."

Quintin added that the new system will also be subject to strict security guarantees and will also have to be certified by the European Union.

Cybersecurity expert Inti De Ceukelaire stressed that, in some cases, digitisation even offers security benefits. "Owners of this document may be able to act more quickly if their physical card is stolen or lost."

brusselstimes.com

The Saint Peter’s abbey in Ghent was the place to be for fans of the game Dungeons & Dragons last Saturday. Some 700 enthusiastic gamers gathered here to play the game, but also to dress up, buy accessories and attend workshops. ‘It is a form of escapism,’ explains organiser Thomas Goyvaerts.

The St Peter's Abbey is an appropriate setting for a festival organised around the game. ‘This is the 3rd edition of Day of Dungeons, but it's the first time it is staged in Ghent,’ says Thomas. ‘There are hundreds of thousands or even millions of players worldwide, but usually you only play with a small group of about 6 people. Today is one of the few times you can play with a very large group, which is really something unique.’

vrt.be

Caught between the weight of rising taxes and the winds of political unrest, the art world finds itself in the throes of crisis. Though policies threaten to suffocate its vibrancy, Belgium’s art community perseveres in various ways.

There is still much to learn and adapt to, yet despite mounting obstacles, it remains a champion of social and political dialogue — proving that its power to provoke is as strong as ever.

SOME THOUGHTS

A proposal to increase VAT on art to 21% in Belgium has raised concerns about the impact on its art market, which ranks 11th globally. The Royal Chamber of Art Dealers warns that the move could hurt Belgium's international standing and reduce long-term tax revenue.

Dealers fear it will drive businesses to countries with lower VAT, like France, diminishing Belgium's status. For artists, gallery workers, and art lovers alike, this could result in higher prices, fewer gigs, and more undervalued labor.

How to cultivate unfiltered, unapologetic conversation. UK gallery Sadie Coles recently launched a new event series of thought-provoking talks aimed at resisting the sanitised narratives often dominating the cultural scene. Brussels’s cultural institutions—especially commercial galleries—could take note, creating space for more open, challenging dialogue in the art world.

With political tensions rising and the market increasingly commercialised, Brussels still has an opportunity to position itself as a hub for critical discourse and take its local artists more seriously. Done right, it could carve out a new cultural niche that values genuine engagement over surface-level spectacle.

EXPOS ON MY RADAR

In a time when democracy is under threat and truth itself is challenged, art remains a powerful tool for testing the status quo and offering alternative perspectives. Art has long served as a voice for the oppressed and a catalyst for social change.

Enter Kendell Geers, the Brussels-based, South African artist/provocateur who’s bringing that tradition to life with his curated show “Everything is True, Nothing is Permitted” at Brutus in Rotterdam.

The exhibition tackles the collapse of truth, the rise of censorship, and the simmering political unrest that’s gripped the globe as of late. Decades of blending activism with aesthetics have made Geers an unapologetic agent of civil disobedience. In a world teetering on the edge of instability, he’s proving that art is a battleground for discourse.

Is that chair staring at me? Collectible Fair champions contemporary design yet again, presenting pieces by designers that challenge conventional design norms. No mass production, no safe bets—just semi-functional conversation starters. It takes place next week, from March 13 to 16, at the Vanderborght building.

SCENE & BE SEEN

Kumo Collective is back for its third edition of Kumo Expo, turning La Vallée into an indoor festival until 4 am with DJs, pop-ups, and work for sale from Brussels’ rising artists.

Martin Kudlek Gallery will present a Drinks & Talks event on March 11th, from 6 to 8 pm, for their upcoming exhibition featuring Erik de Bree & Niels Sievers.

At ETE 78 on MArch 23rd, 1 Heure, 1 Oeuvre offers exactly what it promises: one hour, one artwork, and one deep dive, featuring Patrice Alexandre, Tristan Trémeau and Philippe Nys. RSVP required.

KIN Brussels hosts Urlaub, a conversation between Luca Lo Pinto and Nicolaus Schafhausen on March 15th. Sharp takes on exhibition making, working with artists, museums, galleries, free will, dogs and aesthetic pleasure.

EDJI Gallery highlights artists exploring identity, gender, and social change, with women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ voices leading the way toward a more inclusive art world. Join them for the opening of their new group show, Ethereal, on March 19th from 6–8 pm.

In Ghent, Demain Art is organising a vernissage event for their exhibition The Ripple Effect at Wintercircus Collective on Thursday, March 20, from 6 to 9 pm. Featuring 17 artists working across diverse media, the show reflects on societal shifts, personal narratives, and hidden connections that shape our world.

Two lions, Miron and Marek, that had been in a shelter in Ukraine arrived at the Natuurhulpcentrum (Nature Aid Centre) in Oudsbergen on Wednesday after a quarantine period in Poland. They were transferred to their new outdoor enclosure on Thursday morning.

"The animals were in a shelter near Kyiv, which they had to leave because of the war," said biologist Frederik Thoelen of the Natuurhulpcentrum. "They initially stayed in a zoo in Poznań (Poland) while waiting for a solution."

The Brussels Times with Belga

Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA) assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of continued support during their meeting in Brussels. Ahead of the European summit, he called US President Donald Trump "a real bully."

De Wever and Zelenskyy met in person for the first time on Thursday morning, after having already spoken over the phone at the end of February. The talks took place in the Prime Minister's office at Rue de la Loi 16, before the start of the extra European summit in Brussels.

"What Trump is doing is very un-European. He is also a real bully," said De Wever, after the events of the past few weeks.

However, he added that Belgium will not be cutting ties with the US. "The US remains historically our most important ally within NATO. That will not change with one president." Trump's policies therefore "does not mean that we have to tear up decades-old treaties. We are explicitly not going to do that," De Wever stressed.

Continuing support

Still, De Wever stressed that Ukraine can continue to count on Belgian support, emphasising that the invaded country must be at the table when peace talks with Russia take place. Additionally, "no decisions about Europe may be taken without European representation."

During the conversation with Zelenskyy, De Wever emphasised that Russia is the aggressor in the conflict, and Ukraine the victim. In February, Trump suggested that Kyiv itself had started the war.

The Ukrainian delegation thanked Belgium for its continued political, financial and military support. When asked, Zelenskyy emphasised that Ukraine hopes to be able to elicit additional European support at the special summit today. "Today, we are in Europe, and it is important that the support of our European partners continues," he said.

De Wever and Zelenskyy first sat together in private in the Prime Minister's office. This was followed by broader consultations with, among others, Defence Minister Theo Francken (N-VA), as well as Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Andrii Sybiha and Zelenskyy's chief of staff Andrii Yermak.

During their telephone conversation on 25 February, Zelenskyy invited De Wever to visit Kyiv. Now, it was agreed that he "and members of his government" will accept this invitation "as soon as possible.

" While there is therefore no specific date, the trip should be possible "within a few weeks," said Francken.

F-16s and 2% defence spending

Before entering the European summit, De Wever told reporters that he was not ruling out that Belgian F-16s would be delivered to Ukraine this year. "But they would be used to deliver spare parts." Next year, combat-ready F-16s could possibly be delivered, he added.

De Wever also told journalists that the European Commission’s ReArm Europe plan should enable Belgium to reach its target of spending 2% of its GDP on defence sooner than expected, "without too much damage" to other sectors.

"2029 is far too late," he added, referring to the deadline set in the Federal Government agreement. "We are a poor performer in NATO, and we are not even invited to certain meetings." Belgium was not invited to the initial meetings in Paris and London of a potential coalition of countries willing to ensure a possible peace agreement in Ukraine.

The Commission’s proposals include greater flexibility in European budgetary rules, which the Belgian Prime Minister has also welcomed it as "necessary", but added that "like the Dutch, I worry that it may become a habit."

brusselstimes.com

A long-lost painting by Flemish Renaissance artist Abel Grimmer has resurfaced after nearly a century in obscurity.

The artwork, titled 'A Landscape with Peasants near a Lakeside Castle', was discovered in a private collection. It is set to be auctioned by UK-based auction house Woolley & Wallis on Wednesday 5 March, with an estimated value of £20,000 (€24,000).

His paintings are housed in institutions such as the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels, the Groeningemuseum in Bruges, the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.

The rediscovered painting is a quintessential example of Grimmer's small-scale landscapes, featuring charming scenes of rural life. Many of his works formed series, such as 'The Four Seasons' or 'The Twelve Months', and it is believed this painting was likely part of a pair depicting seasonal contrasts.

brusselstimes.com

LinkDumps are a classic piece of internet history, born out of growing lists of bookmarks and the need to share them in either an organised or chaotic fashion. I'm sure you've got lots of interesting places on the internet stored away and ready to be shared.

I've already shared a few LinkDumps, including one today. This is my way of spreading the word!

Community: [email protected]

Lemmyverse: https://lemmyverse.link/c/[email protected]