VRT

Belgian broadcaster VRT NWS is covering the country's budget negotiations, with a live discussion asking whether the middle class will end up paying for the agreed budget deal. Flemish minister Jan Janssen Weyts defended the measures, saying that when accounts are in the red, everyone has to contribute.

A survey of 2,292 adults in Flanders, commissioned by the VRT, finds that 44 percent now drink alcohol rarely or never, up from 36 percent four years ago. The figures point to a clear shift away from regular drinking in the region, continuing a trend seen in several European countries.