More than 68,000 people took part in the 29th edition of the Gordel, which is 10,000 more than last year. The Flemish cycling and walking event around Brussels is intended to highlight the Flemish character of the region surrounding Brussels. Before the start of the Gordel, both Flemish Minister-president Kris Peeters (CD&V), as well as the N-VA ministers Muyters and Bourgeois and Flemish Member of Parliament Eric Van Rompuy (CD&V) emphasised the necessity of splitting the Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde constituency. The brother of the federal premier Herman Van Rompuy pointed out that the federal government intends having talks on this matter with the Francophones by March next year. According to Herman Van Rompuy the discussion on this mater has to be finalised before the Belgian chairmanship of the EU in the second half of 2010. The Francophones have blocked the splitting of the constituency for the time being by claiming a conflict of interests. But that also ends in the second half of next year. `If the constituency is not split, no elections can legally be organised, and that would mean the end of Belgium', according to Eric Van Rompuy. In exchange, the Francophones want to extend the Brussels territory by adding some predominantly French-speaking municipalities on Flemish territory to Brussels, but the Flemings want nothing of that kind. Some Flemish activists had locked a wheel of CD&V chairperson Marianne Thyssen with a bicycle lock, but Kris Peeters gave her his own wheel. Otherwise the Gordel passed without any significant incidents and the atmosphere was cosy ad relaxed, with even some French-speaking participants showing up.

The interest organisations for the self-employed, Unizo and NSZ are questioning the statistics published by the socialist trade union ABVV on the average income of the self-employed. The ABVV published these statistics to show how little taxable income the self-employed declare and how little tax they pay. According to the Unizo manager Karel Van Eetvelt these statistics published by the ABVV are wrong and are only meant to motivate the government to impose new taxes on the self-employed. According to Unizo and NSZ a self-employed worker earns 21,438 Euros on average, and not 18,147 Euros, which the ABVV claims to be the average. A male worker, being self-employed as his main activity, even earns 27,300 Euros per annum on average, which is considerably more than the common average, in which people, who are only self-employed in a secondary job and pensioners are also calculated. Moreover, the trade union compared the net incomes of self-employed people of which all professional costs have been subtracted, with the gross income of workers earning a salary (35,258 Euros on average), according to Unizo. According to the ABVV these comparisons are completely justified as both statistics show the taxable income. Unizo denies that self-employed workers contribute less to social security, saying their contribution corresponds with the membership numbers of the Riziv (Rijksdienst voor Ziekte en Invaliditeitsverzekering). Moreover, on average they cost less on health insurance than people working for a salary, according to Unizo. The union is adamant that the treasury is losing income from self-employed lawyers, doctors, pharmacists and others who establish a corporation, thus no longer being taxed as individuals, but as a firm, of which the taxable income is much lower (30 percent as opposed to 50 percent).

Flemish researchers led by expert Christine Van Broeckhoven, together with colleagues from six other countries, have made a breakthrough in the fight against Alzheimer disease, having identified three genes that increase the risk of this memory disease. Until now only one genetic risk factor, the APOE E4, had been identified. The other three have been discovered after fifteen years. The discovery came after comparing the DNS code of Alzheimer patients with data from healthy control patients totaling about 20,000. In order to do this they had to compare masses and masses of data. Van Broeckhoven says: "We have succeeded in doing so by having scientists working together over borders and making their data available. In our Belgian contribution - the VIB research centre, Institute Born Bunge and the University of Antwerp - have been of crucial importance." The discovery of these new genes now brings the research of the disease to a new phase. "The genetic risk profile can now be refined much more," Van Broeckhoven says. "Based on this we can now search for ways to delay and/ or to prevent the disease." If even more risk factors can be discovered, it will enable researchers to draw up a risk profile through which the disease may be diagnosed at a much earlier stage, Van Broeckhoven concludes. Until now the medical world can only identify this disease at a later stage, when there is already considerable brain damage.

The Romanian 'ethical hacker' Unu succeeded in accessing a data base with passwords of clients that can be read in normal text, just like their addresses and e-mail addresses, via a website related to ING Belgium. He also accessed a large volume of data at Dexia via another website. Fortunately Unu had no evil intentions. He is known as a hacker who intends showing companies the risks of their poor security. Dexia and ING Belgium minimalised the incident. Both leaks allegedly originated in data banks of external companies with no link to the databases of the banks. A ten minute intervention would have secured the leaks. The financial guard-dog CBFA scrupulously investigated the problem of IT security at banks. After having determined a peak in Internet fraud at the end of last year, through which thirty Internet accounts were looted, the CBFA decided on stricter measures, resulting in a circular which introduced a new set of rules, amongst others discouraging them to use reusable passwords and usernames for fraud-sensitive Internet bank services. According to one specialist in the newspaper De Standaard many security risks are still being caused by the unsecured PC's of their users. British and Dutch banks no longer allow unsecured PC's on their computer network. However, Internet fraud in Belgium has dropped to three cases involving only 8,000 Euros this year. In 2007 fraud still was high, amounting to 550,000 Euros.

Universities in Flanders, such as the University of Ghent, the Catholic Louvain University, The Brussels Free University and the University of Antwerp, recorded an increase of ten to fifteen percent in new enrolments. The reason is not only the birth peak of eighteen year olds, but also the fact that even more and more pupils from technical secondary education schools try their luck at universities, Rudy Van Hoof of the Antwerp University says. The bachelors-masters reform has narrowed the gap between secondary technical education and the university considerably. More and more pupils from industrial sciences choose to be trained at science faculties. The increase at Antwerp is a full sixty percent. The increase in medical students has also risen sharply, particularly because nearly double the number of applicants passed the admittance test. Other courses that are popular are in the field of bio-chemistry, biology and bio-engineering.

Hard-line activists prevent the Flemish Christian democrat leader from getting on her bike.

The Standard de Liège player has received death threats after his disastrous tackle of Wasilewski.

Defence Minister Pieter De Crem is in Poland where WWII broke out exactly 70 years ago; Belgium entered the war in May 1940.

The Centre for Equal Opportunities and Opposition to Racism has launched a campaign regarding discrimination on the work floor of youngsters of different ethnic origin. 20 percent of the complaints that are filed every year with the centre are work related.

The new school year started for Flemish school children, youngsters and teachers on 1 September.

01/09/09 - Exactly 70 years ago today World War II started when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Belgium entered the war in May 1940, but Defence Minister De Crem was at the commemorative events in Poland today.

The Federal Cabinet met for a first time after the summer holidays in Brussels on Tuesday.

5/09/09 - The Defence Ministry has released new figures about operations involving the 6 F-16 fighter jets deployed in the Afghan theatre.

1/090/09 - A big new campaign is being launched to inform people about swine flu. All month teams from the Influenza Commission will hand out leaflets containing tips to avoid coming down with the disease.

1/090/09 - Muslim activists demonstrated outside Antwerp Atheneum School on Tuesday in protest against a headscarf ban. Despite threats by some to quit the school, most pupils are complying with the ban.

Belgian antique dealers are illegally offering Afghan art for sale from Brussels to Knokke. The profits benefit the Taliban.

The Federal Planning Bureau predicts zero inflation this year- less than it originally predicted.

Le conseil communal anversois devait décider hier de la question qui sera posée à la population de la ville lors du référendum du 18 octobre concernant le tracé de la rocade anversoise. Le SP.A, parti du bourgmestre Patrick Janssens, le parti d'opposition Groen! et les groupes d'action optaient pour deux questions : l'une portant sur le pont du Lange Wapper, l'autre sur l'alternative proposée par Arup/Sum (un tunnel au lieu d'un pont). Le CD&V et la N-VA, qui forment un groupe majoritaire unique à Anvers, ainsi que l'Open VLD sont partisans du premier tracé (le projet du BAM). Hier Janssens même allait à Bruxelles pour une réunion avec le ministre-président Peeters, mais ne réussissait pas de le convaincre. Par contre, celui-ci résolument affirmait qu'il n'y aurait qu'une seule question au référendum: celle sur l'opportunité du tracé BAM. Si Janssens voulait absolument poser deux questions, il aurait dû faire voter le conseil communal, où il aurait pu rallier une majorité à son point de vue avec l'appui du Vlaams Belang. Mais pour le bourgmestre, faire sauter le cordon sanitaire entourant la formation radicale de droite pour obtenir la majorité alternative était payer un prix trop élevé. "C'est seulement quand vous aurez gagné les élections que vous déciderez ce qui se passe à Anvers", il prévenait la tête de liste VB Philip Dewinter. Le SP.A est néanmoins particulièrement déçu par le diktat du ministre-Président flamand Kris Peeters. Le choc frontal entre socialistes et démocrates-chrétiens a infligé des blessures profondes, non seulement à Anvers, mais aussi au gouvernement flamand, commente De Morgen. Le SP.A exige que si la solution du pont est rejetée, celle du tunnel soit renégociée, et a promis quoi qu'il en soit de mener une campagne tambour battant pour désavouer le pont. Groen! a dénoncé la perversité du jeu de politique politicienne du CD&V et de la N-VA, et estime avec le groupe d'action Stratengeneraal que le bourgmestre a fait acte de soumission.

Les partis de la majorité se rallient désormais tous à l'idée d'un impôt de crise pour les banques. Après que Rudy De Leeuw, patron du syndicat socialiste ABVV, et la ministre PS Laurette Onkelinx aient insisté sur la nécessité de cette mesure, les démocrates-chrétiens et les libéraux l'approuvent à leur tour. L'expert budgétaire de l'Open VLD Luc Van Biesen considère qu'il est logique d'instaurer cette mesure et table sur une opération neutre, ce qui signifie que les banques devraient payer l'équivalent des intérêts que l'Etat doit débourser suite aux diverses augmentations de capital (quelque 700 millions d'euros). Pour le CD&V, on ne peut pas passer outre l'opinion publique car familles et pouvoirs publics ploient sous le poids de la crise, tandis que les banques veulent à nouveau distribuer dividendes et bonus. Le SP.A, qui se trouve dans l'opposition au niveau fédéral, a embrayé hier sur la suggestion de De Leeuw et Onkelinx, et a introduit une proposition de loi visant à exclure les banques des avantages de la déductibilité des intérêts notionnels, qui autorise un abattement sur l'impôt des sociétés investissant de leurs fonds propres. Selon le chef de groupe SP.A Dirk Vander Maelen, la mesure rapporterait 600 millions d'euros. Les libéraux du VLD et du MR se disent même prêts à parler de cette déductibilité. Le ministre des Finances Didier Reynders (MR) a déjà laissé entendre qu'il préférerait faire payer la crise aux institutions financières plutôt qu'au citoyen. Mais en échange, les libéraux demandent que la norme de croissance de l'assurance maladie-invalidité (4,5%) soit revue à la baisse, ainsi que la diminution de la TVA dans l'horeca et le report de la sortie du nucléaire.

L'université d'Anvers a mis au point un instrument permettant aux étudiants d'évaluer leurs enseignants, de manière anonyme et scientifiquement fondée. L'initiative "les étudiants apprennent aux enseignants" ("Leraren Leren van Leerlingen") se compose d'un questionnaire numérique qui permet aux élèves de cinquième et sixième primaire ainsi que du secondaire d'indiquer les points forts ou faibles de leur professeur en classe. Les enseignants ouverts à l'opinion de leurs élèves peuvent se le procurer auprès des chercheurs de l'université. Exemples de questions : "Votre professeur intervient-il quand l'ambiance en classe est perturbée ?", "Votre professeur donne-t-il suffisamment de feed-back sur le test ?", "Accepte-t-il que certains étudiants aient une opinion ?"... L'objectif final est qu'en donnant cours, l'enseignant tienne compte de ce que la classe a à dire. L'instrument d'évaluation et de feed-back est disponible en ligne et doit être installé sur un ordinateur pour que les étudiants puissent le compléter anonymement. Ce formulaire suscite des réactions contradictoires : "Les étudiants sont assertifs, ce qui n'en fait pas des experts", estime le syndicat socialiste des enseignants ACOD. "L'évaluation est un métier". Tant que l'enseignant reste libre d'utiliser ou non le formulaire pour adapter sa manière de donner cours, le syndicat n'y voit toutefois pas malice, mais il estime qu'il ne doit ni devenir un droit que pourraient revendiquer les élèves, ni un instrument d'évaluation pour la direction de l'école. La fédération flamande des étudiants trouve en revanche que l'initiative est intéressante : "Les élèves apprécient qu'un professeur ne se pose pas en autorité infaillible et leur demande leur avis sur la façon dont il donne cours."