Police in the Brussels commune of Etterbeek are looking for a Bangladeshi asylum seeker in connection with a quadruple murder that took place last week. Police were alerted when Jasbir Singh returned home from work to find his wife and three young children dead, after having their throats cut. Singh, an Indian national, has lived in Brussels for 15 years and was joined by his wife five years ago. The man wanted for questioning is a colleague of Singh and has been missing since the incident last Friday.

Dutch-speaking judges and clerks in Brussels have joined the Flemish bar association in an action before the Constitutional Court to strike down reforms made by the federal government to the judicial area of Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde. The plaintiffs claim the reforms will lead to a shortage of Dutch-speaking personnel and will worsen the existing backlog of work. The reforms introduced French- and Dutch-speaking chambers, with a staff split of 80/20, which will lead, the action says, to extra delays of six months every year until the split is reviewed in June 2014, as well as extra costs of €12.5 million a year.

Retail industry federation Comeos has expressed concern at suggestions made by federal economy minister Johan Vande Lanotte that the government might intervene to keep supermarket prices under control, using a new law due to come into force next year. Minister Vande Lanotte pointed out that the block can only be applied by the competition authorities, and the measures have been approved by the EU.

The Boerenbond (Farmers Union) has asked Flemish environment minister Joke Schauvliege to take measures to combat the growing numbers of wild boar in Limburg. There are an estimated 1,300 boar in the province, and the number is growing, leading to increased complaints of damage. Among the measures suggested is to relax hunting regulations.

The Federation of Moroccan Associations (FMV) has applied for permission to build a new pre- and primary school for children from Moroccan families in the Borgerhout district of Antwerp. The FMV hopes to improve educational opportunities for the children and would have space for 64. The city council will next month announce its decision about the school, which hopes to open next year.

The condition of Commandant Marnik Jacobs, who was seriously injured in an accident on a firing range in Helchteren in August, is no longer life-threatening, the ministry of defence announced. Warrant Officer Johan Bosmans died in the explosion, which happened when the bomb-disposal squad was carrying out a routine destruction of explosive materials.

The city of Brussels has slipped to 31st place in an international ranking of 100 cities by the consultancy Reputation Institute – down from 14th place last year. In a similar list for countries published recently, Belgium came in 13th. The list is based on scores for business climate, culture, infrastructure, cleanliness and efficient government. Vancouver took over the lead this year from London. Brussels came in 30th, meanwhile, in a list comparing purchasing power in 72 major cities worldwide, compiled by the Swiss bank UBS.

Almost 91,000 households in Antwerp took part in the latest group purchase of green electricity. The winning bid for the contract went once more to Essent, which will charge a price more than 20% below the current market price. The number of families taking part is more than in the previous two group purchases combined.

Researchers from the University of Leuven plan to gather DNA samples from people living in various regions of Belgium in the coming months to try to map a genetic link with the Roman troops that invaded this part of Europe some 2,000 years ago. The survey will test DNA from men in regions like Tongeren and Oudenburg whose families have lived in the same place for at least 400 years.

Mobility minister Hilde Crevits has ordered Flemish public transport authority De Lijn to implement strict controls to ensure that text in advertising on buses and trams is only in Dutch. Exceptions could be made for brand names, product slogans and film titles.

Drivers caught exceeding the speed limit in Antwerp will in future receive a child’s drawing together with their fine, in a campaign aimed at making speeders consider the consequences of their actions. The drawings, with the slogan “Thank you for driving more slowly”, were submitted by primary school children in a contest last year.