– In behalf of the Kingdom of Belgium and its subjects, Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo conveys his sincerest condolences and sympathy to the family of  95-year old Nelson Mandela, first black President of South Africa & a Nobel Peace Prize winner. “Today, we bid goodbye to a man who brought hope for his country, a true hero who will continue to inspire us”, says Di Rupo.

–  Meanwhile, the crisis unit of the provincial government of West Flanders, Belgium headed by Governor Carl Decaluwe came together again to continue to monitor the storm and tide.

– Today in the Kingdom of Belgium, winter begins on the energy market. This means that everyone gets a minimum amount of natural gas or electricity to heat his home even though some people have difficulty paying their energy bill. The Public Center for Social Welfare (CPAS/OCMW) will jump to help though according to the Flemish Minister of Energy Freya Van Den Bossche, this still happens in too few municipalities.

– Meanwhile, the 50-plusers in our kingdom who are looking for a new job, represent an almost hopeless mission.