BUDGET PROCESS IN FINAL PHASE

Finance Minister Luc Frieden has started bi-lateral talks with government departments in the first step to preparing the national budget for next year.  He says he expects discussions to be difficult, and expects to turn down requests more often than he grants them.  These talks will go on for a fortnight before a draft budget is presented to cabinet.  The whole process should end in a month’s time.  Mr Frieden is charged with reducing the budget deficit from 2.8% of GDP to zero, but his problem is how to balance cuts against growth.

ESCH STABBING - UPDATE

A 53 year old man from Esch is now under arrest following the fatal stabbing of a woman there on Wednesday afternoon.  The man has been identified as the husband of the victim.  The woman was still alive when the police arrived, but died not long after from her injuries. 

HORSE COLLISION

A woman had a lucky escape on Wednesday night when four horses ran across the road in front of her car.  She wasn’t able to avoid one of them, and it collided with the front of her car.  The horses had escaped from a paddock near Osweiler.   All the horses were rounded up soon afterwards, and the driver was unhurt, but her car sustained serious damage.

TERRES ROUGES

The Terres Rouges street festival begins today and lasts all week-end.  The event is one of the biggest cultural occasions of the year in the Grand Duchy and draws visitors from all over the Grand Region.  It’s famous for the huge numbers of street performers who show up.  But there is also an Open Air Rock Concert at the Galgebierg on Sunday, featuring international and local bands.

LSAP GM ROW

MEP Robert Goebbels has received the backing of a local opponent in the European Parliament.  As the row over GM crops rumbles on in the LSAP Labour Party, Astrid Lulling, an MEP for the CSV, says Mr Goebbels is right to open up the debate on GM food.  She praised him for wanting to have the discussion based on facts rather than unproven risks.  She said it wouldn’t matter at all if the LSAP expels him – she herself was expelled by the party 40 years ago for differences of opinion with the leadership.

DEATH IN ESCH

A fight in Esch yesterday has led to the death of one person.  Police blocked off part of the Rue Michel Rodange after they were summoned to an apartment block there in the afternoon.  It seems the woman who died had been stabbed by a man, and she died later in hospital from her wounds.  Police have not revealed the nature of the relationship between the killer and his victim.  A man gave himself up at the scene of the crime and is now in custody.

INFLATION REPORT FOR AUGUST

Last month saw a drop in inflation here.  The annualised rate fell from 2.7% to 2.5%.  Over the course of the August the retail price index rose 0.24%. Services contributed most to the rise in prices, with restaurants, travel agents and hairdressers all charging more.  Higher water prices were also a factor. 

WETTEST EVER AUGUST

Last month was the wettest August in Luxembourg since records began.  Three times as much rain fell during the month as on average.  The massive amount of rain took a heavy toll on the country’s agriculture, coming straight after a hot dry spell which had left crops weak.  Weather records have been kept in Luxmebourg since 1947.  The previous wettest August was in 2006.

LSAP AND GM

The LSAP labour party is still squabbling about genetically modified organisms, or GMOs.  One of their MEP’s, Robert Goebbels, has called for less “knee-jerk” opposition to GMOs from his colleagues.  He says genetically modified food is changing the lives of millions of people around the world for the better.  Local LSAP MP’s say they opposition is based on the principal of safety before profits.  Mr Goebbel’s yesterday told the Tageblatt that he was sticking to his guns.  He said it was ridiculous to claim the Grand Duchy was GMO-free when more than 2/3 of imported animal food here was GM.  He repeated his accusation that opposition to GM food and crops is rooted in ignorance.  Adding that it isn’t the first time he’s found himself in the minority in his party. 

CAR THEFT

Two robbers assaulted a woman and took her car in Petange yesterday.  She had parked her Porsche Cayenne 4x4 in the Rue de l’Eglise at 9 o’clock when the attackers struck.  They pushed her to the ground and ripped the keys out of her hands.  They then sped off in the direction of France.  The car is black and registered as BM0550 in Luxembourg.  Police are also looking for the driver of a French registered BMW coupe which collided with a truck nearby at the same time.  The driver failed to stop after the accident.

ENGINE  EXPLODES

A driver was treated for shock after his car exploded on Tuesday evening.  He was travelling round the Collectrice towards Frisange when his car’s engine blew up and burst into flames.  It sprayed oil over the road surface for a distance of ½ a kilometre.  The overtaking lane had to be closed so workers could clear up the oil.

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FORCED DEPORTATION

The foreign ministry has confirmed that a family of four was deported to Serbia yesterday  The family comprises a father and mother, and two sons aged thirty and forty.  .  They have lived in Luxembourg since 2003.  Their first application for asylum was rejected two years later, but their deportation was delayed by the parents failing health.  Finally they were given leave to remain until they got better.  Doctors confirmed their recovery at the end of last year.  The family is now in Belgrade.

SERIOUS ACCIDENT

A man is in hospital with life-threatening injuries after crashing his car in Kirchberg on Monday night.  The 30 year ran into the barriers at the Sera roundabout near the Utopolis cinema complex at high speed.  Parts of his car were hurled over 150 meters down the road.  He had to be cut out of the car by rescue services.   Police say witnesses saw the car travelling dangerously fast in the run-up to the accident.

AIRPORT ACCIDENT

An accident involving a private plane closed Findel Airport briefly yesterday evening.   The plane punctured its right tyre while trying to land at around 7 o’clock.  This caused it to spin round 180 degrees.  The two people aboard were uninjured.  Planes were prevented from using the runway for about ½ hour while the plane was cleared.

PATIENT BACK IN HOSPITAL

Svetlana Novikov, who absconded from the Ettelbruck psychiatric centre a week ago has been found.  Police gave no further indications of where and when she turned up.  Svetlana went missing on the 22^nd of August after going out for a walk.

GREENPEACE

Greenpeace continues to claim that work on a cable to bring electricity into Luxembourg from France is illegal.  They are demanding that work stop immediately on the project.  Work appears to have already started on sites in several communes along the cable’s route.  Greenpeace says their appeal against the authorisation to build the cable is yet to be heard, and work must stop until then.  Greenpeace are unhappy about the route of the cable through nature reserves, and also that it will bring electricity generated by nuclear power into Luxembourg.

QUICK STAYS HARAAM

Quick burger restaurants say they won’t be setting up a halal restaurant here.  The chain recently announced 14 new restaurants in France catering for Muslim customers.  Quick’s trials with halal restaurants in France earlier this year provoked allegations of it supporting the Islamicisation of France.  But the popular fast food restaurant says there just isn’t the demand for a Halal restaurant in Luxembourg just yet and its ones here will remain Haraam.

NEW PRICES FOR STAMPS

New tariffs for letters and printed materials come into effect tomorrow.  The changes are a mixture of price rises and cuts.  The last time the price of a national stamp rose was 7 years ago, and stamps for EU countries last rose in 2005.  But now both will rise, with local letters costing 60 cent, and European ones 85.  Letters to countries outside Europe will now all cost €1.10.  Previously they varied from 90cents to €1.40.

FORCED DEPORTATION UNDERWAY

Immigrant rights group ASTI say a family is in the process of being forcibly deported.  They were taken to the holding area for failed asylum seekers at the airport yesterday.  The family has been here for 7 years.  ASTI is now demanding to know why the deportation is being carried out with such urgency.

VIOLENT FIGHT

Witessess called police in the early hours of yesterday morning because of a violent brawl in the capital.  Several young people were involved in the incident in Rue Nicolas Liez.  One of them apparently used an iron bar.  As the fight broke up, shots were fired from a car leaving the scene.  The police were able to trace the car and stop it.  They confiscated both the pistol and a baseball bat.  Several people, all under the ages of 25 have been arrested.

Some Local Business News

BGL BNP Paribas has posted net profits of over 110 million euros in the first half of the year.  The banks management say they are very satisfied with the result.  BGL BNP Paribas is the largest employer in the local banking sector, and is the most active in commercial banking.  It is also the second biggest player in personal banking. 

STRASSEN – BRIDEL ACCIDENT BLACK SPOT

There has been more traffic mayhem on the road between Strassen and Bridel.  It had to be closed from Sunday to Monday because of a string of  accidents.  There were two accidents within 2 hours, involving four vehicles.  Both involved drivers losing control of their cars on corners and hitting trees.  Another involved a car crashing into the crash site some time later.  Police blamed the greasy road surface rather than incompetence for the accidents.

10 000 BABIES IN KIRCHBERG

The Centre Hospitalier in Kirchberg has announced the arrival of the 10 000^th baby there.  The hospital moved in 2006 from its original site on the Route D’Arlon.

 Since then it has being delivering an average of 6 babies a day.  The family  of baby have been given presents and flowers by the hospital by way of celebration.

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BEGGING WITH SOMEONE ELSE’S BABY

A woman is under investigation after being picked up for begging on Saturday.  She was sitting in the doorway of a shop with a baby, asking for money.  Clearly under the influence of drugs, she passed out on several occasions.  The staff in the shop alerted the police, who ascertained that she was not the mother of the infant.  The baby was reunited with its mother and the woman taking away for questioning.   

WATER PLANT FOR PAKISTAN

The government is sending a mobile water treatment plant to Pakistan.  The equipment will provide 30 000 litres of clean water a day for flood victims in the south of the country.  8 soldiers will travel, in a civilian capacity, to man the plant.  It will go on the 19^th of the month, the first slot available for a giant Antonov cargo plane to transport it. 

LSAP RESPONDS TO GM FOOD SUPPORTER

The LSAP labour party has distanced itself from public criticisms made by one its own MEPs.  Robert Goebbels published an open letter at the end of last month critical of local politicians attitudes to genetically modified crops.  The MEP says GM food is revolutionising the food supply for millions and that the opposition to it in Luxembourg is blinkered and ignorant.  Now his party has distanced itself from his remarks, saying its opposition to GM food was based on the principle of safety before profits.  The party said it would back ministers who raised objections at an EU level to moves to adopt GM produce.  LSAP boss Lucien Lux said party members should also stick to its policies as outlined in its recent manifesto. 

NEW ANIMAL SHELTER

The Luxembourg Society for the protection of animals has announced the modernisation of its animal shelter in Gasperich.  Work will start on the new installation in three weeks time.  Construction will take two years.  Animals will stay in the existing 50 year old buildings until it’s finished.  The new centre will have bigger pens for dogs and a free-range enclosure for cats.  There will also be better vetinary facilities.  

HELP RUSSIA AT THE BRADERIE

There will be a collection at today’s braderie market for families in Russia who lost their homes in this summer’s wildfires.  There are still thousands of Russian families living in schools and sportshalls.  Some will have to move into tents when the schoolyear starts tomorrow,  The Luxembourg-Russian society are asking people to donate clothes and household goods to help them rebuild their lives.  The stall for the collection will be at 32 Rue Goethe, where the society has its headquarters.

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MEAT CLEAVER

Two men threatened a team of removal men with a meat cleaver yesterday morning.  The dispute started when the removal men refused to give a cigarette to the passers-by.  One of these then produced a meat cleaver and beat it against the loading platform of the removal truck.  When a third removal man appeared, the axeman swung his weapon at his legs, threatening to cut one of them off.  The workmen took refuge then in their truck while the two attackers circled around it, beating the truck with their axe.  They eventually moved on, but were picked up soon afterwards by the police.

HELLS ANGEL IN TROUBLE

A member of the Luxembourg Hells Angels chapter has been arrested in Frankfurt.  Prosecutors say the biker had over 20 000 euros worth of amphetamines on him.  He already has a long record of convictions for drug dealing.  He has been remanded in custody while investigations continue.

TROISVIERGES FIRE

A fire in a garage in Troisvierges has destroyed some of the building and the cars and motorcyvles in it. Thet broke out yesterday afternoon and police had to close several roads in the town while the fire service tackled the blaze.  Nobody was injured in the fire.

ADR WANTS ELECTORAL REFORM

The opposition ADR party has called for reform of the country’s electoral system.  They say that the discrepancies between voter numbers in the districts and the number of seats they have in the Chamber of Deputies is too great.  For example, there are twice as many voters in the central district as in the east, but they elect 3 times as many MPs.  Robert Mehlen, the president of the ADR, says the discrepancy is large enough now to be a constitutional issue, breaching the equality requirements in it.  He has suggested expanding the number of MPs overall to help bring a better correlation between votes cast and MPs elected.

SVETLANA NOVIKOV

Police are appealing for help in tracing a young woman who has gone missing from Ettelbruck psychiatric hospital.  Svetlana Novikov didn’t return from a walk last Sunday evening.  She is 1m56 tall with blond hair, and wearing dark or black clothing.  Svetlana has been known to use the surnames Gorbachova, Gudemenko and Vadianova as well as her own name.

BRADERIE

Over 400 stalls will be open in this year’s braderie market in the capital.  The event sees shopkeepers and stallholders offering their wares at knock-down prices on Monday.  Some shops will already open their doors on Sunday to attract customers.  New this year is an After Braderie Party to be held near the station at 5pm.

DOCK BITES COCK

A young man from Metz is in hospital after a pitbull inflicted a particularly nasty injury on him.  He’d spent Sunday night at a party, and stayed in the apartment until Monday.  The woman who lived there owned two pit bulls.  The 22 year old told the press he simply walked past one of the dogs when it launched its attack, biting him on his penis and testicles.  In the panic the man jumped out of a first floor window.  He needed an 8 hour operation to restore his manhood.  He has told the media that he is simply delighted to be back in full working order again.

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SCHIFFLANGE VANDALS

Police are trying to find vandals who have struck repeatedly in Schifflange.  They have wreaked havoc on the streets of the town on an almost daily basis.  They have broken glass in bus shelters and tipped over plant pots.   They have even felled trees, using a saw.  If you’ve seen the vandals at work then the police in Schifflange would like to hear from you.

CON GANG AT WORK

Five con artists tricked a Vianden shopkeeper out of two hundred euros on Tuesday.  The four men and a woman bought food to the tune of 36 euros from the shop.  But after paying for it with a 500 euro note, and getting their change, they decided they didn’t want the food.  The handed it back with the change and asked for their 500 euro note back.  But the shopkeeper didn’t check the change they handed back to him and it was only later he saw that it was short by 200 euros. 

ARISTOCRATIC WEDDING

Residents of Ansemburg will be celebrating an aristocratic wedding on Saturday.  The local lord of the manor, Count Gaston Gaëtan  of Marchant and Ansemboug will wed Marina Tenderes.  The 32 year old count took up residence in the mediaeval castle in Ansembourg on the death of his father.  He is part of a noble family which is spread all over Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.  They came into the castle in the village in the 17^th century, although the castle has stood there since the 12^th.  The wedding is being held in Tuntange parish church.

CHAMPAGNE VANDAL

A row in an Esch café ended up with the barman’s car being damaged.  The barman got into a row with the customer on Tuesday evening, and it ended up with the barman hurling a champagne ice bucket after the customer as he left the establishment.  The customer ducked the bucket, but then used it to smash in the rear window of the barman’s car.  He also broke off a wing mirror for good measure.  He admitted the damage when police arrested him a short while  afterwards.

FRYER FIRE

A deep-fat fryer went up in flames in a stall at the Schoeberfouer on Wednesday afternoon.  The fire service were called and they were quickly on the case with 17 fire fighters tackling the rogue kitchen appliance.  With two fire tenders, a turntable ladder and an ambulance in attendance the blaze was quickly under control.  Nobody was injured in the incident.

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JUNCKER IN RUSSIA

Jean-Claude Juncker has pleged better co-operation with Russia in the future.  The prime minister was speaking yesterday after meeting with Russian president Dmitri Medvedev.  Mr Juncker is in the southern Russian town of Sochi on an official visit, accompanied by finance minister Luc Frieden.  Specifically, structures will be set up to improve co-operation between the steel and automotive sectors in both countries.  Officials are also in the process of negotiating a double taxation agreement. 

CHILD BENEFIT REFORMS

A prominent Belgian politician has attacked reforms to the Luxembourg child benefit system.  Domnique Tilmans, who represents constituents in Arlon, says the reforms will create a two tier system of benefits for employees.  The reforms mean that parents can only claim child benefit until their child is 18 or leaves school.  Ms Tilmans says Luxembourg has gone ahead with the reforms without consulting neighbouring countries, and that they go against a spirit of European co-operation.  Unions here a planning a mass demonstration on the 16^th September against the impact of austerity measures here which they say unfairly target cross-border workers.

DONATIONS FOR PAKISTAN

Local charities say they are seeing a rise in donations for victims of the flood in Pakistan.  The Red Cross says they were disappointed to the response to their first appeal.  But donations now are on the rise as people here return from holidays.  Caritas too say the level of donations they are receiving is on the way up too.  The charities add that it is always harder to raise donations for catastrophes which unfold slowly, such as the floods in Pakistan, as opposed to sudden disasters like the Haiti earthquake.

FEISTY OLD LADY

An elderly lady drove off a mugger on Monday by hitting him with her walking stick.  The young man tried to grab her handbag in the Rue Dicks in the early evening.  The feisty old woman however managed to land several hits on him with the stick before he abandoned his assault.  Two passers-by also got involved and attacked the young man too.  He eventually broke free and ran off down the Avenue de la Liberte.  Police are appealing for witnesses.

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TAXI ROBBER

A man threatened a taxi driver with a gun on Sunday night.  The passenger first got in the taxi at Rue Aldrigen in the capital and asked to be taken to Hollerich.  Once there, he asked for the taxi driver’s business card, paid up and left.  He called the taxi driver a few minutes later, saying he now wanted to go to Esch.  ON getting into the car, he thrust the pistol into drivers chest and demanded all his money.  He then ran off.  Police are looking for a man in a dark jacket and grey tracksuit trousers.  He spoke French and Portuguese.

TRAM SURVEYING STARTS

Surveying for the new tram system starts in earnest tomorrow.  Holes will be drilled in section from the avenue de la Liberté up to the Schumann roundabout.  In all 23 boreholes will be drilled in the three and a half kilometre stretch of road.  The holes will allow engineers to decide what sort of foundations are needed for the tram tracks. 

NEW FLIGHTS TO MUNICH

There will be an extra two flights a day to Munich from Luxembourg once the winter timetable comes into force.  Lufthansa’s City Line subsidiary will operate the flights.  Luxair already flies three times daily to the capital of Bavaria.  Munich airport is an popular intercontinental gateway for passengers starting their journey in Luxembourg.

SCHOEBERFOUER CRIMES

There were several incidents in and around the Schoeberfouer on Sunday night.  Four young women and a man robbed a mobile phone off two young women waiting at the Pescatore bus-stop.  Two men tried to used a forged 50 euro note to pay at a stand on the Allee Scheffer.  One of them punched the stallholder when he refused to accept it.  Fair security caught the men and handed them over to the police, who discovered other forged notes on them.  And a man was assaulted, pushed to the ground and his wallet stolen right in front of the big wheel at around 11.00pm. 

BRIDGE CRASH

There were delays to trains yesterday after a truck driver crashed into the railway bridge on the Montee de Clausen.  He had failed to notice the warning signs banning vehicles more than 3 ½ meters high are banned from the road.  CFL engineers had to check the damage in case it had affected the tracks on top of the bridge.  The lines affected run from the capital to Dommeldange.

FISHPOND PROBLEMS

An investigation has revealed the cause of the massive loss of fish life in a pond in Remerschen last week.  Over 200 kilogrammes of dead fish had to be removed from the pond, a favourite haunt with anglers.  It seems a nearby drain had become blocked with building waste.  This caused an overflow of household waste water into the pond.  The organic matter in the household waste caused a massive drop in the oxygen content of the pond’s water, and the fish there suffocated. 

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GIRL GANG

A gang of girls launched an attack on two passers-by in the park near the Schoeberfouer on Saturday night.  The 4 girls approached their victims and spoke to them on the Kinnekswiess before spraying them with tear gas.  They were however unable to complete their robbery and fled. Police caught up with them a little later and confiscated the tear gas and marijuana.  All four now face charges.

THIEF ATTACKS WITNESS

A witness to a car theft was beaten up in broad daylight on Saturday.  He saw a man breaking into a car in Denier Sol, in Bonnevoie, and spoke to him.  The thief responded by punching him in the face and pushing him to the ground.  The victim sustained back injuries in the attack.  The police were able to arreset the perpetrator not long afterwards and he has already been charged.

UNEMPLOYMENT REPORT

162 more people were looking for work here in July than in the month before.  The total number of unemployed now stands at 13 639 people, according to figures released on Friday.  This equates to an unemployment rate of 5.7%.   Adding in people on job creation or training schemes , and the number of people without a job rises to 17 441, or 7.4% of the workforce.  And around another 2 800 people are on short-time work at 52 firms nationwide.  But on a brighter note, ADEM says it has seen a sharp rise in the number of jobs available over the month.

BAD DRIVING

There was a slew of driving incidents at the week-end, even by local standards   Two Belgian cars were stopped on the way to the Stausee on Saturday.  Both had two more people than permitted on board.  The police fined the drivers, but agreed to take the 4 extra people in their minibus to the lake.  Another man from Belgium was booked twice for drunk driving on Saturday.  He was picked up in Sanem on the A13 in the early hours of the morning.  He failed a breath test and had his license taken away.  His car was left in Rodange station car park.  90 minutes later police found him back in his car in Rodange.  He has lost his car as well as his license now.  A driver rammed a police car while trying to evade a checkpoint in Leudelange on Saturday night.  He continued on his way but was picked up at his home later and arrested.   A man in Petange was spotted reversing around a roundabout before he tested positive.  And in Ettelbrück a drunk driver was picked up parked in the middle of the road, fast asleep at his steering wheel on Sunday morning.

PIZZA FIRE

The fire service had to tackle a blaze in a Dudelange apartment on Saturday evening.  It was started when the occupant put a pizza in the oven and dozed off.  He was still asleep when thick smoke was spotted billowing out of the apartment.  The fire was quickly extinguished, but the dozy cook had to be treated for the effects of smoke inhalation.

FRANK AND MARTINE SCHLECK

Frank Schleck and his wife Martine held their wedding service and celebration on Saturday.  The happy couple had already performed the civil ceremony at the end of last year in Mondorf, but delayed the church service until Franck had a spare slot in the cycling calendar.  Several international cycling stars attended the ceremony, among them Fabian Cancellara, Kim Kirchen, and of course Frank’s brother Andy.

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WHEN BEARS ATTACK

A man and his daughter were attacked by a bear in a zoo in the Eiffel yesterday.  The family of four were visiting the zoo at Lünebach when their 3 three year old daughter climbed into the bear pen.  Her father jumped in after her, but was confronted by an angry Moon Bear (Asian Black Bear).  The bear injured his leg and smashed its paw across the little girl’s forehead.  The managed to get out of the pen.  Both had to go to hostpital in Trier, with the girl being taken by helicopter.  Police are investigating to see if negligence charges can be brought against either the zoo or the parents.

FOUTH FATALITY ON ROADS THIS WEEK

Yesterday saw the fourth fatal accident within a week.  A motorcyclist crashed into the safety barriers at the Bridel exit at around 6 o’clock in the evening.  The 36 year old man died at the scene of the accident. 

DEAD FISH MYSTERY

Council workers had to remove barrowloads of fish from a pond in Remerschen yesterday.  The fish had all mysteriously died overnight.  Anglers say there had been something wrong with the fish in the pond for several days.  Tests showed that the water in the pond had a very low oxygen content.  It’s possible that recent heavy rains washed pollutants into the pond.  This is now being investigated.

FIRES

Residents had to be evacuated from a home for people with Alzheimer’s disease yesterday when a fire broke out.  A drying machine on the third floor had gone up in flames.  The fire service was able to deal with the fire, and the patients were able to return without injury to their home in Rummelange shortly afterwards.  And in Schifflange recycling centre a waste processor burst in to flames in the afternoon.  Firefighters had to don breathing apparatus because of the thick smoke generated in by the rubbish in the hydraulic crusher.  They also had to clear all the rubbish out of the container by hand to reach the fire at the back.   

FLIGHT DISRUPTION

Flights were delayed at Findel airport because of a shortage of air traffic controllers on Wednesday afternoon.  Several had called in sick, meaning air traffic in Luxembourg airspace had to be scaled back.    There were no major delays though and airport management said there was no risk to safety.  They did not say how many flights were affected.

FILM CLOSES STREETS

Several streets around the station in the capital will be closed this week-end for the making of a feature film.  On Sunday, the Avenue de la Gare will be closed all morning and afternoon, and the Avenue de la Liberte in the morning.  Parking restrictions start on Saturday.  Residents are asked to take their cars out of the area if they need to use them. 

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NEWSWEEK

Luxemboug has come out near the top in a survey of the best places in the world to live conducted by the American magazine Newsweek.  The Grand Duchy came 5^th overall.  In the quality of life category, Luxembourg came third.  It also ranked highly for wealth, equality, environment and wealth distribution.  Luxembourg however got low marks for its relatively high rate of serious crime.  And the educational system fares badly, with even Cuba managing better than Luxembourg’s 29^th place.

CLUSTER BOMB INVESTMENTS

André Hoffman, an MP from the Left Party, wants to know why state investment funds are still holding shares in companies which build cluster bombs.  Luxembourg is a signatory to the new Oslo convention on cluster munitions.  This bans the financing of cluster weapons.  Mr Hoffman has even noticed that the funds have recently been increasing their allocations to six companies who make the weapons.  He’s asked social security minister Mars di Bartolomeo and foreign minister Jean Asselborn if they think the investment guidelines need to be revised.  So far they have not responded to his request.

SCHOEBERFOUER GUIDELINES

The police have issued a set of guidelines so that visitors to the Schoeberfouer can have a safe and fun time.  First of all, they say leave your car at home or in the park and ride and take the bus.  But if you don’t mind paying, there may be spaces available in the Trois Glands and Place D’Europe car parks.  There will be, as usual, a crackdown on parking in Limpertsberg, where there are additional restrictions in place for the duration of the fair.  There is parking for disabled drivers in the Allee Schëffer, and bikers can leave their machines by the Schumann roundabout or in the Centre des Langues car park.  There is as usual a police office near the main entrance to the fair.  This will be manned whenever the fair is open.  Finally, the police are warning people to take care of their belongings.  The large crowds at the fair have in the past attracted pickpockets.

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SCHOEBERFOUER

The 670^th Schoeberfouer starts on Frida.  It’s also the 400^th anniversary of its move to the Glacis.  This year there are 180 separate stalls.  Many of these are for food and drink, but there are 23 childrens rides and 25 adult ones too.  The largest number of stallholders come from Luxembourg, making up 38% of all the stalls.  The rest come from France, Belgium and Germany.    Special transport services are being laid on for the fair and everyone is recommended to use these rather than bringing their car into the city.

FIRE IN RUE DE BEGGEN

Three people needed hospital treatment after a fire in a block of flats in the Rue de Beggen.  The fire broke out in the early hours of yesterday morning in a ground floor apartment.  Five people were in the building at the time, of which three were taken to hospital.  The fire caused substantial damage to the building and also to a car parked in front of it.

3^rd FATAL CRASH THIS WEEK

There has been a third fatal accident in as many days.  At two o’clock this morning a 26 year old man from Ersange died after crashing into a garden wall near Moutfort.  He was in a passenger in a car which got out of control on a right hand bend, striking the kerbstones before careering across the road into the wall.  The driver and other passengers in the car sustained serious injuries, one of them still in a life threatening condition in hospital.

SUSPECETD MUGGER ARRESTED

Police have arrested a man suspected of robbing a woman in Esch on Monday.  She was attacked as she took money out of a cash machine.  The man is alleged to have followed her into the foyer of the bank where the cash machine stood.  The woman was robbed of 40 euros after her attacker pushed her to the ground.

TIME FOR A COGNAC

A man was spotted pinching 6 bottles of Cognac from a delivery truck in the Grand Rue yesterday morning.  When a witness approached the thief, he cursed her before fleeing.  He didn’t get to enjoy his booty though, because he was picked up minutes later by a police patrol.