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The Best of… lots of things

Will — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 20:05:24 +0000

The staff would like to call your attention to exciting features of the Bugle Blog that you may have missed. We also propose some remarkable news items for your perlustration.

First, the Bakker Bugle Blog has a new service. Our email reminder service will ensure that you never miss a new post! Visit the About This Blog link — also in the tabs above — and you’ll see a section entitled “Subscribe via email”. Submit your email address, follow the link that you receive in a confirmation email, and voilà: you’re a member of the Bugle élite! You’re always welcome to ask for tech support.

By the way, the cool kids prefer to keep track of their favorite websites using RSS feeds, rather than email subscriptions. The staff prefer to use Google Reader to keep track of their feeds. Google has a video to get you started, as well as a more traditional webpage. You can find a variety of Bugle-specific RSS feeds at the bottom of the right column of any blog post.

And, if you’re truly elite, you’ll find us on Twitter — although we’re not really making the most of that one.

We’re sure that you’ll want to subscribe to the RSS feed for our Tumblr. We’ve started using an “On this date” excuse to write mini-posts about all kinds of things: Great Leaders from History, art, fascinating aspects of Luxembourgish nobility, local customs and even disasters.

Then, there’s the category of awesome. Enjoy.

Finally, we need to catch up with recent news from Luxembourg, provided as usual by the extraordinary people at ARA City Radio (with just a few unauthorized additions by the Bugle staff). The headlines are our own.

Feline immigrants may be unwelcome in Germany: A pressure group has formed in Trier in a bid to stop the police shooting panthers dead. Environmental activists say the policy of shoot to kill isn’t justified because any immigrant panthers have clearly made an effort to integrate in the Palatinate, given that no locals have actually been mauled in the last year. The order to get the panther, dead or alive, was given to Trier police on Wednesday. Local hunters have also been encouraged to shoot first and ask questions later, should they find the beast in the forest.; German police have been out hunting the panther [in late October]. They sent a team of officers out to the village of Holzerath after a walker spotted what he thought was the ferocious carnivore in the woods. The police were able to able to find it too, and managed to shoot it, with one of mobile phones. The pictures revealed that it was nothing more than a domestic cat, which had gone feral, out hunting for mice.
The ongoing doctors’ strike: [The last week of October brought] the start of the national doctors’ strike. Patients can expect cancellations and delays as doctors start their work-to-rule over proposed reforms to the health system. They are angry that Health Minister Mars di Bartolomeo wants to create what they call a “national health service”. The doctors union, the AMMD, say this will reduce patient choice. Mr di Bartolomeo wants patients to always visit their GP in the first instance for referral if necessary, instead of the popular local habit of self-diagnosing and heading straight to a costly specialist. The union says it believes the bulk of its 1700 members will join the work to rule. The work-to-rule is indefinite – the union says it will go on until Mr di Bartolomeo backs down.; [...later...] The Doctors union, the AMMD, has sent a letter to its members outlining how they must conduct themselves in the forthcoming industrial action. Starting this Friday, all Luxembourg’s doctors and dentists will only be working a maximum 35 hour week, in a work-to-rule protest against proposed reforms to the health service. Specialists will only be opening their consulting rooms for 20 hours. Non-emergency operations will be cancelled. Doctors will only provide emergency cover, and the AMMD has told them to be wary of patients trying to use emergency services for non-emergency problems.; [...and the latest...] The Doctors Union, the AMMD, has refused to comment on talks its held with LSAP ministers. The meeting was the first between health minister Mars di Bartolomeo and AMMD representatives since doctors started a work to rule in protest at changes to the health system. Earlier this week the AMMD said it would only meet for talks if an independent arbiter was appointed. The AMMD will review whether to continue the work-to-rule next Tuesday.
Wacky terbacky: Lux still anti: Health minister Mars di Bartolomeo says cannabis will remain illegal here. There has been pressure recently to legalise the drug for medicinal purposes. But the minister says that medicinal cannabis use is against the law in in every country. Legalizing its use here would mean Luxembourg breaking international treaties it had signed. The minister added that all medicines used in the EU need to pass stringent safety tests, and none of these have been carried out on cannabis.
Creationist films also unwelcome: LSAP councillors in Luxembourg City have demanded to know why a Limpertsberg cultural centre is showing a film supporting the idea of Creationism. The film, called “Creation” is being shown at the Tramschapp Cultural Centre today. Ben Fayot, one of the LSAP councillors, has called on Mayor Paul Helminger to reveal who is behind the screening of the film. Mr Fayot points to the advice from the council of Europe, warning governments against supporting creationist views.
Still dealing with the last war: Hundreds of homes in Trier are being evacuated following the discovery of a giant bomb. The 250 kilogramme device was unearthed yesterday by builders working on the goods yard near the main station. The bomb was dropped by the British in the Second World War. Every home within 500 meters of the bomb will be evacuated today and this evening a bomb disposal unit will try to defuse it. The main station will be closed while the work is carried out.
Gender and nationality: Luxembourg has made good progress towards improving gender equality over the last year. According to a survey for the World Economic Forum, the Grand Duchy has climbed from 63rd place to 26th in a survey of 134 nations. Scandinavian nations, as usual, topped the table. According to the survey, discrimination against women in Luxembourg exists almost exclusively in the workplace.; [Editor's Note: Ireland ranked 6th and the United States ranked 19th -- up from 31st last year and the first time in the top twenty. That's some rapid improvement!]
Fast & furious: Cross-Border Drift: Belgian police broke up illegal street-racing on the N81 at Messancy on Friday night. Hot-rodders have been gathering every second Friday in the month to hold races on the public roads. As many as 300 people normally show up to watch cars racing between two roundabouts. This time the police were on hand to stop any racing. They handed out several speeding tickets in the process.
Facebook in Luxembourg: Nearly half the population here have registered themselves on Facebook. The social networking site is most popular with people aged between 25 and 29. The site is more popular in Luxembourg than it is in neighbouring countries, although over 40% of people in France and Belgium use. It is much less popular in Germany, where only 18% of the population interested in online networking.
LuxLait [the new destination nonpareil for BBB&B visitors]: Luxlait world opened its doors at the week-end at the company’s new dairy in Roodt. The striking gold visitor centre gives an insight into the world of dairy products in 45 interactive exhibits. The history of milk production since the 19th century is covered. Luxlait says the exhibition isn’t just for kids, and that it was developed by the same company who did visitor centres for Mercedes Benz, Airbus and the European Space Agency.
On the roads of Luxembourg: Volkswagen is the most popular brand of car in Luxembourg this year so far. Figures for car sales in the year to date show that 3300 more new cars were registered as during the same period in 2009. The total number of new vehicles registered is just under 37000, and VW have a 12% share of the market. They’re followed by Renault with a 10% share, then Audi, BMW and Peugeot making up the rest of the top 5. At the specialist end of the market, there are an extra 23 Ferraris, 22 Aston Martins, 19 Maseratis, 10 Bentleys, 4 Rolls Royces, a Lamborghini and a Bugatti on the Grand Duchy’s roads since the start of the year.
The Bold and the Luxembourgish: RTL and the Luxembourg Film Fund are getting together to fill a gaping hole in the country’s cultural heritage. They plan to make the first ever Soap Opera in Luxembourgish about local people. The show will be required to run for a minimum of 12 episodes, and it’s expected to be more of a light hearted series in the mould of the hit French programme Camera Café. The budget is expected to be over a million euros. At the moment the sponsors are reviewing pitches for the series.
Sightseeing 2009: 2009 was not a good year for the local tourist industry. A Statec survey published yesterday that tourist numbers fell by 8% in comparison with 2008. Hotels suffered the largest drop in bookings as companies continued to scale back travel in the face of the recession. In terms of leisure tourists, Luxembourg remains a popular destination for visitors from the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.; The lone bright spot in the 2009 Luxembourgish tourism scene was the establishment of the Bakker Bugle Bed and Breakfast. Without its guests and the knock-on effects on Luxembourg’s reputation and glamour, some experts estimate that numbers would have fallen by as much as 15%.
Stop harassing us, America!: Police are asking people who’ve been victims of a telephone hoax to get in touch. The hoaxers are telling people they’ve won a lottery in the United States. They then ask them to hand over their credit card numbers as well as the security code on the back. The police here have now set up a hotline for people who have handed over their details. But they’re asking people who’ve received one of the hoax calls, but ignored it, not to get in touch so the hotline does not become too stretched.
Okay, maybe we deserve it, America.: Two Cargolux managers have been charged in the United States with trying to manuipulate jet fuel prices. Cargolux boss Ulrich Ogiermann and another senior colleague have been charged by a jury in Miami. Cargolux is one of the air freight businesses fined over 100 million dollars last year for colluding to fix prices. The new charges stem from this investigation.
The world’s best magician is Luxembourgish: Local Magician David Goldrake has won a prestigious award. The Golden Mandrake has in the past been awarded to such famous conjurers as David Copperfield and Siegfried and Roy. The winning magician is selected by the French Illusionists Academy every year after they’ve performed in the four day Paris festival of magic. Only the world’s leading magicians are invited to perform. David Goldrake himself said he was thrilled to be honoured with the award and thanked all his fans for their support.
Civil surveillance: arguments versus action: The Society of Criminologists has come down against the use of surveillance cameras. In a new report they say that cameras don’t really help prevent crime. They collected data on the number of crimes committed before cameras were installed and compared the number committed afterwards. The results are broadly similar. The report is published as the legislation allowing the use of surveillance cameras in public places comes up for renewal next week.; [...and a few days later...] Interior Minister Jean-Marie Halsdorf has extended the permit for CCTV in the city centre. He told parliament he had taken the decision after consulting with the chief of police, the attorney general and the city crime prevention committee. Last week the national association of criminologists published a report saying the cameras had had no impact on crime levels in the area. The minister yesterday accused the association of unhelpfully confusing the debate.
Boxing Day for workers?: The OGBL Union says it is angry that some shops are hoping to open their doors on the 26th December. This falls on a Sunday this year. There are rumours that the 5 major supermarket chains here are all planning to open in a bid to maximise their Christmas takings. The Union says Christmas Day and Boxing Day are as important to shop workers as they are to anyone else. Last night the retail association said none of their members would be open on Boxing Day unless there was agreement with staff and unions.
Painting the town red: A man has been charged in connection with a range of offenses on Friday night. He first came to the attention of the police when he stopped his car on the A13 motorway and got into a fight with a prostitute he’d hired. He fled in his car when the police arrived to help the woman. He then tried to ram a police car which set off in pursuit. When he was finally stopped he tried to attack the police with his fists. He finally taken to the police station to sober up, where it transpired that he had caused two other accidents earlier the same evening.
Little Luxembourg stops Giant Google, for now: Google has had to suspend its programme of putting the Grand Duchy on Streetview. The local data commission withdrew permission to film after Google refused to allow individuals to petition the commission to have photographs of their property removed. Google has agreed to allow citizens to block publication of pictures of their property in Germany. But it is refusing to extend the rule to citizens here. According to Google, Germany is a special exception and it won’t be making any more. The data protection commission, the CNPD, has published a form on its website which you can use to suppress and Google Streetview pictures you don’t like.
Christmas spending, by nation: Families here will fork out €1200 euros each on average celebrating Christmas here. Just under €800 of this will be on presents, with the rest being spent mainly on food and drink. The figures come from a survey of Christmas spending in 19 different European countries by accountants Deloitte. It will come as no surprise that Christmas spending in Luxembourg is higher than all the other countries surveyed, and is twice the average. But there were some surprises in the survey. People in Ireland are the second heaviest spenders at Christmas despite the difficult economic situation there. And 22% of French people buy presents using the points on the supermarket loyalty cards.

Oh, American Press, bless your heart

Anita — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 12:57:47 +0000

The US State Department released a broad travel advisory for Europe on Sunday. It cautioned Americans who are traveling to Europe to be extra vigilant. As one would expect, some of our loved ones in the US expressed concern over our safety. Suffice it to say, I have felt safe and continue to feel safe in Luxembourg. In fact, I cannot imagine a safer place to be.

But feeling safe and actually being safe are two different things. So, in the interest of learning as much as possible, I checked my usual online newspapers on Monday. The most prominent piece was in the Wall Street Journal. The article was reasonable in its tone, but the photo and video captions made be laugh. Not a “ha-ha” laugh: I was laughing at you, American newsmedia. You amuse me.

A screen grab of the article:

The first video caption reads “With armed soldiers patrolling under the Eiffel Tower in Paris, tourists seemed undeterred by the warning…..” Of course the tourists are undeterred — those soldiers are there EVERY DAY, all the time! I think their primary job is running off guys that are peddling the cheap Eiffel Tower statues. In fairness, the Journal did capture that aspect of the situation.

Still, to me, the picture with the Eiffel Tower statues is entirely unrealistic. First, the guy pushing the vacation ~~tchotchkes~~ memories would have scooped them up and gone running before the soldiers arrived. That shot was totally set up by the photographer.

For a more realistic view, here are our photos around the Eiffel Tower from September 2009. (Please keep in mind that we weren’t trying to capture soldiers in the original photos. They were so common that they were just included in the frame of some of the photos we took last year.) Click on the photos for full-size versions.

Soldier on patrol underneath the Eiffel Tower; Champs de Mars in the background

Peddlers underneath the Eiffel Tower

Why are they running?

I mean “soldier” in the broadest sense. There are many different police forces in France, almost all with militarized components.

Peddlers relax at “home base” just across the street from the Tower — on this day, it really looked like a half-hearted game of tag.

But wait! There’s more! The Eiffel Tower isn’t the only Paris landmark that the Journal dug up.

To anyone that spends time in Paris, the caption is totally misleading: “French soldiers patrol around the Louvre museum in Paris, Sunday.” Guess what, WSJ? The soldiers patrol around the Louvre EVERY DAY. We were just in Paris in September and we were at the Louvre a bunch. And we saw those guys all the time. Those soldiers may be patrolling on Sunday, but not due to any new alert from the US.

Voilà: our photos from early September of this year. Pretty much the same patrol.

But the part about the whole thing that I really appreciate is the fact that the State Department is warning travelers. Tuesday’s WSJ:

The knowledge that, on average, some 100,000 Americans are traveling in Europe at any one time also factored into U.S. decision-making, said the counterterrorism official.

What about those of us living here? Are we not a concern? At least the Canadians care about us:

I mean, there are only 1.2 million of us over here. Perhaps we should focus on that, along with the 100,000 that are traveling? However, not one article that I have read in our beloved American press has thought to point that little nugget.

I suppose the American press is focusing on those who are reading their newspapers and watching their television shows. That would make perfect sense — except I pulled all the WSJ information above from the European edition. Thanks for caring, my English-language “local” press.

Best of the Tumble, 12 Sept 2010

Will — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 08:59:14 +0000

Alert readers have noticed, by now, a list of intriguing links and comments in the rightmost column of this blog. This is the Bugle Tumble. There are new items posted to the Bugle Tumble regularly — and much more frequently than the Bakker Bugle Blog.

Most of the items are just links to interesting bits of the InterWebs, with a bit of commentary from us, the Bugle staff. It’s little more than a running compilation of websites where we are doing research for upcoming posts, or just slacking off. But there are also fresh photos from Luxembourg, posted to the Tumble on that day that they were taken. Current-ness!

If you use an RSS reader to keep track of your favorite websites and blogs, you can follow the Bugle Tumble’s RSS feed, too. (By the way, all the smartest and most attractive readers of the Bugle use RSS readers.)

Without further comment, some of the best recent items from the Bugle Tumble!

A self-referential beginning, with two articles about Tumblr and social media in general: Tumblr is doubling in popularity and size every four months and Clay Shirky says that’s a good thing.
Video of the running of the sheep at Schueberfouer 2010

RIP Jack Horkheimer, Star Hustler extraordinaire
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 Frank 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.
The black panther is back! You may remember the big-cat scare from our post last autumn.
What American soldiers in Afghanistan eat. Don’t miss the interactive tour through Meals-Ready-to-Eat of many nations.
Globetrotter XL, a great online game to enhance your geographic knowledge. It’s not slacking if you’re learning! Bugle reader Dave threw down the gauntlet. Can you do better than 5488? Let us know in the comments. Keep your eye on the Bugle Tumble, where the staff will post our high scores in the future.

Best of the Week: News, 27 August 2010

Will — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:00:56 +0000

First, the news of the last several days, courtesy ARA City Radio. Please note the changed link to their local news. Also note that the headlines are our own editorial responsibility.

Lots of news from the Luxembourgish Department of Obviousness: CEPS/Instead has been conducting a survey into attitudes to immigrants. For the first time they’ve looked to see if men and women have different feelings about migrants here, and also what immigrants themselves think of other immigrants. The survey found that both men and women are equally concerned over the impact of immigrants on Luxembourg society. Immigrant men and women worry that more immigration will mean more competition for jobs. Indigenous men and women seem more worried about their impact on social security and crime figures. But second generation immigrants seem to start sharing the concerns of the indigenous population the longer they live here.; And in another important piece of social research, National Statistics Bureau STATEC has discovered that wealthy people are generally happy. Researchers say people with high incomes feel better about life than those who struggle financially. 94% of people in the survey’s top income bracket said they satisfied with their life. Only 71% of the poorest surveyed said things were going their way. But its not just about money, the researchers say. They also found that the more educated a respondent was, the more likely they were to feel positive about life.
Unions and Employers: Fighting together against change: Unions and Employers have joined forces to condemn proposed legislation to prevent harassment at work. LSAP deputy Lucien Lux has been trying to get his legislation adopted for nearly 9 years. He says there must be a legal framework to prevent harassment in the workplace. But unions and employers say they have already implemented a voluntary code of practice concerning harassment, and legislation isn’t necessary. They want to see how well self-regulation works for 5 years before deciding on any other measures.; Campaigners say self-regulation isn’t good enough to protect employees against harassment. Last week, a coalition of unions and employers were lobbying the government to scrap proposed legislation to outlaw harassment at work. They say an agreement they have come to should be given a chance to work. But a support group for victims of harassment says the agreement doesn’t afford enough protection for staff at small and medium enterprises. They also say the agreement between unions and management lacks clear definitions of what constitutes harassment.
All criminals are international criminals in Luxembourg: A jewellery dealer was robbed yesterday afternoon near Redange. He’d just finished an appointment at a shop there and was in his car when he noticed a dark Audi A4 with a flashing blue light on its roof behind him. The driver of the Audi indicated he should pull over and stop. Thinking it was the police, the man stopped, only for a masked man to jump out of the fake police car and demand he hand over all his jewellery at gunpoint. The fake police car then fled in the direction of Bastogne with a valuable haul of gold. Police are appealing for witnesses. The dealer had to be treated for shock.
…and you’d better make it across that border: 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.
All politics is international in Luxembourg: The Saarland business confederation, the VSU, has bit back at Jean-Claude Juncker’s critique of German wage policy. Last week, Mr Juncker said low wages in Germany were causing problems for companies in other countries. VSU president Joachim Malter said German companies had won customers globally because of their excellent products and first class service. He added that Luxembourg, with a business model built on low taxes on savings accounts and banking secrecy was in no position to lecture other countries on how to run their economies. Mr Malter also said that Mr Juncker was being economical with the truth when he said millions of Germans take home less that 700 euros a month. This data relates to part-time workers, something the Luxembourg prime minister failed to mention.
Take care driving around Luxembourg: 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. Ninety 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.
Good news for Oktoberfest: 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.
Tough old ladies: not just a comic sketch!: 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.

Luxembourg by the numbers: From news352.lu

Will — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:45:15 +0000

Anita and I stress the number of non-residents commuting into Luxembourg just about every time we talk about life in Luxembourg. To us, it seems to touch nearly every part of life here. Add to that the number of non-native residents, and you have part of what makes Luxembourg City a special place.

We’re often unclear on the numbers, particularly with respect to non-native residents. You can imagine my delight, then, when I found the following article, “Luxembourg: A City of 156 nationalities,” in 352 Luxembourg Magazine, the leading English-language weekly in Luxembourg.

The article’s origin is the multilingual news site, news352.lu. Due to their gracious permission, I will quote the entire article, which was written by Adam Walder:

There is no doubt, the capital of Luxembourg is an extremely cosmopolitan city. According to the mayor of Luxembourg the City has no fewer than 156 different nationalities. In total, foreign residents are even more than native Luxembourgers.

91,857. This is the figure released this morning, that has been doing the rounds, and a figure that Luxembourg’s mayor Paul Helminger, is particularly proud of.

This is the figure for the number of inhabitants in the capital in late 2009. A great leap forward, since the population was 89,907 in late 2008. “12,000 arrivals a year, it’s huge!” Exclaimed the delighted mayor. To this figure the internal migration must also be added to the City. 7,000 people have simply changed neighbourhoods.

“Luxembourg is a highly mobile city” continues to brag Paul Helminger which highlights the fact that in 2009 there were more births than deaths (1,099 against 635).

Many Portuguese and French

The most striking information released is the percentage of foreign residents: over 64% of the total population is of foreign nationality. Among the most represented countries are the obvious ones with 13,990 Portuguese and 12,536 French. They are mainly located in Bonnevoie or Kirchberg.

The residents of Luxembourg nationality however are much less likely to live in the capital: they represent only 35% of the total population. “We have noticed, even since 2007, that the population figure of Luxembourg nationality has increased slightly” stated Paul Helminger.

The voting problem

A big dilemma is noticed when you look at the number of residents of Luxembourg City registered to vote. There are 223 non-Luxembourgish voters less than in 2008. “This is probably due to migration movements” the mayor said adding “but an effort must be made. I can not imagine running a city with more than 60% foreigners, and they can not vote! ”

I think this is a great presentation of the numbers, and a bit of local perspective on their implications. Thanks again to Mr Walder and news352.lu for their good work.

Reference: Walder, Adam. (24 Feb 2010). Luxembourg: A City of 156 nationalities. Retrieved from http://hello.news352.lu/index.php?p=edito&id=24320

Luxembourg News: 12 Feb 2010

Anita — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:07:14 +0000

First up: The Bakker household now has expert advice to support its plan to stay home and stay semi-prone this weekend:

TRAFFIC WARNING
Drivers are being urged to avoid travelling this week-end if at all possible. The start of the half-term holidays means heavy traffic as families head off for winter-sports breaks. The ACL says people should leave on Friday morning if they can or wait for Sunday. The combination of heavy traffic and difficult driving conditions, could make for extremely long journeys, especially for those headed for the Alps.

Other traffic-related news

LONG COMMUTES
The average commuting time for people working in Luxembourg is 37 minutes. A study of 13 different European countries by the Regus Group puts the Grand Duchy ahead of all the others when it comes to long journeys to and from work. The study revealed that 15% of commuters here were sick of spending so long travelling and would actively consider changing jobs to avoid it.

ROAD SAFETY VIGILANTES
Three men beat up a motorist on the A13 motorway late on Saturday. They forced him to stop near Bascharage by overtaking him and blocking him. They then wrenched his car door open and pulled him out, beating him up and leaving him on the verge. The victim told the police they seemed to be upset about something wrong with his brake lights. The police have not been able to trace the attackers.

The Bugle would like to take this opportunity to remind all motorists to check their lights: brake, indicator, headlights and fog lamps.

Less traffic-related news

KNIFE ATTACK
A knife-wielding robber attacked a delivery truck driver in the early hours of Saturday morning in Esch. He climbed into the cab of the vehicle and tried, but failed to steal the driver’s coat before fleeing. The driver got out and gave chase, but the robber turned back and stabbed him in the stomach. The attacker is described as being young, tall, of African heritage and dressed like a rapper.

Paraphrasing Mr Weedon on Radio ARA: Which rapper? Was he without a shirt, like 50 Cent, or wearing gold chains? Track suit bottoms, or Jay-Z Armani? Maybe the police could use some high-tech tools to clarify the issue.

DOG RESCUE
The fire service rescued a stranded dog at the week-end. It had got stuck half way down a cliff in the Rollingergrund, and had ended up taking refuge in a small cave. Walkers noticed at and called the fire service, who were able to reach the dog with their ladders. The dog was unharmed by its ordeal.

No kidding: Will almost got stuck half-way down a cliff in Rollingergrund recently. That’s a photo from his autumn stroll over hill and dale.

CASH MACHINE CON
Tricksters are out and about again in the capital, this time targeting people at cash machines. They tell people that they have left a 20 Euro note in a machine that they had just used. Then they advise them to check their account in case the machine had issued more money than requested, and while the victim is distracted, they steal the card and claim the machine has retained it.

MYSTERY ABDUCTION
A young man was abducted near the station in the capital yesterday morning. He was walking with his girlfriend when a car stopped to talk to him. One of the passengers then got out and bundled him into the car, which sped off. His girlfriend ran to the nearby police station, and they put out an international alert for the car, which was registered in France. Belgian police picked it up around an hour later near Athus. The victim was freed without harm, and the two kidnappers arrested. Police say they can’t yet completely explain the background for the kidnapping.

As usual, our main source for news is ARA City Radio’s useful website. That’s mostly because Will doesn’t get around to translating the French sources in time for these updates. Let’s go, Will!

Luxembourg News: 5 Feb 2010

Anita — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:39:27 +0000

It’s time for another survey of the week’s news in Luxembourg. As usual, we owe the good folks at ARA City Radio in Luxembourg for the news reports, which we hear in the dulcet voice of Mark Weedon almost every morning during Phoebe Winter’s breakfast show.

Filed under “Overkill”

HELICOPTER NAILS SHOPLIFTER
The police helicopter was in action in Ingeldorf on Saturday afternoon. It was hunting down a man who’d stolen a shell suit from a local shop. He had run off after staff noticed him trying to smuggle the stolen gear out of the shop in a black bag. He was eventually tracked down hiding behind a hedge in a barnyard, and is facing charges of shoplifting.

The follow-up story, filed under “CYA”

WE WILL NEVER KNOW
The Police say their helicopter was not called to track down a man who stole a shell suit in Ingeldorf at the week-end. Reports in the media caused uproar at the cost of using a helicopter for such a small theft. According to the police, the helicopter was in the area anyway on other business so they deployed it at only a marginal cost. The police did not however reveal why they had the helicopter out in the area in the first place.

And, in other news:

PECHERTEN SUPPORT NEW LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS
The trade union representing traffic wardens, or Pecherten as they are known here, says its members could play a vital broader role in policing. The government has wanted to extend their powers to cover minor criminality such as vandalism for some time. But the council of state recently rejected the government’s proposals. Pecherten representatives from the FGFC public sector workers union yesterday urged the government to continue to push the legislation through. They pointed to the success of legislation extending the powers of traffic wardens in Switzerland, freeing up the police to deal with more serious crime.

FIRE IN THE PALACE
The was a fire in the Royal Palace yesterday afternoon [2 February]. Part of the building had to be evacuated while the fire brigade tackled the blaze. The cause of it was a broken washing machine in the basement of the building. The fire caused little damage but heavy clouds of smoke meant the fire brigade had to use breathing apparatus to get into the cellar.

FARM FIRE AT CHRISTNACH
A huge fire at a farm in Christnach has destroyed a barn full of hay and several surrounding buildings. Over 40 firemen and women were needed to get it under control. [Bugle: Outside Luxembourg-Ville, Luxembourgish firefighters are volunteers.] No one was hurt in the blaze. The fire started early yesterday afternoon, and the cause of it is as yet not known.

WHEN COWS ATTACK…..
And in a bad week for farmers, a woman had to be treated for injuries to her chest and shoulder caused by one of her cows. The 600kg beast panicked and ran over the top of her as she was trying to back it into a stall. The cow took leave of its senses at around midnight on Wednesday in Eshdorf.

Luxembourg News: 27 November 2009

Anita — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:23:23 +0000

Local news for the week ending 27 November 2009:

SMOKING BAN TO BE EXTENDED
Health minister Mars di Bartolomeo says he’s considering extending the national smoking ban from restaurants to include bars and discos also. He said the government wanted to afford better protection to non-smokers who worked there. Mr Bartolomeo said the legislation would be brought into force next year and that objections would be ignored. He added that since a smoking ban in restaurants and workplaces was introduced in 2004, the number of smokers in the country had declined.

THIEF LOCKS HIMSELF UP
A young thief managed to lock himself in the supermarket he was robbing on Monday evening. The incident took place in the German town of Irrel, just over the border from Rosport. Having got into the supermarket through the main door, he allowed it to close behind him. He was then unable to open the inner entrance door and became stuck in the lobby of the store. Vigilant residents noticed him stuck there and called the police, who arrested him.

POLISH TRUCKS TAKEN
Thieves made off with two trucks from the Aire de Berchem on Monday night. The trucks, which came from Poland, were loaded with computers and monitors. Both drivers were in the shop at the service station when their trucks disappeared. They were both last seen headed for France. It’s the second time in recent months that a pair of Polish trucks have been taken from a Luxembourg service area.

Later in the week……

SMOKING BAN REACTION
There has been a strong reaction to health minister Mars di Bartolomeo’s bombshell announcement on Monday that the government intends to ban smoking in bars and discos. Local newspapers reported record levels of below the line comment on their websites as readers debated the effect of a smoking ban. The association of bar and restaurant owners said the smoking was yet another burden on their business which are already struggling. But Mr di Bartolomeo remains combative saying the smoking ban was hardly unexpected and that he wouldn’t be doing his job as health minister if he didn’t try to protect the health of employees, regardless of the economic consequences.

DUAL NATIONALITY
Over four thousand people have applied for dual nationality since the law was changed at the start of the year to allow it. Just over 3000 have been granted Luxembourgish citizenship while still retaining that of their former homeland. One third of the applications have come from citizens of Portugal. Many of the applicants come from neighbouring countries. And citizens of the nations of the former Yugoslavia make up the other main significant group of applicants.

ESCH OPENS FOOTBRIDGE
Esch sur Alzette’s stylish new footbridge is finally open to the public. It was inaugurated on Tuesday, a couple of months behind schedule. The 3½ million euro project allows pedestrians and cyclists to cross the railway tracks from the town to reach the Galgebierg park. Its 100m long and has a striking avante garde design, incorporating a useful roof. Esch residents have not had a direct link to the Galgebierg by foot for 4 decades, and its hoped the new bridge can brighten the atmosphere around Esch Railway station.

BORDER CONTROL
There was a co-ordinated border control throughout the night of Wednesday into Thursday this week. Police and customs officers from France, Luxembourg and Belgium all took part. The object of the action was to try and trap cross border burglars. But in the event, they picked up a series of drunk drivers, confiscated one telescopic cosh, some cannabis and hashish, and a bag of magic mushrooms. There has been an increase in the number of burglaries recently, particularly in the south of the Grand Duchy.

CHRISTMAS MARKETS
The Christmas markets open in Luxembourg city today [Thursday]. The largest is in the Place d’Armes and will be open from 10 o’clock in the morning until 8 o’clock at night. The smaller St Nicolas market will also be open on the Place de Paris at the same time. Details of all the fun and games for the festive season laid on by the council are on the website winterlights.lu -– although if you’re at work might want to turn the sound off on your computer because the site is ridiculously noisy.

Luxembourg News: 15 November 2009

Will — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:21:24 +0000

Headlines from the past week: Complicated Scam with Imported Carpets; Car Party for One; Luxembourgers Subject to Belgian Speed Laws; “Unashamed Policy of Class War”; Greenpeace vs Coal-fired Power; and Germans Now Threatened by Panther.

CARPET FRAUD
Police have caught a trickster running a complicated scam involving carpets imported from North Africa. The man would call at the houses of people here who’d recently been on holiday in Tunisia. He’d tell them he was a carpet dealer and ask to see any carpets they’d bought in Tunisia. He would then trick them by exchanging their top of the range carpet with a much cheaper one he had with with him in a van. He was caught thanks to a detailed description supplied by a victim. Police not only found the original top-of-the range carpets he’d taken in his van, they also found a collection of receipts from Tunisian carpet sellers which he’d used to target his victims.

CAR PARTY
Police in Biwer came across a driver in the early hours of yesterday morning who’d been having a little party all by himself in his car. They found him asleep at the wheel, but with his engine still running, pulled over at the side of a rural road. He was still clutching to his chest his final, unfinished bottle of beer. His car was littered with empty beer bottles. A subsequent alcohol test naturally proved positive.

BELGIAN SPEED CAMERAS
The Belgian transport ministry has installed 7 fixed speed cameras on the motorways in Wallonia. Four will be on the E411, two between Luxembourg and Namur, and another two between Namur and Brussels. One of the others is on the E42 between Namur and Charleroi, and the remaining two are close to Liege. Residents of Luxembourg are legally compelled to pay any speeding tickets issued in Belgium, despite popular rumours to the contrary. The cameras go into operation next Monday.

PUBLIC SECTOR PAY ROW
Public sector unions have reacted furiously to the suggestion by the Chamber of Trade that the government cut the salaries of state employees. The CGFP union accused the Chamber of Trade of conducting an unashamed policy of class war. They added that the Chamber could not now be regarded as a serious negotiating partner in the wake of its comments. But the union held back from calling for a boycott of the Chamber of Trades members.

GREENPEACE PROTEST
Greenpeace protestors dumped 5 tonnes of coal in front of the offices of local energy utility Enovos yesterday. The protestors wanted to highlight the company’s commitment to coal fired power stations. Representatives from Enovos met the protestors to discuss their concerns. According to Greenpeace member Roger Spautz the talks were constuctive and cordial. Enovos has a participation in a coal-fired power station in Neurath and is planning another in the Netherlands. Greenpeace urged the company to dispose of these investments and re-direct the funds to renewable energy sources.

and finally…..
PANTHER RUBBISH
Parts of the press in the Grande Region remain obsessed by the famously untraceable panther. The latest development is that the panther is in the German Eiffel region apparently, with sightings as far north as Aachen. Since the German tabloid press are now in on the act, it’s no surprise that a well known big game hunter from Hamburg has pitched up in a bid for some free publicity, and to trap the panther, if indeed there is one. Heino Krannich has shot buffalos, lions, wolves and even elephants and tigers in his time with his tranquilizer gun. Herr Krannich’s cunning plan is to isolate the panther in an area around its den by using leopard urine.

Lux News ALERT: black panther sightings

Will — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:16:46 +0000

The big news from Luxembourg this week is the rash of black panther sightings.

First, from the initial reports by Ara City Radio:

The whole country has gone Panther crazy following a sighting of one of the big cats in Bascharage on Sunday. There have been further reports of the beast from all over the south-west of the country, with even some claiming to have encountered it in Merl and Belair in the capital. Amnéville zoo denied reports in the Luxembourg media that the panther was one of theirs. The zoo’s director said they only have 3 panthers and they’re all still in their cage.

This morning, Ara City Radio distributed the latest information regarding this feline menace:

The ministry of the interior says it is still getting reports of a panther on the loose. The latest sightings have been in the area between Bertrange and Mamer. The ministry is taking the reports seriously despite no definitive evidence of the panther, such as tracks or droppings, coming to light. They are warning people hiking in the woods to be on their guard.

Sarah Fischbach, Lead Researcher of the Bugle Institute of Panther, Housecat and Catamount Studies, believes that the absence of tracks and droppings indicates a more serious threat to Luxembourgers than an ordinary hungry panther.

“The lack of tracks and droppings indicates that the panther may not be a member of the living community,” Fischbach said in an interview this morning. “Due to the urgent potential of danger, the BIPHC will release an early draft of its visual guide to panther threats. This guide will be revised over the coming days, so if any members of the public or public safety authorities have questions, they are encouraged to call the BIPHC directly.”

This is an ordinary black panther. As they weigh between 40 and 90 kg, an ordinary black panther would almost certainly have left tracks and droppings in the area.

The following image portrays a Zombie Panther. Although it weighs only slightly less than ordinary panthers, a zombie panther would leave tracks. The tracks would appear different than ordinary panther tracks, due to its random, shuffling gait. The authorities may not have properly identified zombie panther tracks. Most ominously, a zombie panther leaves no droppings, as reported of the unknown panther in Luxembourg-Ville.

A Vampire Panther appears here. Vampire panthers of sufficient age can move without leaving tracks, indeed without touching the ground at all. Also, vampire panthers do not leave droppings. Although vampire panthers are rare in Western Europe, the available evidence makes this the most likely type of panther on the loose. The myth that vampire panthers cannot travel during the day is simply false, as Fischbach recently proved in her article co-authored with Dr. Banner Molina for The Proceedings of Cat Fancy (2004).

This is a Were-Panther, photographed in its two manifestations. It resembles an ordinary panther at night, but a human during the day. Thankfully for Luxembourg, were-panthers do leave droppings and tracks. Nevertheless, there have been many reports of their migration to major cities, such as London, over the past few centuries.

This photo is of a Carolina Panther. There have been no reports of this type in the Benelux region.

This is an American Black Panther. These strong and graceful members of the living world were nearly exterminated in the late-20th-century, and are not known to threaten human communities except when provoked. The BIPHC considers it highly unlikely that Luxembourg-Ville is home to any American Black Panthers.

These are Steel Panthers. These dangerous elements are to be avoided at all costs. Fortunately, Steel Panthers are always accompanied by loud noises and are mostly found in one-star hotel rooms. Due to Luxembourg-Ville’s lack of inexpensive lodging, Steel Panthers are unlikely to remain in the environs for long, if at all.

The BIPHC plans to release a complementary guide with specific information regarding the proper response to an encounter with each type of panther. In general, members of the public who encounter any type of panther should leave the vicinity without attracting attention, and immediately call emergency services.

Happy Halloween! …and thanks to the following Flickr contributors, whose generosity made this post possible: climbnh2003, tim ellis, cliff2066, tim ellis again, csztova, tojosan, tim ellis a third time, wacko, Tawny Rockerazzi and bindermichi. Thanks also U.S. News & World Report for its donation of the American Black Panther photo to the Library of Congress.