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POST OFFICE ROW

Post office management and unions are at loggerheads of plans to reform the organisation.  Negotiations broke down yesterday nearly as soon as they started, with unions saying that management are proposing a salary structure which starts barely above the minimum wage.  Management representatives walked out of the talks after the unions made their proposals.  The talks are taking place against the backdrop of a planned privatisation of the post office. 

BERLIN WALL

A part of the former Berlin wall has gone on exhibition in Schengen.   It was donated by the Sony center in Berlin and will stand in front of the European Information Centre in the heart of the village.  One side of the concrete block carries a mural of a woman painted on the West German side of the wall at some time in the 1960s.  The other side, which was originally on the East German side, carries graffiti added after the end of communist rule there in 1989.  Schengen is celebrating the 25^th anniversary this year of the treaty signed there to remove border controls in Europe with a series of events themed around frontiers.

BODY FOUND IN ESCH

A 36 year old woman was discovered dead in a house in Esch on Sunday night.  An autopsy is being carried out to determine the cause of her death.  A major forensic investigation is also underway in the house on the Boulevard JF Kennedy where her body was found.  Investigators say they will await the outcome of the post-mortem before commenting further on the case.

GUNS STOLEN

Two handguns have been stolen from a house in Bridel.  The burglars struck on Sunday, getting in by forcing open a terrace door.  They then forced open a security cupboard where the guns were stored.  The stolen guns are a Walther P99 and a P38.

DMITRI SKOTNIKOV

A sixteen year old from Esch who went missing over a week ago has been found.  Police gave no details as to where Dmitri Skotnikov  turned up, saying simply that he was now at home with his family again.

BILTGEN SEEKS TO REASSURE PUBLIC SECTOR

Francois Biltgen says public sector salary reforms will not be on the agenda at this year’s tripartite negotiations.  This year, the tripartite negotiations will focus on competitiveness, the job market and reducing the government defecit. The minister of justice and head of the CSV said the process of public sector reform would run in parallel, however.  Mr Biltgen said any salary reforms for public employees would be at the level of starting salaries and career progressions.  Public sector unions have recently voiced concerns that their members could be the ones who now bear the brunt of the government’s economies.  

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.  

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AUTOFESTIVAL

Garage owners say they saw no hangover from last year’s recession in this year’s Autofestival.  Demand was particularly stronger for smaller greener cars, but the president of the local car dealers association, Ernst Pirsch, says sales in all sectors were satisfactory.  He added that cheap financing terms from the banks created some of the best conditions ever for buying a new car.  Last year, new car registrations fell by 9% in the Grand Duchy, but Mr Pirsch says that this year’s provisional sales figures are comfortably above last years.

ANIMAL ABUSER IN TETANGE

For the second time in a matter of weeks a cat has been attacked in Tetange.   Yesterday morning the cat was found after being shot with an air gun.  It is now recovering after treatment at a vet.  Two weeks ago another cat had to be treated after being beaten with a stick.  Police are appealing for information to find the perpetrator.

GERMAN ATTACK ON BANKING SECRECY

German magazine Der Spiegel says German Tax authorities have recently been offered lists of German citizens keeping secret bank accounts here in Luxembourg.  Germany and Switzerland are currently at loggerheads after German authorities said they would consider paying for stolen client details from Swiss banks.  Now there are reports that tax investigators in Bavaria may have been offered client details from here.  Tax inspectors would neither confirm or deny the reports. 

RAILWAY DEATH

The railway line between Ettelbruck and Mersch had to be closed on Saturday morning following an accident.  A train ran over a man who was on the track around 300m from the level crossing at Essen.  The man, who was a local, died on the spot. 

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.

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.

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CHILD RESCUES POISONED RESIDENTS

8 residents of Eishcen can thank an 8 year old girl for saving their lives.  They had been poisoned by a carbon monoxide leak, thought to have been caused by a faulty gas oven.  The girl called the rescue services late on Wednesday night when 6 people in the house fell unconscious.  3 of the victims are in a critical condition in hospital in Esch, with one’s life still in danger. 

ABUSER JAILED

A 48 year old man has been sentenced to 13 years in prison, of which 7 suspended,  for sexually abusing a young girl.   He abused the daughter of his ex-girlfriend over a number of years.  During the trial, both the accused and the victim gave contradictory evidence. In sentencing the man, judge Prosper Klein granted the wishes of the prosecution fully.

NO FLOODS

Water levels have been going up in the rivers of the Grand Duchy thanks to the recent thaw.  But experts say there is no cause for alarm, despite the River Mosel near Stadtbredimus rising at a rate of 6cm an hour yesterday.   It’s thought the rivers have now peaked, and there is no risk of any towns being flooded.  But a couple of places did have a close shave, with levels peaking less than ½ meter below the critical level.

COUNCIL WIELDS AXE AT CATHEDRAL

The city council has started to cut back its spending.  This week it’s postponed planned renovations to the cathedral.  The choir room was scheduled for a make-over this year right after the National Day celebrations.  But the council probably won’t be able to take a decision on financing the work until after this year’s local elections.

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.   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 of 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.

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MISSING GIRL FOUND

Mandy Lamesch, the girl from Esch who’s been missing since Friday has turned up.  She walked into the police station next to the station in the capital.  Police now say they don’t think she was accompanied by another missing teenager, Dmitri Skot-nik-ov, who is also from Esch.  The search for him is continuing.

POSSIBLE CARJACKERS ARRESTED

Police say they have caught two men in connection with a carjacking in Bascharage last week.  They took the car from a woman in a supermarket carpark by threatening her with a gun.  The stolen car was spotted in Esch yesterday, but failed to stop for the police.  They had to chase it for a distance, during which it collided with two other vehicles.  A third man is still being sought in connection with the crime.

RONALD JANSSEN

Trier police say they have been unable to find any connection between the disapperarnce of student Tanya Graeff in 2007 and a man held in Belgium on suspicion of committing a series of murders.  There had been rumours that Ronald Janssen might have been responsible for Tanja’s disappearance, so the Belgium and German police co-operated to see if it could be proved.  Janssen is suspected of committing a string of murders and rapes in Belgium and neighbouring countries, possibly dating back to the 1990s.

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MISSING MAN’S BODY FOUND

The body of a man who was reported missing on Monday has been found.  Alain Wagner was lying dead in the woods near Kirchberg and his discovery followed an intensive search of the area by the police.  Police say they can already rule out foul play, but an autopsy will now be conducted to determine exactly why he died.

TRAIN STRIKE TODAY

A strike by French Railway employees means that some trains between Luxembourg and France will be disrupted today.  Trains to and from Metz, Nancy and Longwy are the most likely to be affected.  The TGV trains to Paris are not affected by the industrial action.

LUXAIR CRASH INVESTIGATION CONCLUDES AFTER 7 YEARS

8 former and current employees of Luxair could now face charges stemming from a plane crash in 2002.  The pilot, who was only one of two survivors of the crash, and 7 colleagues have been investigated by magistrates examining the case.  State prosecutors will now decide if they should face charges.  The investigation has been plagued by delays caused by its technical nature and even disagreements between the investigators.  The crash of a Luxair Fokker 50 on its approach to Findel Airport claimed the lives of 20 passengers and crew back in November 2002.

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.

FORGED CREDIT CARD HAUL

Police found a pile of forged credit cards in a car at the Aire de Berchem on Monday.  They’d stopped the car initially to check for drugs.  The two occupants of the car, which was registered in italy, have been taken into custody.  Police said all the fake credit cards were capable of use immediately by the thieves.

FIRE IN THE PALACE

The was a fire in the Royal Palace yesterday afternoon.  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. 

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NUCLEAR WASTE PROBLEM

A consignment of radioactive waste from the power station at Cattenom has been seized by the authorities.  It has been impounded in the French town of Aube while it is made safe.  The authorities said there was no health risk to the public from the incident.

MARTELANGE EVACUATED

Residents of Martelange had to evacuate their homes yesterday afternoon while investigators searched for a gas leak.  Staff in a local bank noticed the smell of gas at around luchtime and called in the gas company.  The source of the leak was eventually located near the main road, but only after a 4 hour search.  The main road through Martelange was closed during the search and drivers faced lengthy detours via Arlon and Bastogne.

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 however.

MANDY AND DMITRI

It’s now been revealed that the 12 year old girl from Esch who went missing on Friday may have run off with a friend.  As of yesterday there was still no trace of 12 year old Many Lamesch.  It’s thought she may have run off with 16 year old Dmitri Skot-Nik-Ov, also from Esch, who went missing at around the same time.  Mandy is about 1.55m tall with brown shoulder length hair.   She’s wearing a dark hooded jacket and dark trousers.  Dmitri is about 1.80 tall and slim.  He is wearing a blue hooded jacket and baseball cap and dark trousers.  He may well be carrying a sports bag.  If you come across either of these two young people, please contact the police.

And police are also looking for a 35 year old man who has gone missing,  Alain Wagner has close cropped brown hair and is about 1.72m tall.  He was last seen wearing a brown tracksuit in the area around Kirchberg and Grunewald.

RESCUE SERVICES GOING PROFESSIONAL

Work started full-time yesterday for 13 rescue service personnel attached to the ambulance service.  This is the first stage of the move to a semi-professional ambulance and fire service throughout the country.  All those starting work have been in the ambulance service for some time.  It’s hoped that the rescue services will from now on be a mixture of senior professionals and volunteers. 

LIICHTEN

It’s the feast of St Blaise today or Candelmas. There’s a local tradition that children go out with lanterns this evening and sing songs on doorsteps.  The point is that they are wishing you good health for the rest of the year and you are supposed to reciprocate with sweets or money.  Modern children are likely to be rather disappointed if you hand out bacon and peas, which is actually what their asking for in the song.

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CROSS COUNTRY SKIING

Cross country ski pistes have been opened in the north of the county.  There’s been as much as 30cm of snow up there over the week-end.  There are several tracks prepared around the lake at Weiswampach, and they’re open from 10 in the morning.  The pistes start next to the town hall car park.  There is also a piste in Hosingen, starting at the Ardennes camp site.   The only problem if there’s more snow this week might be getting to them.

HOLLERICH ACCIDENT

There will be no trial arising from a fatal accident in Hollerich a year ago.  A four year old boy died when a driver ran him down on a pedestrian crossing after going through a red light.  The reason for the cancellation of the trial is that the driver involved has now died from leukaemia. 

TRACK UPGRADE

Reports in the Belgian media say an accord has been signed to upgrade the rail link between Brussels and Luxembourg.  The aim is to allow Pendolino tilting trains to run along the line, bringing the journey time between the two capitals down to just over 2 hours.  Eventually its hope the trains will run all the way through to Strasbourg.  The reports didn’t give any hint as to the time frame for the project.

12 YEAR OLD MISSING

The police would like to hear from anyone who has seen a 12 year old girl from Esch who’s been missing since Friday.  Mandy Lamesch is about 1m55 tall with shoulder length brown hair.  She was last seen wearing a dark track suit bottoms, a white hoody and training shoes. 

ZOUFFTGEN RAIL DISASTER

The constitutional court says it will announce its verdict in March on the appeal of the railway employees convicted over the Zoufftgen rail disaster.  Six people died and 16 were injured in October 2006 when a passenger train from Luxembourg crashed head-on into a goods train from France.  The convicted men say it is unconstitutional that railway employees face stiffer penalties for negligence than other workers.  The state has argued that the increased danger of operating a railway justifies the longer sentences.

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 has facing charges of shoplifting.

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CHILDREN ABUSED IN BONNEVOIE SCHOOL

State prosecutors have started an investigation into child abuse at a school in Bonnevoie.  It’s alleged that children were tied to their chairs by teachers at the Jean-Baptiste Gellé school last year.  The incidents took place in the first part of last year, and the alleged abuse only came to light when a whistleblower informed the council about it in October.  The accused teachers have been banned from looking after children on their own while the investigations are underway.  The number of children involved and the frequency of the abuse have not been revealed by the council or investigators.

BANK RAID IN STRASSEN

Two robbers got away with a large sum of cash in Strassen yesterday.  They raided a bank in Strassen and forced customers to hand over money they had just withdrawn.  The robbers fled in  a dark green Citroen registered in France.  

ASSELBORN AND ISRAEL

The Israeli government has issued a response to Luxembourg foreign minister Jean Asselborn.  Mr Asselborn, at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday accused the Isreali Prime Minister of claiming the West Bank for Israel in perpetuity  Mr Asselborn also said that the West Bank was not part of Israel, and that settlement construction there was the main obstacle to peace.  Yesterday, the Israeli embassy here issued a statement to the effect that the status of the occupied West Bank was not finalised, and calling Mr Asselborn’s comments unhelpful.

MENINGITIS CASE

A pupil at a school in Dudelange was diagnosed with meningitis on Wednesday afternoon.  Classmates at the primary schools and their families have already been informed and given preventative medicine.  Meningitis is the inflammation of the membrane around the brain and can be fatal if not treated promptly.

NEW HEALTH ARBITRATION SCHEME

The National Ombudsman says he wants to set up an independent panel to arbitrate on disputes between health service providers and patients.  Marc Biwer said the new body could help advise patients of their rights too.  His proposal is based on a system currently in operation in France.  It would be legally incorporated so as to be completely independent of the health service and patients rights groups.

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VAN ROMPUY IN TOWN

Herman van Rompuy, the new president of the European Council was here on an official visit yesterday.  He held meetings with Mr Juncker to discuss the next meeting of EU heads of state on 11^th February.  The two men have known each other for over 20 years and the atmosphere at a press conference in the afternoon was very friendly.

HUNT FOR DACOUGNA

The police here say nothing from their investigations leads them to suspect that the man wanted in connection with two murders in Hollerich on New Years Eve is in Germany.  According to the German press, the search for Simon Rene Dacougna is focussed on the area around Wiesbaden.  Police here say they have no further information about his whereabouts since he abandoned a green Dutch registered Jaguar here just after the killings.

DECEMBER UNEMPLOYMENT REPORT

The unemployment rate rose to 6.3% in December.  Nearly 15 000 people are out of work at the moment, an increase of around 500 over the month.  It’s also the highest number of unemployed that has ever been recorded here.  Over 3 300 people lost their jobs in 2009, and if the number of people on job creations schemes is added in, over 18 000 are without proper jobs.  7000 workers at 112 companies are working short shifts at the moment, although this is a slight drop from the previous month.

DROWNING TRIAL

The prosecution in the case against 4 supervisors at a holiday camp in Belgium has asked for an unusual judicial move.  The 4 are accused of causing death by negligence when an 8 year old boy drowned on a beach in Belgium last year.  Prosecutors have asked the court to reserve sentencing the accused, if they are thought to be guilty, for 5 years.  The unusual move will allow the accused to be sentenced in five years time, possibly even without punishment if convicted.  They will also not have criminal records for the moment.  Observers say the move is because all the accused are currently students or teachers.

FAKE OFFICIALS IN ESCH

Police in Esch are warning residents to be on their guard against people impersonating council officials.  They’ve already tried to get into several houses on the pretext of reading their water meters.  They are asking householders to ask any council officers who appear at their doors to show their official identification, which by law they are all required to carry.

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PERCHERTEN LEGISLATION TO BE REDRAFTED

Contrary to reports earlier this week, the government is not going to back down over its plans to giver greater powers to traffic wardens, or Pecherten as they are known here.  Interior minister Jean Marie Halsdorf, and former justice minister Luc Frieden say they will redraft the bill.  The council of state raised 6 formal objections to the legislation when it was first presented to them.  The government says it may now propose incorporating the Pecherten into the police force to resolve some of the objections raised by the Council of State.

CAR STOLEN AT GUNPOINT

A man stole a car at gunpoint in Bascharage yesterday evening.  The woman owner of the car handed it over immediately when the robber pulled out a handgun.  He drove the car off in the direction of Schouweiler.  The car is a black Volkswagen golf registered as 69922.

HOLIDAY CAMP DEATH TRIAL

The four supervisors charged in connection with the death of an 8 year old boy on a holiday camp in Belgium last year have pleaded not guilty.  They are accused of causing death through negligence.  All four are young adults under the age of 25.  Some were close to tears as they gave their pleas to the court.  The prosecution alleges they took the children into the sea in dangerous weather conditions.  They also say the association who organised the trip, Spyrolux, were irresponsible in allowing such young people to look after children.  Defence lawyers said the supervisors had given up their holidays for only 290 euros in pay and that Spirolux was not in a position to pay for professionally trained staff.

CAPELLEN POWER CUT

Residents of Capellen found themselves without electricity yesterday morning.  Supplies were cut off at around 9 o’clock and were not reconnected until after midday.  Yesterday, Enovos said they had not been able to isolate the cause of the power failure yet.  Around 1 300 people’s homes were affected.

DRUNK ARSONIST ARRESTED

A man was arrested on Monday trying to set fire to a builders suppliers in Ingeldorf.  He was caught setting a stack of newspapers in the toilet on fire with a tea light.  According to the police, the man had been drinking heavily.

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HOLIDAY CAMP DEATH CHARGES

4 supervisors have been charged in connection with the death of an eight year old boy on holdiday in Belgium last year.  5 supervisors were looking after 24 children on a beach near Zeebrugge.  They let the boy out of their sight and he went into the sea and drowned.  The four supervisors face charges of causing death through negligence. 

PENSION REFORM ON THE CARDS

Social security minister Mars di Bartolomeo says reform of the national pension system is unavoidable.  The minister says changes in the population and economy are the driving forces for change.  He proposes raising the levels of contributions and requiring 40 years of work before pension eligibility

DIEKIRCH SAGA

An online petition has started to try and block the closure of the Diekirch brewery.  By yesterday 700 people had signed it.  The petition is demanding a parliamentary enquiry into the closure.  They want parliament to decide if the closure really is economically necessary.  .

THIEF CAUGHT RED HANDED

A family from Esch captured a burglar they found in their apartment on Sunday evening.  The thief got into the house through the front door, which had been left open.  But the family returned to the apartment and held him down unitl the police arrived.  The burglar was under the influence of drugs and didn’t put up a fight.  He is now under arrest.

DOCTOR BEATS OFF ATTACKER

A doctor in Schifflange managed to drive an armed robber from his surgery yesterday.  The attacker, who was in his 20s and armed with a baseball bat came into the surgery in the afternoon.  He demanded the doctor hand over any cash he had.  But the doctor grabbed his baseball bat and chased him out.  The police are still searching for the robber.

TROUBLE AT CLL

Huge queues built up yesterday as students attempted to enrol in the next term of language courses.  Staff reported people starting lining up at 7.30am.  Tempers frayed as people waited hours for an appointment to enrol on a course.   Two men actually came to blows, and had to be removed by the police.    Several people were in tears after being turned away.  The majority of the applicants were trying to get onto Luxembourgish courses.

DACOUGNA IN GERMANY?

The man being sought in connection with the double murder in Hollerich on New Years Eve is now thought to be in Germany.  Police in Wiesbaden have put up wanted posters for Simon René Dacougna.  It’s now thought Dacougna fled from the scene of the crime in a green Jaguar registered in Holland.  Dacougna is originally from the Paris area and an international warrant for his arrest has been issued.  It’s thought the motive for the killings was a dispute over a drug deal.