STRANDED LUXEMBOURGERS
The foreign ministry estimate that 26 Luxembourg citizens were stranded in Bankok by the airport blockade.  This figure doesn’t include residents of the Grand Duchy who are not citizens.  14 other citizens were able to leave Thailand by other means during the blockade and made their way home via other countries.  The foreign ministry says it doesn’t know exactly how many Luxembourgers are in Thailand at any given moment because of the scale of the local tourist industry.  Now that the blockade of Bankok’s airports is over, the Luxembourgers should be home any day soon.

GERMAN AMBULANCE FOUND
An ambulance belonging to the German Red Cross has turned up in Echternach.  The vehicle was stolen in Bitburg over the week-end.  A passer-by noticed the ambulance in a local car-park and contacted the Luxembourg police.  Following the theft, the ambulance had been involved in a collision in Trier before finally ending up in the Grand Duchy.  The vehicle gave the police no leads as to the identity of the thieves.

CONSTITUTION CHANGE REACTION
The change to the constitution which effectively removes Grand-Duke Henri from the political process has been generally well received.  Left of centre have used the occasion to call for a wider review of the constitution.  Other parties are relieved that a major crisis has been averted.  Luxembourg’s leading historian Paul Margues sounded a note of warning, however.  He pointed out that the amendment had to be approved under the old constitution.  This means that Grand Duke Henri will have to agree to sign away his power.  The professor also pointed out that parliament now had the right to scrap the monarchy whenever they wanted, and there was nothing the royal family could do about it.  Other commentators noted that the speed with which the constitutional amendment was passed hinted that a contingency plan was in place should Grand Duke Henri follow his conscience and refuse to sign the euthanasia bill.

BARROSO HITS TOWN
José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, was in town yesterday for a working lunch with Prime Minister Juncker.  Mr Barroso was also the guest of honour at the official opening of the new European Court of Justice.  During his visit, Mr Barroso met delegations from a range of Luxembourg ministries, and addressed a plenary session of the parliament in the afternoon.

CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS
Prime Minister Juncker announced yesterday that Grand Duke Henri has refused to sign the assisted suicide and palliative care bill currently before parliament.  The Grand Duke’s accession was mandatory for any parliamentary act to become law.  Prime Minister Juncker said that if parliament approves the law, then it must become law.  Green MP Jean Huss, who co-sponsored the bill, said the Grand Duke had been mis-advised and should re-consider his position.  Surveys show that about 80% of the population of Luxembourg support the bill, although it was only narrowly passed by parliament in its first reading in the spring.  The second reading of the bill is slated for a week on Thursday.  Last night however, parliament took emergency action and amended the constitution, stripping the Grand Duke of his powers to enact or refuse legislation.  Justice Minister Luc Frieden said the royal family were now removed from the political process and that Luxembourg now had properly democratic politics.

GYNAECOLOGIST SENTENCED
A gynaecologist has received a suspended prison sentence of two months after a court found he had failed in his duty of care to a pregnant mother, resulting in bodily injury.  The woman failed to complete her pregnancy, and the court decided that the doctor had not treated her diabetes properly during the pregnancy.  He must also pay a 4 000 Euro fine and 26 500 in damages.

TOO MANY CHRISTMAS TREES
Police in Grevenmacher stopped a truck which was overloaded with Christmas Trees.  It had over 8 tonnes of festive greenery on the back instead of the permitted 3 ½ tonnes.  It was on its way to Germany from Belgium, and the driver was made to pay a fine. He was allowed to leave some of the trees behind and continue on his way with a safe load. 

AWACS SIGHTING
If you saw an distinctive and noisy plane flying around the country yesterday lunchtime then it was a Boeing E3 Sentry Aicraft, which is used to give early warning of hostile air attacks.  This one belongs to the Nato AWACS Squadron based in Geilenkirchen in Germany, whose planes are registered in Luxembourg for bureaucratic reasons.  The planes are operated by air force personnel drawn from other NATO member states, because Luxembourg doesn’t have an air force.  The planes have played an important role in conflicts such as the Balkans.   The ominous looking aircraft occasionally visit the Grand Duchy for training purposes, and their presence doesn’t signify the onset of an arial bombardment.

GHOST DRIVER DIES
An 84 year old man died after driving his car the wrong way along the A13 Collectrice  motorway last night.  The accident happened at 7.30 in the evening near Schifflange.  He collided with two other cars, but the drivers of these escaped luckily with only slight injuries.  Before this final collision, the man had collided with 6 other vehicles, causing light damage.

STONE MARTENS
Two Luxembourg scientists have published a booklet explaining the world of the stone marten.  Jan Herr from the Natural History museum and Laurent Schley want to shed a little light on this widespread but reticent creature.  Stone martens resemble a brown mink, and often move into lofts, cellars and empty buildings at this time of year.  The scientists say that the stone martin doesn’t deserve its bad reputation for aggression and destruction.  In particular, the idea that they go around in gangs attacking defenceless cars and chickens is an old wives’ tale.  Although the odd rogue individual will occasionally trash cars and steal eggs.  And the scientists say that your cat has nothing to fear, unless it encounters a particularly fierce one.  You can get the booklet at the natural history museum. 

ZOUFFTGEN RAIL CRASH TRIAL
On the first day of the Zoufftgen rail crash trial, the court heard from an expert witness that human error was the only cause of the crash.  André Kleniewski, an expect rail accident investigator from Paris said that the four CFL signallers and controllers failed to follow procedures.  “They simply didn’t bother to look to see if the line was occupied” said Mr Kleniewski.  Speaking on behalf of the victims,   Caroline Guemaut said she her clients would like to hear a little compassion from the accused rather than excuses.

ZOUFFTGEN CRASH TRIAL
Today sees the start of the trial of four railway employees in connection with the train crash at Zoufftgen in 2006.  The crash claimed the lives of 6 passengers and train crew, and injured 23 others.  The four Luxembourg railway workers are charged with involuntary homicide and injury, and they could faces sentences of between six months and three years.  The accident occurred when the accused are alleged to have directed a passenger train from Bettembourg into the path of freight train on its way from Thionville.  The trial will take place in Luxembourg, despite the accident happening in France and against the wished of the families of some of the victims.

SECOND CHANCE INITIATIVE
The government has proposed new measures to help student who leave school without qualifications.  The Second Chance initiative will be open to anyone between the ages of 16 and 24 who thinks they need more qualifications to find a better job.  The courses will focus on basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics.  But students will be limited to a maximum of two years at the new school.

TRAIN HITS MAN
A train hit a man on the railway linking Belval and Esch sur Alzette on Friday night, killing him immediately.  The train driver was unable to avoid him despite applying the emergency brake.  According to police, no third parties were involved in the incident and it is being treated as an accident.  The track had to be closed for several hours however, and the train’s passengers had to continue their journey’s by bus.

FIRE IN LUX VILLE
Firemen rescued 6 people from a building which caught fire on Rue d’ L’Acierie in Hollerich on Saturday night.  The residents were trapped on the first and second floors of the building, and had to be evacuated using ladders.  Some of them had to be treated in hospital for the effects of smoke inhalation.  The fire brigade believe the fire started in the staircase of the building, but have been unable to discover what caused it.

SECOND VOTE ON EUTHANASIA LEGISLATION
The parliamentary committee for health and social affairs has submitted its amended text for the second reading of the palliative medicine and assisted suicide legislation.  Parliament voted in favour of the divisive legislation earlier this year.  Now MPs must vote a second time following a series of amendments proposed by the council of state.  The council of state says there are inconsistencies in the wording of the bill and these must be addressed before the legislation can be enacted, even if parliament votes in favour again.  The vote is scheduled for the second week in December, and is bound to be close and contentious once again.

CORRINE AND YVONNE TRIAL
The trial of Corinne and Yvonne, the two women who are accused of killing Corinne’s former lover Antonio, has heard from the woman he was dating when he was killed.  The witness told the court that he was a peaceful and industrious man with a passion for music.  She also said he had behaved politely towards his ex, Corrine, although he felt threatened by her.  According to the witness, Corinne continued to stalk Antonio for months after the end of their relationship.  She explained that she once asked him why he had never taken down a photograph he had of Corinne, and that Antonio replied she would kill him if he ever did.  The trial continues.

HARD TIMES FOR SINGLE PARENTS
Single parents in Luxembourg are the most prone to poverty in the whole of the European Union.  A study by the EU found that 49% of Luxembourg’s single parents are living below the poverty line.  Other countries with bad records in the field are Britain, Portugal and Ireland.  Luxembourg compares unfavourably with its immediate neighbours, France, Germany and Belgium.  Only about 1/3 of single parents in these countries are threatened by poverty.  Scandanavia countries provided the best economic opportunities for single parents.

YOUTH HOSTELS ARE 75 YEARS OLD
Luxembourg’s youth hostels are celebrating their 75^th anniversary and there was a party at Den Atelier last night to mark the occasion.  The first hostel was opened in Steinfurt in 1933, and now there are 10 hostels situated all over the Grand Duchy.  The hostels provide accommodation for up to 100 young people.  And this year a record number have come to stay, with over 140 000 spending at least one night here.  The hostels offer not only dormitory accommodation, but some private rooms as well.  Prices start from only 18 euros a night.

TAXI DRIVER RUNS HIMSELF OVER
A taxi driver from Esch is in a serious condition in Esch hospital after he ran himself over with his own taxi.  He was accompanying a passenger to her apartment when the taxi started to move.  He rushed back to the taxi to try and stop it, but it crushed him against a wall.   He was trapped there until the emergency services could free him and take him to hostpital.

UNAUTHORISED CHUGGING
Police are warning people not to donate money to a man claiming to represent the Air Rescue Service.  The man has been going from door-to-door in the east of the country, but the Air Rescue has confirmed that they never use this method to raise money.  Police are urging anyone who encounters the fraudulent charity collector to contact them straight away.

TRIER CHRISTMAS MARKET
Luxembourg police will run joint patrols with their German colleagues from the Palatinate at Trier Christmas market this year. Police officers from the Saaland constabulary will also join the initiative. It’s part of new initiative to allow visitors to the popular fair to make contact with their local force if they need to.  And its hoped that the extra local knowledge means that troublemakers can be spotted and dealt with quicker.

ADR CRITICISES FINANCIAL RESCUE PACKAGE
The ADR party have criticised the coalition governments rescue package for local banks.  Other opposition parties, such as the DP have been generally supportive, but the ADR say that Budget Minister Luc Frieden isn’t giving taxpayers the whole picture when he says the package is budget-neutral for the government.  Gaston Gibyren of the ADR says that the financing of the rescue package through a jumbo bond issue will cost the government 75 million euros a year in interest costs.  In the case of the investment in Dexia,  the government will receive interest in return, but for the rest it is reliant on dividends, and this is a risk, Mr Gibyren explained.  As for the proposal to compensate Kaupthing investors with more than the 20 000 euros mandated by law, Mr Gibyren said that the cost of extra refund, about 300 million euros, wasn’t worth the effort as the money would just leave Luxembourg. 

WINE SALESMAN ARRESTED
Residents of Rodange encountered an aggressive door-to-door salesman yesterday.  They called the police to tackle the man whose pushy marketing had terrorised an entire street.  A man had repeatedly telephoned residents for several weeks asking them to buy Beaujolais Nouveau.  Then on Monday a salesman appeared at the residents houses and demanded €1000, whether they had ordered wine or not.  The man was arrested, but he and the company deny any connection to one another, but the police are investigating further after confiscating 50 bottles of wine.  Door-to-door selling is illegal in Luxembourg.

BOMMELEEËR CASE – 12 MONTHS ON
RTL has broadcast an interview with state prosecutor Robert Biever in which he assess the progress with the Bommeleeër case over the last 12 months.  The Bommeleeër series of terrorist attacks in the 1980’s saw several parts of the national infrastructure damaged, although no casualties.  A year ago, Mr Biever announced that his investigations would centre of senior members of the Luxembourg security establishment at the time.  Although there has been no major breakthrough, the country’s top investigator says that documents have come to light which lend credibility to his current suspicions.  A series of interrogations has also convinced him he is heading down the right track.  Nevertheless, Mr Biever says he still doesn’t have enough evidence to proceed to court yet. 

DRUG RING SMASHED
Police have broken up a gang of drug dealers who were active in the capital and the south of the country.  They kept the gang under observation for five months before swooping and discovering 3 quarters of a kilo of heroin and 66 grams of cocaine.  The police also uncovered a pistol with ammunition, 33 mobile phones, and 7000 euros in cash on the gang, who lived in Rotterdam but came to the Grand Duchy to deal.  11 men have been placed on remand following the police raid.

10 YEAR SENTENCE FOR UNIDENTIFIED RAPIST
The main criminal court has sentenced a homeless 21 year old man to 10 years in jail without parole for a series of offenses against young girls.  He was found to have sexually assaulted a 16 year old girl in a shopping centre in Kirchberg after befriending her while passing through the Grand Duchy.  In the course of investigating this case, the police soon realised that the same man had raped another underage girl after she offered him accommodation in her sister’s vacant apartment.  The true identity of the convicted man is not known, but it was revealed that he had a record in France for petty crimes.

MERSCH MURDER TRIAL
The mother of Corrinne, who is on trial accused of murdering her boyfriend Antonio, has told the court that her daughter is the real victim.  According to Corrinne’s mother, Antonio repeatedly threatened to shoot her daughter, extorted money from her and pushed her down the stairs.  She also said that Antonio was a leading guns, diamonds and drugs dealer, which is at odds with his 27 years of work in a local factory.  But the mother did concede that Antonio was a dream dancer. 

POLITICAL BAROMETER
A poll of Luxembourg voters has revealed that Prime Minister Juncker has little to fear from his opponents in next year’s parliamentary elections.  The poll, conducted by LW-Politmonitor asked 1001 voters whom they thought was best qualified to run the Grand Duchy.  95% of respondents said they considered Mr Juncker a competent leader.  Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn of the Labour party, the LSAP, was judged competent by 83% of respondents.  Claude Meisch of the opposition Democratic Party has the confidence of younger voters, with 70% of voters under 35 saying he had the right stuff to be a statesman.  Finally, Francois Bausch of the Greens considered a capable leader by 54% of respondents.  But when asked if they thought any of the above politicians would stick to their promises, only Prime Minister Juncker had the confidence of over 60% of the respondents.

TAX OFFICE UNDERSTAFFED
The head of the local tax inspectors union has launched a stinging attack on the government.  Picking up a topical theme, Fernand Muller said that Luxembourg was indeed a tax paradise, but not because of banking secrecy or a lack of proper legislation.  Mr Muller said the Grand Duchy was a tax avoiders paradise because of a lack of tax inspectors.  He made his comments at a centenary gala for the tax inspectors union, attended by budget minister Luc Frieden and Civil Service minister Claude Wielseler.  Neither of these rose to the bait by commenting on Mr Muller’s controversial statement in their speeches.  But it remains a fact that the tax office says it has a backlog of 150 000 files and has never had the number of staff it needs to provide the service the public expects.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT REORGANISATION
The government has said it plans to change the administrative map of Luxembourg.  It’s generally felt that the optimum size for a commune, or administrative centre, is about 3000 residents.  In some of the less densely populated areas communes are falling well short of this number. So the government plan mergers between some of the smaller communes, although they don’t want the physical area they occupy to become too large either.  There’s also a plan to split the larger towns into municipal communes of around 10 000 inhabitants each.  These proposals will now go into a consultation phase with the communes affected.

BICYCLE RENTAL SCHEME EXPANDED
The Vél-oh! Bicycle rental scheme is being expanded following its initial success.  3 new bike stations are being added to the network, and each one will have room for up to 20 bikes.  The new stations are on the Place de Hollerich, the Place St.Pierre et Paul, and the Merkelsplaz.  And a station for 15 machines is being set up in the rue de Commerce, near the station.  Finally there’s an extra station near the Coque sports centre.  The additions mean that the network now has 28 stations dotted around the capital.  There are now 2 900 susbscribers to the scheme and over 400 Vél-oh! bicyces are used every day.

HIGH TENSION POWER LINES APPROVED
Environment minister Lucien Lux has given the go-ahead for a new high tension energy cable despite the objections of the environment movement.  The constructor, SOTEL, wants to bring cheap electricity from France to power industrial plants in the South of Luxembourg. An initial proposal to build an overground cable through the forest near Differdange was rejected, but new plans to bury the cable underground have passed the environmental audit carried out by the government.  Greenpeace have launched a legal appeal on the grounds that importing electricity from France breaches Luxembourg’s no-nuclear policy.

DP WANTS REFORM TO SHOP HOURS
The opposition Democratic Party have criticised the government’s reluctance to liberalise shop trading hours.  The accused Francois Boden, the CSV minister in charge of opening hours, of ignoring the demands of both traders and consumers for more flexible opening times.  The DP say that local traders risk losing customers to the surrounding countries unless there is a change soon.  And they say that liberalising opening hours is a simple step to allow retailers to manage their businesses in tough economic times and protect jobs.  The DP wants complete de-regulation of shop opening times and they are backed up by the Chamber of Commerce in their call.

IKEA PRODUCT RECALL
Ikea have announced a product recall for two types of window blinds.  They are from the Iris and Alvine range of blinds and are marked with the batch number 0823.  The blinds have failed a safety examination in the US and the store has decided to withdraw them from sale globally.  There is a problem with the strings used to hold the blinds up.