Caption: TIAN BOU: One of the Pairi Daiza pandas bound for China
Photo credit: FB/Paira Daiza
Belgium: Long journey THREE giant pandas born in 2016 and 2028 at the Pairi Daiza privately-owned zoo in Brugelette will be sent to China on December 10 under the zoo’s agreement with China’s Wildlife Conservation Association. They will live at the Giant Panda research and breeding centre in Bifengxia (Sichuan).
Denmark: Mystery solved POLICE investigating complaints of sore eyes amongst Aarhus University students traced the cause to the ultraviolet system used at night to disinfect the cafeteria. This had been left on during the day, producing what is popularly called “welder’s flash”, a condition that clears up within one or two days.
Pedal power TAX minister Rasmus Stoklund is preparing to push through a proposal giving tax breaks to encourage people to cycle more and drive less. Stoklund’s parliamentary statement followed on from a suggestion from the Alternative party which said that tax incentives would make cycling to work more appealing.
Norway: On trial A COURT in More og Romsdal handed six Belgian soldiers prison terms of between 21 and 60 days after finding them guilty of “exaggerated violence” during a street brawl last year. The soldiers, who were on military exercises, were initially remanded but allowed to return to Belgium before returning to stand trial.
Sick leave: Princess Mette-Marit will not be carrying out official duties for some days, the Palace confirmed, owing to her rare lung condition. The 51-year-old wife of Crown Prince Haakon revealed in 2018 that she suffers from pulmonary fibrosis, an chronic condition leading to scarred lungs and difficulty in breathing.
Italy: Similar views GIORGIA MELONI, Italy’s prime minister, received a phone call on October 22 from Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who expressed his gratitude for her “approach in support of the family.” Erdogan went to say that Meloni’s policies gave priority to family values “against LGBT supporters.”
Short commons AS the Vatican struggles to balance its books, around 30 cardinals attached to various departments learnt that they are to have their salaries docked by several hundred euros a month. The Vatican and the Roman Curia have more than 2,000 employees between them and staff costs are their largest expenditure item.
Germany: In limbo WOLFSBURG (population 120,000) exists because its Volkswagen (VW) car factory is one of the world’s largest, employing 60,000 people on above-average wages. With VW considering cost-cutting and layoffs, Wolfsburg business-owners said residents were spending less, waiting to hear the carmaker’s plans.
Fewer births A NEW report from the Ifo Institute thinktank revealed a noticeable drop in Germany’s birth rate, with federal states in the east of the country the most affected. Motives cited by researchers included the Covid pandemic and the Ukraine war, while high inflation also discouraged young couples from starting a family.
Netherlands: Not yet DUTCH MPs want the government to delay charging combustion engine delivery vans to enter the emission-free zones in 14 Netherlands cities in the New Year. City halls said that businesses had ample time to prepare, while business-owners argued that electric vehicles were expensive, especially for small traders.
Nothing fancy JUNIOR Justice minister Ingrid Coenradie will introduce restrictions on expensive outfits worn by some inmates in Dutch prisons and ban specific brands entirely, with maximum prices for clothing. Some MPs in Coenradie’s own PVV party went further by suggesting that prisoners should wear uniforms.
France: Anti-gay slurs THE French Football Leage (LFP) condemned homophobic chants from PSG fans during a match against Strasbourg on October 19, although the insults were directed at bitter rival Marseille and midfielder Adrien Rabiot. Former PSG player Rabiot moved from the Paris club to Marseille and is considered a traitor.
Road rage A PARISIAN who deliberately ran over a cyclist after he remonstrated with him for clipping his foot while driving on a cycle path, has been charged with murder. Witnesses saw victim Paul Varry, 27, stand in front of the 52-year-old’s car before the older man drove over him and inflicted lethal injuries.
Finland: No-fly zone THE Environment ministry sat on a report that it commissioned to evaluate the effects of windfarms on the golden eagle, the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper disclosed. The conveniently-buried study established that some windfarms installed in areas inhabited by the eagles should never have been built.
Different aims EIGHTY-SEVEN per cent of Finns told a Foundation for Municipal Development survey that they believed the low birth rate was due to a shift in “personal aspirations and life choices.” Sixty-nine per cent claimed that the young and middle-aged were “less keen to procreate” than older generations were.
Ireland: On hold A PANAMANIAN cargo ship carrying cocaine worth €157 million was impounded in September 2023 during an operation off Ireland’s south-east coast. Currently berthed in Cork, the ship’s upkeep has so far cost €5.3 million, but it cannot be disposed of until after the January 2025 trial of eight people involved in the case.
At the races PARLIAMENT has approved a €4.1 million Budget increase in funding for both horse and dog racing, bringing the total funding for both sectors to approximately €100 million in 2025. Of this, €79.3 million is to be allocated to horse-racing industry while €19.8 million will go to greyhound racing.
Portugal: On tap PRIME MINISTER Luis Montenegro accompanied by the Environment and Territorial Cohesion ministers attended the signing of the contract to design, build and operate the Algarve’s desalination plant. The first phase of the project, with a 16 million-cubic metre capacity, should be completed by late 2026.
No bill EMERGENCY care for non-EU patients at Lisbon’s Santa Maria hospital has risen from 900 annually to 2,500 since 2021. Up to 95 per cent have no health insurance and with no means of recovering the hospital’s expenses, this had increased the financial pressure on the hospital, the health authorities explained.
Sweden: Not bothered RESPONDING to a Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention survey, 52 per cent of Swedish-born residents said they were concerned about crime in society, compared with 43 of those born outside the country. The 16-19 age group had fewer fears, with only 33 per cent admitting to being worried.
Fair shares STATISTICS SWEDEN figures analysed by the Ledarna managers’ association suggested that although women are generally better qualified than men, they were under-represented in executive positions. Advancing at the present rate, true top-level gender equality would not exist until 2135, Ledarna found.
