RTL Today - Your Weekly Recap: New public European school announced, Schengen border checks to end, and Syrian clashes leave over 500 dead

Your Weekly Recap for 14–18 July 2025.

Here are five things you should know at the end of this week:

New public European school to open in Schifflange in 2026
Germany to end border checks on Schengen motorway in August
Luxembourg court sentences IS fighter Steve Duarte to life in prison
Syrian troops withdraw from Sweida as sectarian clashes leave over 500 dead
Air India finds no faults in Boeing 787 fuel switches blamed for deadly crash

1. New public European school to open in Schifflange in 2026

Education Minister Claude Meisch announced the opening of Luxembourg's seventh public European School this week, located in Schifflange, in 2026 to meet rising demand in the south, with a permanent campus planned by 2030.
The €146 million project will serve around 980 students with multilingual education, integration programmes, and extensive shared facilities.

The school aims to support lower-income families and address migrant student needs, while Education Minister Meisch defended the quality of European School diplomas.

Rising demand – Education Minister Claude Meisch announced that the new school in Schifflange is a response to the growing pressure on school capacity in southern Luxembourg, where applications far outstrip available spots. For example, the International School in Differdange/Esch received 1,200 applications for only 300 places.

The Schifflange campus will initially operate out of temporary buildings, with a permanent facility expected to open by 2030. This addition brings the number of public European Schools in Luxembourg to seven, just nine years after the first one was launched.

A new campus – Funded largely by the Education Ministry, the new school will accommodate approximately 980 pupils across 42 classes. It will offer a full European secondary curriculum along with orientation and integration classes tailored for students from diverse backgrounds.

Facilities will include a sports gym, swimming pool, youth centre, canteen, and administrative offices.

A multilingual system – The location in Schifflange was chosen in part to reach children from less affluent households, countering criticism that public European Schools primarily benefit wealthier families. Meisch highlighted the role of these schools in integrating roughly 2,000 students from abroad each year through a flexible multilingual system.

He also addressed scepticism from the teachers' union Education and Science (SEW) regarding the academic value of European School diplomas, suggesting that such concerns only arose after the schools became tuition-free.

2. Germany to end border checks on Schengen motorway in August

Starting August 2025, Germany will lift border controls on the Schengen motorway, aiming to ease daily traffic for 55,000 cross-border commuters.
The move follows months of frustration over delays caused by checks, like those near Trier, which German police say stopped over 1,000 illegal entries and resulted in over 100 arrests since September 2024.
Although stationary controls will end, Germany and Luxembourg will increase joint police cooperation under the Prüm Convention to continue tackling organised crime and smuggling.

Relief expected – German and Luxembourgish officials confirmed that border checks on the Schengen motorway will be discontinued from August 2025. The decision, announced during a state visit by Saarland's Interior Minister Robert Jost to Luxembourg, is expected to bring significant relief to the estimated 55,000 commuters who cross the German-Luxembourg border each day.

These daily travellers, many of whom work in Luxembourg, have faced frequent delays and traffic disruptions for nearly a year due to the controls.

Rush hour frustrations – Since the reintroduction of border checks in 2024, German police have claimed notable successes, including stopping over 1,000 attempted illegal entries and executing more than 100 arrest warrants. However, these achievements came at a cost to everyday commuters, who have expressed increasing frustration over growing delays, particularly during rush hour.

New policy – With the end of controls, both countries are shifting towards a more collaborative approach to border security. Interior Ministers Gloden and Jost affirmed that police forces from both sides will strengthen cooperation based on the Prüm Convention, which facilitates cross-border data exchange and joint operations among European states.

3. Luxembourg court sentences IS fighter Steve Duarte to life in prison

Steve Duarte, a Portuguese national and former Luxembourg resident, was sentenced to life in absentia for terrorism and murder linked to his role in ISIS.
Duarte, who joined ISIS in 2014 and appeared in propaganda videos, is accused of orchestrating the execution of five Iraqi Kurds in Mosul.
Despite an international arrest warrant, Kurdish forces continue to hold Duarte in Syria, with no diplomatic pathway for extradition to Luxembourg.

Life sentence – Steve Duarte, a Portuguese national who previously lived in Luxembourg, was sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia by the State Court on Monday. The court sided with prosecutors, who had requested the maximum penalty for Duarte’s involvement with ISIS.

Although he did not appear in court and his exact location remains unknown, he is believed to still be in Kurdish custody in northeastern Syria. Duarte is one of four men tried in absentia, and the only one thought to be alive.

Allegations – Duarte’s journey into extremism began with online radicalisation, leading him to travel to Syria in 2014. Once aligned with ISIS, he rose to prominence as a media propagandist and allegedly played a central role in the execution of five Iraqi Kurds in Mosul in 2016.

Evidence presented in court included a propaganda video that investigators say shows Duarte giving the order and leading the execution. Although Duarte later denied being in the video and claimed his activities were limited to religious study and trade, prosecutors hold him partly responsible for the killings.

No road back – Luxembourg issued an international arrest warrant for Duarte in 2016, but all attempts to repatriate him have failed due to the complex diplomatic situation. Kurdish authorities in Syria, who are believed to be detaining Duarte, refuse to extradite ISIS suspects, and Luxembourg has no formal diplomatic ties with Syria.

As a result, despite his expressions of remorse and willingness to return and serve a sentence, there is currently no viable legal route for Duarte to be brought back to the Grand Duchy to serve his sentence.

4. Syrian troops withdraw from Sweida as sectarian clashes leave over 500 dead

Syrian troops withdrew from the Druze-majority Sweida province after violent sectarian clashes left over 500 people dead, prompting Islamist interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa to hand security control to local community leaders.
Israel launched air strikes on Syrian government forces during their brief deployment, warning of further action before US, Arab, and Turkish mediation de-escalated the crisis.
Tensions remain high, with Druze civilians in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights seeking contact with relatives across the border, as Sharaa pledges protection for minorities amid ongoing distrust.

Troops to withdraw – The southern province of Sweida was plunged into chaos after days of fierce fighting between Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes, and Syrian government forces. The violence, which began on Sunday, left the city devastated, with AFP reporters describing scenes of widespread looting, burned homes, and bodies in the streets.

In response to the escalating bloodshed and public outrage, President Sharaa ordered the withdrawal of Syrian troops and declared that local Druze leaders would take over security responsibilities, claiming the move was in the "supreme national interest". His government, dominated by Islamists, has had strained relations with Syria's minority communities since toppling Bashar al-Assad in December.

Israeli intervention – Israel reacted strongly to the Syrian army's entry into Sweida, launching multiple air strikes on government troops and even targeting military headquarters in Damascus. Tel Aviv framed its intervention as a defence of the Druze minority, which also resides in Israel, though analysts suggest strategic motives, particularly keeping Syrian forces away from the Golan Heights, played a key role.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu credited his country's "powerful action" with securing a ceasefire, though it was ultimately international mediation – led by the US with support from Arab and Turkish diplomats – that helped avert a broader conflict. Washington announced that all parties had agreed to restore calm, calling on them to honour their commitments.

Mistrust lingers – In the aftermath of the violence, Druze communities on both sides of the Israel-Syria border have shown signs of distress and desperation. On Thursday, dozens of Druze gathered at the border fence in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, some even crossing the barrier to meet relatives from the Syrian side.

Meanwhile, President Sharaa attempted to reassure the Druze by promising accountability for those responsible for the attacks and insisting that their protection is a state priority. Still, mistrust lingers, particularly given the government's recent actions and its fraught history with Syria's religious minorities.

5. Air India finds no faults in Boeing 787 fuel switches blamed for deadly crash

Air India found no issues with the fuel control switch locks on its Boeing 787 aircraft after inspections following a June crash that killed 260 people.
The inspections were conducted in line with directives from India's aviation regulator and previous FAA safety bulletins.
A preliminary probe suggests the fuel switches may have been accidentally turned off, but investigators caution against drawing conclusions before the final report is released.

Locking mechanism – Following the tragic crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner near Ahmedabad on 14 June, which claimed 260 lives – including passengers and people on the ground – the airline undertook a fleet-wide inspection of similar aircraft. The investigation focused on the locking mechanisms of the fuel control switches, a component that came under scrutiny after early findings suggested they had moved from the "run" to "cutoff" position shortly after takeoff.

According to an internal communication, Air India's engineering team conducted precautionary checks across all of its Boeing 787 aircraft and confirmed that no mechanical issues were found with the switches or their locks.

Maintenance guidelines – India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered all domestic airlines operating Boeing aircraft to check the integrity of fuel control switch locks. This move followed a notification from Boeing reaffirming the switches' safety, and it echoed a 2018 Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) from the US Federal Aviation Administration, which recommended regular inspections of the switch locks to prevent accidental movement.

Air India's inspections were consistent with both these regulatory advisories and Boeing's own maintenance guidelines, including the timely replacement of the Throttle Control Module (TCM), which houses the fuel control switch.

Full report pending – The initial investigation by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) noted that the fuel switches may have been moved to the cutoff position shortly after takeoff, potentially contributing to the crash. While a Wall Street Journal report cited cockpit voice recordings indicating that the captain might have manually shut off fuel to the engines, the AAIB emphasised that it is too early to draw conclusions.

The best of... 📚

Business & Tech – The US House of Representatives on Thursday passed three landmark cryptocurrency bills, fulfilling the Trump administration's commitment to the once-controversial industry.
Science & Environment – Eight healthy babies have been born in the UK using a new IVF technique that successfully reduced their risk of inheriting genetic diseases from their mothers, the results of a world-first trial said Wednesday.
Entertainment – Shocked, sad but determined to dance, tens of thousands of electronic music enthusiasts started to arrive at Tomorrowland in Belgium Thursday, a day after the festival's main stage went up in flames.
Sport – Ruth Chepngetich, the Kenyan who shattered the women's marathon world record last year, has been provisionally suspended on suspicion of doping, the Athletics Integrity Unit said on Thursday.

And in case you missed it... ⚠️

Housing – On Thursday, Ministers Léon Gloden and Claude Meisch outlined changes to Luxembourg’s property tax reform that would lower taxes for homeowners and farmers while taxing empty plots, aiming to encourage building from 2029.
Healthcare – Government officials and MPs reviewed next steps on Wednesday as campaigners continued to push for endometriosis to be recognised in law as a chronic condition affecting women's health and work.
Civic engagement – In a move to strengthen governmental transparency, Luxembourg's parliament has approved the live-streaming of 18 committee sessions beginning this autumn, though key policy committees will remain exempt.
Mobility – Drivers continue to flout speed limits in the Stafelter, Gousselerbierg, and Grouft tunnels, where automatic checks have clocked up tens of thousands of violations over a period of two years.

Your Weekly Recap is published every Friday at noon. Read earlier versions.