Your Weekly Recap for 20–24 October 2025.

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

  • Murder trial unfolds over alleged family conspiracy to poison Luxembourg resident,
  • Human Rights Commission criticises facility for rejected asylum seekers as inadequate,
  • Education minister defends French literacy programmes amid ADR criticism,
  • The EU, UK, and US renew their pressure on Putin as Ukraine war heads into fourth winter,
  • Bolivia and Japan welcome new leadership amid economic crisis and voter distrust.

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1. Murder trial unfolds over alleged family conspiracy to poison Luxembourg resident

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© Claudia Kollwelter

Insecticide murder – Four defendants went on trial in Luxembourg this week over the death of a Portuguese national living in the Grand Duchy, who was found dead in a river near Figueira da Foz in August 2021.

The suspects – his long-term partner Ana*, her son, her mother Mariana*, and her mother's partner Antonio* – stand accused of poisoning Pedro* during a holiday and conspiring to cover up the crime.

*All names were changed to guarantee anonymity.

Family conspiracy – Pedro had travelled to Portugal with Ana and her family, unaware of a murder plot. Prosecutors say Ana, under the influence of Mariana and Antonio, arranged for pesticide to be added to Pedro's drink after a mock marriage proposal.

The family later dumped his body in a stream and tried to hide the killing with fake social media posts and ATM withdrawals. Text messages, intercepted calls, and bank records have since exposed key elements of the crime.

Cold-blooded and calculated – The presiding judge spoke of a "cold-bloodedness" act, and that, had it not ended so tragically, "it could almost be mistaken for a telenovela".

During questioning, Ana admitted to have given Pedro laxatives in the hopes that he would feel unwell and fall from a crane at work, meaning this wasn't the first attempt on his life.

Pedro's partner served him a poisoned liqueur, added sleeping pills to his tea, and later helped push him into the water. Prosecutors also revealed chilling messages between Ana and Mariana joking about future victims, while Ana's daughter, who is now estranged, joined the trial as a civil party. However, much remains unclear as Ana's mother is directly challenging her testimony and claimed that her daughter is lying.

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2. Human Rights Commission slams facility for rejected asylum seekers for inadequate living standards

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© RTL

Fails to meet basic standards – The Consultative Human Rights Commission (CCDH) has voiced strong concerns over the "return home", a provisional facility for rejected asylum seekers. While its president acknowledged the importance of such centres in principle, she condemned the current set-up as inadequate, particularly for families with young children.

With its tent-based layout, lack of play areas, and outdoor-only bathroom access, the facility fails to meet basic standards of dignity, privacy, and hygiene. The hall is noisy, windowless, and reportedly distressing for children, making it wholly unfit for long-term use.

Matter of political will – Sadler attributes the problem not to logistical barriers but to insufficient political commitment. She criticises the government for launching the facility without prior consultation with social support organisations and for using "temporary" language to justify what has become a years-long issue.

Two-thirds of Luxembourg municipalities still lack refugee housing. While Sadler did not endorse binding quotas, she emphasised that the lack of humane accommodation options is a growing problem that must be met with clear and decisive policy action.

Temporary solution – Last September, Interior Minister Léon Gloden defended the facility as a necessary infrastructure to manage voluntary returns humanely, pointing out that it is an open facility and not comparable to detention.

At the same time, the state offers financial assistance for returnees, and Gloden said Luxembourg's approach balances compassion with societal limits. Yet critics argue that residents are left in limbo under substandard conditions. For Sadler, the state's humane intentions ring hollow without proper support structures in place.

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3. Education minister defends French literacy programmes amid ADR criticism

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© Eric Ebstein

A threat to national identity? –Education Minister Claude Meisch found himself on the defensive this week after MP Fred Keup declared the government's new French literacy programmes would cause the "implosion of our school system as we know it".

Keup accused Meisch of "francophonising" Luxembourg's schools, and claimed traditional education structures were being dismantled in favour of international and French-language tracks. The ADR politician warned this shift threatens national identity and social integration by fragmenting the shared learning experience among children. 

Misleading and unethical –In his reply, Meisch dismissed the allegations as "factually inaccurate" and argued they ignore structural disadvantages facing children from foreign backgrounds. Citing studies by PISA, LUCET, and the University of Luxembourg, he defended the literacy changes as necessary to offer equal educational opportunity.

"This is not about replacing Luxembourgish, it's about humanity, ethics, and giving every child the tools to succeed", Meisch said. He also underlined that pupils remain together for two-thirds of class time and will still speak Luxembourgish in nearly half that time.

Education unhindered by increased diversity –Beyond the literacy programme debate, beyond the education debate, the ADR seems intent on tying education to concerns about immigration and national identity. Earlier this month, Keup sought clarification around whether rising student diversity is leading to a perceived erosion of quality and cohesion in schools.

While Meisch acknowledged that immigration has posed challenges since 2015, he rejected the notion that the system is overwhelmed. Instead, he highlighted Luxembourg's pragmatic reforms and multilingual history as evidence of a school model that is adapting, not collapsing, under demographic pressure.

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4. EU, UK, and US renew pressure on Putin over Ukraine war

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© AFP

  • EU foreign ministers and top officials met in Luxembourg on Monday to discuss a long-term support strategy for Ukraine and energy independence from Russia.

  • They agreed to phase out all Russian gas imports by the end of 2027 after Slovakia dropped its objections, though Hungary remains opposed.

  • Washington and London are also increasing pressure on Moscow, while Luxembourg's Fernand Kartheiser (ADR) seeks a solution by building ties to Duma senior officials.

Renewed support for Ukraine – Foreign and energy ministers from all 27 EU member states gathered in Luxembourg this Monday for talks focused on Ukraine. The meeting, which is held as the war nears its fourth winter, aimed to pinpoint EU positions on energy sanctions, financial support for Ukraine, and strategic independence from Moscow.

On Thursday in Brussels, ministers also debated how the EU should respond to a possible summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Budapest, and reviewed controversial plans to use frozen Russian state assets to fund a massive loan to Ukraine.

Going cold turkey –After months of negotiations, EU ministers reached an agreement to end all Russian gas imports (both pipeline and liquefied natural gas) by the end of 2027, with new contracts banned as early as January 2026.

The deal had previously been blocked for weeks by Slovakia, whose PM Robert Fico demanded more EU action on surging energy prices at home. As soon as Brussels offered clearer commitments on this front, Slovakia dropped its veto. Hungary maintains its opposition, citing energy security concerns.

While the gas share from Russia has already dropped sharply since 2022, Moscow still supplies around 13% of the bloc's needs under existing contracts, worth an annual €15 billion.

UK and US tighten the grip –As EU capitals agreed on tightening sanctions, Washington and London are now also increasing pressure. President Trump announced fresh sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil, while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer convened a summit of Ukraine's allies in London to push for long-range missile deliveries.

In contrast, Luxembourg MEP Fernand Kartheiser (ADR) resurfaced with a different kind of outreach. He met senior Russian lawmaker Leonid Slutsky in Geneva, proposing monthly video calls between the EU and the Duma, as well as a future security conference "outside the EU". The move comes a mere four months after his trip to Moscow, which subjected him to controversy and an expulsion from the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR). Kartheiser, now a non-attached MEP, appears undeterred by criticism.

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5. Japan and Bolivia welcome new leadership amid economic crises and voter distrust 

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© AFP

  • Centre-right economist Rodrigo Paz has been elected as Bolivia's new president with 54.6% of the vote, marking an end of a two-decade socialist government under Evo Morales.

  • After a rocky coalition deal, Japan welcomed its first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, who is often compared to Margaret Thatcher for her hardline stances on China and immigration.

'Capitalism for all' –Bolivia witnessed a clear turning point on Sunday after centre-right economist Rodrigo Paz was elected president, effectively ending two decades of socialist rule. Paz's message of decentralisation, fiscal discipline, and "capitalism for all" seemingly resonates with voters who are fed up by years of mismanagement under the Movimiento al Socialismo (Mas) government.

However, Paz inherits a country plagued by inflation, severe fuel shortages, and dwindling dollar reserves. At the same time, Paz lacks congressional majority and will face lingering influence from ex-president Evo Morales, meaning he needs to build cross-party consensus quickly to avoid unrest among a population that has lost its trust in politics.

Iron Lady 2.0 – On the other end of the Pacific, Sanae Takaichi was confirmed as Japan's newest prime minister on Tuesday. Takaichi's taking office follows a last-minute coalition deal after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's (LPD) 26-year-long coalition with the Komeito party collapsed.

While her appointment as the first female PM is historic, her conservative stance and self-declared admiration for Margaret Thatcher makes any changes in Japan's patriarchal structures unlikely. Instead, Takaichi is prioritising the cost-of-living crisis, defence spending, and hardened immigration policy while facing US trade pressure and falling birth rates.

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The best of... 📚

  • Business & Tech – Eurostar unveiled its plan to introduce double-decker trains by the mid-2030s in preparation for upcoming competition over the Channel tunnel.

  • Science & Environment – With lawmakers taking several companies, including TotalEnergies, to court over greenwashing claims, airlines are dropping their vague climate pledges.

  • Entertainment – The Luxembourg government has announced it opposes an exclusion of Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 as international calls grow louder.

  • Sport – Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica have been confirmed as co-hosts for the United States' 2031 Women's World Cup bid in an attempt to host the "biggest and most impactful" tournament in history.

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And in case you missed it... ⚠️

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