Begging ban to be reinstated in the City, final day for climate deal, and UN demands ceasefire in Gaza

Luxembourg

GOVERNMENT COUNCIL - Prime Minister Luc Frieden's calendar is also well filled. The government council is meeting this morning, followed by a press conference at lunchtime. And then it's on to the EU summit in Brussels for the rest of the week, where Ukraine’s accession to the EU is the main topic.

BEGGING BAN - Today, the relevant parliamentary committee is also discussing the prohibition of begging in the city. Home Affairs Minister Léon Gloden will address MPs, after he reversed a decision made by his predecessor, Taina Bofferding to enforce a begging ban in the City. In addition, he also has an appointment with the police today. To talk about the practical implementation of the ban.

YOUTH IMPRISONMENT - A minor caught entering a home and robbing the owner has been placed in Schrassig prison, usually reserved for adults, instead of the youth detention facility in Dreiborn. According to the public prosecutor's office, all 12 rooms at the youth facility are full and the young perpetrator is known to police and has to be behind bars to prevent escape.

FOOD WARNING - Experts are warning against the trend of soft 'pre-chewed meals' for children in Luxembourg. There has been a growing preference for soft, tender and melt-in-the-mouth foods, such as smoothies or milky buns. According to health experts these foods carry potential health risks, from speech and jaw development to dietary complications.

World

COP28 - A new draft text has been published at the UN climate summit in Dubai. It does not include a reference to phasing out the use of fossil fuels, only a call for ”transitioning away from fossil fuels”. In an interview with RTL, Luxembourg's Minister for the Environment, Serge Wilmes, highlighted the need for a new text that garners unanimous adoption this morning. The challenge, according to Wilmes, lies in building bridges between countries that want to go further, those most impacted by climate change, and those with economies heavily reliant on fossil fuels.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR - Israel is looking increasingly isolated after the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a non-binding resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. And President Biden issued his sharpest criticism yet of Israel’s tactics. He directly linked the loss of international support to what he called Israel’s indiscriminate bombing of Palestinians.

UKRAINE WAR - The White House says it is giving Ukraine a further 200 million dollars of arms and equipment, but warned this could be one of the last packages of military aid, unless Congress approves fresh resources. Meanwhile authorities in Ukraine say dozens of people have been injured in a Russian missile assault on the capital Kyiv. Officials say air-defence systems downed all the missiles, but that falling debris had caused injuries and destruction in 3 of the city’s districts.

Sport

FOOTBALL - Copenhagen and Napoli have qualified for the next round in the Champions League. Manchester United has bowed out as a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich rounded off a miserable Champions League campaign. United have lost 12 of their opening 24 games of the season, it is just the fourth time an English club has finished bottom of a Champions League group. Today, among other games, Borussia Dortmund are playing Paris StGermain. PSG need to win in Germany to guarantee progress to the knockout stages and avoid falling into the Europa League for the first time since 2011.

CYCLING - The route for the Paris-Nice eight-day bike race has been unveiled, resembling a mini Tour de France. Known as "The Race to the Sun", the eight days of action are packed with a variety of challenges starting with a team time-trial.The race then speeds down the Rhone and Loire valleys, takes in the remote Ardeche and then the rugged peaks of Haute Provence. But with two mountaintop finishes, there is a taste of the Alps before a downhill dash to the seafront at Nice on March 10.

Weather

The shades of grey continue, as the weather agency MeteoLux says there will be "zero hours of sunshine".  Thick clouds will cover Luxembourg skies today, and there is a small chance of showers throughout the day. Temperatures in the morning start at 6-8 degrees, up to no more than 9 degrees maximum in the afternoon.

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