Passenger dies as flight hits severe turbulence, Luxembourg DJ accused of sexual assault, and fuel prices up

Luxembourg & the Greater Region

NO COMMENT – Following the announcement by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to seek arrest warrants against, among others Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Luxembourg has not taken a clear stance. When asked by our colleagues from RTL, the Ministry declined to comment. The Ministry merely stated that neither the government nor the Prime Minister would comment on an ongoing investigation. Luxembourg is among the 124 countries that recognise the authority of the International Criminal Court.

SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS – Luxembourg's DJ Se7en faces serious allegations of sexually abusing young women and girls, exploiting his status to manipulate them into unwanted sexual acts, a claim he publicly denies as a court case opens against him.The DJ, known for performing at parties and clubs around Luxembourg, published a post on his Facebook and Instagram pages in early May to deny the allegations.

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE – The unemployment rate in Luxembourg remains stable at 5.6%, but the number of jobseekers has risen sharply over the past year, with job vacancies also increasing. According to the National Employment Agency (ADEM) there were there were close to 17,600 jobseekers in the country at the end of April. The occupations most affected include construction, finance and property, industry, accounting, and IT.

MISSING PERSON – The Luxembourg police have issued a second appeal for witnesses regarding 14-year-old Rihanna Nella Pettinato, who has been missing since 12 May. Rihanna was last seen in Ettelbruck. She is described as having an athletic build, standing between 160 and 170 cm tall, with curly black hair often styled in a bun or ponytail.

FUEL PRICES – The cost of diesel at Luxembourg's service stations is set to increase today, with motorists facing an additional 1.9 cents per litre, bringing the price to €1.494. This increase in diesel prices is typically accompanied by a rise in heating oil costs.  The price of 10 ppm/s heating oil for domestic use will go up by 20 cents, reaching €0.958 per litre. In contrast, the prices of SP95 and SP98 petrol will remain unchanged.

 World

FLIGHT HORROR – The head of Singapore Airlines has said he is "very sorry" after a British passenger on the flight from London to Singapore died, when the plane experienced extreme turbulence. The authorities in Bangkok say the 73-year-old man is said to have had a heart attack. Seven people remain in a critical condition and a number of others were injured.

UKRAINE WAR – EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and neighbouring Moldova could start as early as next month. The Belgian EU Presidency announced yesterday that the first conference with the negotiating delegations will take place at the end of June. Meanwhile, intense fighting continues at the front. President Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday that Ukrainian troops are achieving "tangible" results against Russian forces in the Kharkiv region but the frontline situation is "extremely difficult" elsewhere.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – Israeli forces have thrust deeper into Jabalia in northern Gaza, striking a hospital and destroying residential areas with tank and air bombardments, while Israeli airstrikes killed at least five people in Rafah in the south. There are currently hundreds of thousands of refugees in the city and in the south of the Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian aid organisation of the UN, it is no longer possible to distribute aid the city.

TRUMP TRIAL – Donald Trump's defence lawyers have rested their case, without the former president following through on a vow to testify.  The judge has scheduled jury deliberations in the historic criminal trial for next week. Trump is charged with fraud and document forgery. The looming verdict represents a moment of peril for Trump, less than six months before election day when he hopes to oust President Joe Biden and return to the White House.

Sport

FOOTBALL – Today is the final of the Europa League. The German champion Bayer Leverkusen and Atalanta Bergamo face each other in Dublin. Kick off is at 9pm.

Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to set a Euro record after he was named in Portugal's 26-man 2024 squad. The 39-year-old, five-time Ballon d'Or winner will be appearing in his eleventh major international tournament. He played his first at Euro 2004.

CYCLING – Tadej Pogacar continued his dominance of the Giro d'Italia after pounding his way to victory in yesterday’s shortened 16th stage, which started three hours late after riders rebelled at demands they race through snow. Slovenian cycling superstar Pogacar burst to the fifth stage win – and second in a row – of his first ever Giro.  There are mountain stages through the Alps and Dolomites scheduled for today with more bad weather forecast.

OLYMPICS BREAKDANCING – At age 40, Japanese competitive breakdancer Ayumi Fukushima has been busting moves for longer than some of her rivals have been alive. But the former kindergarten teacher won a qualifier in Shanghai and is in pole position for a prized spot at the Paris Olympics. A repeat performance in Budapest next month would send her to this summer's Games as one of the favourites for gold. Breakdancing, or "breaking" as the sport is officially called, will make its Olympic debut in the French capital.

Weather

After recent downpours, today promises to have slightly less rain. We can still expect scattered rain showers throughout the day, but with intermittent clouds and sun. Temperatures start off at around 9–11°C in the morning, rising to 17–19 °C in the afternoon.

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