The Today Radio news team brings you the latest headlines for Friday, 21 June.
Luxembourg
SCHOOL WARNING - An incident involving suspicious behaviour near Campus Geesseknäppchen in Luxembourg City has prompted an investigation by the Public Prosecutor's Office.The police confirmed the event, which occurred on Monday, to our colleagues from RTL.lu . According to the police, an individual allegedly approached an underage girl and grabbed her by the arm.The commotion quickly attracted the attention of passers-by, prompting the suspect to flee on foot.The victim was not injured.
ADMINISTRATIVE SIMPLIFICATION - Ministers Léon Gloden, Claude Meisch, and Serge Wilmes have presented a new 10-point action plan to reduce administrative procedures, as announced in the State of the Nation speech given by Prime Minister Luc Frieden. Municipal regulations and urban planning standards are set to be harmonised, reducing the number of contacts and introducing shorter waiting periods. The government also plans to increase its affordable housing offer.
REMOTE WORKING - According to a new survey a third of people in Luxembourg regularly worked from home last year. While this number has decreased since the pandemic, remote work remains both widespread and popular. The survey found that over half of respondents expressed a desire to work from home at least once a week, with 32% indicating they would prefer to work from home most of the time.
ABORTION RIGHTS - Déi Lénk (The Left) has submitted a proposal to the Chamber of Deputies covering the topic of abortion as a constitutional right. MP, Marc Baum said that a voluntary termination of a pregnancy should be enshrined in Luxembourg's constitution, as is already the case in neighbouring France. Abortion in Luxembourg is currently subject to regulations by a law passed a decade ago.
COURT EXPENSES - The Grand Ducal Court has released its financial report for last year, revealing that they spent €12.6 million on staff alone. 120 people work for the court. The total expenditure came in at around €19.2 million. The monarchy's cost per resident amounted to €27.64 in 2023.
BORDER CHECKS - In response to significant traffic disruptions caused by Euro 2024 border checks, Minister Leon Gloden announced an agreement with German authorities to discontinue checkpoints on border bridges and maintain two lanes on the motorway towards Trier.
World
NATO CHIEF - Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has clinched the race to become the next NATO chief after Romanian President Klaus Iohannis withdrew. Rutte secured support from major NATO members — overcoming resistance from Turkey and Hungary.
RIOTS FRANCE - Riot police have clashed with demonstrators in the French city of Rennes, in the latest rally against the rise of the far-right ahead of a national election this month. Seven arrests were made after dozens of demonstrators threw bottles and other projectiles at the police, who responded with tear gas.
DONALD SUTHERLAND DIES - Donald Sutherland, the enigmatic Canadian actor whose career included films such as "The Dirty Dozen" and "The Hunger Games," has died. He was 88. His son, Kiefer Sutherland posted the news to social media, saying that he was one of the most important actors in the history of film.
Sport
FOOTBALL – Starting with football, Spain has secured a spot in the knockout stages of Euro 2024 with a 1-0 victory over Italy, after England struggled to show their credentials in a 1-1 draw with Denmark. The day's other match in Group C also ended in a 1-1 draw, as Luka Jovic snatched a point for Serbia in the 95th minute to hold Slovenia. Today, France take on the Netherlands, Poland and Austria meet, while today’s first match sees Slovakia play Ukraine in Group E.
World champions Argentina opened their bid for back-to-back Copa America titles with a 2-0 win over Canada yesterday. Argentina star Lionel Messi has become the most-capped player in Copa America history as he reached 35 appearances in the opening match of the tournament against Canada.
ATHLETICS - Luxembourg’s track and field athlete Vera Hoffmann has set a new record. At an international meeting in Poland, she improved her own national record from last year in the 1500 meters by a full second. That in a time of 4 minutes, 5 seconds and .92 hundredths. Hoffmann finished the race in 12th place and was able to collect further points for a qualification for the Summer Olympics in Paris.
CYCLING - Double defending champion Jonas Vingegaard will ride in this year's Tour de France after recovering from the serious injuries he suffered in April. Vingegaard was hospitalized after breaking ribs and a collarbone as well as damaging a lung in a mass crash on the Tour of the Basque Country on April 4.
Weather
The sky will be cloudy with some sunny spells. The risk of thunderstorms will gradually increase with the possibility that thunderstorms, accompanied by heavy rain, hail and gusts may appear late afternoon/early evening.
Morning temperatures will be around 16–18°C, rising to highs of 22°C in the afternoon.
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