The Today Radio news team brings you the latest headlines for Thursday, 1 August.
Luxembourg
BETTEL JORDAN – Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel is on an official visit to Jordan. Today he is meeting representatives of UNRWA, the UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees in the Middle East. He will discuss further financial support from Luxembourg, which has agreed to fund €1 million in aid, in addition to something over €13 million, which the state provides to UNRWA and other NGOs to support the Palestinian population.
POLICE SHOOTING - A significant police operation took place in the Mamer/Capellen area yesterday morning. A suspect was reportedly on the run following a burglary. Officers attempted to stop the getaway vehicle, but the suspect drove directly toward them. In response, police fired two shots at the vehicle. The suspect then abandoned the car and fled on foot. The man has been arrested and no one was injured over the course of this operation.
DRUNK DRIVER - In another police operation yesterday, a drunk driver crashed into a police car while attempting to flee. The collision resulted in minor injuries to a police officer, who was subsequently taken to the hospital. The driver’s was revoked, and they were fined for resisting arrest.
HOUSING LAW - A new rent and lease law comes into effect today, introducing several key changes. Agency fees will now be split equally between tenants and landlords and tenants will only need to provide a security deposit equivalent to a maximum of two months' rent, reduced from three months. New provisions also outline how security deposits should be returned when moving out. For example, landlords are required to refund half of the deposit within a month if no significant damage is reported.
MERSCH WATER - Mersch is currently facing issues with its drinking water supply. The municipality has issued a warning affecting all residents. As a precautionary measure, residents are advised to boil tap water for ten minutes before using it for drinking, cooking, or washing up. Additionally, tap water should not be used to wash raw fruits and vegetables or to make ice.The contamination was identified in the main water reservoir of the municipality, though the exact cause of the bacterial presence is still under investigation. Authorities anticipate that the problem may persist for several days, with water quality expected to improve within the next week.
World
MIDDLE EAST CRISIS – Iran is set to hold funeral processions today for Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh after he was killed in a strike in Tehran blamed on Israel. The Islamic republic's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will lead the prayers for Haniyeh ahead of his burial in Doha, having earlier threatened a "harsh punishment" for his killing.
The strike came just hours after Israel targeted and killed top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in the Lebanese capital Beirut, sending fears of a wider regional war soaring. Israel has declined to comment on the Tehran strike.
UK STABBING – A 17-year-old male has been charged with the murder of three girls and the attempted murder of 10 more people in a knife attack at a dance class in the UK. The suspect will appear at court in Liverpool today. The town of Southport, where Monday's tragedy unfolded, is still reeling from the attack, and from violent clashes that broke out on Tuesday.
Sport
OLYMPICS 2024 – Following yesterday’s disappointments for the Luxembourg team at the Paris Olympics, archer Pit Klein is in action today. Klein, who is currently ranked 38th in the world ranking will face the Colombian Santiago Arcila this afternoon. Should Pit Klein win this match, he will compete in the round of 16 finals, shortly before 6pm tonight.
Yesterday table tennis icon Ni Xia Lian lost to world number one Sun Yingsha in the second round of the competition and triathlete Jeanne Lehair was forced to drop out of the race morning after suffering a mechanical bicycle problem.
Among yesterday evening’s highlights, China’s Pan Zhanle smashed his own world record on his way to victory in the men's 100m freestyle. It was China's first swimming gold of the Paris Games.
And staying with swimming, home favourite Leon Marchand wrote his name into the Olympic history books with a phenomenal double gold, winning both the 200m butterfly and 200m breaststroke. And a new Olympic record was set by the American Katie Ledecky, who confidently secured gold over the 1500 m freestyle.
In terms of medals, China now leads, with 19 medals, of which 9 gold, 7 silver and 3 bronze. Behind them come France and Japan, with 8 gold medals each.
On today’s programme are the women's and men's 20 km Race Walks, plus medals in rowing, sailing, rowing, judo, women’s gymnastics, fencing and more swimming. Among the highlights is the gymnastics programme, which kicks off today with Simone Biles seeking to make more history by recapturing the all-around title. A total of 16 golds are up for grabs on the sixth full day of competition in Paris.
Weather
Buckle up for a rainy, humid day with a good chance of thunderstorms. The skies will be cloudy throughout the day. Meteolux has issued a yellow alert for rainstorms, expected to start mid-morning and pretty much last all day. The new yellow alert from 7am to 4pm, for the whole country is due to the risk of thunderstorms with rainfall totals of between 15 and 30 litres/m² in a short space of time. Temperatures start off at 16–19°C. It gets toastier by the afternoon to highs of 25–27°C.
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