Hezbollah hit by exploding pagers, Amazon to end remote work, and summer is back in the 'Bourg

Luxembourg 

EU GOOGLE – An EU court here in Luxembourg is ruling on Google's appeal of a €1.49-billion fine from the European Union, a week after the US tech giant suffered a stinging legal defeat over a bigger penalty. The tech giant is accused of abusing its position of power in online advertising.

AMAZON REMOTE WORK – Amazon will end remote work for its administrative employees by January 2025, requiring a full return to the office. This decision brings an end to the two days per week of remote work previously available to Amazon employees in Luxembourg. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy informed administrative staff of the change on Monday, marking a shift back to pre-pandemic working arrangements.

PRODUCT RECALL – Glass shards found in Delhaize grated carrots have prompted a recall, with the company advising customers to return the product for a refund. The product affected is a Delhaize own-brand glass jar of carrots.

World

MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT – The United Nations have called developments in Lebanon "concerning" after at least nine people were killed and thousands wounded yesterday in what appeared to be a sophisticated remote attack. Pagers, used by the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah exploded almost simultaneously across the country. Hezbollah blamed Israel for the blasts.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the wave of explosions, which came just hours after Israel announced it was broadening the aims of the war to include its fight against Hezbollah along the country's border with Lebanon.

STORM BORIS – The death toll in the extreme weather and flooding let loose by Storm Boris in central Europe has risen to 22, after three more victims were reported in Poland and one in Austria. Two big cities in Poland -- Opole in the south and Wroclaw in the west -- are still awaiting the flood wave and there are concerns that the dykes there could break. In east Germany, the situation is relaxing slightly. The levels on the Elbe and Oder rivers has remained stable and is decreasing.

FED INTEREST RATES – The American central bank, the FED, is expected to cut interest rates today for the first time in more than four years, a significant move likely to ripple through global financial markets. Currently the lending rate is between 5.25 and 5.5%.

PORTUGAL WILDFIRES – Thousands of firefighters are battling wildfires in Portugal that have killed seven people and burnt more land in a matter of days than the rest of the summer combined. Fanned by winds in the stifling heat, the three largest fires concentrated in the northern Aveiro region have scorched some 10,000 hectares by Monday evening. Portuguese authorities have invoked the EU's civil protection mechanism to obtain eight additional firefighting aircraft.

Sport

CYCLING – The Tour de Luxembourg starts today. Five stages will be raced until Sunday. Today's stage is over 158 kilometers. Starting at the cathedral, the first stage goes up to Vianden and Eschdorf and back into Luxembourg City. 114 cyclists are taking part, including nine Luxembourgers and the world champion Mathieu Van der Poel.

FOOTBALL – Some football results from yesterday's start of the Champions League: 
The defending champion Real Madrid beat Stuttgart 3-1. Bayern beat Dinamo Zagreb 9-2. And Liverpool beat AC Milan 3-1.

This evening, among other other matches, Manchester City is playing Inter Milan, Dortmund take on Bruges and Paris St German play against Girona.

Weather

Sunshine, soaring temperatures and scattered clouds – summer is coming back.
Expect warm and dry weather today, with sunshine and sporadic clouds dotting the sky. Temperatures start off at 12–14°C in the morning, rising to 22–24°C in the afternoon.

---

Be sure to catch our full bulletin on the hour, every hour, and headlines at half past the hour on Today Radio. You can also access the news via Alexa, and on RTL Play.