Angry crowds in Spain, high tax increases for Luxembourg, and school smartphone ban debate today

Luxembourg & the Greater Region

TAX INCREASE - According to the latest Eurostat figures, Luxembourg is among the EU countries with the largest increase in the tax-to-GDP ratio in 2023. This ratio, which measures the total of taxes and net social contributions as a percentage of GDP, reflects the rising fiscal burden. Luxembourg’s increase places it highly among the top EU countries where tax pressure has intensified over the past year.

FRANCE ACCIDENT - A horrific accident occurred on the French A4 motorway on Saturday, resulting in the tragic death of a young motorist from Diekirch. According to Le Républicain Lorrain, the 19-year-old driver collided with the rear of a German tanker. After the collision, the tanker pulled over onto the hard shoulder while the Diekirch resident stopped his car in the left lane. As the young man got out of his car to cross the motorway lanes, he was hit by a 38-tonne lorry, resulting in his immediate death.

PHONE BAN DEBATE - A debate is taking place in the chamber this morning on a petition that has received enough signatures. Nearly 5000 people have signed the petition to ban smartphones in schools, forcing the government to debate the issue. But in fact, the Ministry of Education has already announced that smartphones will be completely banned in primary school starting next Easter.

BORDER DEMO - In a show of solidarity for open borders, around 250 demonstrators marched from France to Schengen at the weekend, challenging the recent reintroduction of border checks. The protest was organised by the pro-European political party Volt, which argues that controls at the German and French borders undermine European solidarity.

World

US ELECTIONS - The US Presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are visiting the states that could be the deciders in tomorrow’s election. Harris for the Democrats has been speaking to typically Republican voting men in Michigan. In Pensylvania, the Republican candidate Donald Trump criticised polling rules, saying states that don’t require voter ID allow cheating.

SPAIN FLOODING - Valencia which saw deadly flash flooding last week is once again seeing rainfall. More than 200 people have died and many others remain missing. The King says he understands the frustration of those affected as he was pelted with mud by people angry about the state’s response.

INDONESIA VOLCANO - At least 10 people have died after a volcanic eruption on the Indonesian island of Flores. Reports say lava and rocks spewed almost seven kilometers from the mountain’s peak.

MOLDOVA ELECTION - Moldova's President Maia Sandu has claimed election victory over her pro-Russian challenger. Maia Sandu has a clear lead over her opponent Alexandr Stoianoglo, with almost all votes counted. She says voters have saved the country from “hostile forces,” a reference to Russian election interference which Moscow denies.

WORD OF THE YEAR - Brat, the word redefined by singer Charli XCX and adopted by supporters of US presidential candidate Kamala Harris, has been named the Collins Word of the Year 2024. "Brat" was the name of the UK singer's hit sixth album, and the word has now come to represent a "confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude,"  rather than simply a term for a badly-behaved child.

Sport

FORMULA 1 - Max Verstappen won a chaotic, rain-lashed Brazilian Grand Prix yesterday, roaring back from 17th on the grid to reignite his push for a fourth successive world title. George Russell was fourth in a Mercedes with Charles Leclerc fifth in a Ferrari while McLaren's Oscar Piastri was seventh.

FOOTBALL - With the Sunday games in the German Bundesliga, Moenchengladbach beat Bremen 4-1 and Freiburg and Mainz crew 0-0.

In France, Marseille has climbed into second place in Ligue 1 after a 2-1 win against Nantes.

And in the Premier League, Manchester United and Chelsea have drawn 1-1.

ULTRACYCLING - At the 24-Hour World Championship in Ultracycling in Borrego Springs, California, the Luxembourgish cyclist Ralph Diseviscourt, also known as "Dizzy," achieved an impressive second-place finish, covering 843 kilometers in 24 hours. The race was won by Austrian Philipp Kaider, with Slovenian Stanislav Verstovšek securing third place.

TENNIS -  Alexander Zverev has won the Paris Masters by comprehensively beating France's Ugo Humbert 6-2, 6-2, to earn the seventh ATP 1000-level title of his career. However, the new world number two has not won one of tennis' four majors, finishing as runner-up at the French Open in 2024 and the US Open in 2020.

Weather

It’s a foggy start to the day but once that has cleared we should be in for a glorious autumnal day!

The sun will be out for most of the day, with minimal disturbances and a clear blue sky. In terms of temperatures and it is quite warm for a November's day, despite a chilly morning of 2-4°C the afternoon will warm to 12-14°C.

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