South Korea martial law, alleged police brutality in Luxembourg, and discussion on under 16s usage of social media

Luxembourg

POLICE VIOLENCE – The public prosecutor's office has said that four police officers accused of beating a suspect in a police cell at the city’s main train station should stand trial over the incident. According to the Luxembourg Wort today, the events took place on the evening of the ING Marathon in May this year when the suspect was allegedly beaten and the officers then tried to cover up the attack. Now it is up to the judge to decide whether a trial should go ahead. The four policemen have been suspended from service. If convicted, they risk imprisonment between 5 and 15 years.

SOCIAL MEDIA – The question of social media access for minors has reached Luxembourg's political agenda, as the government looks to contribute to European-level discussions on the issue. Prime Minister Luc Frieden spoke during a Q&A session at the Chamber of Deputies yesterday afternoon and said the government does not yet have a fixed position on the matter and that further discussions are needed. It follows international developments on the issue, including Australia's new law prohibiting social media use for under 16s.

TAX BREAKS – After repeated legal setbacks, the European Commission has announced that it has dropped its investigations into tax breaks granted by Luxembourg and the Netherlands to Amazon, Fiat, and Starbucks. In recent years, the General Court and the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) have overturned Commission decisions requiring these three groups to repay tens of millions of euros in undue tax benefits, which the Commission argued amounted to illegal state aid.

GOOGLE CENTRE – While the Luxembourg government remains hopeful about the proposed Google data centre project in Bissen, Minister Lex Delles confirmed yesterday that discussions are still ongoing. There has been no definitive confirmation from the US tech giant.

INTERSEX CHILDREN – An average of three intersex children are born in Luxembourg each year, according to Minister of Health Martine Deprez. On the question about the number of these children who undergo surgery, the minister clarified that these cases are referred to specialised competence centres abroad, which follow international guidelines. These guidelines stipulate that surgery should only be performed on intersex children when medically necessary. 

World

SOUTH KOREA MARTIAL LAW – Opposition parties in South Korea are demanding the resignation of President Yoon Suk Yeol following his sudden decision to impose and then revoke martial law. His senior aides have reportedly offered to step down and unions have called for a general strike. The President is embroiled in several scandals and is unable to pass laws. South Korean opposition parties said Wednesday they had submitted a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived declaration of martial law.

FRANCE BUDGET – France’s government is on the brink of collapse with the prime minister expecting to be ousted later by a confidence vote just three months after taking office. The motion was called by the opposition after Michel Barnier used his powers to push through tax rises and spending cuts.

UN 2025 APPEAL – The UN has appealed for more than $47 billion to deliver vital aid next year, warning surging conflicts and the climate crisis will leave hundreds of millions of people in need. With brutal conflicts spiralling in places like Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine, and as climate change and extreme weather take an ever-heavier toll, the UN estimated that 305 million people globally will need some form of emergency assistance next year.

Sport

FOOTBALL – Starting with some football results from last night’s games:  Bayern Munich have crashed out of the German Cup as Bayer Leverkusen secured a dramatic 1-0 win. Bremen also won 1-0 against Darmstadt, Stuttgart beat Regensburg 3-0 and Bielefeld won 3-1 over Freiburg. 
As a side, Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was sent off for the first time in his 866-match career, seeing a straight red for a last-man foul on Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong.

CYCLING – Double Olympic road cycling champion Remco Evenepoel has broken a hand, ribs and shoulder blade when he collided with the open door of a postal van in Brussels during an off-season training ride yesterday. He was transferred to a specialist hospital for a procedure on his shoulder and will be off the bike for at least the next fortnight.

ICE DANCE – Olympic ice dancing champions Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron have announced their retirement from figure skating after a trophy-laden career spanning two decades. The French pair won five world titles and Olympic gold in Beijing 2022, having taken silver at the Pyeongchang Games four years earlier.

Weather

We start off with freezing fog this morning, leaving its frosty mark everywhere. Be careful of slippery pavements and roads! The fog should start dissipating in the course of the morning, and we should see some sunshine coming through the clouds, followed by a cloudy and cold afternoon. The temperature is going to be just a little on the cold side: -2 to 0°C for the minimum, going up to a maximum range of 3-5°C.
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