NATO meeting in Brussels, pensions to increase in Luxembourg, and man killed by falling bear

Luxembourg & Greater Region

SATELLITE LAUNCH – Luxembourg-based company SES yesterday finally launched two satellites into space. The satellites were launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch had already been postponed several times due to bad weather.

FATAL ACCIDENT – A fatal accident occurred at the train station in Trier yesterday afternoon. According to the newspaper Trierischer Volksfreund, the man fell onto the tracks and was run over by a train. All traffic in Trier station was closed until 6pm, meaning there were no trains between Wasserbillig and Trier.

PENSION INCREASE – Pensions are set to increase by 1.6% next year. Amid ongoing debates about pension system reform, the Chamber of Employees is strongly opposing proposed pension cuts, highlighting concerns over the rising risk of poverty among retirees. Meanwhile, the retired population receives an average income that is higher than the working population.

World

NATO MEETING – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is meeting NATO chief Mark Rutte and key European leaders in Brussels today to discuss "next steps" on Russia's war. The gathering due in the evening is set to bring together German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Polish leader Donald Tusk, Italian premier Giorgia Meloni, and Denmark's Mette Frederiksen, and could also include French President Emmanuel Macron. British Foreign Minister David Lammy is also expected to attend, as are EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa. The huddle comes just over a month before Trump moves into the White House, having pledged to bring a swift end to a conflict that NATO says has left over one million dead and wounded since Russia's 2022 invasion. EU leaders are also discussing accession prospects for a number of Balkan countries. Luxembourg is represented by Prime Minister Luc Frieden.

MAYOTTE CYCLONE – According to the latest toll from the interior ministry, 22 people are confirmed to have been killed and nearly 1,400 injured by Cyclone Chido on the French overseas territory of Mayotte. Authorities fear that hundreds, and possibly even thousands, will be confirmed dead once the true scale of the toll is revealed after the rubble is cleared and roads are unblocked.

VANUATU EARTHQUAKE –  After yesterday's earthquake in the Pacific, rescue efforts are in full swing on the island nation of Vanuatu. So far, 14 dead and 200 injured have been reported. The earthquake had a strength of 7.3. A number of buildings were completely destroyed.

BEAR ACCIDENT – A man has died in the US state of Virginia after a bear in a tree, shot by one of his hunting partners, fell on him. The bizarre, accidental death occurred on 9 December in Lunenburg county. A hunting group was following the bear when it ran up the tree. A hunter then shot the bear, which fell on Lester C Harvey, a married father of five, who died from his injuries.

Sport

FOOTBALL – Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior has won the FIFA Best men's player of the year award, while Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati picked up the women's prize for the second time.

TENNIS – Australian tennis great Neale Fraser was honoured with a state funeral yesterday with Roger Federer among those paying tribute to "a true legend". Fraser, a former world number one and winner of 19 Grand Slam titles during the amateur era, died aged 91 earlier this month.

HYROX RECORD – A former Luxembourg rugby international has broken the Asia-Pacific record in HYROX, a novel competitive sport that combines both running and functional fitness – after a 1km run, participants then perform a series of functional fitness exercises and repeat eight times. Josh van Zeeland, who spent most of his life in Neudorf and now lives in Australia, completed the event in an incredible time of 56 minutes and 47 seconds, which makes him the fastest man to ever complete the race in the Asia-Pacific region.

Weather

An all too familiar sight in December weather readings – it's going to be grey just like yesterday, but this time, we'll likely see some rain. The skies will be overcast all day and temperatures will once again be on the milder side, starting around 3–5°C, reaching a maximum of 11°C in the afternoon.

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