Orange alert for heat, national football team coach resigns, and warnings about misuse of laughing gas

Luxembourg 

SUMMER HEATWAVE – Temperatures across the Grand Duchy are set to remain high well into the week, with Meteolux issuing a heat warning for the entire country. Meteolux forecasts that today will see its peak heat between 1pm and 7pm, with dry conditions and sunshine throughout the day. A yellow heat warning remains in effect for the entire country. The hot spell is expected to persist in the coming days. Wednesday's temperatures will range from 33°C to 35°C, triggering an orange alert. Thursday will remain hot, with 31°C–33°C, before climbing back to 32°C–34°C on Friday.

SPUERKEES FINE – Despite having been found not to have implemented satisfactory control mechanisms, especially in regards to the Caritas scandal, Spuerkeess has escaped a €5 million fine recommended by inspectors. The financial regulator, the CSSF, did not proceed with the sanction it inflicted at the end of July.

LAUGHING GAS – Luxembourg authorities are concerned about the rising misuse of laughing gas among young people, calling for a coordinated European response. Last year, six tonnes of empty nitrous oxide canisters were collected across Luxembourg – three times more than the year, suggesting that the gas is increasingly being used for purposes other than those for which it was intended. The high from laughing gas lasts only a few seconds, but National Drugs Coordinator Dr Alain Origer warns it can cause acute problems such as dizziness and, with long-term and heavy use, lead to neurological disorders and even paralysis.

World

EUROPE HEATWAVE – The heatwave across Europe has claimed one of its youngest victims in Italy – a four-year-old boy. The Romanian boy succumbed days after being found unconscious in his family's car on the island of Sardinia. The news came as Italy's health ministry issued a red alert warning for seven major cities, including Bologna and Florence. Many towns and cities in France and the Balkans have also been put on red alert due to the heat. Wildfires fanned by strong winds forced the evacuations of thousands of people throughout the continent and threatened popular tourist sites in Turkey and Spain. 

IRAQ POWER OUTAGE  – Power was out across Iraq yesterday as scorching summer temperatures pushed electricity grid demand to unprecedented levels. The outage came amid a heatwave that Iraqi meteorological services expect to last more than a week, with temperatures climbing as high as 50C in parts of the country.

WASHINGTON NATIONAL GUARD – The National Guard have been deployed to Washington DC for the first time since the 2021 riots, that saw protestors storm the White House. US President Donald Trump says he is seeking to curb violent crime in the nation's capital. The overwhelmingly Democratic city faces allegations from Republican politicians that it is overrun by crime, plagued by homelessness and financially mismanaged – although violent offenses are down.

PERSEIDS METEOR SHOWER  – The annual Perseids meteor shower will reach its peak tonight, moonlight may obscure some of the display, but it should still be a spectacle worth viewing. The Perseids occur when Earth passes through a trail of dust left by the Comet Swift-Tuttle, which has a 133 year orbit around our Sun. Sky-viewing tips include avoiding areas of light pollution, allowing at least twenty minutes to allow your eyes to adjust to the light, and – if you can – try find a nice open area where you can lie on your back with as few obstructions from trees and buildings as possible.

Sport

FOOTBALL – The Luxembourg football federation (FLF) has announced in a press release that their contract with national team coach Luc Holtz has come to an end. According to the statement, Luc Holtz is embarking on a new challenge with a team abroad. According to RTL information, he will become the coach of Mannheim. This should be officially confirmed later this morning.

Seven National Division matches were held in Luxembourg over the weekend, as Mamer will face Differdange at a later date, thanks to the title holders' European obligations in Estonia this week. FCD played Levadia Tallinn at home last week, recording a narrow 2-3 loss, and an aggregate defeat would mean elimination from Europe altogether. A win on the other hand would edge them closer to the Conference League – where simply taking part is worth far more than any trophy in Luxembourg.

BOXING – Japanese boxing officials are holding an emergency meeting today as the sport faces intense scrutiny following the deaths of two fighters in separate bouts at the same event. Super featherweight Shigetoshi Kotari and lightweight Hiromasa Urakawa fought on the same card at Tokyo's Korakuen Hall on August 2 and died days later following brain surgery.

RUGBY – Mouthguards that light up to indicate a player has suffered a significant head impact will be used at the Women's Rugby World Cup. Mouthguards will flash red if the impact is severe enough to potentially cause a concussion. The referee will then stop play and the player will leave the field for a head injury assessment. The aim is to introduce the system into all top-flight rugby.

Weather

Yellow alerts dominate the weather forecasts at least until the weekend – summer is back with a vengeance. The day will begin gently with a meagre 15°C before the heat starts to build towards 31–33°C in the afternoon. Although some light cloud might make an appearance, it will not be enough to spoil your tanning plans.

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