RED ALERT – A red alert is in place as heavy rain overnight has left parts of Luxembourg under water, forcing the closure of many roads and triggering nearly 300 emergency interventions by rescue services across the country. The Ministry of Mobility has reported that 20 roads were still blocked at 5.10am, with the entire motorway network currently subject to a reduced speed limit of 70 km/h. Authorities continue to monitor the situation.
The rainfall has been intense with over 100 litres per square metre falling in Livange and Mersch, and 90 litres in Walferdange. There is also a risk of flooding in the Alzette valley, in particular in Pfaffenthal and Mersch. So far, no injuries have been reported and the rain is expected to move eastwards from 9am onwards.
DEADLY ACCIDENT – The family of Azaria, a 16-year-old football player who died in a tragic train accident in Leudelange in August, is suing CFL, Luxembourg’s national railway company. According to L’Essentiel, the young man’s family have many questions, particularly regarding safety around the station and the train that struck him. Azaria’s father said the family remains deeply hurt that no CFL representative has reached out with personal condolences. They also stated they have yet to see any video footage of the incident, raising further questions about what exactly happened that evening.
CARITAS SCANDAL – Prime Minister Luc Frieden and Finance Minister Gilles Roth appeared before Parliament’s Finance Committee on Monday afternoon, as political scrutiny intensifies over the role of Banque et Caisse d’Épargne de l’État (Spuerkeess) in the high-profile Caritas fraud case. Roth confirmed that by November, Spuerkeess will work with an international consulting firm to develop a comprehensive plan to improve its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing measures.
FRANCE CONFIDENCE VOTE – France’s parliament has ousted the government of Prime Minister Francois Bayrou after just nine months in office, leaving President Emmanuel Macron scrambling to find a successor and plunging the country into a new political crisis. Bayrou had called a confidence vote to end a standoff over his austerity budget, which foresees almost €44 billion of cost savings to reduce France’s debt.
NORWAY ELECTION – Norway’s left-wing bloc led by Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store won yesterday’s legislative elections, which also saw a record surge in support for the anti-immigration Progress Party. In power since 2021, Store is expected to continue to head a minority Labour government, backed up by the other four left-wing parties.
NEPAL PROTESTS – At least 19 people have been killed and around 400 injured when police dispersed young demonstrators in Kathmandu and other parts of Nepal demanding the government lift a social media ban and tackle corruption. Several social media sites – including Facebook, YouTube and X – have been inaccessible in Nepal since Friday after the government blocked 26 unregistered platforms, leaving users angry and confused.
GREECE EARTHQUAKE – A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck off the Greek island of Euboea early last night and was strongly felt in Athens. There are no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
FOOTBALL – Starting with football and today’s World Cup qualifying games, see France play Iceland, Serbia against England, and Hungary versus Portugal.
In other football news, Bayer Leverkusen has appointed Kasper Hjulmand as coach, replacing Erik ten Hag, who was fired after just two league games in charge. The former Denmark coach has been appointed on a contract until 2027.
And Nottingham Forest have sacked head coach Nuno earlier today, following a rift with the club’s owner, the Greek billionaire Evangelos Marinakis.
HYROX – Luxembourg athlete Josh van Zeeland is now offically among the best HYROX athletes in the world, finishing the Perth race in a time of 57 minutes 17 seconds. Racing in only his fifth HYROX event and fourth in the Pro category, Luxembourg’s Josh van Zeeland has now placed himself among the Elite 15 in the sport. If results go his way at the Maastricht event on 19 September he will qualify for his first Major competition in Hamburg at the start of October.
There continues to be a red weather alert in place for heavy rainfall until 8am today. While the flood alert remains in place in southern Luxembourg, the alerts in the north and in the Moselle region have been lifted. Things are set to brighten significantly by the afternoon, with the rain stopping and the sun making an appearance. Temperatures are mild, with 12–15°C in the morning, rising to a maximum of 19°C in the afternoon.
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