Mercosur trade deal worries, recognition of a Palestinian state, and Egyptian President pardons Fattah

Luxembourg 

MERCOSUR TRADE – Ratification of the deal is imminent and there are worries when considering that Labour costs are significantly lower in Latin American countries, and both environmentalists and NGOs have raised concerns that imports could bring pesticides banned in the EU onto European plates.

LUXEMBOURG POPULATION – On 1 January 2025, Luxembourg's population stood at 681,973, an increase of just over 9,900 people compared to the same date a year earlier, according to the latest demographic review by STATEC, with the change mainly driven by migration.

ACCESSION COMMEMORATION – Luxair is rolling out a series of initiatives to mark the upcoming change on the Grand Ducal throne, the company announced on Monday. Ahead of the accession on 3 October, passengers will see commemorative stickers across the fleet, along with a special collectors edition of the in-flight magazine dedicated entirely to the occasion.

LUXEMBOURG FLIGHTS – As part of their summer expansion for 2026, SAS has announced a number of new destinations, including Luxembourg, which will see two flights a day from Copenhagen to Findel, starting in March 2026.

World

EGYPT PARDON – Egypt has freed Prominent British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah from prison in Cairo after a pardon from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Abdel Fattah, 43, was a leading figure in Egypt's 2011 uprising and an outspoken critic of the country's authorities and had been jailed for the best part of the past decade.

PALESTINE RECOGNITION – French President Emmanuel Macron has officially recognised a Palestinian state at the United Nations on Monday, spurring a wave of Western moves to defy Israel in making the landmark – if symbolic – move. Macron, speaking at a summit that Israel and its chief backer the United States did not attend, called for an end to the war in Gaza.

CHINA RISK – The leader of a US congressional delegation to China warned Tuesday of the "risk of a misunderstanding" between the two countries' militaries as advances in defence technology move at breakneck speed. Adam Smith, the most senior Democrat on Washington's Armed Services Committee, told journalists in Beijing that China needs to talk more about its military with other global powers "for basic de-confliction".

CHILE MIGRANTS – Chile's far-right presidential candidate, Jose Antonio Kast, one of the favourites to succeed leftist leader Gabriel Boric in November's vote, vowed Monday to deport "all" undocumented migrants if victorious. Some 330,000 foreign nationals, the vast majority Venezuelans, live illegally in the South American country, according to official estimates.
 

Sport

BALLON D'OR – At last night's Ballon d’Or ceremony, France forward Ousmane Dembele won the men's award, the most prestigious individual prize in football, rewarding his starring role in the Paris Saint-Germain side that lifted the Champions League trophy last season.

RYDER CUP – With the Ryder Cup starting on Friday, the USA and European teams have started practicing at the Bethpage Black course in relative quiet, before the mayhem that will be unleashed when the crowds are present for the beginning of the tournament.

Weather

Today is looking set to be a rainy day, with a yellow alert in place from 8pm tonight until tomorrow night, due to heavy rain.

Current temperatures are around 8–10°C, and will reach highs of 11–13°C later in the day.

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