TUNNELS SHUT – Nightly closures of the Grouft and Stafelter tunnels on Luxembourg’s A7 motorway begin today as crews upgrade the fire suppression system. Closures will take place between 8pm and 5am on weekdays, alternating weekly between northbound and southbound traffic until 9 May.
A3 PROJECT – The first stretch of the widened A3 motorway has been open since yesterday. The ambitious construction project, which began in January 2022, has been a source of frustration for many, particularly French border residents who commute daily to Luxembourg.
SPEED MARATHON – ROADPOL, the European road policing network, will conduct its first pan-European speed operation of the year, culminating in a 24-hour Speed Marathon on Wednesday 9 April. The Speed Marathon is the largest synchronised, organised, and comprehensive speed enforcement action in the world. Last year, more than 150,000 speeding offences were recorded in just 24 hours.
BELGIUM STRIKE – A general strike will grind Belgium to a halt today, as workers in both the private and public sectors are protesting against the new government’s budget cuts. It will cause disruptions across the whole country as many schools remain closed, flights are expected to be cancelled, public transport disrupted and unions are taking to the streets to protest against the planned austerity measures. This disruption extends to international routes, with CFL warning of delays on connections to Luxembourg, particularly on routes to Gouvy and Arlon.
MYANMAR EARTHQUAKE – The World Health Organisation has promised to deliver emergency medical supplies to the main hospital in Mandalay, the city worst hit by Friday’s earthquake in Myanmar. It says hospitals there are overwhelmed. Hopes are fading of finding more survivors in the rubble, after the massive earthquake killed at least 1,700 people.
TRUMP PUTIN – Donald Trump says he was disappointed with President Putin for questioning the credibility of the Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky during ceasefire discussions. NBC News said President Trump called them to express his anger with the Russian leader. The broadcaster also said Trump threatened to impose secondary tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil if Putin didn’t agree to a plan to stop the war in Ukraine within a month.
FRANCE LE PEN – A French court will rule in the trial of far-right leader Marine Le Pen today over an alleged fake jobs scam at the EU parliament, a verdict which could ruin her chances of standing in the next presidential elections in two years. Le Pen has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN – The actor Richard Chamberlain, leading man in popular TV series such as Dr. Kildare in the 1960s, The Thorn Birds and the original Shogun, has died aged 90. He died late on Saturday night in Waimanalo, Hawaii after suffering complications from a stroke. Martin Rabbett, Chamberlain’s longtime partner called him an “amazing and loving soul” in a statement.
TENNIS – Czech teenager Jakub Mensik has upset Novak Djokovic 7-6, 7-6 to win the Miami Open on Sunday, denying the Serb his 100th career title. The 19-year-old, ranked 54th in the world, claimed his first title on the ATP Tour with an outstanding display of powerful tennis.
MOTO GP – Francesco Bagnaia won an eventful Grand Prix of the Americas on Sunday, after Marc Marquez’s crash ended his flawless start to the MotoGP season.
FOOTBALL – Some results from yesterday’s games: In the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund beat Mainz 3-1 and Union Berlin won 2-1 against Freiburg. In France, Lille won 1-0 against Lens. In the Italian league, Naples beat AC Milan 2-1 and in the English FA Cup, Manchester City beat Bournemouth 2-1 and is now in the semi-finals.
It’s a cloudy start, but overall we should be in for a dry day, rocked by a gentle breeze. Temperatures though are back on the chilly side, starting at around 3 – 5°C in the morning, going up to 11°C in the afternoon.
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