GAZA CEASEFIRE – In reaction to the news on the Gaza ceasefire deal, Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel said he was relieved to hear the news and stressed the need for the agreement to be implemented to the letter and for humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza. He added that there is no alternative to UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Middle East and said he hoped that Israel also understands that.
TRAM AIRPORT – From 2 March, the first passengers will be able to journey by tram from Luxembourg City to Findel airport. But the Heienhaff interchange will not immediately live up to all its promises: there will be no bus station and only a fraction of the planned number of parking spots. The Ministry of Mobility and Public Works has confirmed that motorists will have “a temporary car park with 400 spaces” available in March and that the planned bus station will initially have only “two platforms, one in each direction”.
PROJECT IRIS² – In the race against Elon Musk, the EU has officially launched its Iris² project, aimed at ensuring secure connectivity with the help of 290 satellites. The project is managed by three leading European satellite network operators: SES in Luxembourg, Eutelsat in France, and the Spanish Hispasat. The LuxConnect location in Bettembourg has been chosen to host the primary functions of the control centre.
AUTISM WEBSITE – To foster greater inclusion for autistic students, non-profit Crunch Box has launched HASILUX, a website providing expert advice, personal stories, and practical tools for schools and families. The platform offers content in German, French, and English and targets not only autistic students but also parents, families, teachers, and school staff.
GAZA CEASEFIRE – World leaders have welcomed a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The UN Secretary-General says the deal should be used to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza while US President Joe Biden says he is confident the agreement will hold. The first part of the ceasefire will see the phased release of hostages held in Gaza by Hamas and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territory. The agreement comes 15 months after the start of the conflict.
33 hostages will be the first to be released across a six-week period beginning on Sunday. The group will include female civilians and soldiers, as well as children and the elderly.
BIDEN FAREWELL – In his farewell address, President Biden has warned the dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a few wealthy people. He was speaking four days before he leaves office. Biden said a new oligarchy of extreme wealth and influence was threatening democracy.
FRANCE POLITICS – French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou and his team have to face a vote of no-confidence today. Bayrou looks likely to ride out the no-confidence motion, after offering to renegotiate a disputed pension reform law to win the backing of the Socialist party.
FRANCE COCAINE – Cocaine use in France has nearly doubled and consumption of hard drugs like heroin and ecstasy is also rising. According to a report published by the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT), some 1.1 million people used cocaine at least once in 2023. The new figures put France in seventh place in Europe in terms of cocaine consumption.
FOOTBALL – Starting with some football results from last night: in the Bundesliga, Bayern beat Hoffenheim 4-0, Bochum won 1-0 against St Pauli, Stuttgart beat Leipzig 2-1, Union Berlin lost 2-0 to Augsburg, and Bremen and Heidenheim drew 3-3.
In the Premier League, Arsenal beat Tottenham 2-1 and is now second in the table, behind Liverpool.
TENNIS – Iga Swiatek has romped into a showdown with Emma Raducanu ahead of Jannik Sinner stepping up the defence of his Australian Open title. Rising star Joao Fonseca will be on court again while Daniil Medvedev is looking to avoid becoming another top-10 player to be knocked out by a teenager when he faces Learner Tien. Meanwhile Italian world number one Jannik Sinner has won his first-round clash in straight sets and will hope for another quick victory when he takes on Australian wildcard Tristan Schoolkate in the night session on Rod Laver Arena.
BOXING – The long-awaited grudge match between Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr is set to finally take place in London in April after a delay of several years. The bout has been promoted as a ‘second generation’ contest that saw the rivals’ fathers, Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr, battle it out in two ferocious contests in the early 1990s.
We are waking up to misty morning, gradually giving way to some cloud coverage and sporadic sun throughout the day. Temperature-wise the day starts off at around 1°C, gradually moving up to 3–4°C by the early afternoon.
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