BETTEL IRAN – Reacting to the latest developments in the Middle East, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel told RTL this morning that the situation is really dangerous and that there is a real risk of it escalating. He believes it is now clear that Iran will defend terrorist organisations, such as Hezbollah. Bettel made an appeal to all sides for de-escalation. He said diplomacy is needed and not a chain reaction of revenge.
CARITAS SCANDAL – Since yesterday, the new non-profit organisation ‘HUT – Help on the Ground’ has replaced Caritas in Luxembourg. Out of 349 former Caritas employees, 324 signed new contracts with HUT. 23 people are on sick leave or on leave. Only two people refused to sign. Several people in the international department of Caritas have lost their jobs – 50 people in South Sudan, 20 in Laos, and 20 in Luxembourg. The issue is one of today’s subjects in the Chamber.
POLICE UNION – In its recent general assembly, police union SNPGL says it remains concerned about the career advancement of 200 officers, inadequate childcare support for those with irregular hours, and is calling for reforms to the police bonus system.
WET SEPTEMBER – According to Meteolux’ latest weather report, September experienced mild temperatures and above-average rainfall, making it the fourth wettest September on record. More than half of the monthly rainfall fell during a three-day period: 24–26 September.
MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT – Iran has launched a barrage of missiles at Israel – in an attack Benjamin Netanyahu has labelled a “major mistake”. The attack, in retaliation for Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, marks a significant escalation in the Middle East. Iran’s actions have been condemned by world leaders and the United Nations Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting later today. The European Union has called for an immediate ceasefire.
US ELECTION – US vice presidential contenders JD Vance and Tim Walz clashed on abortion and migration in their televised debate last night, but ended up repeatedly circling back to one subject: Donald Trump. The two rivals, who have forcefully attacked each other on the campaign trail, mostly struck a cordial tone, instead saving their fire for the candidates at the top of their tickets, former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
MEXICO PRESIDENT – Claudia Sheinbaum has been sworn in as Mexico’s first woman president, inheriting a country beset by gang violence and economic uncertainty over controversial reforms passed by her powerful ruling party. To cries of “Long live Claudia! Long live Mexico!” the 62-year-old former Mexico City mayor took the oath of office and received the presidential sash in Congress, with foreign dignitaries looking on – including US First Lady Jill Biden.
UKRAINE WAR – A Russian strike on a southern Ukraine market killed six people yesterday, as the nation held a moment of silence marking a major public holiday honouring its troops. Debris, broken glass, and bodies were strewn around the market in Kherson city. Moscow’s troops withdrew from Kherson in November 2022, retreating to the other side of the Dnipro, but they have kept up intense shelling of the city.
PLUTO MOON – Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope have detected carbon dioxide on the frozen surface of Pluto’s biggest moon, Charon, for the first time. The discovery of CO2, along with another chemical hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), could shed light on the icy worlds in the mysterious outer reaches of our Solar System.
FORNITE CONTROLS – Epic Games has started letting parents limit how long and when their children can play the blockbuster video game Fortnite. The popular game often sparks concerns among parents and educators about screen time, exposure to violence, and unsafe online interactions. The new parental control lets children know when they are nearing the end of a day’s allotted time and parents can also designate what part of the day Fortnite can be played, and get reports of time spent in the game.
FOOTBALL – Last night were the first nine matches of the second matchday in the new football Champions League season. Arsenal beat PSG 2-0 while Bayer Leverkusen saw off AC Milan 1-0 at home. Borussia Dortmund smashed Celtic 7-1. Barcelona beat Bern 5-0. And Manchester City thrashed Slovan Bratislava 4-0 to record their first Champions League win of the campaign.
There are nine more games tonight. You can catch the match Aston Villa against Bayern Munich on RTL Today. Other matches include Benfica against Atletico, Lille against Real Madrid, Leipzig against Juventus, and Bologna are playing Liverpool.
Switzerland launched the ticket sales for the 2025 women’s European football championships with a snowy kickabout yesterday, way up in the Alps on the country’s iconic Jungfraujoch. A temporary pitch was laid out for the launch at a height close to 3500m – but the snow had to be brushed and shovelled off before the first potshots at goal could be taken. A total of 720,000 tickets are available for Euro 2025, with prices starting at 25 Swiss francs.
TENNIS – Four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz emulated Rafael Nadal in reaching a China Open final as he sent Daniil Medvedev packing 7-5, 6-3. The second seed will face world number one and defending champion Jannik Sinner or Chinese wildcard Bu Yunchaokete for the title.
A cloudy, misty morning gives way to more clouds and scattered rain showers throughout the day. But, we might see some sunshine in the late afternoon. Morning temperatures start at around 6–8°C, rising to 14–16°C in the afternoon.
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