DIEKIRCH CRASH- The driver who hit and injured a pedestrian in Diekirch on Monday morning died behind the wheel, despite efforts by emergency services to resuscitate him. According to police, the driver lost control of his vehicle around 8am on Rue Clairefontaine, which caused him to hit the pedestrian before coming to a stop in a ditch. First responders tried to revive the 50-year-old driver, but he died behind the wheel. An autopsy was requested to determine the exact cause of death. Police are hoping to clarify the exact cause of the accident, and are calling on potential witnesses that were in the area to provide information.
MAYORS’ DAY - Mayors from all over Luxembourg will be serving food and drinks on Tuesday, at the Schueberfouer. An annual tradition called “Buergermeeschterdag”, or “Mayors’ Day”, sees Luxembourg’s mayors put on their toque blanche and aprons and work behind the counters of Schueberfouer stalls, serving all kinds of delicacies and refreshments to customers for a good cause. The mayors meet at the main entrance to the fair at 5pm and then work between 7 and 10pm. All of the ‘salaries’ that the mayors receive for their three-hour shifts will be donated to the Luxembourg Red Cross.
TROPICAL STORM IDALIA - Tropical Storm Idalia strengthened as it neared Cuba and the abnormally hot waters of the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, with forecasters predicting it could become a major hurricane before roaring ashore in Florida this week. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned the storm could have a “major impact” along the Gulf coast, telling a news conference that evacuations would take place and residents should “prepare accordingly”. US President Joe Biden spoke with DeSantis earlier on Monday and approved an emergency declaration for the state, promising it would have his “full support,” a White House spokesman said. Idalia was set to reach hurricane status as it nears Cuba on Monday, where a hurricane warning was already in place for the western Pinar del Rio province.
DIPLOMATIC SACKING - Libya’s internationally recognised prime minister has sacked his top diplomat after she met her Israeli counterpart, with news of the encounter triggering protests in a country that does not recognise Israel. Analysts who spoke to AFP appeared to agree that Najla al-Mangoush was the “fall person” for decisions made by Libya’s rival leaders, and linked the meeting with United States efforts to pressure more Arab countries to normalise ties with Israel. As of yesterday, Mangoush’s whereabouts were uncertain, following social media reports she had flown to Turkey as protests flared.
EU EXPANSION - The European Union should get ready to admit new members from eastern Europe and the Balkans by 2030, EU chief Charles Michel argued Monday. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has focused minds in Brussels on the need for a new political momentum to support the European ambition of several membership candidates. But, with fighting still raging in Ukraine and Moldova’s pro-Western government scrambling to reform, senior officials have previously been reluctant to offer precise timetables. “To be credible, I believe we must talk about timing and homework,” Michel said, noting that the countries of the Western Balkans, created out of the bloody break-up of Yugoslavia, began their quest to join the EU more than two decades ago.
TRUMP COURT DATE - A federal judge on Monday set a date of March 4th, 2024, for Donald Trump’s election subversion conspiracy trial -- placing one of the biggest criminal cases in American history at peak election season. The date is the day before “Super Tuesday,” when more than a dozen states vote in the Republican primary contest to pick the party’s candidate for the 2024 election -- with Trump the firm favorite to secure the nomination. Special counsel Jack Smith had asked for the trial of the 45th US president to begin on January 2nd, while Trump’s attorneys countered with a proposed date of April 2026 -- a full 17 months after the election.
SPANISH FA - Prosecutors at Spain’s top criminal court said Monday they had opened a preliminary investigation into Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales’ forcible kiss on the lips of World Cup player Jenni Hermoso on grounds it could constitute a crime of “sexual assault”. The president of the Spanish football federation, provisionally suspended from his post by FIFA on Saturday, could face an extended sanction if the country’s sports court accept complaints against him.
US OPEN -Caroline Wozniacki won her opening match in her first Grand Slam appearance in over three years on Monday, beating Russian qualifier Tatiana Prozorova 6-3, 6-2 at the US Open. The former world number one from Denmark returned to tennis earlier this month, having retired after the 2020 Australian Open to start a family; giving birth to two children.
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