MEISCH ALLEGATIONS - Minister Claude Meisch has denied accusations of having been violent towards a female official from the Ministry of Education, in a video posted online by a young witness. The incident, said to have taken place at a café on Rue Chimay in the capital, was discussed in a video posted on social media by a young student who alleged that Meisch had displayed violent behaviour towards his companion. The video was posted online some time ago but has recently resurfaced.
BETTEL THAILAND - After his visit to Laos in the last few days, Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel is on a working visit to Thailand today. He is meeting local government and business representatives In Bangkok and is also giving a speech at Chulalongkorn University. It is hoped that bilateral relations between Luxembourg and Thailand will be strengthened.
ENERGY COSTS - STATEC is predicting a 60% increase in energy costs by 2025, with an increase of up to 17% predicted for gas prices. Minister of the Economy Lex Delles said he planned to submit a proposal to the Council of State over the coming weeks, with measures to mitigate the expected increase; he did not, however, provide details on the proposal’s contents.
POLICE OPERATION - In a major operation on Wednesday, Luxembourg City police conducted extensive controls in the Gare district, stopping 85 individuals to check for drug possession, weapons, and residence permit violations. Several of them were found to be carrying small amounts of cannabis and MDMA. Officers further confiscated a baton and identified six people without valid residence permits.
HOSTAGE TAKING - In Switzerland, a hostage situation has ended in violence. The assailant was shot dead by the police after hours of ultimately unsuccessful negotiations. The man, a 32-year-old Iranian, took 15 hostages in a regional train yesterday evening, and was armed with an axe and a knife. According to police, the hostages were released safely.
PUTIN INTERVIEW - Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview released last night with controversial right-wing US talk show host Tucker Carlson that the West should understand it is “impossible” to defeat Russia in Ukraine. In a two-hour interview with the former Fox News host -- coming just ahead of the two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine -- Putin also said a deal “can be reached” on imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR - US President Joe Biden has suggested that Israel’s military response in Gaza has been “over the top” and said he is seeking a “sustained pause in the fighting” to help ailing Palestinian civilians. The remarks come as the president find himself under increasing domestic pressure to persuade Israel to stop fighting.
AIRLINE WEIGH-IN - A Finnish airline is inviting passengers to weigh in for flights. In a trial by the European carrier Finnair, volunteer passengers are being weighed at the departure gate with their carry-on bags in order to allow the airline to refine weight estimates for planes before takeoff. According to the airline, everything is anonymous – the weigh-ins are not linked to bookings or passenger data.
FOOTBALL - Aleksander Ceferin said he will not seek a fourth term as UEFA president in 2027 despite the approval of controversial reforms that would enable him to extend his mandate.
As part of the UEFA congress, the groups for the next season in the Nations League were drawn yesterday evening in Paris. Luxembourg is playing in League C again, and will be in Group 3, with Bulgaria, Belarus and Northern Ireland. The first two matches are at the beginning of September. In the top league, one group stands out, with France, Italy, Belgium and Israel all facing off.
RUGBY - England named an unchanged team for the first time in over four years today when coach Steve Borthwick announced his side to play Wales in the Six Nations. Saturday’s second-round match at Twickenham is set to see Borthwick keep faith with the same starting XV that featured in England’s narrow opening 27-24 win over Italy in Rome last weekend.
France will look to revive their Six Nations campaign against Scotland in Edinburgh on Saturday on the back of a humbling defeat by Ireland on home soil. The winner of the Ireland-France fixture has gone on to complete a Grand Slam in each of the past two years, but in Marseille it was barely a contest as the Irish rolled over the 14-man hosts 38-17.
SUPERBOWL - The most-watched television event in the world is almost upon us. If all the phrase “Super Bowl” means to you is a wonderful nocturnal bird, look away now... but if you’re into American football and staying up until the early hours anyway, why not join fellow NFL fans at The Game sports bar in Kirchberg this Sunday?
Today Radio is giving away four VIP tickets to The Game’s Superbowl event on Sunday 11 February. Winners will have access to a private booth, unlimited free soft drinks and coffee to sustain them through the night, as well as a champion’s breakfast to celebrate (or commiserate) the result. For your chance to win, simply send a Whatsapp or SMS to Today Radio on 621 52 5000 with your answer to the following question: ‘Who is going to win?!’
Today’s forecast brings mostly cloudy skies with a chance of light rain through the first half of the day. There might be a few scattered showers lingering into the afternoon hours, but conditions are expected to gradually dry up as we head into the evening.
It’s a good thing you won’t need that umbrella so much — gusts of 40-50 km/h are expected throughout the morning and into the afternoon. Morning temperatures range from 7 to 9°C, reaching between 10 and 13°C in the afternoon.
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