LIEGE RESCUE - More than 250 people were evacuated from Kennedy tower in Liège last night after a fire broke out, with Luxembourg’s Air Rescue aiding in the effort, resulting in at least one fatality and 14 hospitalisations from smoke inhalation. Residents were alerted to the flames and advised to stay on the balconies of the 85m-high building from where helicopters transported them to safety in pairs of two. Luxembourg’s Air Rescue assisted in the evacuation efforts and helped 20 people escape the building. The president of the Luxembourg Air Rescue, René Kloster, says that he could not remember that such a mission had ever been flown in Europe.
EUROS TRAFFIC - The German police is expecting heavy traffic on the borders with France, Luxembourg and Belgium today and tomorrow. This week sees a host of crucial matches in the Euros as teams battle to qualify for the round of 16. Today, France is playing Poland in Dortmund, followed by Belgium’s clash with Ukraine on Wednesday. These fixtures are likely to result in heavy road traffic on Germany’s borders with France, Belgium and Luxembourg as fans travel to and from the games. Travellers are advised to take this information into account and plan accordingly. It is likely the traffic will also impact cross-border workers as well as football supporters.
EU ACCESSION - The EU begins accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova today, during a ministerial council meeting here, in Luxembourg. The opening of negotiations is the next step in what is likely to be a tough, yearslong journey toward membership. Ukraine and neighbouring Moldova both applied to join the EU in 2022, after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In a video message yesterday, Ukrainian President Zelenksy spoke about a “historic moment” and “it’s day that millions of Ukrainians are realising their European dream.”
ASSANGE RELEASED - Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been released from prison and has left the UK after reaching a plea deal with US authorities that will see him plead guilty to criminal charges and go free. Assange was charged with conspiracy to obtain and disseminate national defence information, according to a document filed in court in the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific. He is scheduled to appear in the US territory on Wednesday morning local time ad is expected to return to Australia.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR - Israel has kept up its bombardment of Gaza after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the “intense phase” of the war was winding down.Israeli forces launched more deadly strikes, with 13 people killed across two schools and a home hit in Gaza City, according to the Hamas-run territory’s civil defence agency. With Israel planning to redeploy some soldiers from Gaza to the Lebanese border, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday pressed the country’s defence minister not to allow the violence to spiral.
FOOTBALL – Italy are in the last 16 of Euro 2024 after forward Mattia Zaccagni struck a superb equaliser with almost the last kick of the game in Leipzig, sparking an explosion of joy among the Italian fans. Spain beat Albania 1 - 0 and are clearly top of the group. Today there are 4 games: At 6 o’clock France will play against Poland and the Netherlands against Austria. And at 9, England will play Slovenia and Denmark will play Serbia.
ICE HOCKEY - The Florida Panthers have defeated the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 to win ice hockey’s Stanley Cup for the first time yesterday.
CYCLING - This year’s Tour de France starts in Florence on Saturday. In the last few days, more and more teams are trickling in and we are finding out who is taking part. For Luxembourg riders, Kevin Geniets has been confirmed for his Groupama-FDJ team. No announcement yet for Bob Jungels. An active legend is taking part. Marc Cavendish is in the 8-man Astana team. The sprinter is the record winner with 34 stage victories in the Tour de France. Also Carlos Rodriguez and Egan Bernal are spearheading the INEOS Grenadiers’ challenge. The eight-strong group features two former winners of the race -- Bernal and Geraint Thomas.
OLYMPICS 2024 - The river Seine is set to be a star feature of the Paris Olympics, but heavy rain, pollution and security fears mean there is still a question mark hanging over its role just one month out from the start. The river is currently flowing too fast for rehearsals and is too dirty for sport. Constantly asked about contingency plans, Paris 2024 organizers publicly insist there is no alternative to holding it on the river.
Well, it’s another dry and sunny day! Catch all the rays while you can and enjoy a mostly cloud-free, warm and summery day in the Grand Duchy. Temperatures start at around 16-18 degrees this morning, moving to highs of 26-28 degrees in the afternoon
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