PARLIAMENT DEBATE - Prime Minister Luc Frieden delivered his inaugural speech to the newly-formed Chamber of Deputies yesterday, highlighting key policy aspects ranging from taxation to social life. Addressing non-Luxembourgish nationals living and working in the country, Frieden assured them that their voices would be heard. He pledged to seek ways to engage with this population, recognising their “significant contributions” to the social and economic development of Luxembourg. Today, lawmakers debate individual points of the coalition agreement.
DRIVING CAMPAIGN - As the police continues its annual road safety campaign, motorists should ensure that their vehicles are in shape to face wintery conditions while proper visibility is a key precaution for pedestrians and cyclists. The ‘Winter Time 2023' road safety campaign is underway, which means officers will conduct routine vehicle checks until spring. Drivers are now liable to be fined if the police find that car lights are not working or that windows are not clear. In addition, depending on the weather, winter tyres are mandatory.
MAISONS MEDICALES - The National Health Directorate has unveiled a new campaign, titled “Before going to A&E, remember the medical centres,” urging patients to consider out-of-hours medical centre, known as maisons médicales as an alternative to immediate A&E visits. The goal is to relieve overcrowding in emergency departments, reserving them for critical and life-threatening cases.
DUTCH ELECTIONS - In the Netherlands, partial results from a snap election indicate that an anti-immigrant party, led by Geert Wilders has unexpectedly won the most seats. The PVV (Freedom Party) has won 35 seats in parliament, a landslide according to an exit poll, with the centre-right bloc far behind with 23 seats and a left-wing bloc with 26. If confirmed, Wilders’ victory marks a sharp lurch to the right for the EU’s fifth-largest economy that will be viewed with concern in Brussels -- the PVV has promised a referendum on Dutch membership of the EU.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR - Israel says a deal for a 4-day pause in fighting in Gaza, in exchange for hostages taken during the Hamas attack in early October, has been delayed until Friday. It was due to come in in the next few hours. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to win an absolute victory over Hamas, despite the planned halt of the bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
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WHO CHINA - The World Health Organisation has officially requested that China provide detailed information on the increasing cases of flu-like illnesses in children in the north of the country. China has attributed the increase to the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions. The WHO has urged China’s population to follow the measures to reduce the risk of respiratory illness.INDIA RESCUE - Officials overseeing the rescue of 41 construction workers, trapped for days in a collapsed road tunnel in India expressed hope of retrieving the men today. They say 12 metres now separate the men from freedom.
SEXUAL ASSAULT ACCUSATIONS - US actor Jamie Foxx and Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose have both been accused of sexual assault, part of a flurry of suits filed in New York before a statue of limitations deadline. In the filing against Rose, Sheila Kennedy, an actress and model, alleges that he “sexually assaulted her” in 1989. The alleged victim in the Foxx case, identified only as Jane Doe, said that Foxx used force to offensively touch her in Manhattan in 2015. Wednesday’s suits follow a rape complaint against rapper Sean Combs under the Adult Survivors Act, filed last week by R&B singer Cassie.
FORMULA 1 - just five days after winning in Las Vegas, Max Verstappen will climb into his Red Bull for the final time this year on Friday when he begins his bid for another record-extending triumph at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The three-time world champion will be fatigued and probably struggling with jet lag following a 12-hour time difference switch after four consecutive races in the Americas.
OLYMPIC TORCH - Greek Olympic rowing champion Stefanos Ntouskos will be the first torchbearer in the relay that will travel from Olympia to Paris for next year’s Olympic Games. The Olympic flame ceremony will take place on April 16 on the ancient site of Olympia. Around 600 torchbearers will then carry the flame on a 5,000 kilometre odyssey around Greece, before arriving in France, when it will be used to light the Olympic flame.
FOOTBALL - This week brought an end to an almost year-long period of European Championship qualifiers before the tournament takes place in Germany next summer. Luxembourg ended the campaign with a double of wins against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Liechtenstein.The Red Lions narrowly missed out on a straight qualification spot for the group stage, eventually finishing five points below Slovakia in the group’s third place. Luxembourg will now play Georgia on the 21 March 2024 and Kazakhstan will play Greece. The winners of those two matches will then play it out for one final spot five days later, on 26 March, with the venue not yet decided.
Weather
Some mist could hang around in low-lying areas this morning, as the skies will be covered by a thick layer of cloud. Expect drizzle towards the end of the morning and in the evening. Morning temperatures start off at 3-5°C, rising to highs of 6-8°C in the afternoon.
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