SELF-DRIVING CARS – Luxembourg wants to continue to be a European pioneer country in self-driving. That is the reason that Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel and the Minister of Economy Lex Delles are visiting California this week. According to the government, they have signed a memorandum of understanding with the head of the company ‘Pony.ai’, which specialises in autonomous driving, especially for taxis and trucks. The company is also interested in opening its European headquarters here in Luxembourg.
FOOD PRICES – STATEC has released its updated data on price fluctuations in Luxembourg, revealing a mixed landscape of changes across various sectors. In terms of food prices, notable decreases were observed in baby food, fresh vegetables, and fresh fruit while other items such as olive oil, mineral water, and potatoes recorded increases.
CARGOLUX VAPES – Cargolux has announced its decision to discontinue the transportation of selected disposable e-cigarettes, known as vapes, in response to “growing concern about the adverse effects of these products on both public health and the environment.” The decision reflects a global trend, as several countries have already imposed bans on the sale and use of vapes within their jurisdictions.
LEMSIP LUXEMBOURG – There may just be a collective gasp among the expat population of Luxembourg, accustomed to reaching for their trusty cold relief, when they read the next line. Two Luxembourg pharmacists have confirmed to RTL Today that Lemsip, the well-known health brand that gets many of us through our seasonal sickness, will no longer be sold in Luxembourg once current stocks run out. Lemsip is a popular brand of cold and flu remedies and is manufactured by the British company Reckitt.
COPERNICUS CLIMATE – Figures released from the European Union’s climate service Copernicus suggest that last month was the warmest February ever recorded globally. Scientists say it was 1.7°C above the pre-industrial average for February. It is the ninth month in a row that global records have been set. Researchers say the record figures are partly due to the climate-phenomenon known as ‘El Nino’.
HOUTHI ATTACKS – Three crew members on a Liberian-owned cargo ship have been killed by a Houthi missile, as they sailed past southern Yemen on the way to the Suez canal. These are the first deaths since the Iranian-backed militant group began attacking passing ships last November, as a sign of support for the Palestinians in Gaza.
RUST VERDICT – The armourer of the film where the cinematographer was shot dead has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter. The court in New Mexico heard how Hannah Gutierrez mistakenly mixed up her own live round with dummy bullets on the set of the Western ‘Rust’. The prosecutor said that constant, never-ending safety failures led to the death of Halyna Hutchins. The film’s producer and star Alec Baldwin, who was holding the prop gun when it discharged is due to go on trial himself in July, also charged with involuntary manslaughter.
ECB INTEREST RATES – The European Central Bank is expected to freeze interest rates again today, with officials wary of starting to cut before they see more evidence that recent falls in inflation will be sustained. The Frankfurt-based ECB’s governing council is widely expected to hold the benchmark deposit rate at four percent.
EPP CONGRESS – The European People’s Party, the EPP will today nominate Ursula Von der Leyen as a candidate for a second term as Commission President. The 65-year-old German is the only candidate. She is expected to give a speech in the course of the morning. The EPP election programme was already adopted yesterday. It is more conservative than the current political programme in Brussels – on issues such as the Green Deal, competitiveness, agriculture and migration.
FOOTBALL – Manchester City and Real Madrid are then in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. City won 3-1 against FC Copenhagen yesterday. And a 1-1 draw against RB Leipzig was enough for Real Madrid.
Today, the matches in the European and Conference League are taking place. Among others, Benfica meets Rangers, Prague meets Liverpool, Freiburg meets West Ham and Ajax is playing Aston Villa.
CYCLING – The fourth stage of the Paris-Nice race was won yesterday by the Colombian Santiago Buitrago. The new leader in the general is the Australian Luke Plapp. Luxembourg’s top cyclist Kevin Geniets is in 50th place.
FORMULA 1 – The fist training sessions for the second Grand Prix in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia start today. The race is on Saturday.
It’s a cold start to the day, but we can expect a dry day with a gentle breeze. We should see the sun peeking out from behind the clouds for most of the day. The morning starts off chilly at 2–4°C, rising to 7–8°C by the afternoon.
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