FLOOD WARNING – The national flood warning service has issued a yellow alert for the north of the country until 1pm, warning of a potential risk of flooding due to recent and ongoing rainfall. Meanwhile, the yellow alert for the south has been lifted. According to meteorological reports, the Sauer catchment area is experiencing a significant increase in water levels. At the Diekirch gauge, levels could reach the orange alert threshold if conditions worsen. Residents in affected areas are advised to stay informed and take necessary precautions.
CARITAS SCANDAL – It has been reported that the director of Caritas, Marc Crochet, has resigned. He has been on sick leave since July. In addition, two of his management colleagues have been dismissed due to “serious misconduct”. Luxembourg authorities have arrested eight people in connection with the €61 million embezzlement from Caritas bank accounts last year.
LGBTQ+ PETITIONS – Two petitions are being discussed in the Chamber of Deputies today. One petition is asking to exclude LGBTQ+ issues from schools and one to make them more thematic and given more prominence. Both petitions have exceeded the threshold of 4,500 valid signatures which is necessary to obtain a public debate.
ROAD CLOSURES – Some of the main roads in Luxembourg City around the Gare area will be closed to traffic between 10pm and 6am until 1 February 2025 due to work on the sewage system. The streets affected are Avenenue de la Liberté, Rue de Strasbourg and Rue Glesener.
TECH STOCKS – The price of tech stocks has continued falling on Asian markets, a day after the US chipmaker Nvidia suffered the biggest single day loss in Wall Street history. The fall follows the release of a low-cost AI chatbot by a Chinese company DeepSeek. President Trump has said it’s a “wake-up call” for the US tech industry.
US MILITARY – US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order ridding the military of what he called “transgender ideology”, in a potentially major setback for LGBTQ rights. Trump also signed further orders reinstating service members dismissed for refusing to take the Covid vaccine, and extending a wider government crackdown on diversity programs in the armed forces.
GAZA CEASEFIRE – Thousands of displaced Palestinians are returning to the north of war-ravaged Gaza after Israel and Hamas reached a deal for the release of another six hostages. The Israeli government said on Monday that eight of the hostages held in Gaza who were due for release in the truce’s first phase are dead.
US TREASURY – Billionaire hedge fund manager Scott Bessent has won Senate approval to become US Treasury secretary, placing him at the forefront of implementing Donald Trump’s economic agenda. Bessent has defended the Republican president’s tax cutting and tariff proposals.
TENNIS – World number one Jannik Sinner will not defend his ATP 500 title in Rotterdam as his body needs time to rest after winning the Australian Open. Following Sinner’s withdrawal, the field in Rotterdam will be headed up by world number three Carlos Alcaraz. Fellow top 10 players Daniil Medvedev, Alex de Minaur and Andrey Rublev are set to join Alcaraz in the main draw.
FOOTBALL – Brazilian star Neymar has parted ways with Saudi club Al-Hilal by mutual consent after an injury-plagued stint. Reports in Brazil say Santos, the club where Neymar made his name is in talks for him to return to his homeland. Earlier in January, Neymar said he was aiming to play in the 2026 in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Spain’s Euro 2024 winning coach Luis de la Fuente has extended his contract until 2028. The extension includes the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and Euro 2028 in Britain and Ireland
Cloudy conditions are due to remain in place today, with light rain forecast in the late morning and afternoon. The wind is also expected to pick up, with gusts of 55km/h expected. Temperature-wise, the morning is around 3–6°C, and it’ll just barely budge to 4–7°C by the afternoon.
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