GERMANY BORDER – Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced that Germany will extend controls along all of its borders by six months past their planned expiry date in mid-March. Scholz’ Social Democrats have come under heavy pressure on the issue after a spate of recent deadly attacks blamed on migrants and asylum seekers.
DRUG HAUL – New details have emerged about Luxembourg’s record-breaking drug seizure, with authorities confirming the gross weight of the cocaine at just over 889kg and estimating its market value between €80 million and €160 million. The public prosecutor’s office has confirmed that the cocaine will be destroyed as soon as possible and the two suspects remain in custody.
MANSLAUGHTER TRIAL – A 36-year-old man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for the killing of a 63-year-old woman in Bonnevoie in May 2023. The man was found guilty of manslaughter in the first instance. The defendant had strangled the victim with a hairdryer cord before stabbing her with a kitchen knife.
FREE TAP WATER – As the cost of living remains a pressing issue, the idea of offering free tap water to Luxembourg residents has been raised in parliament, prompting a response from Minister Léon Gloden on its legality. According to Gloden, the 2008 legislation requires adherence to the ‘user pays, polluter pays’ and ‘true price’ principles. It is therefore not legal for local authorities to provide a free volume of water to residents.
FRANCE ATTACK – Twelve people were wounded when a grenade was thrown into a bar in the city of Grenoble yesterday evening. According to officials the attacker came in and threw a grenade before fleeing without saying a word. Investigators have not yet identified a motive but do not believe it was a terrorist attack. The wounded initially included two people in critical condition, but that figure has now been raised to six, according to local reports.
UKRAINE WAR – Donald Trump says he expects to meet Vladimir Putin soon in Saudi Arabia on how to solve the war in Ukraine. Last night, President Trump spoke to both President Putin and the Ukrainian leader Volodymr Zelensky after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had said it would be unrealistic for Ukraine to expect a return to its pre-2014 borders.
European foreign ministers met in Paris yesterday to discuss Ukraine ahead of the Munich Security Conference this weekend, saying a peace deal would require the involvement of Kyiv and its European allies.
GERMANY TERRORISM – An Afghan man with suspected jihadist motives goes on trial in Germany today over a knife attack that killed a policeman and wounded five others at an anti-Islam rally last year. The hearings will start less than two weeks before German elections and at a time of heated debate about immigration and public security following a spate of deadly attacks blamed on asylum seekers.
NATO MEETING – Defence Ministers are meeting in Brussels today to discuss military aid to Ukraine and the defence budget of NATO members. The United States is demanding that the various NATO members invest much more in their military. The new US Defence Minister Pete Hegseth emphasised this point yesterday, telling Europe it must step up on supporting Kyiv and its own defence.
SKIING – The first Luxembourgers are in action at the World Championships in Saalbach today. Gwyneth Ten Raa and Joyce Ten Raa are racing in the women’s Giant Slalom this morning. A new winner is expected, following Mikaela Shiffrin‘s decision to not defend her title.
And three men are hoping to qualify today for the Giant Slalom for Luxembourg today – Matthieu Osch, Joachim Keghian, and Nikolaj Lindfors.
FOOTBALL – In last night’s Championship play-offs, Bayern beat Celtic 2-1, Benfica beat Monaco 1-0, Feyenoord won 1-0 against AC Milan, and Bruges was able to prevail with 2-1 against Atalanta Bergamo. The return matches are next week.
The Spanish public prosecutor has told the trial of ex-football chief Luis Rubiales there was “no doubt” the kiss he gave Jenni Hermoso in 2023 was “non-consensual”. The high-profile trial got underway on 3 February and is expected to wrap up today.
Grim, grey winter is coming to an end, and real, bright spring seems to really be on its way! All we have to do is get through this cloudy and rainy Thursday, before a sunny Friday and weekend. Today we still have some light rain expected in the afternoon, which could even be snowy in higher altitudes. Morning temperatures are starting between -2°C and 0°C, rising to 2–4°C in the afternoon.
___
Be sure to catch our full bulletin on the hour, every hour, and headlines at half past the hour on Today Radio. You can also access the news via Alexa and on RTL Play.
