GOODYEAR INVESTIGATION - American tyre giant Goodyear has been accused of avoiding a recall of defective tyres manufactured in Luxembourg, despite being aware of their defects. According to an investigation by the French newspaper Le Monde, Goodyear ignored alarming expert reports and a series of accidents with cars equipped with their tyres. What Goodyear did do, however, is internally document accidents and the amount of compensation they would have to pay for material damage or injuries and fatalities. According to a document verified by RTL, Goodyear tyres were linked to approximately 247 significant incidents from 2013 to 2017 in Spain, France, and the Netherlands.
INFLATION SURGE - Prices across Luxembourg have rebounded in early spring. According to Statec, prices increased by 0.2% between February and March. The annual inflation rate now stands at 3.1%. According to Eurostat, Luxembourg is experiencing a price increase slightly higher than the European average (3.2% instead of 2.8%). As already announced in late 2023 by Statec, there is currently no reason to anticipate an index trigger at this time.
FATAL ACCIDENT - A motorcyclist has died in a fatal collision with a car at a crossing in Gasperich. The 46-year-old motorcyclist from France died before emergency medical services could treat him. His passenger was severely injured and taken to the hospital. The car involved in the collision has been seized, and an autopsy has been requested.
FBI STOLEN ART - The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Chicago Field Office has requested the support of local Luxembourg residents to pair a recovered seascape painting with its original WWII-era owner. According to the U.S. Embassy in Luxembourg, the artwork is by the 19th-century Belgian painter Jacob Jacobs -- and is ‘believed to have disappeared from Echternach in Luxembourg during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II’. Anyone with information on the rightful owners of this painting is asked to e-mail the FBI at SeascapeTips@fbi.gov.
CLIMATE CHANGE - The European Union’s climate change service, Copernicus says last month was the hottest March ever recorded. It’s the 10th month in a row that a new air temperature record has been set and sea surface temperatures were even more dramatic. The March average was 21.07C, the highest ever recorded for any month.
ECHR CLIMATE RULING - The European Court of Human Rights is ruling on whether governments’ climate change policies are violating the European Convention on Human Rights this morning. All three cases accuse European governments – Portugual, France and Switzerland - of inaction or insufficient action in their measures against global warming. It will be the first time the court has issued a ruling on climate change.
FRANCE STORM - Fierce coastal storms will rock France today. 11 regions have been placed on an orange vigilance phase by Météo-France due to wind and possible storm surges. Storm Pierrick, bringing gales of 130km/hour are expected in the north and north east around Normandy and Brittany.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR - Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has said that a date is set for a ground offensive on the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, where about 1.4 million displaced Palestinians are sheltering. The United States has reiterated its opposition to a full-scale incursion. With conflicting reports emerging on ceasefire talks in Cairo, both Hamas and Israeli officials have said they are not close to a potential agreement.
FOOTBALL - Tonight sees the first quarter final matches in the Champions League. Real Madrid will face defending champions Manchester City. And Arsenal meets Bayern Munich.
And still in football, Rudi Voeller extended his contract as sporting director of the German national team until the end of the 2026 World Cup. Voeller has enjoyed a decorated career with the German national team both as a player and a coach, and took over the role of sporting director in February 2023 -- replacing Oliver Bierhoff after Germany’s poor showing at the 2022 World Cup.
RUGBY - Andre Boniface, one of French rugby’s greatest players in the 1950s and 1960s, has died in Bayonne at the age of 89. Boniface’s career was inextricably linked with that of his younger brother and often centre partner Guy, together they epitomised the notion of ‘French flair’.
OLYMPICS 2024 - The Olympic rings will be displayed on the Eiffel Tower during the Paris Olympics. The five rings representing the five continents and the universal nature of sport will be installed in the next few weeks on the side of the tower that faces the river Seine. The Olympics will begin on July 26 with an unprecedented opening ceremony on the Seine.
The day starts off overcast with some rain here and there. Clearer spells of sunshine are expected to peek through, mainly in the late afternoon. However, by early evening, Meteolux reports that conditions should stabilise and we could see some sunshine in the evening. Morning and evening temperatures will hover around 8-11°C, rising only to 10-13°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.
