EU MEETING BETTEL – Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel is in Warsaw today, attending an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers. The first working session today will see discussions of key issues in EU relations with the UK, with the British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. Tomorrow, the topics of the Ukrainian war and relations with the United States will dominate.
LUXEMBOURG UK – Finance Minister Gilles Roth is in London today, meeting British Chancellor Rachel Reeves. The aim is to strengthen relations between the two financial centres.
A3 SPEED CAMERAS – The government has confirmed that new speed cameras on the A3 motorway’s carpool lane will automatically detect – and penalise – solo drivers attempting to bypass traffic. Mobility Minister Yuricko Backes said in response to a parliamentary question that a test phase is “scheduled” for late 2025 or early 2026. During this period, no fines will be issued by the automated system.
FRANCE TRAIN STRIKES – CFL has urged passengers to verify travel plans after French unions announced strikes that may disrupt Luxembourg-France train connections from last night until Sunday. The industrial action may disrupt regional trains on the Luxembourg City – Thionville – Metz line as well as high-speed TGV connections between Luxembourg and France.
INDIA PAKISTAN – India has attacked Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir and Pakistan says it has shot down five Indian fighter jets in the worst fighting in more than two decades. According to the Pakistan military, three locations were attacked and eight people were killed. India said three civilians were killed by Pakistani shelling on its side of the de facto border in contested Kashmir. Tensions between the nuclear-armed state have soared after a deadly militant attack on Indian tourists in Kashmir last month.
GERMANY MERZ – Germany’s new Chancellor Friedrich Merz will visit France and Poland today in a bid to revive strained ties and reaffirm European unity, after a rocky start to his premiership and growing pressure over support for Ukraine. Merz – whose conservative CDU/CSU won Germany’s February elections – failed to win an initial parliament vote, only securing the post of chancellor in the second round, a first in post-war German history.
VATICAN CONCLAVE – Cardinals from across the world will be shut into the Sistine Chapel today for a secretive conclave to elect the next head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. Some 133 cardinal electors – aged under 80 – have gathered at the Vatican from five continents to pick a successor to Pope Francis, who died last month after a 12-year-long papacy.
SMOKEY ROBINSON – Motown legend Smokey Robinson is facing a multimillion dollar lawsuit from four former housekeepers who allege the soul singer repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted them. The lawsuit claims the 85-year-old forced himself on the women multiple times over a number of years, often when his wife was not at home.
FOOTBALL – Davide Frattesi’s dramatic extra-time strike has fired Inter Milan past Barcelona and into the Champions League final, sealing a 4-3 win on the night and a 7-6 aggregate triumph. The opponent will be decided today in the match Paris St Germain against Arsenal. You can also watch the match live on RTL Today, starting at 9pm. The final will be played on 31 May in Munich.
FORMULA 1 – Alpine’s team principal Oliver Oakes has resigned with “immediate effect” after less than a year in the job, the French Formula One team announced on Tuesday. The 37-year-old Briton’s surprise exit comes only nine months since his appointment as successor to Frenchman Bruno Famin.
TENNIS – Luc Sinner, the world number one, is set to make his return to tennis at the Italian Open in Rome this week following his three-month suspension for doping. All eyes will be on the 23-year-old Italian as he hasn’t swung a racket since retaining his Australian Open title in January, a victory which took his Grand Slam tally to three.
It’s a cloudy day but will remain dry. And no sign of any sunshine today. The early morning starts off at a chilly 5°C, rising to a maximum of 17°C in the afternoon.
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