COALITION AGREEMENT - Luc Frieden, the lead candidate of the CSV and appointed formateur is meeting the Grand Duke today to present the coalition agreement between the CSV and the DP. This evening, chief negotiators Xavier Bettel and Claude Wiseler will present the key points of the agreement to the party committees, which will then vote on it and on the ministerial positions. The new government should have 15 ministers: 9 for the CSV, 7 for the DP. They will be sworn in on Friday at the palace.
JEAN ASSELBORN - In an interview with RTL, outgoing Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn has declared his decision not to become an MP in the Chamber of Deputies. Saying he needed some rest, Asselborn, who has been actively involved in foreign policy for two decades, expressed that transitioning to domestic policy would be challenging. At 74 years old, with 19 years as Foreign Minister and first becoming an MP 40 years ago, Asselborn did not wish to provide a definitive answer regarding his potential candidacy in the upcoming European elections.
HEADMASTER INVESTIGATED - The headmaster of Lycée Edward Steichen in Clervaux, Jean Billa, is under investigation for alleged drug dealing, violations of anti-drug laws, possession of prohibited weapons, and misappropriation of public or private funds. The Diekirch public prosecutor’s office is leading the investigation. Billa has been suspended amid the ongoing inquiry.
ECONOMY SLOW-DOWN - Despite government support measures for both the economy and households, Luxembourg’s economy is showing signs of slow-down, according to the latest economic scoreboard from the Idea Foundation. Idea warns that several indicators are in the red. Although the peak in inflation has passed, current price levels persistently remain well-above pre-crisis levels.
EXTINCTION WARNING - New research led by Luxembourg’s National Museum of Natural History suggests that almost two million animal and plant species are believed to be on the verge of disappearing. In the case of insects, this estimate is almost twice as high as that established by the United Nations in 2019. The research paper, published in the journal Plos One, focused on an analysis of close to 15,000 European species, finding that 19% of European animal and plant species are under the threat of extinction.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR - Israeli forces have stormed Gaza’s largest hospital earlier today, targeting what they believe is a Hamas command centre housed among thousands of ailing and sheltering civilians. The Israel Defense Forces has described it as “a precise and targeted operation against Hamas in a specified area” of the facility. The White House says patients must be protected, but also said it has intelligence backing Israel’s claim that Hamas has a command centre under the Al-Shifa hospital. Hamas denies this.
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CHINA US - China and the United States have pledged to work more closely together to fight global warming, declaring the climate crisis “one of the greatest challenges of our time”. The announcement came hours ahead of a summit between presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in San Francisco, fuelling hopes the two nations can mend relations following years of turmoil over issues including trade, human rights and the future of Taiwan.
FRANCE FLOODS - The level of several rivers rose sharply again on Tuesday afternoon in the Pas-de-Calais region in northern France. The area was once again placed on red flood watch due to the risk of the Liane overflowing its banks, potentially even higher than last week. President Emmanuel Macron, who visited the area yesterday, announced the release of a €50 million “support fund” to “help the worst-hit municipalities, so that things can get moving very quickly”.
HEAT WARNING - An international team of experts has warned that nearly five times more people will likely die due to extreme heat in the coming decades. They added that without action on climate change the “health of humanity is at grave risk”. The researchers warned that droughts will put millions at risk of starving, mosquitoes spreading farther than ever before will take infectious diseases with them, and health systems will struggle to cope with the burden.
FOOTBALL - The Chelsea manager Emma Hayes has been named as the new head coach of the US women’s’ team. She will be the world’s highest paid female coach. Hayes will leave Chelsea at the end of the season in May. In 2021, she led Chelsea to the final of the women’s Champions League and was named FIFA’s women’s coach of the year.
Staying with women’s football, “Matilda” has been picked as Australia’s word of the year by experts at the Australian National University, after the national football team’s historic run to the semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup. Nicknamed the “Matildas”, the team were front- and back-page news in Australia in July and August as they reached the last four of the World Cup for the first time.
And in national football, two coaches were fired yesterday. Marc Thomé from the Esch junior team and Carlos Fangueiro at Swift Hesper. Fangueiro’s departure has not been officially confirmed by the club. Swift is in third place in the national league, 5 points behind the leader Differdange.
The weather is predominantly overcast, with intermittent rainfall throughout the day. However, there will be occasional dry periods, albeit with limited breaks in the cloud cover. A strong southwesterly to westerly wind will prevail, reaching speeds of 40 to 60 km/h at its peak. Temperatures are expected to range between 7 and 12 degrees.
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