JUNGLINSTER FIRE - From 9 o’clock in the morning, the services in the municipality of Junglinster will be up and running again. Following a huge blaze at the Junglinster municipal building on Friday, which did not injure anyone but engulfed the commune’s archive, officials now say the middle section of the building will need to be completely torn down. Identity cards and passports cannot be made yet. It is advised to only go to the municipality for emergencies, many services are online.
MASSACRE MEMORIAL - A memorial ceremony is taking place in Grosbous today. For the victims of the massacre in the Nazi-run Sonnenburg concentration camp in Poland. 79 years ago today, over 800 people were shot there, including 91 Luxembourgers. It was the largest mass murder of Luxembourgers during the Second World War. The government is represented by Minister Marc Hansen at the commemoration.
UKRAINE WAR - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is in Washington today. Among other things, to unblock further US aid to Ukraine. And the Ukraine war is also a topic in Brussels. At a meeting of EU defence ministers. Luxembourg is represented by Minister Juriko Backes.
UNWRA SCANDAL - The scandal surrounding the Palestinian aid agency of the United Nations seems to be bigger than thought. According to the Wall Street Journal, about 10% of the 12,000 employees who work for the relief work in the Gaza Strip also have relations with Hamas or Islamic Jihad. Many countries have suspended funding but Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel said that Luxembourg will continue funding aid to Gaza as it is civilians who will be the victims if there is no UNRWA support. Meanwhile, intensive fighting continues around the city of Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip.
FRANCE PROTESTS - French farmers are continuing to protest today. In many places there are massive protests and blockades of major traffic axes, around Paris, Lyon as well as between Metz and Nancy. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal will deliver his official political declaration to parliament today. Announcements are also expected on the farmers’ protests.
MUSK NEURALINK - Elon Musk says his Neuralink company has installed a brain implant in its first human patient with “promising” initial results. The company’s goal is to connect human brains to computers and it says it wants to help tackle complex neurological disorders like ALS or Parkinson’s.
TOYOTA RECORD - It’s a world record for Toyota. The Japanese car maker says it has sold over 11.2 million vehicles last year. That is a plus of 7%, compared to 2022. Behind Toyota come Volkswagen and Hyundai-Kia.
ATHLETICS - The 2024 World Athletics Indoor Tour starts in Ostrava in the Czech Republic tonight. For Luxembourg, Patrizia van der Weeken is there, taking part in the 60 meter sprint. She held the world annual best time over that distance with 7 seconds and 9 hundredths but on Saturday, Eva Swoboda from Poland ran the 60m in 7 seconds and 6 hundredths. In the evening, the two will run against each other.
FOOTBALL - Today is the start of the quarterfinals in the German Cup, the DFB Pokal. FC Pauli is meeting Düsseldorf tonight. Tomorrow Hertha meets Kaiserslautern.
SKATING BAN - Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has received a four-year ban for failing a doping test prior to the 2022 Winter Olympics. The verdict means that Russia is certain to be strepped of its team gold for the games, with the International Skating Union expected to formally announce today that the medal will go the United States. Valieva was only 15 when she found herself at the heart of the doping scandal.
Mist and fog will be prevalent across the country this morning, alongside overcast skies and clouds at higher altitudes. As the day unfolds,it will stay cloudy, with the possibility of a few isolated raindrops in the evening.
Wrap up warmly as the morning ushers in colder temperatures, ranging between 1-3 °C, gradually ascending to a milder 7-10 °C by 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.
