ELECTIONS LENERT - Paulette Lenert is ready to become Prime Minister after the parliamentary elections in October. The current health secretary and leading candidate for the LSAP party said in a television interview on RTL that she did not want to settle on which government coalition that might be. She said that there were several red lines, including, for example, an increased privatization of healthcare. She does not believe there should be two classes of patients in this country. Regarding her personal political style, Paulette Lenert found it a shame that her more nuanced way of doing things is often be described as “hesitant”. She wants to remain true to herself in the future as well.
SHINGLES VACCINE - In a few days, elderly residents will be offered a vaccination against shingles at their GP’s practice or a clinic. The vaccination is recommended to those over the age of 65, as well as those with immune deficiencies. Residents aged 50 to 65 may also get vaccinated but must pay for the vaccine themselves as well as the doctor’s consultation.
BIDEN IRELAND - President Biden will address the Irish parliament in Dublin this afternoon, as he continues his visit to the island of Ireland. After suggesting that more US investment could be available for Northern Ireland yesterday, today he is expected to confirm the strong ties between the Republic of Ireland and the US and underline his own Irish ancestry. Biden is the fourth President to address the Irish parliament, after John F Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton.
FRANCE PROTESTS - Hundreds of thousands of people are set to take to the streets across France again today to protest against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform in a final day of demonstrations before a crucial court decision on the legislation. Police expect up to 600,000 people to take part nationwide, less than half of the peak of nearly 1.3 million reached in March at the height of the protests against the bid to raise the retirement age to 64 from 62. Security forces are on alert for troublemakers, with around 1,500 anarchist and radical protesters expected in Paris, while regional towns such as Nantes and Rennes are again seen as being at risk of clashes.
NORTH KOREA MISSILE - North Korea has likely fired a “new type” of ballistic missile that may have used advanced solid fuel, representing a potential technical breakthrough for Pyongyang’s banned weapons programmes. Japan, which briefly issued a seek shelter warning to residents of the northern Hokkaido region, said the missile had not fallen within the country’s territory and posed no threat to residents.
HARRY POTTER - The first Harry Potter television series is set to be made, with author JK Rowling acting as an executive producer. Warner Bros. Discovery said the series will be “a faithful adaptation” of Rowling’s mega-selling books about the boy wizard and will air on the entertainment company’s rebranded streaming service Max.The announcement confirms recent speculation that an episode-based show on the magical world of Hogwarts was in the works.
SPACE LAUNCH JUPITER - And a new chapter in humanity’s search for extra terrestrial life opens on today as Europe’s JUICE spacecraft blasts off on a mission to investigate the icy moons of Jupiter. The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission launches from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on an eight-year odyssey through space. Unlike similar missions to Mars, which focus on finding signs of ancient life long since extinguished, scientists hope Jupiter’s icy moons will still be home to living organisms, even if only tiny or single-celled.
FOOTBALL - In football - in the Champions League, the last two matches of the quarter finals were played night. Real Madrid won 2:0 against Chelsea and AC Milan was able to decide the Italian duel with 1:0 against Napoli. The return matches will be played next week.
RUGBY - Japan wants to host the World Cup again as early as 2035, potentially bringing it back to Asia for a second time. Japan became the first country outside rugby’s traditional heartlands to stage the tournament in 2019, when the host nation stunned Ireland and Scotland to reach the quarter-finals.
It looks like we’ll be starting off with some light rain and a very cloudy sky. But as we move into the second part of the day, things might get a little stormy with occasional showers here and there. Morning temperatures of 3-5°C will rise to highs of 11°C in the afternoon.
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