CARGOLUX STRIKE - The strike at Cargolux continues for a 2nd day this morning. There seems to be no change, or certainly nothing is known about possible new negotiations or a fulfilment of union demands, which could lead to the restart of operations at Findel. The unions have deliberately declared that the strike is not time limited. They say the strike will end if the management meets their conditions. Luxair pilots have shown solidarity with the employees of Cargolux. Luxair could be the next to strike, as unions will be entering into wage negotiations in the next few weeks.
UPSKIRTING CHARGE - A 25-year-old man has been apprehended at a childcare centre in Luxembourg City in a suspected upskirting case. Upskirting refers to the clandestine filming or photographing of a person beneath their clothing without consent. The alleged incident occurred in a classroom setting and involved a child under the man’s care. The suspect was brought before the examining magistrate yesterday.
HEAT RECORD - The beginning of September in 2023 has officially been declared the warmest on record, according to data compiled by Météolux. The initial ten days of September saw an average temperature of 20.3°C, surpassing the previous record set in September 2005, which stood at 20.2°C.
BACK TO SCHOOL - And it’s back to school for Luxembourg’s school children today. A total of close to 61,000 students are enrolled in primary education, where they will be taught by 6,700 teachers. Secondary schools start again next week. Earlier in the week, education minister Claude Meisch unveiled plans for the introduction of four new academic sections in secondary schools, starting this school year. In the classical schools there will be section for cognitive sciences and humanities as well as politics and sustainable development. In other schools there will be a section dedicated to technology, sports, and health, and a section on natural sciences, computer science, and mathematics.
LIBYA FLOODS - In Libya, the death toll continues to rise after the severe floods. The aid organization Red Crescent has now confirmed the figure of 11,300 victims, with thousands of people still missing. The EU activated its disaster protection mechanism yesterday and is coordinating aid offers from EU countries. France is for example sending medical teams, Italy - diving teams with boats and search helicopters and the Netherlands – logistics. According to UN figures, some 250,000 people are dependent on emergency aid.
It was the second major disaster to hit North Africa in days, after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake killed nearly 3,000 people last Friday in Morocco.
EU ECONOMY - Finance minister Yuriko Backes is joining EU economy and finance ministers for a meeting in Santiago de Compostela today. They are debating the economic forecasts that the EU Commission published at the beginning of the week, and which do not look great. Yesterday, the European Central Bank also raised the interest rate for the euro area by a quarter of a percentage point to 4.5% in its fight against high inflation.
CLIMATE STRIKE - The Fridays for Future movement has called for a global climate strike across the world today. Actions are planned in around 250 places in Germany alone. The day of protest is to end the era of fossil energy.
FOOTBALL - Five days after resigning as Spain’s football chief, Luis Rubiales is due in court this morning on sexual assault charges over forcibly kissing women’s World Cup player Jenni Hermoso. At the hearing, which will be closed to the public, Rubiales will be questioned as a defendant in regards to allegations of “sexual assault”. Hermoso will also be called to testify at a later date.
RUGBY - France needed Louis Bielle-Biarrey’s late try to make sure of last night’s 27-12 victory over Uruguay in the Rugby World Cup. A much-changed side were made to work hard for their second win in the tournament by a spirited Los Teros, before 20-year-old Bielle-Biarrey, who became France’s youngest player at a World Cup, crossed with eight minutes left. Tonight New Zealand play Namibia.
FORMULA 1 - This weekend is the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Singapore. Runaway Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen has conceded that his win streak is under threat at this weekend’s race, where his car is “not as competitive”. The Red Bulls have been unstoppable in 2023, winning all 14 races, with Verstappen taking the chequered flag 12 times. He said he would spare no effort to extend his record of consecutive wins to 11, but conceded the nature of Singapore’s high downforce layout would enable Ferrari, Mercedes and Aston Martin to get closer.
There’ll be plenty of sunshine this Friday, with barely a cloud in the sky. Morning temperatures of 9-12°C will rise all the way to highs of 24°C in the afternoon, remaining around 17-21 °C in the evening.
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.
