GAZA AID - Luxembourg will provide another 2.5 million euros for humanitarian aid to international organisations operating in Gaza for food, medicine and emergency housing as well as psychological support. The money will go to charities on the ground, including the World Food Programme, the Red Cross and various UN organisations.
ASSELBORN INTERVIEW - Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn has said that permanent peace in the Middle East is only possible with a two-state solution. In an interview with RTL earlier this morning, he explained that Israel has the right to defend itself, but in compliance with international rules. He said the terrible attacks by Hamas on October 7th are clearly to be condemned. Now it is important to find a compromise.
Asselborn added that humanitarian corridors in the Gaza Strip need to be opened, so that the civilian population can receive aid. A humanitarian ceasefire is crucial, as is the release of the more than 200 hostages still held by Hamas. Asselborn does not yet see an acute risk of the conflict spreading further in the region. He believes that the United States is currently slowing down an Israeli ground offensive. And that Iran also has no interest in a war.
REAL ESTATE DOWNTURN - Luxembourg’s real estate market is grappling with a significant downturn, exacerbated by rising interest rates and very high property prices. According to a recent study conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (STATEC) and unveiled on Tuesday, the property sectors in Luxembourg and Finland are the hardest hit across the entire European Union.
With a staggering 45% year-on-year reduction in real estate transactions, the Grand Duchy ranks among the EU’s worst-performing real estate markets, surpassed only by Finland.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR - There are growing calls for a humanitarian pause in the fighting between Israel and Hamas so that aid can be brought into Gaza. Israel has allowed food, water and medicine into the territory but isn’t allowing fuel supplies over fears they will end up in the hands of Hamas. UN aid workers in Gaza have warned they have to end their operation today, due to dwindling fuel supplies. The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has proposed a temporary lull in hostilities, which does not amount to a formal ceasefire.
Israel has reacted with fury to comments made by the UN Secretary-General at the Security Council on Israel’s war on Hamas. Antonio Guterres said the Hamas attacks in southern Israel had not happened in a vacuum. The Palestinians had endured, what he called 56 years of suffocating occupation.
SHIP ACCIDENT - 4 people are still missing in the North Sea after a cargo ship sank after colliding with another vessel off the island of Helgoland. The search was called off late last night, after 20 hours and will continue today. One person has died and two people have been saved. The causes of the accident are not yet known.
ROUNDTREE DIES - American actor Richard Roundtree, heralded as “the first Black action hero” for his starring role in the iconic 1971 hit “Shaft,” died on Tuesday at 81. According to US reports, the actor, known for opening doors for other Black artists in the industry, died with his family at his bedside, “after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. “
CHAMPION LEAGUE FOOTBALL RESULTS - Bayern won 3-1 against Galatasaray Istanbul as did Manchester United, who scored 1-0 against Copenhagen. Real Madrid beat Braga 2-1, Arsenal beat Sevilla 2-1, Real Sociedad scored 1-0 over Benfica and Union Berlin lost 0-1 to Napoli. The group stage continues tonight. Highlights include Newcastle against Dortmund and Paris St Germain against Milan at 9pm this evening.
RUGBY - World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont has unveiled a new bi-annual international competition from 2026. The Nations Championship will comprise a top division of 12 teams from the Six Nations and the southern hemisphere’s Rugby Championship. Two further countries -- thought likely to be Japan and Fiji -- will be invited to make up the dozen, and matches will be played in July and November.
CYCLING - The Tour de France 2024 will be presented in Paris today. The departure is on June 29th from Florence. There are 21 stages with the last arrival on the 21st of July in Nice. Due to the Olympic Games in Paris next year, the traditional arrival on the Champs Elysées is not possible.
It’s going to be a rainy day in the Grand Duchy with winds reaching 45-55 km/h in the evening. The rain fall looks it will be constant throughout the morning, followed by a few rain showers in the afternoon. Morning temperatures of 7-9°C will only inch up to 11-13°C in the afternoon.
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