DEFENCE SPENDING – NATO defence ministers are meeting in Brussels today and tomorrow, preparing for the NATO summit in July. Luxembourg has committed to increase military spending to 2% of gross national income by 2030. According to Defence Minister Yuriko Backes, the military budget should gradually increase from the current €700 million to over €1.4 billion a year. Investments, together with other NATO partners, will go towards air defence, cyber defence and the expansion of satellite capacities for military purposes.
NATIONAL DAY PREPARATIONS – Starting tomorrow, the Glacis car park in Limpertsberg will be closed in stages in order to facilitate the construction of stages and screens for National Day events. As part of the ‘City Sounds’ programme, various open-air concerts and musical events will take place across Luxembourg City on 22 and 23 June. Additionally, European Cup games will be broadcast at Glacis from 29 June.
Motorists are also advised to avoid the Gare neighbourhood on Sunday, as Avenue de la Liberté will be closed to traffic for most of the day for the rehearsal for the National Day military parade.
STATE OF THE NATION – Prime Minister Luc Frieden’s inaugural State of the Nation address elicited mixed reactions from Luxembourg’s parliament, with criticism focusing on a perceived lack of new initiatives and clarity on funding, while supporters praised policy continuity.
ROADWORKS A4 – Roadworks on the A4 motorway are set to disrupt traffic from this Friday until Sunday 21 July. Traffic from the A4 or A6 and Hollerich will be diverted via the A6 towards Belgium, the Helfenterbruck interchange, the N5, the N5a, and the N4.
G7 MEETING – G7 leaders are meeting in Italy today, for the first day of a summit, seeking to seal a deal on using frozen Russian assets to help war-torn Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will join US President Joe Biden and leaders from Italy, Britain, France, Germany, Canada and Japan at the luxury Borgo Egnazia resort in Puglia. The G7 leaders are hoping to agree on a $50 billion loan for Kyiv, secured against the future profits from interest on 300 billion euros of Russian central bank assets frozen after the 2022 invasion.
Pope Francis is set to make history by becoming the first head of the Catholic Church to address a G7 summit today, where he will discuss the ethical implications and regulatory needs of artificial intelligence, emphasising a human-centred approach to technology’s development and use.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – Hamas has called on the US to step up pressure on Israel to accept a deal leading to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Washington has claimed Israel supports the proposal, which was unveiled by President Biden. But there has been no official confirmation from Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
REFUGEE CRISIS – The UN refugee agency says a record 120 million people worldwide were forced to leave their homes because of violence and persecution last year. It says nations are relying on measures such as border closures to deal with the issue, which the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi says won’t work.
FOOTBALL – Euro 2024 kicks off in Germany tomorrow. Germany play Scotland in the opening game in Munich and the host nation are hoping their journey will continue all the way to the final in Berlin on July 14. It is the first time the country has hosted a major men’s international tournament since the 2006 World Cup. Matches will be played in 10 stadiums, from Hamburg in the north to Munich in the south.
In a bid to address criticisms of VAR technology, UEFA will display explanations of VAR decisions on giant screens in German stadiums during the Euros. Organisers UEFA said that fans will be given detailed information on video assisted refereeing decisions in order to improve spectator understanding.
SWIMMING – The Court of Arbitration for Sport has dismissed transgender swimmer Lia Thomas’s legal challenge against World Aquatics, upholding the ban on transgender women competing in women’s elite races if they have undergone male puberty. Thomas, who in March 22 became the first transgender athlete to win the highest level of NCAA title, attempted to argue the rules were discriminatory.
TENNIS – Newly-crowned French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal will play at the Olympic Games next month, the Spanish tennis federation (RFET) has announced. In addition to the singles tournament, Alcaraz and Nadal will also take part in the Games’ doubles event.
GOLF – Pinehurst’s lightning-fast domed greens, already seen by some as “borderline” unfair, will bring peril for every golfer when the 124th US Open begins later today. The US Golf Association (USGA) wants the toughest test in golf and this week’s setup, with a hefty 13 on the stimpmeter that measures green speed, will fit the bill.
The day starts with sunshine, but expect the sky to gradually become overcast as clouds roll in.
In the morning temperatures range from 5 to 7°C, in the afternoon they can rise to a high of 18 °C.
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