LUXEMBOURG COURT - Luxembourg is facing EU legal action over its failure to implement certain rules for minors who are arrested. The directive in question, sets out vital protections for individuals in custody, including the right to legal representation and communication rights during detention. Additionally, it mandates that parents or guardians of minors detained must be promptly informed. Despite repeated warnings, Luxembourg’s response “did not provide proof of a correct transposition of the directive”. If Luxembourg is found guilty of breaching EU law, it could face substantial fines.
FARMERS’ MEETING - Representatives of the national agriculture industry will be received today in the afternoon by the Prime Minister Luc Frieden. Yesterday, young farmers from the entire greater region blocked the border bridge in Schengen with about 200 tractors.
CNS GLASSES - A petition for full reimbursement of glasses will be presented in the Chamber. Petition 29-67 has now gathered over 5,000 signatures. After the signatures are validated over the next two weeks, a date for a public debate will be scheduled. Currently the National Health Fund (CNS) only covers a small part of the expenses for glasses.
LUXAIR WINDSHIELD - And earlier this week, a Luxair flight en route between Ljubljana and Luxembourg was forced to land in Munich, after pilots reported a crack in their cockpit windshield. The damage occurred while the aircraft was in Austrian airspace above Salzburg. The plane was grounded for about 31 hours in Munich, repaired, and returned to Luxembourg on Monday evening. Passengers on the Ljubljana flight were transferred to other flights.
CLIMATE CHANGE - European climate scientists have provided some of the strongest evidence yet that key targets on increasing global warming are not being met. For the first time, the average temperature over a 12-month period was 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. But a specific pledge made by world leaders in Paris in 2015 to limit the increase, is still holding.
PUTIN INTERVIEW - Tucker Carlson’s interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin will air at midnight our time tonight. The former Fox News host travelled to Moscow for Putin’s first interview with a Western journalist since Russia’s February 2022 invasion. Carlson said it would air on his website, tuckercarlson.com. His surprise scoop comes as US aid to Ukraine has dried up due to Republican opposition in Washington.
GERMANY CARNIVAL - In the carnival strongholds on the Rhine and Main – in Cologne, Düsseldorf and Mainz, the street carnival starts today with Weiberfastnacht, women’s carnival day, the Thursday before Rose Monday. In Cologne alone, more than 100,000 people in fancy dress are expected to take part. The highlight will be the cavalcades on Monday. The first of the big cavalcades in this country will be on Sunday in Diekirch.
FOOTBALL - In the German Cup, the DFB-Pokal, the last quarter final between Saarbrücken and Gladbach was called off yesterday, shortly before the scheduled kick-off. Referees decided that the field at the Ludwigs Park stadium was so wet due to the heavy rain that it was not playable.
The final of the Africa Cup is set. Ivory Coast has qualified with a 1-0 victory against the Democratic Republic of Congo, and will face Nigeria on Sunday evening, who previously won the penalty shootout against South Africa.
The Asian Cup is also running at the same time. And this year’s final is Jordan vs. Qatar.
A charter flight organised to bring Luxembourg football fans to Georgia for the UEFA Euro 2024 play-off semi-final has been cancelled after 83 of people registered for the trip failed to make their payment. Anticipation is building across the Grand Duchy ahead of what could be the most important pair of games in the country’s history in March.
OLYMPICS 2024 - US athletes will take part in the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on the river Seine, with the American Olympics team “excited” and reportedly confident in French security. Teams are set to sail down the river through the centre of Paris for the parade at the start of the Games on July 26, the first time the ceremony has taken place outside the main athletics stadium.
The grey palette continues into today, with barely any sunshine and predominantly rainy weather. We’ll be having a consistent drizzle throughout the day, with overcast skies and only short moments of no rain. Gusts of up to 50 km/h are expected in the afternoon. Morning temperatures range from 6 to 8°C, reaching between 9 and 11°C in the afternoon.
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