DUKE LATVIA - Grand Duke Henri is in Latvia for a four-day state visit, which he undertakes in the context of the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Baltic state and Luxembourg. The monarch is being accompanied by Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Jean Asselborn, for whom it is the first trip abroad since recovering from an illness-related spell at the hospital. The delegation further features Minister of the Economy Franz Fayot, as well as an economic delegation.
SOLDIERS ROMANIA - Yesterday, 27 Luxembourgish soldiers flew to Romania. They will be integrated into a Belgian-Luxembourgish company for 28 months, as part of NATO’s Enhanced Vigilance Activities mission. The mission is to strengthen the eastern front of NATO - and thus the EU - in the face of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In the event of a Russian attack, NATO is to defend the territory of its member Romania.
SCAM EMAILS - Police have issued a new warning after receiving numerous reports of recent scam emails. Said emails claim that police have opened an investigation for sexual crimes against the recipient, which is then used to pressure people into handing over money. The police have therefore issued a new warning, reminding people that they would never contact a person under investigation via email or threaten to release sensitive information.
US/KOREA DRILLS - North Korea says it has test-fired two strategic cruise missiles from a submarine, as South Korea and the United States are starting major joint military manoeuvres today. North Korea says both countries are preparing for an invasion with the drills, which will run for 10 days, as part of the allies’ drive to counter North Korea’s growing threats.
ARMS IMPORTS - Arms imports into Europe almost doubled in 2022, driven by massive shipments to Ukraine, which has become the world’s third-largest destination, researchers said today. According to the report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, imports have increased by 93%, due to accelerating military spending by European states including Poland and Norway.
SVB BANK - US authorities have unveiled sweeping measures to rescue depositors’ money in full from the failed Silicon Valley Bank,as they announced a second tech-friendly bank had been closed by regulators. In a joint statement, financial agencies including the US Treasury said SVB depositors would have access to “all of their money” starting today and that American taxpayers will not have to foot the bill.
GERMANY STRIKE - A 24-hour strike by security staff at four German airports will force the cancellation of over 350 flights today. The expected flight cancellations will be at Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg and Hannover airports, hitting around 100,000 passengers.
OSCAR WINS - The sci-fi fantasy “Everything, everywhere, all at once” has dominated the Oscars in Hollywood, winning 7 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director. Its star Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian woman to win Best Actress, saying “it was history in the making” . The best actor award went to Brendan Fraser for “The Whale”. The hotly tipped German film ”All Quiet on the Western Front” won 4 Oscars, including best international film.
HANDBALL - the European Championship qualification match was played yesterday. Luxembourg lost the return match against Turkey with 20 to 31.
FOOTBALL - in the Bundesliga, Wolfsburg and Union Berlin drew 1-1. Leverkusen beat Bremen 3-2. And Freiburg won 2-1 against Hoffenheim.
In England, Arsenal remains at the top of the table, after winning 3-0 against Fulham. Manchester United and Southampton drew 0-0.
In the French Ligue 1, Marseille and Strasbourg drew 2-2.
And in Spain, Barcelona wins 1-0 in Bilbao.
RUGBY - England have suffered a historic humiliation after France ran away to a record 53-10 win. Now either Ireland or France will be crowned 2023 Six Nations Champions on Super Saturday next weekend.
Rain showers and strong gusts of wind will carry us into the new week, with scattered hailstone showers completing the line-up. Winds of up to 85 km/h are expected to batter the Grand Duchy today, according to a weather warning issued by Meteolux on Sunday. The morning is somewhat warmer than we’ve been used to with temperatures of 9-11°C, rising slightly to around 12-14°C in the afternoon.
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