CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM - The Left Party’s draft constitution includes extending the right to vote to all residents who have lived in Luxembourg for at least five years, regardless of nationality. It also aims to replace the monarchy with a republic headed by a president elected by the Chamber of Deputies.Only the two MPs of the Left Party voted for their draft constitution. A two-thirds majority would have been required for the amendment.
ZELENSKY TO VISIT US - Ukraine’s Zelensky plans US visit in first trip abroad since war began. Zelensky’s visit reportedly includes a meeting with Biden in the White House for an announcement of a fresh package of military aid for Ukraine, including advanced Patriot batteries to help defend against Russia’s brutal missile attacks, according to US media.
TALIBAN BAN UNIVERSITY EDUCATION FOR WOMEN - Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers have banned university education for women nationwide, provoking condemnation from the United States and the United Nations over another assault on human rights.The ban on higher education comes less than three months after thousands of women sat for university entrance exams across the country, with many aspiring to choose teaching and medicine as future careers.
VENUS WILLIAMS ACCEPTS WILDCARDS - 42 year old Venus Williams has accepted wildcards to play in the main draws of both the Australian Open and the Auckland WTA tournaments, it was announced today. The seven-time Grand Slam champion, who last took the court at September’s US Open playing doubles with her sister Serena, will be in the singles field in Auckland ahead of the Australian Open, which starts January 16. It will mark Venus Williams’s 22nd appearance at Melbourne Park, where she made her Australian Open debut 25 years ago and reached the finals in 2003 and 2017.
SAPPORO SUSPENDS OLYMPIC BID - The Japanese city of Sapporo will stop promoting its 2030 Winter Olympics bid and hold a nationwide poll to gauge support after a corruption scandal over last year’s Tokyo Games, local officials have announced. The moves come as prosecutors continue to investigate corruption, including alleged bid-rigging at the summer games in Tokyo, which were postponed due to Covid.Sapporo had been seen as the frontrunner to host the Winter Games for a second time, ahead of rivals Salt Lake City and Vancouver, but the corruption scandal has soured the bid.
WEATHER - Scatterred showers with higher temperatures - The shortest day of the year will bring intermittent showers throughout the day and it looks like the rest of the week will be rainy as well.
The good news, is that we are back into positive temperatures: the morning will start off at 4° to 7°C, rising to double-digit highs of 10°C in the afternoon, before dropping to 7° to 10°C in the evening.
