STATE OF THE NATION – Luxembourg decision-makers yesterday continued debating Prime Minister Frieden’s State of the Nation address, with opposition parties unimpressed, the OGBL trade union denouncing a break with social dialogue, and the coalition defending its agenda.
POWER FAILURE – A major power failure paralysed Luxembourg’s entire rail network yesterday afternoon, causing significant delays and service disruptions across all lines.The outage was caused by an overhead line in the capital, affecting all lines entering and leaving Luxembourg City.
MURDER TRIAL – Two men accused of murdering a 46-year-old employee at an Italian restaurant in Kirchberg in April 2022 could each face 30 years in prison, as the prosecution argues they acted with shocking brutality and a total disregard for human life. The prosecutor also requested that a third accused, who allegedly allowed one of the perpetrators into the premises under false pretences, be acquitted on the grounds that he was seemingly unaware of the plan. The verdict will be given on 19 June.
PRISON BREAK – Six inmates tried to break out of prison in St Hubert, in Belgium, about 25 km from the Luxembourg border yesterday. After climbing over a 6-metre-high wall, five of the prisoners were quickly apprehended by the police. The sixth man is still on the run. According to the prosecutor’s office in the province of Luxembourg, the man on the run is not particularly dangerous.
DEMOLITION THREAT – A historically protected windmill in Luxembourg City’s Belair neighbourhood is at risk of removal due to ongoing construction work at the Centre Hospitalier (CHL). The structure, protected since 2002 and located next to the CHL construction site, reportedly obstructs emergency vehicle access routes. According to RTL sources, Health Minister Martine Deprez now holds decision-making authority regarding the structure’s fate.
RUSSIA UKRAINE TALKS – Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the first direct peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv in three years, the Kremlin sending instead a group of technocrats – while US President Donald Trump has floated joining in person. Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky is in Istanbul to take part in the talks. The US is demanding a 30-day ceasefire, which Russia has so far refused. European leaders have said new sanctions will be quickly imposed on Russia if the Istanbul talks do not produce results.
GERMANY DEFENCE – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to build up “the strongest conventional army in Europe” as the continent faces a hostile Russia while the Ukraine war rages on. Germany, with its dark World War II history, has long been reluctant to spend big on its military and funding dropped off sharply after the Cold War.
GAZA WAR – Gaza rescuers said at least 80 people were killed in Israeli bombardment across the Palestinian territory yesterday, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to US envoy Steve Witkoff about the release of hostages. Negotiations for the release of the captives held in Gaza have been ongoing, with the latest talks taking place in the Qatari capital Doha.
ESC – It is the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest tonight and Luxembourg’s Laura Thorn is performing during the second half of the show. You can follow via our dedicated live ticker or watch the show directly live from 9pm with English commentary by Today Radio’s Meredith Moss and Melissa Dalton on RTL Today.
FOOTBALL – Bologna have ended a 51-year wait for a major trophy after winning the Italian Cup with a 1-0 victory over AC Milan. Dan Ndoye scored the goal in the 53rd minute which gave Bologna a historic victory, their first honour since last winning the cup in 1974.
TENNIS – Men’s world number one tennis player, Jannik Sinner, offered to rally with Pope Leo XIV, after being received by the head of the Catholic Church at the Vatican yesterday. The 23-year-old Italian star only returned to the circuit last Saturday, at the Italian Open, after serving a three month doping ban. Video released by the Vatican showed Sinner shaking the hand of the Chicago-born pope and presenting him with a racquet similar to his own.
CYCLING – Mads Pedersen won a tight sprint to the line to collect his third stage win of this year’s Giro d’Italia and cement his overall lead. Today’s sixth stage is a hilly 227km ride from Potenza to Naples.
The forecast for today is very similar to yesterday’ss weather, with a few innocuous clouds in the afternoon and slightly cooler temperatures. Morning lows will be between 9 and 11°C, with an expected afternoon high of 18°C.
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