FATIMA PILGRIMAGE - Thursday saw tens of thousands of pilgrims descended upon Wiltz for the annual Ascension Day visit to Our Lady of Fatima, with the first pilgrims starting their journey early on Thursday morning. Every year, on Ascension Thursday, nearly 20,000 faithful, most of them from the Portuguese community, take part in the pilgrimage, which visits the shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, located just above Wiltz.
FIRST GRADE TESTS - A new study published by the University of Luxembourg shows that children who spent time in nursery or preschool may outperform their peers in standardised primary school tests. The study looked at results from standardised tests over a period between 2015 and 2022, as well as conducting discussions with parents. The study encompassed results from around 45,000 pupils in their first year of primary school
EXTENSIVE ANALYSIS - After Luxembourg’s ban on glyphosate was deemed unlawful, the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) has been tasked with carrying out a new analysis of glyphosate use in the Grand Duchy. MP Martine Hansen from the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV) recently filed a parliamentary enquiry concerned with Luxembourg’s ban on glyphosate, which the Administrative Court deemed unlawful earlier this year. The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) has been tasked with an extensive analysis of the situation. Results of the study are expected in mid July.
RUSSIA SANCTIONS - The United States and its G7 allies rolled out new sanctions against Russia’s “war machine” this Friday, targeting Moscow’s lucrative diamond trade and more entities linked to the invasion of Ukraine. Leaders from the Group of Seven wealthy democracies are meeting in Hiroshima, Japan, with Russia’s 4 to 5 billion dollar annual trade in diamonds in the crosshairs. Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine 15 months ago has prompted waves of sanctions that have helped plunge his country into recession and drained the Kremlin’s war chest. The G7 is now looking to tighten the screws further, strengthening existing sanctions, closing loopholes and subjecting more Russian firms and their international partners to punitive restrictions.
ANNUAL MARCH - Tens of thousands of Israeli nationalists marched to Jerusalem’s Old City on Thursday in an annual flag-waving march commemorating Israel’s capture of the area, as tensions on the Gaza border remained high. Palestinians in annexed east Jerusalem closed their shops and were banned from the Damascus Gate entrance to the Old City to make way for the marchers, some of whom attacked journalists with rocks and bottles, an AFP reporter said. Police said they had made two arrests over the attack, one of an adult and one of a minor.
FALSE INFORMATION - Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Thursday retracted his claim that four Indigenous children missing for more than two weeks after an airplane crash in the Amazon had been found alive. Writing on Twitter, Petro said he had deleted his tweet from Wednesday night in which he had announced the rescue of the four children, including an 11-month-old baby. “I am sorry for what happened. The military forces and Indigenous communities will continue in their tireless search to give the country the news it is waiting for,” he said in his retraction.
ONGOING VIOLENCE - More than 3,000 people have been displaced in central Nigeria after at least 85 people were killed in ongoing clashes between herders and farmers, officials said Thursday. The violence erupted on Monday, with an initial death toll of 30, in several villages of Plateau State, an area which has struggled with ethnic and religious tensions for years. Several villages in the Mangu district of Plateau state were still caught up in the violence on Thursday, with residents fleeing, according to local sources and witnesses.
FOOTBALL - In last night’s European football competitions, Roma and Sevilla triumphed in their Europa League Cup semi-final 2nd leg games against Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus. They will contest the final in Budapest at the end of the month. And in the Europa Conference League, West Ham will meet Fiorentina in the final in Prague in early June, after they also recorded semi-final victories against AZ Alkmaar and FC Basel.
CYCLING - Yesterday, Nico Denz secured his first Grand Tour stage victory as he won stage 12 at the Giro d’Italia. Thursday’s stage opened in Bra, around 45km south of Turin, as riders observed a minute’s silence for the victims of devastating floods across the country. At the finish line, just three seconds separated the front three as the German finished in front of Latvia’s Toms Skujins with Australian Sebastian Berwick third.
Today’s weather will be the same as yesterday, except a little warmer. With this morning starting off at a cool 5 to 9°C, rising to a high of 19°C in the afternoon, before dropping back slightly to 12-15°C in the evening.
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