MANSLAUGHTER SENTENCE – The Luxembourg City Court has sentenced a former Jeunesse Esch football coach to 18 years in prison for manslaughter, stemming from a fatal altercation in January 2023. The case relates to a confrontation near Jeunesse Esch’s training grounds where the coach fatally stabbed a 25-year-old Iraqi refugee. While court records indicate the victim had initially threatened players and staff with the same knife, judges rejected the defendant’s self-defence claim, noting he continued attacking after the victim was immobilised.
POLICE IT SECURITY – The police have confirmed they have taken an external server offline and launched an investigation after an IT expert identified security vulnerabilities in the system. The incident follows recent warnings from European cybersecurity experts about inadequate data protection measures during file transfers. Officials emphasised that no sensitive data - whether personal information or case-related materials - was accessed or exposed.
HIGH MARKS – Six students from St George’s International School in Luxembourg were celebrated for achieving the highest marks in the world, Europe, and Luxembourg in their respective subjects. The recognition came as part of the Outstanding Pearson Learner Awards, which honour the top-performing international students worldwide across all levels of qualifications, including International GCSEs and A levels.
BIRD DEATHS – Residents of Bonnevoie are alarmed as dozens of birds have been found poisoned since the start of the year, prompting fears for local wildlife, pets, and public safety. The affected area – fields between Kaltreis and the Bonnevoie secondary school – is near recreational spaces where children frequently play. While the presence of rat poison has been confirmed, what remains unclear is how authorities will respond. An investigation has been launched.
UKRAINE WAR – President Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to meet President Putin in Moscow today for talks aimed at ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Speaking at the Oval Office last night, Trump said he was putting a lot of pressure on both sides and was committed to saving lives. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the American broadcaster CBS that the talks were on the right course and that Russia was ready to reach a deal.
POPE DEATH – Heads of State and royalty are expected to arrive in Rome today, ahead of the funeral of Pope Francis tomorrow. Grand Duke Henri and Prime Minister Luc Frieden will join an assembly of world leaders, including President Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Macron. Tens of thousands of people have queued for hours to pay their last respects to Francis, whose coffin will be closed this evening in a ceremony attended by senior cardinals. The funeral starts at 10am and will be broadcast live on RTL.lu.
FOOTBALL – In the German Bundesliga, Stuttgart meets Heidenheim tonight. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich are taking on Mainz at home tomorrow. If they beat sixth-placed Mainz and second-placed Bayer Leverkusen fail to beat Augsburg at home, Bayern will be crowned Bundesliga winners. And in France, champions Paris St Germain are playing against Nice tonight.
Liverpool have one hand on the Premier League trophy as they seek the solitary point they need against struggling Tottenham on Sunday that would guarantee a record-equalling 20th English title. A draw at an expectant Anfield would take Arne Slot’s men 13 points clear of Arsenal with just four games remaining, meaning they could not be caught.
MOTO GP – Marc Marquez is determined to continue his blistering start to the MotoGP season as the riders gear up this weekend for their first visit to Spain. The six-time world champion looks back to his dominating best after making the switch to the factory Ducati team, winning three of the opening four races and sweeping the sprints. RTL Today will be live on Sunday with the main race at 2pm.
TENNIS – World number three Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Madrid Open with a thigh injury, in a blow for his French Open title defence preparations. The four-time Grand Slam winner, sustained the problem during his Barcelona Open final defeat last Sunday by Holger Rune. Alcaraz was hoping to lift the trophy in Madrid for the third time after his 2022 and 2023 victories. Meanwhile, defending champion Iga Swiatek survived a scare to beat rising teenage star Alexandra Eala 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 and reach the third round in the Spanish capital.
It’s been a rainy few days but the end of the week is shaping up to be quite nice, as we should be starting to notice a decent rise in temperature. It’s still going to be quite cloudy today but, on the bright side, we probably won’t be needing an umbrella. Morning temperatures are hitting the 9-11 °C mark, but it will steadily rise up 14-15°C.
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