BETTEL GOOGLE - Prime Minister Xavier Bettel has held a meeting with Google whilst on an economic mission to California. It was announced that the technology giant wants to create a unit in Luxembourg, part of a new service for data security that Luxembourg will offer in the future. Bettel tweeted that he is glad Google will establish centres of excellence in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and other advanced technologies in the Grand Duchy. The long-planned Google data center in Bissen was also a topic of discussion. In an interview with RTL, the Prime Minister said that this was not a priority for Google at the moment, due to the geopolitical situation as well as unanswered questions concerning energy supply.
EMBEZZLEMENT VERDICT - A verdict will be pronounced today in the case of the Hesperange embezzlement trial. The case involves the embezzlement of over 5 million euros and three people working for the municipality of Hesperange. The prosecution has demanded prison sentences between 18 months and 8 years for the different defendants.
DUPONT PROTEST - Workers at Dupont Teijin are being urged by unions to protest outside the factory in Contern this morning, following an announcement by the company they were closing two production lines, making 160 people redundant. The OGBL and LCGB union accuse the management of not making any efforts to preserve these jobs.
FRANCE PENSIONS - A proposed reform of France’s pension system, which has sparked massive protests and strikes since the start of the year, is to be put to a vote in parliament today. The Senate and lower house National Assembly are set to hold ballots on the legislation to raise the retirement age to 64, with Macron’s minority government dependent on the opposition Republicans party for support. It is a decisive moment for President Emmanuel Macron.
CREDIT SUISSE - The troubled banking giant Credit Suisse has announced that it will borrow over 50 billion euros from the Swiss central bank to reinforce the group after a plunge in its share prices. Investors sent shares in the country’s second biggest lender crashing by as much as 30% on Wednesday. The European Central Bank governors will meet today, with fears over a widening banking crisis. The turmoil in the financial markets could force it to divert plans for another interest rate hike even though inflation remains too high. The ECB had been set for another 50 basis point increase today.
NASA SPACESUIT - NASA has unveiled a prototype of the next-generation spacesuit that astronauts will wear on the next walk on the Moon. The suit revealed at an event at the Johnson Space Center in Houston features greater flexibility and thermal protection than those worn by the Apollo astronauts who first stepped foot on the lunar surface more than 50 years ago.The pressurized garment has multiple protective layers, a backpack with life support systems, and lights and a high-definition video camera mounted on top of the bubble-shaped helmet.
FOOTBALL FIFA - The international football federation FIFA is holding its congress in Rwanda today to elect a new president. The current FIFA president Gianni Infantino is the only candidate, with the support of most members. A third term as head of FIFA is therefore certain.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - Naples and Real Madrid are the last two teams that have qualified for the quarter finals in the Champions League. Naples beat Frankfurt 3-0 and Real Madrid won 1-0 against Liverpool. On the sidelines of the Naples Frankfurt match there were brutal confrontations between hooligans and the police.
Weather
Things are taking a turn for the better this Thursday! We will be getting a mix of cloudy skies with some sun, with a rather promising sunny afternoon.The morning will start off rather chilly, with temperatures of -1 to 2°C, beautifully rising to around 11 - 14°C in the afternoon.
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