PROPERTY PRICES - Rents are rising and property prices are falling. This is has been confirmed by the online real estate platform athome.lu. According to athome, rents for apartments increased by 11.5% and houses by 13.4% in the second quarter of this year. Sales prices, on the other hand, are on the decline. In the case of apartments, prices have fallen by 7% and houses by 8%.
FATAL ACCIDENT - A fatal accident occurred on a construction site on Boulevard Grande-Duchesse Charlotte yesterday. An excavator tipped over, leading to the death of one worker and causing injury to another. The police confirmed to RTL that one of the two men involved in the accident was fatally injured. The man was reportedly hit by an excavator that had overturned on the construction site.
ATM EXPLOSION - Police have called for witnesses, after a cashpoint in Bollendorf, on Luxembourg’s border, was blown up at around 3.15am on Wednesday morning. The building that held the cashpoint was significantly damaged in the explosion. According to reports, the car used in the robbery had Luxembourgish license plates (XJ 9692) and is believed to be a black Audi. Witnesses who spotted the car should contact the authorities.
SIEMENS JOBS - The household appliance retailer Siemens AG has decided to cease operations in Luxembourg, leading to job losses of around 50 people. The OGBL union says it is “shocked” by this unexpected decision.
COVID LAW - The new Covid-19 law was unanimously adopted in the Chamber yesterday. Accordingly, a mask duty can still be introduced. You can still get vaccinated in pharmacies and vaccination and test certificates can still be issued. The word pandemic no longer appears in the text.
ISRAEL MILITARY OPERATION - The Israeli defence forces say they have shot down five rockets fired from the Gaza strip towards southern Israel. It follows a 2-day Israeli military operation at a refugee camp in the town of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank. Last night, the Israeli army began withdrawing its forces from the area.
EU GMO - The European Commission is putting forward a proposal to ease current restrictions on genetically modified crops today. The commission says the rules on GMOs or genetically modified organisms need to be relaxed to grow crops that require fewer pesticides, are better adapted to climate change and need less water. The plans are being criticised by environmental organisations, including Greenpeace.
BIDEN NATO - US President Biden is meeting his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson at the White House today. They will discuss Sweden’s accession to NATO, which is still being blocked by Turkey and Hungary. President Biden will head to Europe in a week for a three-nation trip, including a NATO summit, focused on reinforcing the international coalition backing Ukraine as it pursues a counteroffensive against Russia.
FRANCE PROTESTS - In Paris, police have seized 300 kilos of firework rockets and crackers in a van. Three people were arrested. President Emmanuel Macron suggested on Tuesday that the “peak” of rioting “has passed”, while remaining “cautious” for the coming days. In the violence since June 27, the day teenager Nahel M. was shot by police in a traffic stop, damage has amounted to “more than a billion euros, without counting the harm to tourism.
CYCLING - It’s stage 5 in the Tour de France today, around 163 km from Pau to Lorens, with a first mountain – the Col du Soudet, a 15km ascent. Yesterday saw another victory for the Belgian cyclist Jasper Philipsen. Adam Yates retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey and the best Luxembourger overall is Bob Jungels, who is in 45th place.
FOOTBALL - In football news, according to a source at the Brazilian Football Federation, Real Madrid’s Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti will take over as head coach of Brazil’s national team for the 2024 Copa America.
Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino will move to Saudi Arabia, signing for Al-Ahli on Tuesday after his contract with Premier League giants Liverpool expired.
Mason Mount has confirmed that he will leave Chelsea this summer, with media reports saying Manchester United have agreed a deal to sign the England midfielder. Man United have reportedly agreed a £55 million, so just over 64 million euros transfer for Mount.
And Luxembourgish footballer Danel Sinani has secured a move to St Pauli in the 2. Bundesliga. The Hamburg-based club confirmed the transfer on Tuesday morning. Sinani, 26, was previously contracted to lower-tier club Wigan Athletic in England.
After heavy rain overnight, strong winds are likely to blow the rainclouds away, leading to the potential of sunshine as the day wears on. It will be particularly breezy, with gusts of wind reaching up to 50 km/h in places. As we head into the afternoon, the skies should clear up and we might even catch a smidge of sun if we’re lucky. The morning’s temperatures are expected to reach 14-15°C, only reaching highs of around 19°C by late afternoon.
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