RUNAWAY WALLABY – Sammy, the runaway wallaby, has been caught. Sammy was on the loose in the east of the country for over a week and is now safely home. Sammy’s owner confirmed to RTL last night that the animal was recaptured at around 10pm and that he is well. The male wallaby caused quite a stir in the week that he hopped across the east of the country. ACL had to issue traffic warnings for the Echternach area and the wallaby was even an issue in the parliament, as the Minister of Agriculture, Martine Hansen, called on people not to search for the animal on their own, but to leave it to the police.
EUROGROUP MEETING – EU finance ministers are meeting in Luxembourg today, as part of the annual meetings of the European Stability Fund and the European Investment Bank. Gilles Roth and his counterparts will discuss the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine. That’s why Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergej Marchenko is also attending.
NATIONAL DAY FESTIVITIES – As part of the festivities around the national holiday, this morning is the start, with a military ceremony in Diekirch. The military parade starts at 10am, in the presence of the Minister of Defence Yuriko Backes and army representatives. Drivers are advised to avoid the centre of the town this morning.
HIT-AND-RUN – Following a hit-and-run incident on Wednesday morning in Luxembourg City, police are appealing to the driver responsible for the accident and any witnesses who may have information about the incident to come forward. Preliminary reports indicate that the driver left the scene without acknowledging the victim.
GIG ECONOMY – Luxembourg’s government faces mounting pressure to enhance protections for gig economy workers, as The Left’s draft bill on false self-employment sparks debate amid pending EU directives. Multinational gig economy companies, such as those providing taxi or food delivery services, continue facing criticism over the working conditions they create.
WORLD REFUGEE DAY – It’s World Refugee Day. The UNHCR and the World Health Organisation have published a report on the situation for refugees and it paints a dark picture of the dire situation in the world. Never before have so many people been driven from their homes as today. Conflicts, hunger and climate change have forced more than 117 million people to flee, 40% of them are children. The situation is also paradoxical because three out of four refugees go to a country that is even poorer than the one they come from.
PUTIN VIETNAM – Russian President Vladimir Putin has started a state visit to Vietnam, a day after signing a mutual defence pact with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. Putin and Kim inked a strategic treaty that included a pledge to come to each other’s aid if attacked. Kim also pledged his “full support” for Russia’s war on Ukraine.
HAJJ DEATHS – Friends and family of missing hajj pilgrims are searching hospitals and are pleading online for news, fearing the worst after hundreds died during the annual pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Arab diplomats told AFP on Tuesday, that at least 550 pilgrims died this year, the majority due to heat-related illnesses after temperatures reached above 50°C in Mecca. The number of reported deaths so far is 645, according to an AFP tally of figures released by various countries.
FOOTBALL – Hosts Germany have become the first team to qualify for the knockout phase of Euro 2024, thanks to a 2-0 win over Hungary last night. Scotland drew 1-1 with Switzerland and Croatia’s hopes of progressing were left hanging in the balance after they were held by Albania 2-2. Today there are three more matches: Slovenia meets Serbia at 3pm, followed by Denmark against England at 6pm, and at 9pm Italy and Spain face each other.
Brussels has declined to host a Nations League match between Israel and Belgium on 6 September, citing security concerns over potential demonstrations amid the ongoing Gaza conflict. The Belgian Football Federation (URBSFA) said it would have accepted that the match at the King Baudouin Stadium take place behind closed doors, but it deeply regretted that the Belgian capital had refused to host the game at all.
TABLE TENNIS – In a historic achievement, three members of the Luxembourg Table Tennis Association (FLTT) have qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024: Ni Xia Lian will be participating in her sixth Games in Paris this summer, Sarah De Nutte has secured her second qualification following Tokyo, while Luka Mladenovic will make his Olympic debut.
SWIMMING – Caeleb Dressel will not defend his 100m freestyle title at next month’s Paris Games, but after a third-placed finish in a storming final at the US Olympic swimming trials he’s ready to make relay history. Dressel won five golds in Tokyo in 2021, but after stepping away from the sport abruptly in 2022, he is on the comeback trail after a nine-month break. Dressel has put himself in the mix for the 4x100m free relay, where after a look at the scoreboard he said a world record was possible.
RUGBY – Rugby World Cup winners South Africa have included four uncapped players in the matchday 23 for a one-off Test against Wales at Twickenham on Saturday. Winger Edwill van der Merwe and fly-half Jordan Hendrikse, both from the Johannesburg-based Lions, will start the Springboks’ first outing since winning the World Cup in October. Utility back Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and flanker Ben-Jason Dixon, teammates at the Stormers in Cape Town, start on the bench.
The morning could bring a mix of rain, sunshine, and general cloudiness. As we move into the afternoon, the weather takes a more severe turn, with potential thunderstorms expected across the nation. Just when you think it couldn’t get any worse, think again... hail storms are on the forecast, causing Metelux to issue a yellow weather warning. Morning temperatures will be around 15–17°C, rising to highs of 24°C in the afternoon.
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