LEFT PARTY CRITICISM - At its closing conference, the Left Party did not hold back with its criticism of the government. Looking back at the parliamentary year, the legislative period, and even the past decade, the party expressed disappointment in the blocking of what they deemed necessary and more radical measures, attributing these blocks primarily to the Democratic Party. Meanwhile, the Luxembourg Socialist Workers Party and the Green Party were described as complacent participants, merely content with their presence in the government.
LICENSE REVOKED - A man in Luxembourg City reported being assaulted and robbed by a stranger, only for his own driving license to be confiscated after it was revealed he had driven to the police station while under the influence of alcohol. Upon registering the complaint, the police officers had suspicions about the victim’s state, with a breathalyser test confirming the presence of alcohol in his system. And since the victim had driven his own car to the police station to file the report, his driving licence was withdrawn. The assault case is currently under investigation.
STRESS FREE FINDEL - A recent study by the Schengen Area Information Portal has ranked Findel as Europe’s second least stressful airport. The study, using data collected by StressFreeCarRental, identified airports meeting stress-free criteria in categories such as: volume of tourists, convenience of location, and parking expenses. The No.1 spot was awarded to Denmark’s Billund Airport, best know for it’s location near the famous Legoland park.
RIP - Acclaimed Irish singer Sinead O’Connor, known for songs including the 1990 hit ‘Nothing compares 2 U’, has died aged 56. Her family said it was with “great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinead. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”. Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar led tributes to the singer saying her “music was loved around the world and her talent was unmatched and beyond compare”.
NIGER COUP - Soldiers claim to have overthrown Niger’s government following an apparent coup in the West African nation on Wednesday when members of the Presidential Guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum. Members of the elite guard sealed off access to the president’s residence and offices in the capital Niamey, and after talks broke down, “refused to release” him, a presidential source has said. Regional and global leaders have called for the release of Bazoum, who entered office two years ago in Niger’s first peaceful transition of power since independence from France in 1960.
WEAPONS TOUR - Kim Jong Un gave Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu a personal tour of North Korea’s newest and most advanced weaponry on Thursday, state media has reported. Shoigu and a high-ranking Chinese delegation are in Pyongyang as Kim’s first known foreign guests since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, as the country marks the 70th anniversary of the signing of the 1953, Korean War armistice. The North Korean leader has been steadfast in his support for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, including, Washington says, supplying rockets and missiles -- a charge Pyongyang has angrily denied.
NUCLEAR AMBITIONS - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that New Zealand would be welcome to engage in the AUKUS alliance, a landmark pact aimed at counterbalancing China’s rise in the Pacific. AUKUS is a pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States that includes ambitious plans to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. New Zealand has been treading carefully around involvement, hoping to avoid angering its largest trading partner Beijing.
RUGBY - Wallabies coach Eddie Jones on Thursday made mass changes to the run-on side to face the All Blacks this weekend, gambling on Test rookie Carter Gordon as playmaker for the high-pressure clash instead of veteran Quade Cooper. Australia head into the Melbourne Cricket Ground game on Saturday, in front of an expected 80,000 fans, after consecutive Rugby Championship defeats to South Africa and Argentina. The former England boss is without a win since taking over from Dave Rennie and again shuffled the pack as he continues his search for his best side to field at the upcoming Rugby World Cup in France.
WOMEN’S WORLD CUP - In the Women’s World Cup this morning’s first game saw a 1-1 draw played out by the USA and the Netherlands - with USA Captain Lindsey Horan securing the equaliser after the opening goal from Dutch midfielder Jill Roord. Today’s other games see Portugal taking on Vietnam, and co-hosts Australia facing off against Nigeria.
This morning sees a damp and overcast start to the day with temperatures of around 13 to 14 degrees Celsius accompanied by a light wind. Unfortunately, the rain will continue throughout the morning and afternoon with temperatures eventually rising to a peak of around 17 to 18 degrees. Rain is expected to continue into the evening.
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