ENERGY PRICES – The energy provider Encevo is forecasting huge price hikes for gas and electricity for next year. Encevo’s General Director Claude Seywert said that with price caps to be lifted in 2025, he would expect electricity prices to go up by 40–50%. STATEC recently projected increases of 60% in electricity prices and 17% for gas.
PLAGIARISM SENTENCE – The two-year legal dispute between Luxembourg artist Jeff Dieschburg and US photographer Jingna Zhang recently concluded after a second-instance court found Dieschburg guilty of plagiarism. The controversy began in 2022 when Zhang discovered that Dieschburg had copied one of her photographs almost exactly, without seeking her permission.
AUTISM DIAGNOSIS – Luxembourg’s Autism Foundation is grappling with a staggering four-year waiting list for autism diagnoses, reflecting a critical shortage of resources amid rising demand, which has left many families in a distressing limbo. This long wait has a knock-on effect for children with autism who need to secure appropriate schooling as they must first have an autism diagnosis.
PETITIONS THRESHOLD – The Parliamentary Petitions Committee has voted to increase the signature requirement for public petitions to 5,500, up from the previous 4,500. The move, supported by the CSV-DP majority, seeks to refine the process of petition-based discussions in the Chamber of Deputies.
SLOVAKIA SHOOTING – Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico is in a critical condition in hospital, after being shot multiple times. One of his deputies, Robert Kalinak, said the assassination attempt was politically motivated, but that Mr Fico would survive.
CHINA PUTIN – Vladimir Putin has arrived in Beijing for a two-day state visit, which he hopes will strengthen relations between Russia and China. President Xi Jinping was not at the airport to greet the Russian leader, whose plane landed in the early hours of the morning.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – Arab leaders are gathering in Bahrain for a summit dominated by the Israel-Hamas war, which has been raging in the Gaza Strip without a ceasefire in sight. It is the first time the bloc has come together since an extraordinary summit in Riyadh in November. The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is expected to make a speech there later today.
As the conflict in Gaza shows no sign of ending, the International Court of Justice will hold public hearings today and on Friday. South Africa has filed an urgent request to the top UN court to order an immediate halt to Israel’s military offensive in Rafah, describing it as a “genocidal” operation threatening the “very survival of Palestinians”.
NETHERLANDS COALITION – Six months after Geert Wilders won a stunning election victory, squabbling politicians have finally clinched an agreement on a coalition government. The far-right leader Wilders did not name a prime minister to lead the coalition. However, the main contender looks to be former education and interior minister Ronald Plasterk, who also played a key role in overseeing the initial talks.
FOOTBALL – Juventus have won the Italian Cup. In the final in Rome last night, Juve won 1-0 against Atalanta Bergamo.
CYCLING – The eleventh stage of the Giro d’Italia was won yesterday by the Italian Jonathan Milan in the sprint. Tadej Pogacar remains in the overall leader. Today it’s about 193 hilly km to Fano.
GOLF – World number one Scottie Scheffler and second-ranked Rory McIlroy lead a power-packed field into today’s start of the 106th PGA Championship at Valhalla. Players have made their last preparations for the showdown, practice rounds offering a final glimpse of the layout.
Heavy rainfall is forecast early this morning, followed by scattered showers throughout the morning and afternoon. Conditions are likely to be somewhat unstable, with the potential for storms, although the evening should be somewhat drier. Morning temperatures start between 11–13°C, rising no higher than 16°C in the afternoon.
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