SEVERE WEATHER – Thunderstorms with heavy rain have raged across the country in the course of last night. In neighbouring Trier, the weather caused trees to fall and some localised flooding. The road between Biewer and Aach is completely closed due to a stream overflowing, debris on several roads and flooded houses. Around 100 firefighters were on duty during the night – mainly for pumping out cellars.
The German Weather Service confirmed yesterday evening that it was the hottest day of the year so far. The highest temperature was measured in Rheinland-Pfalz, in Bad Neuenahr with 36.5°C.
HOTEL COLLAPSE – Staying in Germany, one week after a hotel partially collapsed in Kröv on the Moselle, the cause of the accident has not yet been determined. This was confirmed by the Trier prosecutor yesterday evening. The investigation will probably take some time. A 64-year-old woman and the 59-year-old owner died in the building collapse.
BETTEMBOURG FIRE – The alarm was sounded at around 10pm following a fire at a cosmetics company in the Wolser Ouest business park, near Bettembourg. When the fire brigade arrived on the scene, a warehouse was already completely engulfed in flames. No fewer than seven CGDIS response centres and 60 firefighters tried to extinguish the flames. The group for the protection against possible chemical hazards was also on site.
CARITAS SCANDAL – Prime Minister Luc Frieden held another meeting with ministers yesterday on the ongoing Caritas crisis, following an initial report by the independent Caritas crisis committee. In a press release, the Ministry stated that work is ongoing and that Frieden and the relevant ministers hope to have a solution on the table by September.
In the ongoing Caritas embezzlement scandal, investigators are currently focusing on the possibility that the non-profit was targeted by an executive phishing scheme, commonly known as a CEO scam.The Luxembourg House of Cybersecurity (LHC) has noted that CEO scams are “fairly widespread” in Luxembourg. The state agency revealed that it records approximately one to two cases per month, based on official reports received over recent years.
CELESTIAL NIGHT SKY – A rare celestial convergence captivated Luxembourg last night as the northern lights and the Perseid meteor shower lit up the skies, offering stargazers an unforgettable double spectacle. The natural light display coincided with the annual Perseid meteor shower, with shooting stars visible to the naked eye in the skies above Luxembourg. If you missed it, you can watch the video here.
UKRAINE WAR – Ukraine says its troops now control 74 settlements in Russia’s Kursk region, as some 200,000 Russians have fled the area. According to its Foreign Ministery, Ukraine is not interested in holding Russian territory, just to push Moscow into talks. According to the White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre, the United States had no advance notice from Ukraine that it planned a military incursion into Russia.
SUDAN PEACE TALKS – US-mediated Sudan ceasefire talks are to kick off in Switzerland today, even though the Sudanese government is set to stay away. The talks, which could last up to 10 days, are being co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and Switzerland. The brutal conflict has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT – US President Joe Biden has said that a ceasefire deal in Gaza could deter Iran from attacking Israel in retaliation for the killing of a Hamas leader that sent regional tensions soaring. His remarks came after Iran rejected Western calls to “stand down” its threat of reprisals.
DRUG SWEETS – Pineapple sweets dished out by a New Zealand charity have tested positive for potentially lethal amounts of methamphetamine, sparking an urgent race to remove them from the streets. A child, a teenager, and a charity worker have already been taken to hospital after they tasted the candies. Although none are seriously ill, police have launched a criminal investigation and are now trying to track down up to 400 other people who may have received the sweets.
CYCLING – Defending champion Demi Vollering won Tuesday’s 6.3-kilometre time trial through the streets of Rotterdam to take over the lead after three stages of the women’s Tour de France. The race enters Belgium today and finishes on Sunday with one of cycling’s most challenging climbs up Alpe d’Huez.
FOOTBALL – Manchester United have signed Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich. Fees for the pair were not disclosed by the English giants, but British media reports estimated the duo had arrived at Old Trafford for a combined €70 million.
Meanwhile, Marseille continued their summer overhaul with the signing of striker Elye Wahi. The 21-year-old Wahi becomes Marseille’s ninth new recruit since the end of last season, joining for a reported fee of €25 million.
While we are still reeling from these past few scorching days, today will bring us a real mix of weather: rain, possible storms, moderate wind and even a bit of sunshine.
A holdover from last evening, thunderstorms could make an appearance throughout the day. Wind will be light to moderate, with a few gusts reaching up to 50 km/h. Things should quiet down in the evening, though.
It will also be much cooler: we’ll start around 18–20°C in the morning, and go up to a moderate 24–26°C in the afternoon.
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