NOISE SUBSIDIES - Environment minister Joëlle Welfring confirmed a number of homes affected by Findel noise pollution will be eligible for a new subsidy. A parliamentary committee has agreed to provide 2,600 addresses with subsidies to insulate their homes against noise pollution from Luxembourg’s airport. The addresses were selected based on a noise map. Eligible households might receive up to €16,000 for houses and €8,000 for apartments, to be used for noise insulation purposes.
STOP SMOKING CAMPAIGN - The Minister of Health, Paulette Lenert, has conceded that Luxembourg is “definitely not living up to its ambitions” concerning the tackling of smoking issues. In an effort to reduce smoking, the Ministry of Health has initiated a national campaign, starting off with raising the price of a packet of cigarettes by 20 cents, supporting stop smoking campaigns as well as introducing plain cigarette packaging.
VERDICT PROTESTERS - The Luxembourg City Court has delivered a verdict, concluding the trial of four men charged with inappropriate behaviour during the Covid-19 pandemic. The incidents concern anti-vaccine demonstrations at the Christmas Market in 2021 and protests outside the residences of Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and Minister for Family Affairs Corinne Cahen. The judge handed down a sentence of 120 hours of community service and imposed a €500 fine on each perpetrator.
LUXAIR FOOD - In a bid to enhance the culinary experience of its economy class passengers, Luxair has joined forces with the young chefs from the Hotel and Tourism School of Luxembourg to introduce a fresh array of dishes. Passengers can taste the new culinary creations from tomorrow.
TINA TURNER - The music legend Tina Turner has died at her home in Switzerland at the age of 83. She rose to fame with her then husband Ike Turner in the 1960s with songs such as ‘River Deep, Mountain High’ and ‘Nutbush City Limits’ before launching a solo career with hits including ‘Private Dancer’, ‘What’s Love Got to Do with it’ and ‘The Best’. Tributes have been pouring in from across the world – the White House mourned the ‘massive loss’. Mick Jagger praised the enormous talent of a great friend, Elton John said the world had lost one of the most exciting and electric performers and Gloria Gaynor said Tina Turner had paved the way for so many women in rock music, black and white.
UKRAINE AID - There’s another meeting today of the so-called Ukraine contact group. Defence ministers and army chiefs from almost 50 Western countries are meeting virtually at the initiative of the Pentagon to advise on further military support for Kyiv. Several countries have announced that they want to train Ukrainian pilots on F16 fighter jets.
DESANTIS NOMINATION - Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s long-awaited entry into the 2024 presidential campaign was hit by technical glitches after a Twitter livestream malfunctioned. It meant he only began speaking after almost half an hour of confusion and chaos. DeSantis went on to use the event to champion his conservative credentials, his anti-lockdown stance and education reforms, making his case for the Republican nomination.
FOOTBALL - The final of the Luxembourg Cup kicks off tomorrow evening, between Differdange and Mersch. So far, more than 6,500 tickets have been sold for the match at the Stade de Luxembourg, which is the highest number for decades.
CYCLING - The 17th stage of the Giro d’Italia was won by Italian rider Alberto Dainese yesterday, as Geraint Thomas finished in the pack to keep the leader’s pink jersey. Today there are 161 kilometers in the Dolomites, with an arrival in Val di Zoldo.
RUNNING - Close to 1,000 students are in action this afternoon at the traditional ‘Ronderem de Séi’ - the traditional running race around the lake in Echternach. The race is over 7km and starts at 3 o’clock.
Luxembourg is set to enjoy a sunny Thursday, with temperatures ranging from 5°C in the morning through to a pleasant 21°C in the afternoon. The day will be dry with a few clouds in the sky. The good news is higher temperatures are on the way as we head into the weekend!
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