CANNABIS CONSUMPTION – A new report on drug consumption shows that 32% of young people aged 15–34 have tried cannabis at least once in their lives. The national drug report found that cannabis is the most popular drug in the Grand Duchy, followed by cocaine and ecstasy or MDMA. Almost two years ago, it became legal to grow cannabis at home for personal use in Luxembourg, with four plants allowed per adult, per household. Around 11% of cannabis consumers surveyed said they had made full use of the growing allowance.
PHONE BAN – Luxembourg’s National Student Conference (CNEL) has hit out at the recent mobile phone ban in schools, claiming it restricts internet access for pupils. In an open letter published on Thursday, CNEL said it was dissatisfied with the new regulations on mobile phone use in secondary schools. However, rather than the use of phones themselves, they said they were unhappy with the restrictions placed on WiFi access in schools for students under 15. Students who do not have mobile data, for example, due to financial constraints, are therefore disadvantaged as a result of the new policy.
YASMINE GRISIUS – It has been 10 years since police officer and mother of two, Yasmine Grisius, lost her life in the line of duty. It was during a routine traffic stop in Dippach on the night of 4 to 5 June 2015 when 38 year old Grisius sustained critical injuries, dying shortly afterwards after being struck by a car that failed to stop. The police officer left behind two daughters, who were aged 3 and 9 at the time.
PALESTINE RECOGNITION – Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel has told a committee that Luxembourg could consider recognising the State of Palestine, should the measures under discussion prove acceptable. If it helped matters on the ground and provided a sense of security to Israel, then it would be “the right moment”, Bettel said, addressing the press on Thursday. The Minister of Foreign Affairs spent the morning informing the Chamber of Deputies of the upcoming UN conference in New York, under the joint leadership of France and Saudi Arabia, which will seek to settle questions over Palestine’s future and a potential two-state solution.
TROUBLE IN PARADISE – Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s unlikely political marriage exploded in a fiery public divorce Thursday, with the US president threatening to strip the billionaire of his huge government contracts in revenge. Trump said in a televised Oval Office diatribe that he was “very disappointed” after his former aide and top donor criticized his “big, beautiful” spending bill before Congress. The pair then hurled insults at each other on social media – with Musk even posting, without proof, that Trump was referenced in government documents on disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
TOURIST TAX – Norway has voted to implement a tourist tax aimed at curbing the impact of overtourism to help finance infrastructure improvements as a boom in visitors has led to worries about overtourism. The law introduces a three percent tax on lodgings and may also be applied to cruise ships making stops, in areas particularly affected by tourism. The country registered last year a record 38.4-million night stays, including more than 12 million by foreigners, according to official data, as the country’s picturesque fjords attract more and more visitors.
LUNAR MISSION – Japan’s hopes of achieving its first soft touchdown on the Moon by a private company were dashed Friday when the mission was aborted after an assumed crash-landing, the startup said. The Tokyo-based ispace had hoped to make history as only the third private firm – and the first outside the United States – to achieve a controlled arrival on the lunar surface. But “based on the currently available data... it is currently assumed that the lander likely performed a hard landing”, the startup said.
FOREIGN STUDENT BAN – A US federal judge has temporarily blocked Donald Trump’s latest attempt to bar international students from Harvard. A proclamation issued by the White House earlier this week sought to bar most new international students at Harvard from entering the country, and said existing foreign enrollees risked having their visas terminated.
FOOTBALL – Spain starlets Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams dazzled as La Roja beat France 5-4 in a thriller in Stuttgart last night. Spain has now booked its place in an all-Iberian Nations League final against Portugal on Sunday in Munich, while France will face hosts Germany in Stuttgart for the bronze medal, earlier in the day.
CRICKET – Indian police have arrested two people including a senior executive at IPL-winning cricket team Royal Challengers Bengaluru after 11 fans were crushed to death during victory celebrations on Wednesday. Hundreds of thousands had packed the streets in the city for the victory celebrations after the team won the final of the Indian Premier League. The dead were mostly young fans, aged between 14 and 29.
RUGBY – Struggling Stade Francais host Castres on Saturday with their place in the French Top 14 on the line in the final round of the regular season. The Parisians, 14-time champions, are in 12th place in the table on 41 points having been in the league since 1997. Perpignan are one spot and one point below them sitting in the relegation play-off berth, as they host league leaders Toulouse.
It’s umbrellas at the ready this morning with light rain expected for much of the day, but on a more positive note there should be some sunny spells later on.
Temperatures are mild, between 11–14°C this morning, rising to a maximum of 19°C in the afternoon.
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