SVEN KOOPMANS VISITS –The EU’s special representative for the peace process in the Middle East, Sven Koopmans, met with Luxembourg Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel in Luxembourg to discuss the ongoing situation and potential peace negotiations. He highlighted the importance of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as a priority for the EU, alongside preventing regional conflict and securing the release of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas. Koopmans stressed that everyone sees the situation and the suffering as “unbearable” and that action must be taken now.
PET SCAN DELAYS – To address the delays at the national PET scan centre at the Center Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL), plans are on the table to rent a temporary PET scan device until a second, permanent device is installed. The new device is expected to be operational by the first quarter of 2025. Additionally, Luxembourg has reached out to hospitals in neighbouring countries to see if they can accommodate patients. So far, a clinic in Brussels has offered concrete availability, and discussions with other clinics are ongoing.
PIRATE PARTY RESIGNATION – Ben Polidori, one of the three Pirate Party MPs elected in October, has announced his decision to withdraw from the party “with immediate effect”. Polidori, who was elected in the northern constituency for the first time last autumn, said the party’s functioning was behind his decision to resign. Polidori plans to remain within the Chamber of Deputies as an independent MP, leaving the Pirates with just two MPs – Sven Clement and Marc Goergen – as was the case with the previous parliament.
WITNESS APPEAL – Police are seeking witnesses following a knife attack on the Echternach market square on Friday evening that left one person severely injured. A person was stabbed at around 10.30pm on Friday, the police report on Monday said. The presumed attacker could be arrested and is under investigation, but police are still looking for witnesses who can provide more accounts into what happened and how the attack unfolded.
TRUMP NOMINATION – Donald Trump won the formal nomination on Monday as the Republican presidential candidate and picked a right-wing loyalist for his running mate, kicking off a triumphalist party convention in the wake of the weekend’s failed assassination attempt. The Milwaukee gathering erupted into cheers as Trump announced 39-year-old Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his vice presidential pick, rewarding a one-time harsh critic who has become one of his most uncompromising supporters. Meanwhile, a Florida judge appointed by Donald Trump has dismissed the criminal case against the former president on charges of mishandling top secret documents. The decision is a major victory for the Republican presidential candidate who had been accused of endangering national security after leaving the White House.
UKRAINE/RUSSIA CONFLICT – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Russia should be represented at a second summit aiming to secure lasting peace with the Kremlin, after more than two years of war. Both sides have shunned direct peace talks since negotiations between Russian and Ukraine delegations fell through in the early weeks of Russia’s invasion launched in February 2022. But dozens of world leaders voiced support for a just resolution to the fighting in Ukraine after a high-level summit convened by Zelenskyy last month in Switzerland. Russia was not invited.
EU PARLIAMENT RETURNS – EU leaders’ fate will be in lawmakers’ hands from Tuesday onwards as the European Parliament convenes for the first time since June elections, with a bolstered far right demanding more influence in the assembly. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has outraged his EU counterparts by visiting Russia and China, was due to address the parliament but his speech was postponed – officially because of a busy voting schedule. Tensions are high in Europe as the 720 lawmakers start their five-year term, with current European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s future on the line.
FOOTBALL – Still celebrating Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph, Real Madrid fans will have even more to cheer on Tuesday as French superstar Kylian Mbappe is officially presented to a packed-out Santiago Bernabeu stadium. With an expected attendance of 85,000, the stadium will be packed to the rafters for Mbappe’s first appearance before fans in what should beat the record set 15 years ago by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Olivier Giroud, France’s all-time leading goalscorer, announced his retirement from international football on Monday, concluding a distinguished 13-year career with 57 goals in 137 appearances for Les Bleus. Over the course of his international career, Giroud won the World Cup in 2018 and was also a World Cup and European Championship runner-up.
CYCLING – Tadej Pogacar on Monday predicted fireworks in the final week of the Tour de France as defending champion Jonas Vingegaard prepares to launch a desperate attack for the title. The 2020 and 2021 champion Pogacar leads the two-time defending champion Vingegaard by three minutes and nine seconds with six stages to go, three of which are potential game changers, with Friday´s stage including climbs up to a rare 2,800 metres, with high temperatures forecast.
After an evening of hail, thunder, and wind, get ready to finally... experience some more rain. Sunshine seems to be elusive today and the umbrella is our newfound best friend as the weather turns to showers in the afternoon.
Morning temperatures will be a moderate 14–18°C, warming up to 21–24°C in the afternoon. The evening brings more rain, but temperatures remain a comfortable 18–21°C.
---
Be sure to catch our full bulletin on the hour, every hour and headlines at half past the hour on Today Radio. You can also access the news via Alexa, and on RTL Play.
