ANTIHISTAMINES SHORTAGE - The president of the Pharmacists’ Syndicate has warned of a potential shortage of antihistamines. At present, the situation is not problematic, mainly due to poor weather affecting Luxembourg’s pollen count. The demand for antihistamines has been suitably low as a result. If, however, the pollen count increases in better weather, there could be a run on antihistamines, with many people purchasing the medication at once, which could affect pharmacies’ stock. Alain de Bourcy, the president of the Pharmacists’ Syndicate advises allergy sufferers to stock up before the weather improves, if they do not currently have medication at home.
UNEMPLOYMENT UP - According to the latest report by the Luxembourg Employment Agency (Adem), unemployment has risen to 4.9%. Some 15,335 jobseekers have registered as of 31 March.
SPEED MARATHON - Speed controls will be extra vigilant in Luxembourg today, as the police take part in the “Speedmarathon” - the largest speed control campaign in the world. Speeding is the main cause of fatal traffic accidents in Luxembourg, according to the police.
MOTORWAY CLOSURES - There are quite a few roadworks this weekend. The motorway towards Trier will be closed from tonight around 9 pm until Monday morning at 6 am between exits 12 and 13, so between Flaxweiler and Potaschbierg. Traffic coming from the A1 and heading towards Trier will be diverted. You can also expect some delays on the A3 towards France over the weekend. One lane towards France on the border with Luxembourg will be closed over the weekend from 9pm tonight until 4am on Monday. Traffic will run in both directions on the other lane and speed is limited to 70km/hour.
UKRAINE MEETING - Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky has urged NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to push NATO members for more military aid including warplanes, artillery and armoured equipment ahead of today’s Ukraine Defence Contact group meeting at Ramstein airbase in Germany. Representatives from around 50 countries, including Luxembourg’s Defence Minister François Bausch are taking part in the meeting to coordinate their backing for Kyiv.
SUDAN CRISIS - Diplomatic pressure is being stepped up to end the fighting in Sudan, which has left more than 300 people dead in the last week. The regular army has been fighting a paramilitary force called the Rapid Support forces. The UN, US and other countries have been pushing for a three day truce to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.
GERMANY STRIKES - There is a nationwide transport strike in Germany today, including national rail operator Deutsche Bahn. The strike will last until 11am, with significant disruption expected. Passengers have been advised to reschedule if possible, as long-distance and regional traffic will come to a standstill, at least for the first half of the day. The strike follows walk-outs of security staff at several German airports yesterday. Workers are demanding higher pay to offset the rising cost of living.
TWITTER BLUE CHECK - Twitter has started removing legacy blue checkmarks from user profiles, with famous people including pop icon Beyonce and Pope Francis losing their verified statuses. Among those losing their badges were former US President Trump, Bill Gates and reality TV star Kim Kardashian. Under Musk’s ownership, Twitter has changed how it hands out the coveted blue checkmarks that were earlier given to noted individuals, journalists, executives, politicians and establishments after verifying their identities.They served as a mark of authenticity.
FOOTBALL - Seville against Juventus Turin and Rome against Leverkusen. These are the two semi-finals in the Europa League. Leverkusen won 4-1 yesterday in the return match at Union St Gilloise with the Luxembourg goalkeeper Anthony Moris. A 1-1 draw at Sporting Lisbon was enough for Juventus. Sevilla beat Manchester United 3-0 and Rome won 4-1 against Feyenoord.
It’s the start of the 29th matchday in the German Bundesliga tonight, kicking off with a duel between Augsburg and Stuttgart. In England, the leader Arsenal launches the 32nd matchday against bottom club Southampton this weekend. And in France, PSG is visiting Angers this evening.
HANDBALL - Yesterday was the draw for the qualification groups for the Women’s European Championship 2024 in handball.Luxembourg is there for the first time, and will face Sweden, Iceland and the Faroe Islands in Group 7.The first matches are in October.
MARATHON FARAH - Mo Farah is predicting “tears and emotion” when he retires from marathon running after the London Marathon on Sunday.The British distance great, a four-time Olympic champion on the track, has announced that 2023 would be his final year as a top-flight athlete.Farah missed last year’s edition with a hip injury but the 40-year-old, who has been in training in Ethiopia, is now ready for one final appearance.
It’s a stormy and somewhat soggy start to the end of your week, with clouds and rain expected for the duration of the day. Morning temperatures will start off at 3-5°C, rising for an afternoon high of 15°C.
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