UNEMPLOYMENT UP - Luxembourg’s unemployment rate went up last month, according to the job agency ADEM. Just over 16,000 job seekers were registered with ADEM,https://today.rtl.lu/news/luxembourg/a/2116379.htmlrepresenting a 13.4% surge compared to August last year. People with higher education degrees and young adults under 30 years old are witnessing the most significant rise in unemployment.
CONSTRUCTION JOBS - The Federation of Craftspeople has warned that the construction industry is anticipated to face bankruptcies and workforce reductions “by early next year at the latest”. The federation has presented a range of proposals to the government, aimed at bolstering investment in residential construction but it says the measures currently in place are not enough to save jobs in the sector.
VOTING FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED - Luxembourg is introducing tactile stencils (“Walschabloun” in Luxembourgish) for blind and partially-sighted citizens, enabling them to vote autonomously and eliminating the need for third-party assistance. The Ministry of State has ordered 300 stencils for distribution across multiple polling stations ahead of the October elections.
POLAND WEAPONS - Poland’s Prime Minister has said his country will no longer send weapons to Ukraine. Mateusz Morawiecki said Poland would instead concentrate on arming itself with more modern weapons. Tensions between Warsaw and Kyiv have been growing, fuelled by a dispute over grain exports from Ukraine.
ZELENSKY WHITE HOUSE - US President Joe Biden is hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House today. The meeting comes as US congress considers President Biden’s request for an additional $24 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
HIGH SEAS TREATY - Nearly 70 countries have signed a first-ever treaty on protecting the international high seas, raising hopes that it will come into force soon and protect threatened ecosystems vital to the planet. Sixty-seven countries signed the treaty on the first day, including the US, China, Australia, Britain France, Germany and Mexico as well as the EU as a whole. The treaty is seen as crucial to an agreement to protect 30 percent of the world’s oceans and lands by 2030.
CHARLES FRANCE - King Charles is addressing lawmakers in the French upper chamber of parliament today, on the second day of his state visit. Following the speech at the Senate, the King will visit the northern Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis -- home to the French national stadium used for the Rugby World Cup, and the Olympics next year -- where he is expected to see residents and sports stars. Later in the day, he is viewing the renovation and construction work at Notre-Dame Cathedral, which was partially destroyed by a devastating fire in 2019.
CLIMATE COURT - Six Portuguese youths are taking 32 nations to the European Court of Human Rights this month for not doing enough to stop global warming. The move was sparked by the massive wildfires that struck Portugal in 2017. The young people say they are suffering from anxiety over their health; some also claim allergies and breathing problems due to the fires.
STOLEN ART - New York authorities have announced the return of $9 million worth of art stolen by the Nazi regime to the family of Fritz Grunbaum, an Austrian Jewish cabaret performer killed in the Holocaust. The seven drawings, all from Austrian artist Egon Schiele, were “voluntarily surrendered by the holding institutions and estates”, after they were presented with evidence that they were stolen by the Nazis. The move comes as a victory for Grunbaum’s heirs, who have been fighting for the art’s return for years. Grunbaum died at the Dachau concentration camp in 1941.
FOOTBALL - Harry Kane was among the scorers as Bayern Munich beat Manchester United 4-3 in their heavyweight Champions League clash last night, while Jude Bellingham snatched a dramatic late winner for Real Madrid and Arsenal began their campaign with a big victory. Madrid beat Union Berlin 1-0 and Arsenal cruised to a 4-0 win over PSV Eindhoven. The second match day is next Tuesday.
RUGBY - In the rugby world cup, Italy beat Uruguay 38-17 in Nice last night. France play Namibia tonight. After facing Les Bleus, Namibia will end their Pool A campaign against Uruguay on September 27. That match will offer them their best opportunity to earn their first ever World Cup victory. Namibia, in their seventh World Cup, have lost all 24 previous matches.
CYCLING - The first stage of the Tour de Luxembourg was won yesterday by the New Zealander Corbin Strong. The rider from Israel-Premier Tech was the fastest in the sprint, ahead of the Dane Sören Kragh-Andersen. On the 2nd day today, it will be 184km from Mondorf to Mamer.
A lovely and pleasant morning begins bright and clear with plenty of sunshine, temperatures of around 15 degrees Celsius and a light breeze from the south. Things will begin to deteriorate as lunchtime approaches and thundery showers move in and take hold, with temperatures rising to a maximum of around 20 degrees.
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