BETTEL USA – Following the EU Foreign Affairs council, held in Luxembourg on Monday, Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel will join Prince Guillaume, the Hereditary Grand Duke, in the United States to deepen relations with the main American investors in Luxembourg’s industry, such as DuPont, Goodyear, and Guardian. They will also participate in a conference organised by the Luxembourg Space Agency on the development of the space economy.
STATE BUDGET – Debates on the state budget begin in the Chamber today. They follow the report made by MP Diane Adehm in parliament yesterday, which focused heavily on Luxembourg’s financial sector. The 2024 draft budget is a transitional budget for the remaining eight months of the year and will be voted on tomorrow.
ARSON ARRESTS – Three people have been arrested following reports of a burning vehicle in Fennange yesterday. As reported by the police yesterday afternoon, efforts to contain the flames proved unsuccessful, resulting in the complete destruction of two vehicles by the fire. In the late morning, four men were identified as suspects in the arson incident. Three of them were detained and appeared before an investigating judge.
HOMELESSNESS INCREASE – The charity for the homeless ‘Stëmm vun der Strooss’ has reported a significant increase in demand for its services, with the number of people seeking help in Luxembourg City quadrupling over the past decade as more homeless resort to sleeping in tents. The queue outside their Gare offices, where an average of 280 to 350 meals are handed out, is once again long on any given afternoon. Numbers particularly increased after the end of Ramadan and when the Findel night shelter closed, although the latter has since resumed operations due to the persisting cold in the Grand Duchy.
US AID PACKAGE – The US Senate has approved a $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The overwhelming vote in favour marks six months of deadlock in Congress. Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer said the United States has sent the world a clear message – America will not turn its back on its allies. President Joe Biden quickly vowed to sign the long-delayed bill and begin delivering fresh supplies to Ukraine this week, where the military if facing a severe shortage of weapons and new recruits.
TIKTOK BAN – The bill also takes aim at TikTok. It will force the platform to divest from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or face a nationwide ban in the United States, where it has around 170 million users. Western officials have voiced alarm over the popularity of TikTok with young people, alleging it is subservient to Beijing and a conduit to spread propaganda and gather personal data – claims denied by the company.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – The Israel-Hamas war entered its 200th day yesterday as aid groups warned that Israeli plans to invade the southern city of Rafah where most Gazans have taken refuge would create an “apocalyptic situation”. Fears have been rising that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will soon follow through on repeated threats to send troops into Rafah, where 1.5 million people have sought shelter, many in makeshift encampments.
FOOTBALL – Kai Havertz and Ben White scored twice as Arsenal thrashed Chelsea 5-0 last night to surge ahead in the English Premier League title race and ramp up the pressure on Liverpool and Manchester City. The destiny of the title remains in City’s hands as the defending champions have two games in hand. Liverpool have also played one fewer game than Arsenal and will play Everton today.
In national football, the quarter finals in the Luxembourg Cup will be played tonight. Hostert plays Mondorf-les-Bains, Yellow Boys are playing Strassen, Jeunesse Esch take on Swift Hesperange, and Progres play Differdange. Kick off for all the games is at 8pm. The semi-finals are next Wednesday
RUGBY – The Minister of Sports Georges Mischo and Minister of Gender Equality and Diversity Yuriko Backes will attend the Luxembourg Rugby Ladies Day on 12 May. Taking place at the RCL pitches at Boy Konen, the day aims to promote inclusivity, diversity, and gender equality through sport.
Today gets off to a damp start, with sleet possible in northern regions of the country. The wind will pick up by the afternoon, as storms start to roll in, although fortunately the tempest will slow as the day draws to a close and we might even get a sneaky peak of the sun by late afternoon/evening.
In the morning, temperatures start off at 2–4°C, rising to 7–9°C in the afternoon, dropping slightly to 4–6°C in the evening.
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