WAGE INDEXATION – Luxembourg’s national statistics office, STATEC has confirmed that a new wage indexation will take effect on 1 May, resulting in a 2.5% increase in wages and pensions. The trigger was activated after the national consumer price index (ICPN) reached 1.7% in April, surpassing the threshold required for an automatic adjustment.
DRUGS IN SCHOOLS – Luxembourg police have uncovered drugs in schools in 16 out of 20 unannounced inspections carried out over the past five years, according to official figures. The most recent inspection was carried out in early April at a secondary school in Diekirch at the request of the school’s headmaster. Minister of Education Claude Meisch has confirmed that parents are not notified in advance of these police interventions.
US TARIFFS – The government has revealed that hundreds of Luxembourg-based companies could face significant disruptions due to proposed US import tariffs. In response to a parliamentary question from MP Sven Clement of the Pirate Party, Minister of the Economy Lex Delles, Minister for Foreign Trade Xavier Bettel, and Minister of Finance Gilles Roth explained that nearly 500 companies could be impacted directly by the tariffs.
ISRAEL PETITION – Luxembourg’s Parliament is set to publicly debate a petition on 2 July calling for sanctions against Israel, exactly one year after its submission. A total of 4,763 people signed the petition asking the Luxembourg government to impose sanctions on Israel for its policies in the Palestinian territories, which the petitioners argue amount to war crimes.
SWEDEN SHOOTING – A shootout at a Swedish hair salon has left at least three people dead. Gunfire erupted in the centre of Uppsala a day before a spring festival, which usually draws more than 100,000 people to the city. Police said it was investigating the shooting as a homicide and that it had no information about whether it was a terror or hate crime-related incident at this point.
PAKISTAN-INDIA TENSIONS – Pakistan has warned that it has “credible intelligence” of an imminent Indian military strike and has vowed a “decisive response”, escalating tensions after a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir left 26 civilians dead. Tensions between the two countries have been rising massively since the attack. The UN has called on both nuclear powers to de-escalate.
TRUMP 100 DAYS – US President Donald Trump has celebrated the 100th day of his second term in office with a campaign-style event in Michigan yesterday. Speaking to a crowd of supporters, Trump promised that he was just getting started and called the first 100 days the most successful of any administration in the history of the US. The president promised to conclude deals on trade but provided little in the way of details.
FOOTBALL – Paris Saint-Germain seized the advantage in their Champions League semi-final against Arsenal last night, as Ousmane Dembele sealed a 1-0 win in the first leg. Tonight, Barcelona is playing Inter Milan at home. You can watch this live at 9pm on RTL Today.
TENNIS – World No 2 Alexander Zverev has been knocked out of the Madrid Open in the round of 16 by Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo. Defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek had a few scares before advancing to the quarter-finals following a victory over 13th-seeded Diana Shnaider.
Meanwhile, record 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic will not take part in the Italian Open in Rome from 7–18 May. The tournament organisers did not state the reason for 37-year-old Djokovic’s withdrawal.
CYCLING – Britain’s Samuel Watson won Tuesday’s opening time-trial prologue at the Tour of Romandie to pull on the leader’s yellow jersey with Belgian favourite Remco Evenepoel finishing eighth.
We are in for another summery day with non-stop sunshine and warm temperatures to boot. Temperature-wise, we are already starting off in double digits – so around 10°C, rising to an astonishing 25–26 °C in the afternoon.
---
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.
