EDUCATION – Luxembourg will begin enforcing a partial ban on smartphones in schools from today, starting at primary level. This comes as part of a nationwide push to curb screen time and support students’ mental health and academic performance. Primary school pupils will only be allowed to use their personal devices for educational purposes or in case of an emergency.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS – Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden is currently in Japan for an official visit aimed at reinforcing bilateral relations. In Tokyo, Frieden will hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba and economic representatives. A visit to the Luxembourg Pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka is also on the agenda. A delegation from Luxembourg’s Chamber of Deputies has been in Japan since Sunday, following a similar programme.
MOBILITY – Strike action continues at Belgiu’s National Railway Company with potential delays and cancellations on train routes between Luxembourg and Belgium. A strike started at 10pm yesterday and will last until 10pm tonight, the Luxembourg National Railway Company confirmed. Passengers are advised to check the CFL website for up-to-date information.
CELESTIAL SPECTACLE – Fans of shooting stars may want to set their alarm clock tonight as the bright fireballs may be witnessed in abundance overnight in the skies over Luxembourg. This is because the Lyrid meteor shower, which occurs every April, peaks tonight. Up to 23 shooting stars per hour may potentially be visible during the dark hours between midnight and dawn.
VATICAN – Pope Francis, the beloved reformer who led the Catholic Church for over a decade, has died at 88. Cardinals will meet today to decide the date for Pope Francis’ funeral, starting a process that will culminate in the election of a new Catholic leader within three weeks. Francis, the head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, died at his home in the Vatican on Monday after suffering a stroke. With the passing of Pope Francis, attention has swiftly turned to who might lead the Catholic Church into its next chapter. Among 15 potential successors to Pope Francis is 67-year-old Archbishop of Luxembourg Jean-Claude Hollerich.
HIGHER EDUCATION – Harvard sued US President Donald Trump’s administration Monday in a sharp escalation of the fight between the prestigious university and the Republican. Trump has sought to bring several prestigious universities to heel over claims they tolerated campus anti-Semitism, threatening their budgets, tax-exempt status, and the enrolment of foreign students, but Harvard has refused to bow. “This case involves the Government’s efforts to use the withholding of federal funding as leverage to gain control of academic decision making at Harvard”, the Ivy League university said in a lawsuit filed in a Massachusetts federal court that named several other institutions targeted by Trump.
MISSING BOY FOUND DEAD – Nearly four weeks after the disappearance of an autistic boy in Hesse, Germany, authorities have likely found the child’s body. Police announced on Sunday evening that the lifeless body of a child had been recovered from the Lahn River in Weilburg. It is believed “with very high probability” to be the missing six-year-old Pawlos. The police were alerted by a canoeist. An emergency doctor at the scene could only confirm the boy’s death. Pawlos had been missing since 25 March. He left his school in Weilburg that day and was later seen on foot near the train station before all trace of him vanished.
UKRAINE PEACE TALKS – A Ukrainian delegation will be in London on Wednesday for ceasefire talks, as European and US officials press for a halt to Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday. The talks will be a follow-up to a meeting in Paris last week, in which US Secretary of State Marco Rubio presented Washington’s plan for ending the three-year war.
FILM – Ahead of the 2026 Oscars ceremony the rules are set to be tightened to ensure more informed voting. Oscar voters will be required to demonstrate that they have watched all the films in each category before they cast their final ballots, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced. This is to address a longstanding concern that voters are not watching all films they vote on.
TENNIS – Rafael Nadal said he doesn’t “miss tennis” after being honoured with a Sporting Icon award at the Laureus World Sport Awards in Madrid. The 38-year-old Spaniard, retired from the sport after his final match at the Davis Cup in Malaga in November. Nadal told reporters that his tennis career is now a chapter that he has happily closed.
RUNNING – Kenya’s John Korir stormed to victory in the Boston Marathon yesterday. Korir clocked 2:04:45 for the win, overcoming a fall right at the start. The 28-year-old’s feat emulated that of his brother Wesley Korir, who won in Boston in 2012 on his first attempt. In the women’s race, fellow Kenyan Sharon Lokedi clocked a time of 2:17:22, smashing the previous course record of 2:19:59.
PREMIER LEAGUE – Nottingham Forest beat struggling Tottenham 2-1 on Monday, bouncing back from two defeats to strengthen their push for a Champions League spot and heap the pressure on Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou. Forest came into the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in sixth spot in the table after losses to Aston Villa and Everton. But early goals from Elliot Anderson and top-scorer Chris Wood settled their nerves and they held on tenaciously despite a late goal from Richarlison to climb to third in the table.
GYMNASTICS – American gymnast Simone Biles, voted Sportswoman of the Year at the Laureus Sport Awards ceremony in Madrid, said she remained uncertain about whether she would compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The 28-year-old, a seven-time Olympic champion, won three gold medals in Paris last year, making a thrilling return to the Olympic stage after a long mental health break. “I’m really enjoying my time off before I decide if I want to go back to the gym and compete”, she said at Monday’s ceremony.
It will be very cloudy and dry this morning with temperatures reaching 7–9°C. Showers are expected in the afternoon with values rising to maximum of 17°C.
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