BETTEL GAZA FLOTILLA – Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel has condemned the behaviour of Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who was filmed taunting handcuffed Gaza flotilla activists. Bettel said Luxembourg would push for the EU to take appropriate measures. Meanwhile, Luxembourg residents detained as part of the flotilla are now heading home, expected back today or Saturday.
FRIEDEN EUROVISION – Prime Minister Luc Frieden has confirmed that Luxembourg aims to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest next year, despite not making it to this year's final. Frieden told parliament the contest offers valuable visibility for Luxembourg and its music industry.
PRISON DEATH – An inmate has died in Schrassig prison. Authorities say the prisoner was found unresponsive in their cell on Thursday afternoon, at around 3pm. Attempts by staff to resuscitate the inmate were made, but proved unsuccessful. The judiciary has now been informed, and a post-mortem examination has been ordered to establish the cause of death.
LENERT MOVE – Paulette Lenert is leaving parliament to take up a seat on the Council of State, after the Chamber designated her yesterday as the sole candidate for the role. The ever popular politician will be replaced in parliament by Ben Streff, a former party manager and recent vocal critic of the LSAP.
HEAT ALERTS – Luxembourg's weather service is updating its heat alert system this summer. MeteoLux says future warnings will be based on how heat actually feels to the body, factoring in humidity, wind, and UV radiation, rather than temperature alone. The duration of heatwaves will also influence alert levels for the first time.
NATO MEETING – NATO foreign ministers are meeting in Sweden today. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio faces questions over American troop reductions in Europe, although President Trump announced yesterday that 5000 soldiers will be sent to Poland. Tensions have risen after Trump threatened to quit NATO and criticised European members over their response to his war with Iran.
FRANCE PLANE CRASH – A French appeals court has convicted Air France and Airbus of involuntary manslaughter over the 2009 crash of a Rio-Paris flight that killed 228 people, the worst disaster in France's aviation history. The Paris Court of Appeal ruling was a dramatic reversal of a lower court decision.
PORTUGAL ARREST – Portuguese police have arrested a French mother and her partner after two young boys were found abandoned and crying alone by a roadside. The brothers, aged four and five, were discovered near the resort town of Comporta on Tuesday. The pair were detained in Fatima, and both face charges of abandonment and child endangerment.
FOOTBALL – England head coach Thomas Tuchel is naming his final 26-player squad for the FIFA World Cup this morning during a live event at Wembley Stadium, ahead of the tournament in the US, Canada, and Mexico.
Luxembourg national football team coach Jeff Strasser has announced his squad for the upcoming friendlies against Italy and Albania, with key midfielder Leandro Barreiro absent by mutual agreement with his club.
Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed his first trophy since moving to Saudi Arabia, scoring twice as Al-Nassr won four-one. The 41-year-old will represent Portugal for a record sixth time at this summer's World Cup.
FORMULA 1 – Formula One's Canadian Grand Prix weekend gets underway this evening with free practice in Montreal. There's a sprint race tomorrow, with the main race on Sunday evening at 10pm – live on RTL and RTL Play.
CYCLING – Alec Segaert has won the 12th stage of the Giro d'Italia after a surprise late attack denied the sprinters their chance of a bunch finish, as his teammate Afonso Eulalio again stayed in the overall lead.
We start off a little on the grey side, with clouds and even some early fog. As time goes by, so will the clouds, and we'll be left with a mostly sunny afternoon. Temperatures start off around 10–12°C in the morning, and will reach a maximum of 24°C in the afternoon.
Stay connected: Tune in to RTL Today Radio, now on 93.3 FM and DAB+, and be sure to catch our full bulletin on the hour, every hour, and headlines at half past the hour.
