BACK TO SCHOOL – All remaining secondary school classes go back today. In total 55,926 students are enrolled in secondary education this year, over 1,000 more than last year. The public lycée with the most pupils is the Lycée Technique du Centre, on the Limpertsberg and Kirchberg campuses, with over 2000 enrolments.
GRAND DUKE UN – The UN General Assembly opens in New York next week. Grand Duke Guillaume will travel there and give a speech on Tuesday, the Court confirmed yesterday. The speech will set out Luxembourg's positions and priorities on international challenges. The Grand Duke will also hold talks with UN Secretary General António Guterres, as well as with Luxembourgers living in the US, and will lay a wreath at Ground Zero in memory of the victims of 9/11, 25 years on.
HEALTHCARE SYSTEM – Health minister Martine Deprez has denied claims made yesterday by the president of the doctor's association (AMMD) Chris Roller that the government is not open to dialogue. Speaking on RTL Télé's Journal, she said the government still backs a conventioned health system, with the expired CNS-AMMD agreement now covered by a grand ducal regulation. The minister still believes a convention is the better solution and hopes a new one can be reached. Nothing changes for patients, she stressed.
EU CANADA – Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addresses the European Parliament this morning. All eyes are on how he will respond to Commission president Ursula von der Leyen's proposal that Canada become an "associate EU member". Yesterday Carney became the first ever head of state from outside the EU to attend a State of the Union address. Donald Trump has reacted angrily, calling the idea ridiculous in comments to journalists last night, and warning both Canada and the EU of a trade halt should he judge the partnership a threat to the US.
EU SOCIAL MEDIA BAN – More details are expected this morning on yesterday's announcement that social media platforms will be banned for children under 13 across the EU. Von der Leyen holds a press conference in Strasbourg alongside digital commissioner Henna Virkkunen. So far it's known that from age 15 users will be allowed their own account, and that under 18s will only be permitted on platforms deemed safe.
US INTEREST RATES – The US Federal Reserve has raised its key dollar interest rate for the first time since the summer of 2023, by a quarter point, to a range of 3.75% to 4%. The move is due to high inflation, which is expected to persist. The conflict in Iran is cited as the main driver behind rising energy prices.
GAZA BUILDING COLLAPSE – Gaza authorities say that 12 children were among the 21 people killed when an apartment building collapsed due to damage sustained in earlier Israeli strikes. The six-storey building crumbled overnight onto nearby homes and tents in the Tal al-Hawa area of Gaza City.
BELGIUM AIRPORT STRIKES – Charleroi Airport's air traffic controllers are striking every night from 10pm to 8am, a run that could last until 10 October, after talks with employers broke down. At least 44 flights were cancelled on Wednesday evening and this morning alone. The controllers want the same night-shift allowance paid at Liège Airport.
CYCLING – Mathieu van der Poel won the first stage of the Tour de Luxembourg yesterday and is favourite for overall victory. Today’s stage departs from Niederkorn at 2.30pm and finishes in Junglinster after 167km.
FOOTBALL – In the Europa League, the first 9 matches of the opening league phase round took place yesterday. Benfica beat AC Milan 2-0 away. Lyon won 2-1 at Anderlecht, and Leverkusen beat Slovenia's Celje 2-0. Today sees Juventus host Nijmegen and Celtic travel to Budapest, among other fixtures.
Meanwhile, in the the UK, Manchester United's problems mounted as they crashed out of the League Cup after blowing a two-goal lead in a 3-2 defeat against Brighton yesterday.
Summer is hanging on for dear life but the signs are clear. Autumn is on its way…. there will be clouds, a slight breeze, and there could be a little bit of rain in the evening or at night. Temperatures start at 9–11°C in the morning, going up to 20°C in the afternoon.
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