GARE ROBBERY – Police have arrested two men accused of robbing a shop twice at Luxembourg main railway station on Saturday. They allegedly took a bottle of alcohol in the afternoon, then returned to fill a suitcase and rucksack with goods. Both resisted arrest and remain in custody.
DIGITAL PAYMENT APP – The digital payment app Payconiq is being relaunched in Luxembourg as Wero from 1 September. The date was pushed back from July to allow extra testing. Customers of participating banks, including most of the major Luxembourgish based ones, will be asked to download the new app and connect their bank accounts to it.
SOLAR ECLIPSE – Luxembourg will see a partial solar eclipse on Wednesday evening, with up to 90% of the Sun obscured by around 8.15pm. Luxembourg lies outside the path of totality, the narrow band on Earth's surface where the Moon fully covers the Sun. Experts warn against looking directly at the Sun without proper eclipse glasses. Later, weather permitting, the Perseid meteor shower will also be visible, with up to 60 shooting stars an hour.
EUROPE HEAT – Western Europe, including Luxembourg, has recorded its warmest June and July since records began. The EU’s climate monitor Copernicus says the average temperature reached 21.62 degrees, nearly three degrees above the long-term average. Globally, it was only the second warmest July, as eastern Europe and Scandinavia stayed cooler.
Rivers are also suffering in the drought. The Rhine is at historically low levels, affecting the critical waterway. The association of German inland shipping (BDB) has warned that shipping on the river's middle stretch could be cut off entirely if water levels drop further.
New wildfires have broken out in southern France and Spain. Two villages have been evacuated near Montpellier. In Spain's Huelva province, 8,000 hectares have burned and 500 residents have been moved to safety. Spain says 200,000 hectares have burned nationwide this year.
IRAN WAR – The Pentagon is urging the US arms industry to speed up weapons production and delivery. It follows reports the military's missile stockpile is running low because of the conflict with Iran, which the Trump administration denies. Firms have three weeks to submit plans
UKRAINE WAR – Ukraine's President Zelensky says Kyiv will retaliate for Russian attacks on Odessa and will keep targeting Russian oil infrastructure. About 300,000 households in Odessa lost power in the attack; a third have now been reconnected. Zelensky is again pressing allies for Patriot missiles.
GAZA PLAN – Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has rejected a US-backed Gaza peace plan endorsed by Hamas, breaking with President Trump ahead of Israeli elections in October. Netanyahu says Israeli forces will not withdraw until Hamas fully disarms. Hamas has urged Washington to pressure Netanyahu, saying it remains committed to the deal.
CYCLING – And Dutch rider Demi Vollering took the Tour de France Femmes overall title in style on Sunday, winning the hilly final stage to extend her lead on nearest rival Kasia Niewiadoma, who finished second overall.
MOTO GP – Spain’s Raul Fernandez won the British Moto GP Grand Prix on Sunday, claiming just the second race victory of his career. Jorge Martin finished second, with Italy's Marco Bezzecchi third.
ATHLETICS – New guidelines to stop broadcasters sexualising coverage of women athletes come into force as the European Championships begin in Birmingham today. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) worked with athletes including Britain's Holly Bradshaw to draw them up, aiming to avoid low camera angles and unnecessary slow motion replays.
Today is mostly sunny, mostly dry, with just the occasional cloud and gentle breeze to keep you cool. The day gets off to an easy start at around 15–17°C before temperatures climb up to 30–32°C in true August fashion. It will be one of the cooler days this week, as Meteolux forecasts another heatwave with temperatures of up to 37°C.
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