SNOW ALERT – MeteoLux has issued a warning for snow this afternoon, in place for the whole country from 1pm until 11pm. The weather service is forecasting that some areas could see up to 5cm of snow.
TAX REFORM – The Luxembourg government has presented a landmark reform to consolidate its income tax system into one universal class which will provide relief for singles and some married couples, though households where one partner earns over 75% of income may face higher bills. The change is set for implementation in 2028.
PAYCONIQ REPLACEMENT – The digital wallet Wero is to replace Payconiq and is expected to launch in July. Like Payconiq, or its predecessor Digicash, Wero allows users to make transfers or pay bills via QR codes using their mobile phones. The app is already in use in Belgium, France and Germany.
PORTA NIGRA – Trier’s ancient Porta Nigra will be hidden behind scaffolding until late 2027 for restoration work. The Roman city gate and UNESCO World Heritage site will undergo laser cleaning to preserve its nearly 2,000-year-old sandstone facade, with costs estimated at €1 million.
WINTER WEATHER– Severe winter weather is hammering many parts of Europe – five people have died in France from icy road crashes, more than 400 flights were cancelled in Amsterdam yesterday, flights at both Paris airports were affected and Serbia is facing power outages from heavy snow. In Scotland over 300 schools remained closed on Tuesday and Britain hit its coldest night this winter at -12.5°C.
UKRAINE WAR – Western allies are finalising security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia. France and Britain have agreed they would station troops with military bases on Ukrainian soil, Germany would position forces in neighbouring countries, while Luxembourg will contribute satellite and communications support. The US will not deploy troops but would monitor compliance on any peace deal. There has been no reaction from Moscow yet.
US GREENLAND – Leaders from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland,and Spain have rallied behind Denmark after renewed comments by President Donald Trump suggesting the US should take control of Greenland. The Danish parliament is holding a special meeting on security concerns surrounding the semi-autonomous territory today.
SWISS FIRE FUNERALS – Funerals are being held for some of the victims of the New Year’s Eve fire that killed 40 people in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana. Authorities said yesterday that the bar where the blaze broke out had not been inspected since 2019.
BRIGITTE BARDOT FUNERAL – The funeral takes place in St Tropez this morning for the iconic French actress and animal-rights activist Brigitte Bardot, who died on 28 December, aged 91.
SKI JUMPING – Slovenia’s Domen Prevc fulfilled a “childhood dream” with victory in the prestigious Four Hills World Cup ski-jumping competition on Tuesday.
WINTER OLYMPICS – With one month until the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, the IOC says preparations are on track despite delays. Milan’s ice hockey arena opens this week (a month late), and Livigno’s snowboarding/freestyle venues had technical snow-making delays but are now progressing. NHL stars return to Olympic hockey after 12 years and organisers are promising everything will be ready
FOOTBALL – In the English Premier League, it’s the 21st matchday today. Among the games, Manchester City plays against Brighton, Burnley takes on Manchester United and Newcastle is up against Leeds. Tomorrow see leaders Arsenal playing Liverpool.
And at the Africa Cup, the quarter-finals are now all set. Yesterday Algeria beat Congo and Côte d’Ivoire won against Burkina Faso. This Friday, Mali and Senegal face each other, as well as Cameroon and Morocco. Algeria then meets Nigeria on Saturday and Côte d’Ivoire faces Egypt.
We can expect a cloudy start, with some mist and freezing fog in places, and snowfall starting in the morning and continuing throughout the day and into the evening. The most intense snowfall may take place between 1pm and 4pm. In terms of temperature, we will experience lows of between –7°C to –4°C this morning, not warming up much at all this afternoon to a high of –3°C.
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