EU MEETING – EU foreign ministers meet in Brussels today. Alongside the situation in the Middle East, the Ukraine war is also on the agenda. Xavier Bettel and his counterparts could decide on further sanctions against Russia, targeting around 20 people and organisations responsible for abducting Ukrainian children and offering them for adoption in Russia.
LUXEMBOURG PASSPORT – From today, Luxembourg's new passports are being introduced. They are now valid for 10 years instead of five. There is a new design, with enhanced and modern security features, including updated watermarks. The price remains €50. The express procedure, taking a maximum of three days, still costs €150. Applications can be made from today at your local commune or at the passport office in the city.
EMERGENCY SERVICES – Luxembourg's emergency services have dealt with a busy night. They are reporting four road accidents yesterday evening, each leaving one person injured. A car hit the crash barrier on the A13 motorway near Petange, a car slid into a ditch on the road down from the Aire de Wasserbillig into the village, and automatic emergency calls were triggered relating to two other incidents. Rescue services also reported that lightning struck a house in Grevenmacher. There were no injuries.
EUROVISION SONG CONTEST – Eurovision Song Contest week got underway in Vienna yesterday, with all 35 delegations presenting themselves to fans and the press. The first semi-final is tomorrow, with the second on Thursday, when Luxembourg's Eva Marija must finish in the top 10 to reach Saturday's final. The contest remains politically charged: Israel's participation has prompted Spain, the Netherlands, and Ireland to withdraw, and anti-Israel protests are expected in Vienna in the coming days.
HANTAVIRUS OUTBREAK – A complex evacuation operation is nearing completion in the Canary Islands, after a hantavirus outbreak struck the cruise ship MV Hondius. Three passengers have died, and others have fallen ill with the rare disease. 94 people of 19 nationalities were flown home on Sunday, with final repatriation flights to Australia and the Netherlands due today. Health officials stress that the risk to global public health remains low.
IRAN WAR – US President Trump has dismissed Iran's peace proposal as unacceptable, warning on social media that Tehran won't have much to laugh about for much longer. Iran had put forward conditions including an end to the war on all fronts, the lifting of sanctions, and a halt to the US Navy's blockade of its ports. Washington is insisting Iran surrender its uranium reserves, something Tehran flatly refuses.
TRUMP CHINA – President Trump will make an official state visit to China from Wednesday, the first by a US president since 2017. The trip comes amid an ongoing trade war between the world's two largest economies, with talks also expected to cover the wars in Ukraine and Iran.
FOOTBALL – Paris Saint-Germain effectively wrapped up another Ligue 1 title on Sunday as a 1-0 win over Brest left them six points clear of nearest rivals Lens with two games remaining. Meanwhile, Arsenal are on the brink of a first Premier League title in 22 years after surviving a finale to beat West Ham 1-0. In Spain, Barcelona beat Real Madrid 2–0 in El Clásico yesterday evening and are crowned Spanish champions, their 29th league title.
BASKETBALL – In national men's basketball, yesterday saw the opening match of the final series. Etzella won 82–76 at home against Sparta and lead 1–0. The first to win three matches takes the title. Game two is on Wednesday in Bertrange.
CYCLING – In the Giro d'Italia, after the first three stages raced in Bulgaria, Guillermo Thomas Silva of Uruguay leads the general classification. Yesterday's third stage in Sofia was won in a sprint by Frenchman Paul Magnier. Today is a rest day before the race continues in Italy tomorrow.
MOTO GP – MotoGP's 5th round yesterday at Le Mans was won by Spaniard Jorge Martin. World championship leader Marco Bezzecchi finished second and Japanese rider Ai Ogura third, the first time ever that Aprilia had all three riders on the podium.
Following a night of heavy rain, we can expect some light rain to continue throughout the morning. Things are looking much brighter by the afternoon with the sun forecast to make an appearance, although there will still be plenty of cloud cover and perhaps some light rain continuing too. There is not much variation in today's temperatures, with around 6–10°C this morning, increasing to a maximum of 12°C in the afternoon.
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