ARMY RECRUITMENT – The Luxembourg Army continues to grow in strength and is planning a massive recruitment push in 2026. On Friday, during the Army’s Christmas service, Defence Minister Yuriko Backes and Chief of Staff General Steve Thull took stock of the current situation, thanking service personnel at the Diekirch military centre and announcing that all soldiers will receive a pay rise to support recruitment efforts.
POLICE BUSY – Police were busy with a number of incidents over the weekend, with thefts, drink driving, driving without a license, aggressive assaults, and threats. In Cloche d’Or, a set of would-be thieves were caught carrying a box cutter and a pair of pliers into a store, while occurrences in Munsbach and Luxembourg City led to escapes.
AI USAGE – A new Eurostat study found that 32.7% of EU residents have tried generative AI, with Luxembourg residents usage amounting to 42.5%. Generative AI refers to applications such as text, image, or code generators that create new content based on user prompts. Across the EU, most people who used generative AI did so for personal purposes.
CLIMATE DAMAGE – A Swiss court has decided to hear a landmark climate case pitting residents of a tiny Indonesian island being swallowed by rising sea levels against cement giant Holcim. The case is part of a wider international movement seeking to hold major companies responsible for climate damage that imperils millions, especially in developing countries.
GUN LAWS – Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales, has pushed ahead with what it said were the country’s strictest gun laws and a ban on displaying “terrorist” symbols after two gunmen killed 15 people celebrating a Jewish festival in Sydney last week. There are more than 1.1 million firearms in the state, officials said and the new rules will cap the number of guns an individual can own to four, or ten for exempted individuals like farmers.
MALAYSIAN LEADER – Former Malaysian leader Najib Razak lost a bid to have his jail term changed to house arrest on Monday, a setback ahead of a separate verdict this week tied to the country’s 1MDB scandal. Najib, 72, is serving a six-year jail term for corruption linked to the plunder of Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, which sparked probes in several countries.
ASHES LOST – It was bad news for English cricket fans this morning, with news that the Ashes have gone already, after only 11 days of cricket and in 3 tests. Requiring 435 to win in the second innings, they at least showed some verve and made it to within 82 of the total, but the new ball did the trick for Australia and removed the final 4 wickets.
LEGEND FOOTBALLER – Evergreen 58-year-old striker Kazuyoshi Miura is set to join a Japanese third-division team to begin his 41th season as a professional footballer, local media reported Sunday. Miura, known as “King Kazu”, will join Fukushima United on a year-long loan after spending last season with fourth-tier Atletico Suzuka.
STEELERS LIONS – Aaron Rodgers’ Pittsburgh Steelers clung on for a dramatic 29-24 win against the Lions Sunday, leaving Detroit’s playoff hopes hanging by a thread as three NFL teams confirmed their post-season berths.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff twice thought he had delivered a winning touchdown in the game’s final seconds, only for both to be ruled out for offensive pass interference, sparking furious scenes at Ford Field.
There’s been a real drop in temperature overnight, and these cooler conditions will be with us for a while. The day should remain dry, although there may be ice patches in places on the roads early on. And temperature wise we are currently around 2 degrees – although it is colder in places – which should rise to around 6 degrees later in the afternoon.
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