PETITION RULES – From 15 March, petitions in Luxembourg could face new requirements, including a higher signature threshold and stricter submission rules. The changes were confirmed yesterday by the responsible parliamentary committee. In the future, a petition will require 5,500 signatures instead of 4,500 to qualify for a public debate in parliament.
PIRATE PARTY – The Pirate Party has unveiled ten proposals for revising Luxembourg’s electoral law. Among the key demands are lowering the voting age to 16 for both voters and candidates, introducing community service as a penalty for failing to comply with compulsory voting, and holding local elections every five years instead of six as is currently the case. These proposals are part of the party’s broader push for electoral reform.
INTEREST RATES – Good news for Luxembourg residents: the Central Bank of Luxembourg has observed a significant drop in mortgage interest rates for both variable and fixed-rate loans.
LOTTERY PROFITS – Luxembourg’s National Lottery generated a record-breaking €90 million in gross revenue last year, with sports betting driving much of the growth. During the same period, the National Lottery paid out €178 million in winnings to Luxembourg residents.
FATAL ACCIDENT – Police in Remich have appealed for witnesses after a tragic accident yesterday in which an elderly pedestrian died after being hit by a lorry. According to initial reports, the 85-year-old man was hit by the vehicle near Place du Marché.
TRUMP GAZA – In other news, US President Donald Trump’s administration appears to be backtracking after his proposal to take over Gaza sparked uproar, with the UN chief warning against “ethnic cleansing” in the Palestinian territory. Facing a wave of criticism from Palestinians, Arab governments, and world leaders, Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio said any transfer of Gazans would be temporary, while the White House insisted there was no commitment to sending US troops.
FRANCE POLITICS – French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou has survived two no-confidence votes in parliament, winning some breathing space after less than two months in office but still facing an uncertain future. Bayrou, a veteran centrist named by President Emmanuel Macron in December with the task of ending months of political turmoil, used a controversial constitutional article to ram his cost-cutting budget through parliament without a vote on Monday.
GLOBAL WARMING – Europe’s climate monitor says that last month was the hottest January on record, despite expectations that cooler La Nina conditions might quell a streak of record-breaking global temperatures. According to Copernicus, January was 1.75°C hotter than pre-industrial times, extending a persistent run of history-making highs over 2023 and 2024.
TURKEY EARTHQUAKE – Turkey is commemorating the second anniversary of the 6 February 2023 earthquake, which claimed nearly 60,000 lives, including in neighbouring Syria, and turned entire cities into ruins. Two years after the earthquake, dubbed the “disaster of the century” by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, 670,000 survivors still live in containers.
BASKETBALL – The Luxembourg Basketball Federation (FLBB) has taken disciplinary action against three people involved in a violent incident during an under-14 basketball game in January. The FLBB court has imposed a ten-match ban on the coach of the Walferdange team. A player from the Soleuvre team, who allegedly kicked the Walferdange coach in the back during the altercation, has been suspended for eight matches.The father of the Soleuvre player, who was serving as an official for the team, has been banned for five years. He is accused of punching the Walferdange coach in the face during the incident.
FOOTBALL – Victor Boniface scored an extra-time winner as defending champions Bayer Leverkusen came back from two goals down to win 3-2 against derby rivals Cologne in the German Cup quarter-finals. The win means Leverkusen, who put out Bayern Munich in the last round, join Stuttgart, who beat Augsburg 1-0 on Tuesday, in the semi-finals.
In England, Newcastle has swept into the League Cup final for the second time in three seasons with a 2-0 win against Arsenal in the semi-final second leg. Newcastle, who have beaten Arsenal three times this season, will face Liverpool or Tottenham in the final at Wembley on 16 March.
TRANSGENDER ATHLETES – US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order Wednesday barring transgender athletes from women’s sports, in his latest move targeting transgender people since returning to office. The order is titled ‘Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports’.
It’s another misty morning, today. The fog will eventually disappear, but the day will remain quite cloudy. Also, don’t discount the possibility of seeing a couple snowflakes here and there.
And it’s still cold today. The minimum temperature should fall somewhere between -2 and 0°C. At the other end of the table, it shouldn’t go much higher than 2–4°C in the afternoon.
___
Be sure to catch our full bulletin on the hour, every hour, and headlines at half past the hour on Today Radio. You can also access the news via Alexa and on RTL Play.
