YELLOW ALERT – A heat warning is in force for southern Luxembourg, as the current heatwave shows no sign of easing. The national weather service Meteolux is urging people to avoid strenuous activity in direct sunshine.
LAKE SECURITY – Police are stepping up patrols around the Upper Sûre Lake after a surge in rule-breaking over the Whitsun weekend. 87 motorists were fined for illegal parking, and fires were lit in prohibited areas on three separate occasions.
CITY TOURISTS – Luxembourg City enjoyed a busy Whitsun weekend, with nearly 1,800 visitors stopping at the tourist office in the centre of town. The Bock Casemates alone drew more than 4000 visitors, and close to 1000 tourists joined one of 64 guided tours across the capital.
SMOKING FIGURES – A new survey by the National Health Directorate and the Cancer Foundation shows tobacco and nicotine use remains high in Luxembourg, and is rising among young people. The data shows that nearly a third of Luxembourg residents aged 16 and over – approximately 177,000 people – smoke regularly or occasionally. Men are more likely to smoke than women, at 36% compared to 27%.
PORTUGAL FLIGHTS – Luxair is warning of possible flight delays and cancellations to and from Portugal from 3 June, due to a planned general strike. Lisbon and Porto routes are expected to be most affected.
FUEL PRICES – Fuel prices have fallen across Luxembourg from today. SP95 petrol drops 5.9 cents to €1.75 per litre, SP98 falls to €1.87, and diesel sees the biggest cut – down 7.3 cents to €1.77 per litre. Heating oil also dips, to €1.20.
EUROPE HEATWAVE – An orange heat alert has been declared in 17 departments across France, including the Paris region, with temperatures forecast to reach 38°C. The French railways have cancelled numerous services, and Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has called an emergency inter-ministerial meeting. In some parts of the country, temperatures are running 15°C above normal for this time of year. Southern Belgium was hit by violent but localised thunderstorms overnight, with flooding in streets and cellars in the town of Bertrix, and firefighters called out to tackle a potential forest fire near Libramont.
IRAN WAR – There is no sign of a breakthrough in the Iran conflict. President Trump has expressed dissatisfaction with Tehran's latest proposals, warning that if progress is not made, the United States may be forced to act more decisively. American jets have continued to strike Iranian military targets, while Iran claims to have intercepted a US oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.
EU FOREIGN MINISTERS – EU foreign ministers are meeting today in Cyprus to discuss the conditions under which Europe might engage directly in ceasefire talks over Ukraine, negotiations that have until now been led by Washington.
EBOLA OUTBREAK – Health authorities are growing increasingly concerned about the Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. More than a 1,000 suspected cases have now been recorded, with 246 confirmed deaths. Uganda has closed its border with the affected region. The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there is currently no effective treatment or vaccine.
FOOTBALL – Crystal Palace have won the UEFA Conference League, their first ever European trophy, after a 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano in last night's final in Leipzig. Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the only goal.
CYCLING – Danish rider Michael Valgren took stage 17 of the Giro d'Italia from a breakaway. Jonas Vingegaard retains the pink jersey with a commanding lead of more than four minutes over Felix Gall. Stage 18 is a largely flat run of a 171 kilometres.
And the Boucles de la Mayenne stage race gets underway today in France with a prologue in Laval. Luxembourg's national champion Arthur Kluckers and Kevin Geniets are both among the starters.
TENNIS – World number one Jannik Sinner takes to centre court at the French Open today against Argentina's Juan Manuel Cerundolo. Women's top seed Aryna Sabalenka also plays her second-round match, facing France's Elsa Jacquemot. Defending champion Coco Gauff and former major winner Naomi Osaka are also in action today.
A yellow alert for heat is currently in effect until midnight tonight. For today, we have wall-to-wall sunshine from morning to the evening with temperatures starting around 16°C, climbing to a warm 31 °C this afternoon.
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