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Far-right leads in French election, Thionville wedding attack and possible tornado in Luxembourg

rtl.lu 2 days ago

Luxembourg & Greater Region

THIONVILLE SHOOTING - One person was fatally shot and five others were wounded during an incident at a wedding in Thionville on Saturday night. Police sources attribute the violence to drug trafficking. Among the injured, two individuals sustained serious wounds, with one reported to be in critical condition. The perpetrators, described as several masked gunmen with firearms, fled the scene.The shooting occurred at the Eden Palace, a venue specializing in weddings, where approximately a hundred people were gathered.

LUXEMBOURG STORM - Widespread heavy rainfall across the country led to numerous instances of fallen trees, flooded basements, and other significant damage between 7pm and midnight on Saturday. Paul Schroeder, Director General of the Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS), reported on Sunday morning to our colleagues at RTL that initial assessments indicated no injuries resulting from the recent thunderstorm. The incidents primarily stemmed from flooded cellars, fallen trees, and wind-blown objects.

POSSIBLE TORNADO - Kachelmannwetter meteorologist Lars Dahlstorm said it was "possible but unclear" if a tornado had occurred in Luxembourg during Saturday's stormy conditions. At any rate, a so-called "downburst" was observed north of Ettelbruck. Storms travelled across Luxembourg, virtually splitting the country in half with wind speeds of up to 120 km/h.

RTL NEWS DIRECTOR RETIRES - After 32 years at RTL, Guy Weber has decided to step down from his role as News Director. This year's European elections were the 20th elections Weber witnessed as a journalist, so he believed it was the right time to retire. From reporting on sports to presenting the news on television, Guy Weber left no stone unturned. As a journalist, he also interviewed several historic figures including Yasser Arafat, Václav Havel and Lech Wałęsa.

World

FRANCE ELECTION - Thousands of people have gathered in the French capital Paris to protest against the National Rally (RN) after the first round of snap general elections which appear to give the far-right national party a substantial lead. The centrist prime minister Gabriel Attal has warned that the Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, stands at the gates of power. The final result will depend on days of horsetrading before next week’s run-off. The RN was seen winning around 34% of the vote.

HUNGARY EU - Hungary takes over the EU six-month rotating presidency today, in the face of fears that Prime Minister Viktor Orban could use it to take the bloc hostage at a critical time. The presidency slogan, "Make Europe Great again" has already riled diplomats, echoing the rallying cry of former US President Trump. But officials and diplomats are fretting that one major victim of Hungary's six months in charge will be EU support for Ukraine as it battles Russia's invading forces.

TERROR WARNING - Several US military bases across Europe were put on a heightened state of alert over the weekend, amid concerns that a terrorist attack could target US military personnel or facilities. The alert is the second highest state of alarm issued by the US Army.

HURRICANE BERYL - Hurricane Beryl has strengthened into what experts called an “extremely dangerous” category 4 storm as it approaches the south-east Caribbean, which began shutting down Sunday amid urgent pleas from government officials for people to take shelter. Hurricane warnings are in effect for Barbados, St Lucia, Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Beryl’s center is expected to pass about 112 km south of Barbados this morning.

EUROPE STORMS - Ferocious storms and torrential rains that lashed France, Switzerland and Italy this weekend have left at least seven people dead, according to local authorities. Three people died after the rains triggered a landslide in southeastern Switzerland and in France, three people died in the northeastern Aube region on Saturday when a falling tree crushed the car they were travelling in.

Sport

FOOTBALL - England escaped an embarrassing exit from Euro 2024 on Sunday as they came from behind to beat Slovakia in extra time and reach the quarter-finals, while Spain defeated Georgia 4-1 to set up a quarter-final showdown with hosts Germany. Jude Bellingham's overhead kick deep in injury time and Harry Kane's strike early in extra time allowed England to beat Slovakia 2-1 in their last-16 tie in Gelsenkirchen. Today, France is playing Belgium and Portugal takes on Slovenia.

CYCLING - Former champion Tadej Pogacar has taken the overall lead of the Tour de France on Sunday. French cyclist Kévin Vauquelin won the second stage.  Today’s stage is 230 flat kilometers, from Piacenza to Turin.

FORMULA 1 - George Russell beamed with delight on Sunday after taking full advantage of a sensational late crash between series leader Max Verstappen and his title rival Lando Norris to win an action-packed Austrian Grand Prix. It was the British driver’s second career victory and Mercedes’ first success in 33 outings.

Weather

Expect overcast skies and scattered showers until lunchtime, at which point the rain might finally bid us farewell! Clouds and intermittent sunshine will follow. The morning starts with temperatures ranging from 13-15°C, reaching highs of around 18-20°C.
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