McCain death, Muller's career closer

Don’t invite Donald

US president Donald Trump will not be welcomed at the funeral of 2008 presidential candidate John McCain. The six-term senator from Arizona, who had been suffering from brain cancer since July 2017, died on Saturday aged 81. According to Reuters.com, five living former presidents paid tribute. The Guardian reported that The White House issued no statement although Trump sent a Tweet. It recalled how during the 2016 election, Trump told a conference in Iowa that McCain was not a war hero because “he was captured”. In October 1967, McCain was shot down, seriously injured and captured by the North Vietnamese. He was a prisoner of war until 1973. Governor Doug Ducey of Arizona said in a statement, a successor will not be appointed until after the week of services in his honour, the New York Times reported.

The pope is a dope

Pope Francis’ emphatic apologies for sex abuse at the hands of members of the catholic church during a 32-hour visit to Ireland has further strengthened calls for his resignation. At a mass in Dublin’s Phoenix Park, the pope begged forgiveness for historic sexual abuse by church leaders. At the same time, protestors at a nearby rally brandished placards reading: “The pope is protecting paedophiles” or “The Church way worse than the Brits”. The Guardian said the apology was “far too little and too late”. In an open letter, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano accused the pope of covering up sexual abuse allegations by a US cardinal. The BBC, said the pope refused to respond.

Muller’s last tournament

Luxembourg tennis professional Gilles Muller will play the last tournament of his career at the US Open, which starts on Monday. The four-times consecutive winner of Luxembourg sportsman of the year announced his retirement in July. RTL reported “Mulles” as saying the US Open was a personal favourite of his. According to the BBC, Britain is investing its hopes in Konta and Edmund. The Washington Post focused on the $200 million renovations at the Louis Armstrong Stadium, which complements Arthur Ashe stadium, the 50th anniversary of the tournament and the record-breaking prize money—with $3.8 million up for grabs for the men’s and women’s singles winners.

Back on track

Normality returns to rail commuters on the Luxembourg-Bettembourg line on Monday, after six weeks of works. L’essentiel writes that the shuttle buses are over for commuters on lines 60 and 90. However, rail works are not finished. Work began last Saturday on lines 10 and 60 (Luxembourg-Diekirch and Esch-sur-Alzette-Pétange) which will be served by rail replacement buses until 16 September.

Florida shooting

Three people were killed, including the gunman, at a Florida gaming tournament on Sunday. The New York Times quoted Sheriff Mike Williams, who identified the suspect as 24-year-old David Katz of Baltimore. Katz shot himself with a hand gun at the scene in Jacksonville, Florida. Florida has seen several mass shootings in recent years, reports the BBC, including one at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, in 2016, in which 17 people were killed.

Cold case arrest

The biggest DNA sample harvest in Dutch history has resulted in the arrest of a murder suspect 20 years later. The body of Nicky Verstappen was found in woods at a summer camp in the Netherlands in August 1998. More than 14,000 people voluntarily gave DNA samples to the investigation, according to the BBC. After he was reported missing in April this year, police examined the home of Jos Brech, a former scout and playgroup leader, and found a match with DNA found on the child. Brech, 55, was arrested in Spain after a tipoff, the Guardian reports.