Housing top priority for Luxembourg voters
Luxembourg’s government is generally doing a good job, and its handling of the covid pandemic has high approval ratings according to opinions polls on its performance halfway through the current legislature. But elsewhere its performance leaves a lot to be desired. TNS Ilres carried out the survey of 1.127 voters on behalf of RTL and Luxemburger Wort in early June. It shows that 69% of voters think the DP-LSAP-Déi Gréng government is doing a very good or good job overall. 85% of those surveyed approve of the way the government is handling of the pandemic, up from a low of 63% last autumn. But housing remains the number one priority for voters, with mobility and climate change, energy and the environment also a concern. And only 19% think the government has done enough to tackle the risk of poverty, particularly among single parents. Delano will have more details in our noon briefing.
Biden and Putin talk same language
As expected, little of concrete value emerged from the first face-to-face meeting of US president Joe Biden and Russian president Vladimir Putin in Geneva on Wednesday. But both leaders shed some positive light on the talks, with Putin saying they “spoke the same language” and Biden hinting at the prospect of improved relations between the two countries. They agreed their governments would discuss nuclear arms control and resume full diplomatic relations by returning their respective ambassadors. But on subjects such as cybersecurity, Ukraine and the treatment of Alexei Navalny, the two leaders remain some distance apart. The BBC, The Guardian and The Washington Post have reports and analysis.
Von der Leyen seals recovery plan in Portugal and Spain
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen was in Portugal and Spain on Wednesday to sign off on the covid recovery plans for the Iberian peninsula countries. The €750bn Next Generation EU programme focuses on digital and sustainable investment projects. In Lisbon, Von der Leyen called Portugal’s plan “ambitious… far-sighted” and said it “clearly meets the demanding criteria we have jointly established”. She travels on to Greece and Denmark on Thursday and will then be in Luxembourg on Friday to sign off on the grand duchy’s recovery plan. Euronews and Delano have more.
Fed brings rate hike forward to 2023
The US Federal Reserve has indicated it could bring interest rates up to 0.6 percent by the end of 2023, several months earlier than previously anticipated. Fed chairman Jerome Powell said that he saw some optimistic signs of economic recovery, with expectations that the US could be in a “very strong labor market pretty quickly”. But even so the central bank was in no hurry to raise rates. “Whenever liftoff comes, policy will remain highly accommodative,” Powell said. CNBC, The New York Times and the FT report.
China launches space station mission
The Shenzhou-12 mission carrying three astronauts to the Chinese Tianhe space station module took off from the Jiuquan satellite launch centre early on Thursday morning. The astronauts will remain in orbit for three months while they help build the space station. A further eight missions will be required before it is completed. Reuters, The South China Morning Post and Nasa have more.
Hong Kong newspaper arrests
Hong Kong police have arrested five people associated with pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily. Those detained on Thursday include editor-in-chief Ryan Law and owner Jimmy Lai. Police say they were arrested for “collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security.” The BBC, South China Morning Post and The Guardian report.
Frost calls for sausage ban suspension
The UK’s chief Brexit negotiator Lord Frost has called upon the EU to accommodate a request to suspend a ban on the sale of British sausages in Northern Ireland “to provide a bit of a breathing space” in the ongoing negotiations on checks on meat and dairy products going from mainland Britain to Northern Ireland. The Guardian and the BBC have details.
Delta variant on rise in Luxembourg
The highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus now accounts for 30.9% of cases in the grand duchy, a significant increase on the 3.9% recorded between 17 and 23 May. Delano has more.
“Juneteenth” set to become holiday
The US house of representatives on Wednesday passed a bill making June 19 a federal holiday. “Juneteenth”, as it is known, will commemorate the day in 1865 proclaiming freedom from slavery in Texas. Reuters and The Washington Post have reports.
Third largest diamond found
A 1,098-carat diamond discovered in Botswana is reckoned to be the third largest of its kind in the world. The find was announced by the Debswana diamond firm. The Botswanan government receives as much as 80% of the income from sales of diamonds found by Debswana, which it runs as a joint venture with Anglo American’s De Beers. The BBC and The Guardian report.
Today’s breakfast briefing was written by Duncan Roberts