REPCO

Paris is launching an inspiring initiative to support new parents and protect babies from pollution. Starting mid-2025, eco-friendly gift bags will be provided, including stainless steel baby cups, wooden toys, reusable cotton wipes, and non-toxic cleaning items. This effort aims to give infants a healthier start in life while promoting sustainable practices

A research team at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia has combined civil engineering and their wish to cut back on textile waste by using textile waste and carpet fibres to create sustainable concrete. Their approach not only diverts clothing and carpet waste from landfills — which is urgently needed when it’s estimated that the world produces 92 million tons of textile waste every year — but it also makes for stronger concrete, reducing early-age shrinkage cracking in concrete by up to 30%.

A fourteen-year-old has won the 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Sirish Subash created a device called Pestiscand. It is a handheld device for at-home use to detect pesticide residue on produce without damaging the food. It measures the wavelength of light reflecting off of fruits and vegetables and uses a machine-learning model to analyse the data. Users download a phone app, point Pestiscand at the produce, tap the scan button and voilà, they see if their apple or spinach needs another rinse.

Right, so our first Grand Duchess lived through some pretty uneasy times of WWI, and the Entente powers were not making it particularly easier after its end doubting Luxembourg’s trustworthiness and demanding change of power:/ An almost coup d’état led annoying figure known as Emile Servais proclaiming himself the Republic of Luxembourg’s first president #wot🤦🏻‍♀️ Justice was restored in the end and monarchy was preserved by the vote of the majority, but Marie-Adélaïde did have to hand the crown over to her sister, Charlotte.

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This week Jon lets you know who is playing in Luxembourg with acts such as UB40, Jess Glynne and Therapy? as well as his recommendation of the week - Bandit Bandit at Kulturfabrik. What will you go and see?

European regulators have now approved a new Alzheimer's drug that they rejected in July. The drug is called Leqembi, brand name for Lecanemab, and is administered via a drip every two weeks. It is a protein that binds to amyloid beta, a substance that forms sticky plaques in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. It is these plaques that are associated with cognitive decline in the disease.

There is one far-right conspiracy platform less in the United States. The satirical media outlet The Onion has acquired the site Infowars.com. For years, the owner Alex Jones distributed lies and fake news to the public, earning millions of dollars by selling conspiracy theory merchandise like vitamins, diet pills, and gear for a supposed civil war.

The city of Esch has introduced an online platform where citizens can easily request a meeting with a municipal officer or alderman. The initiative aims to strengthen the direct contact between the citizens and the politicians. In our interview on Local Matters, mayor Christian Weis (CSV) explains how the city of Esch aims to foster civic participation through this and other initiatives.

Scientists have discovered the world's largest coral reef in the Solomon Islands, which holds centuries of ocean secrets. It measures 34 metres wide and five metres high, making it longer than the world's biggest mammal, the blue whale. It is made of nearly one billion little polyps, pulsing with life and colour and it is so huge that it is visible from space.