The Today Radio News team brings you the latest news headlines for Wednesday, 3 January.
Luxembourg
FLOODING - 15 flooded buildings, 4 broken facades or railings, and 6 fallen trees. This is the preliminary assessment of the rescue services due to the weather and the heavy rain.
Luxembourg remains under red alert for flooding as heavy rains continued overnight. On Tuesday evening, the Water Management Authority confirmed its flood control centre was in a state of alert due to flooding and heavy rain across the country. The Alzette river water levels crossed the alert threshold overnight in areas around Mersch and Ettelbruck, while in Hesperange and Pfaffenthal the river has already crossed into a state of alert. The Sûre river exceeded "pre-alert" levels in Diekirch on Tuesday, and is expected to rise further into the night. The Moselle is not anticipated to flood.
The rain is expected to continue throughout the morning, causing further issues into the afternoon. However, authorities have emphasised that the flooding is not expected to reach the catastrophic levels of summer 2021. However to avoid any re-occurrence, essential measures are actively being implemented. People living in proximity to rivers should take necessary precautions, particularly in flood-prone areas like campgrounds or parking lots, to ensure their own personal safety. Further information can be found at inundations.lu.
PROPERTY PRICES - Real estate experts at atHome suggest that the government's tax measures might positively impact the housing market in the short term. Despite this, they emphasise the need for additional solutions to truly invigorate the sector. Anticipating a downward trend, these experts predict a decline in both property sale prices and rates throughout the year.
World
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR - French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Israel to avoid escalation, “particularly in Lebanon”, following a strike attributed to Israel that killed a Hamas leader in Beirut. Macron, who spoke by telephone to the Israeli minister and war cabinet member Benny Gantz, says it is essential to avoid any escalation of the situation in the Middle East.
JAPAN EARTHQUAKE - Japanese rescuers are scrambling to search for survivors as authorities warned of landslides, following a powerful earthquake. 62 people had been confirmed dead and more than 300 injured, 20 of them seriously. According to the government, more than 31,800 people are currently housed in shelters.
MICKEY HORROR - Barely 24 hours after Disney's initial copyright on Mickey Mouse expired, two new indie horror films starring the beloved character have been announced. "Mickey's Mouse Trap" will feature a masked killer dressed as Mickey stalking a group of young friends through an amusement arcade, while another untitled horror-comedy sees a sadistic mouse tormenting unsuspecting ferry passengers.
Sport
FOOTBALL - Spanish World Cup-winning star Jenni Hermoso told a judge on Tuesday that the kiss forced on her by disgraced former Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales was "at no point consensual" and that she had come under pressure to defend his actions. Spanish justice is investigating Rubiales on allegations of sexual assault and coercion.
Wayne Rooney has said it will "take some time to get over this setback" after he was sacked as manager of Championship side Birmingham City on Tuesday following a disastrous spell in charge. The 38-year-old former Manchester United and England star was appointed in October but oversaw just two wins in 15 matches with Monday's 3-0 thumping by Leeds, their ninth defeat under him, proving the final straw.
RUGBY - France rugby union captain and scrum half Antoine Dupont is expected at his first preparatory day for the Paris Olympics rugby sevens event today. Dupont will join 16 other seven-a-side players at the national Marcoussis centre ahead of his two world circuit sevens events in Vancouver in February and in Los Angeles in March with the Olympics starting July 26.
RYAN RIP - And Frank Ryan, a star quarterback and noted mathematician who led the Cleveland Browns to their last NFL title in 1964, died on Monday, the team announced. He was 87.
Weather
Get ready for another day of rainy and windy weather! Yesterday's red alert for the South is continuing today. The sky will be filled with clouds, and we can expect frequent heavy rain showers throughout the day. There's even a chance of an isolated thunderstorm, especially in the afternoon.But in between the raindrops, keep an eye out for those occasional glimpses of sunshine trying to break through the clouds.Temperature-wise, the day will kick off with morning temperatures between 6 to 8°C, coming up to 10°C in the afternoon.
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