The Today Radio news team brings you the latest headlines for Thursday, 4 July.

Luxembourg & Greater Region

MURDER SUSPECT – A man has been arrested in Arlon, suspected of having killed his wife. The victim was a 31-year-old Romanian woman who also had a Luxembourg passport. Lucia Alexandroae has been missing since December 2022. According to the Belgian newspaper L'Avenir, a search was made at the couple's home in Sterpenich on Tuesday. Further details are not yet known.

UKRAINE ARMY – Luxembourg's government has decided to extend the country's participation in an EU mission for a maximum of two years, allowing the Luxembourg army to continue training Ukrainian soldiers until 2025. Additionally, Luxembourg soldiers will also be deployed on a mission in Mozambique.
 
BEGGING BAN – Six months after Luxembourg City implemented a ban to curb organised begging, the measure has led to fewer beggars in the city centre by shifting the problem to other areas, according to critics and homeless charities. Luxembourg City Mayor Lydie Polfer told RTL the ban was primarily designed to target what she called "aggressive begging".

HOMELESS PEOPLE – A group of social workers has raised concerns about the treatment of homeless people in Luxembourg, citing insufficient structures and long waiting times for services. They describe the current system as "failed", highlighting the lack of adequate support and the numerous challenges faced by those affected.

LUXAIR ROTTERDAM – Luxair is set to launch a new flight route to Rotterdam in October, enhancing travel options to the Netherlands with five weekly connections to the Dutch port city. The one-hour flight will run Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

SAMMY DIES – The Luxembourg Veterinary and Food Administration has stated that Sammy, the wallaby who had been on the run for two weeks, died of a rare bacterial infection. This same infection was found in two other wallabies belonging to the same owner. One of them, a joey, also did not survive. The mother, however, was successfully treated.

World

UK ELECTION – Britons are voting today in a general election that could end 14 years of Conservative rule, with polls predicting a historic victory for the opposition Labour party and its leader, Keir Starmer. The country's first national ballot since Boris Johnson won a landslide for the Tories in 2019 follows Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's surprise call to hold it six months earlier than required.His gamble looks set to backfire spectacularly, with polls throughout the six-week campaign pointing to a heavy defeat for his right-wing party. That would almost certainly put Labour leader Keir Starmer in Downing Street, as leader of the largest party in parliament.

BIDEN DEBATE – Joe Biden is "absolutely not" pulling out of the White House race, his spokeswoman said yesterday, as pressure mounts on the president following his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump. Panic has gripped Democrats in the wake of last week's TV debate, and internal rumblings about finding a replacement candidate before November's election have been amplified by polls showing Trump extending his lead.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – Amid escalating international pressure and worsening conditions in Gaza, Hamas has proposed new ideas through Qatari mediators to end the nearly nine-month conflict. Israel confirmed that it was "evaluating" Hamas "comments" on a deal to free its hostages in the Palestinian territory and would reply.

Sport

CYCLING – Mark Cavendish has won the fifth stage of the 2024 Tour de France. This is his 35th stage victory, breaking the record of Eddy Merckx. Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar still leads the overall standings.The sixth stage today covers 164 flat kilometres from Mâcon to Dijon.

CRICKET – India's T20 World Cup winners returned home to a heroes' welcome earlier today with skipper Rohit Sharma and his players hailed by euphoric fans jostling to glimpse their stars. Whistles and wild cheers greeted the players as they walked out from the arrivals area with gold medals around their necks, some giving a thumbs-up to their fans.

TENNIS – Title rivals Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have reached the Wimbledon third round as Japanese superstar Naomi Osaka was demolished on her return to Centre Court after a five-year absence. Four-time major winner Osaka went down 6-4, 6-1 to America's Emma Navarro in just 59 minutes.

POLO –  This weekend, join Polo Club Luxembourg in Merl for a celebration of the the 11th Coupe du Luxembourg and their 20th anniversary. Enjoy a Garden Party Lunch at noon on Saturday, followed by exciting polo matches, including the Integra Smile Cup at 2.30pm. Sunday will see more polo action, featuring the Coupe du Luxembourg and Barnes Cup from 1.15pm onwards.

Weather

Today kicks off with a thick blanket of clouds, alternating between rain showers and fleeting glimpses of sunshine. Fortunately, the weather will brighten towards the evening, becoming drier and less cloudy. Morning temperatures will hover around 11–14°C, peaking at 16–19°C . 

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