The Today Radio news team brings you the latest headlines for Tuesday, 1 October
Luxembourg
CARITAS SCANDAL - It's a turbulent start for the organization Help on the Ground ( "HUT Hëllef um Terrain"), the new non-profit that is taking over the national activities of Caritas after the embezzlement scandal of 61 million euros. From today, around 340 former employees of Caritas will start working there. New contracts had to be signed on Friday and yesterday. According to reports, staff members were forbidden from taking photographs of the new contracts and were not permitted to leave the room with the paperwork. A number of people later described the process as "chaos" and told RTL they had refused to sign the HUT contract, in the hope that Caritas would still continue to keep them on the payroll.
LUXEMBOURG STAYCATION - Summer 2024 saw the number of Luxembourg residents holidaying at home increase by a third, compared to five years ago. Minister of Tourism Lex Delles said visitor satisfaction was high, in a press briefing this morning. He pointed to initiatives such as the "Vëlosummer" cycling campaign, or "Lëtzebuerg, dat ass Vakanz" - a campaign aiming to rediscover the Grand Duchy's cultural riches - helping to boost homegrown tourism.
A3 ROADWORKS - The first section of the widened A3 is set to open by the end of the year. The Ministry of Mobility and Public Works has not declared an official date just yet but a spokesperson for the National Roads Administration confirmed to RTL that it will be done by the end of 2024. The entire motorway, which is 13.3 km long will be fully ready by 2030.
MISSING PEOPLE - 37-year-old Eder Almeida Carolina was last seen in Diekirch at 2am on Monday. People with information should contact the Diekirch/Vianden police department (+352 244 80 1000 or police.diekirchvianden@police.etat.lu).
92-year-old Henri Pierre Penning has also been reported missing. He is known to drive a green Hyundai I10 with the following licence plate: HP 3277 (L).People with information on the man's whereabouts should contact the Remich/Mondorf police station (+352 244771000 or police.remichmondorf@police.etat.lu.).
World
MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT - Israel has sent troops into Lebanon for the first time in nearly two decades. The Israeli military said it had launched a limited ground offensive against Hezbollah targets in Southern Lebanon, selecting those that posed an immediate threat to Northern Israel. Explosions have also been heard in the Lebanese capital Beirut. Local officials say an airstrike has hit a crowded Palestinian refugee camp in Southern Lebanon. Syrian state media have reported that three civilians have been killed and nine injured during airstrikes on the capital Damascus.
Hezbollah has said it is ready for an Israeli ground offensive.
STORM HELENE - Officials in the US say more than 130 people have died in the flooding after Hurricane Helene struck the southeastern United States last week. President Biden says he will visit North Carolina, the worst hit state, tomorrow.
FRANCE BARNIER - France’s new Prime Minister Michel Barnier is making a government declaration today in the National Assembly in Paris after a months-long political crisis in France. He has already announced a political realignment of the country which he says should improve the standard of living of all French people. At the same time, there are nationwide protests today, including in the civil service and on the French railways. This is in protest of the pension reform that was pushed through without a vote in parliament last year.
The French train operator CFL has indicated that TGV services should remain unaffected; however, some regional trains might face interruptions. Travellers are encouraged to check cfl.lu for updates between France and Luxembourg.
NATO RUTTE - Mark Rutte, the former Dutch prime minister, assumes the role of NATO Secretary General today. The straight-talking 57-year-old replaces Jens Stoltenberg, whose decade at the helm has seen NATO grapple with Russia's war on Ukraine, China's rising might -- and Donald Trump's first term in power in Washington. The two politicians will lay a wreath at NATO's Brussels headquarters to honor soldiers fallen during the alliance's 75-year history, before a ceremonial Icelandic gavel is used to mark the official handover.
Sport
FOOTBALL - This evening is the second match day in the Champions League. There are nine matches, including Arsenal against PSG, Barcelona will play against Bern, Dortmund against Celtic, Stuttgart against Prague, and Leverkusen against AC Milan.
France's 2018 World Cup-winning star Antoine Griezmann has announced his retirement from international football, bringing his 10-year career with his country to an end. Coach Didier Deschamps will name his next France squad on Thursday ahead of Nations League matches against Israel and Belgium.
Italian police have arrested 19 members of the AC Milan and Inter Milan ultras, including their leaders, for alleged organized crime activities, including extortion and assault. In a statement, Italy's finance police said the crimes relate to revenues made around football.
FORMULA 1 - Renault has announced it will stop producing Formula One engines from 2026, ending almost half a century of its use in Formula One. The firm's F1 engine factory at Viry-Chatillon, near Paris, is to be transformed into an engineering centre for future Renault and Alpine cars.
Weather
We're greeting the new month with a little bit of everything, from rain to sunshine. October dawns with cloudy skies and potential rain showers through the morning, giving way to slightly drier conditions and the odd ray of sun peeking through in the afternoon. Morning temperatures start at around 9-11°C, rising to 13-15°C in the afternoon.
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