The Today Radio news team brings you the latest headlines for Thursday, 21 November.

Luxembourg

SCHOOL SHUT – The Ministry of Education has announced that the International School in Differdange will be closed all day today. It is a precautionary measure after a fire occurred in a local bin last night. Although the school buildings were not affected, checks will be carried out throughout the day. Two teams of firefighters (Sanem-Differdange and Pétange) as well as an ambulance were on site last night. Both the primary school and secondary school will be affected.

FIRST SNOWFALL – Luxembourg have woken up to a winter wonderland this morning as the season's first snow blanketed parts of the country, delighting residents and signalling the arrival of colder days. Some residents in the north woke up to the sight of frosted rooftops and snow-dusted trees, sparking excitement for the season ahead. Commuters, meanwhile, are advised to exercise caution on potentially slippery roads as temperatures remain low.

FRENCH AT SCHOOL – Education Minister Claude Meisch's plan to expand French literacy programmes nationwide by 2026 has faced criticism from the National Trade Union of Teachers, which argues that teachers have been sidelined in the consultation process. In conversation with RTL, SNE president Patrick Remakel said that while Minister Meisch did explain to the school representatives what kind of impact the project would have on timetables, he failed to answer practical questions regarding additional classrooms and staff.

LOU'S DINER CLOSES – One of Luxembourg's most iconic American burger joints, Lou's Diner, is set to close its doors in 2025.The cash-only hamburger restaurant posted on Facebook on 13 November that "Lou's Diner will close her doors permanently in August of 2025". It is unclear why the joint is closing its doors or whether there will be a future owner.

VON ROESGEN RIP –  One of the great ladies of the Luxembourg theatre scene has died. Marie-Paule von Roesgen, who was born in the city on 5 November 1931, died on Wednesday at the age of 93. In addition to her minor roles as a theatre and film actress in films such as Amour fou, Rusty Boys, or Déi zwéi vum Bierg, she also taught French and German diction courses at the Conservatoire from 1979 to 1996.

World

GAZA WAR – Hospital officials in northern Gaza say many people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes. At least five buildings were hit early this morning. Hamas media said at least 50 people were killed. The Israeli military has made no comment. Meanwhile, the United States have vetoed a UN Security Council push to call for a ceasefire in Gaza that Washington said would have  emboldened Hamas.

UKRAINE WAR – The Biden administration has announced almost $300 million in new military assistance for Ukraine, as it bolsters support in its last few weeks in office. The package includes ammunition and anti-personnel landmines. According to UK media, Ukraine has fired UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles into Russia for the first time. According to the Financial Times, several missiles were launched against at least one Russian military target.

RIP – John Prescott, a former MP and long-serving deputy prime minister under Tony Blair, has died at the age of 86, his family announced on Thursday. The former political giant served as MP for Kingston upon Hull East for 40 years and was a key part of New Labour under Sir Tony Blair. Lord Prescott's wife and two sons announced his death in a statement, sharing that he had recently been living in a care home with Alzheimer's.

COP29 – With global climate talks at a near-deadlock, host Azerbaijan has asked Brazil and Britain to try to find a compromise that countries could agree on. Poorer countries are insisting rich ones should pay to help them tackle climate change.

ICELAND VOLCANO –  A volcano near Iceland's capital has erupted for the seventh time this year, spewing fountains of lava and smoke. A village of almost 4,000 inhabitants has been evacuated.

AUSTRALIA SOCIAL MEDIA BAN –  Australia's communications minister has introduced a world-first law into Parliament earlier today that would ban children younger than 16 from social media, saying online safety was one of parents' toughest challenges.

Sport

FOOTBALL – Chelsea has eased into the Women's Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-0 win over Celtic, while Lyon and Real Madrid also booked their places in the knockout phase. Real Madrid beat Twente 3-2, while Lyon came from behind to beat Roma 4-1.

FORMULA 1 – Max Verstappen will become just the sixth man in Formula One history to win four world championship titles if he can see off his friend and rival Lando Norris at the Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend. Verstappen holds a 62-point lead over Norris with 60 more points to be won after the Vegas race.

TENNIS – Italy has won the Billie Jean King Cup for the fifth time as Jasmine Paolini beat Rebecca Sramkova to secure a dominant 2-0 win over Slovakia. World number four Paolini triumphed 6-2, 6-1 to follow up Lucia Bronzetti's 6-2, 6-4 victory against Viktoria Hruncakova.

Weather

It's a really cold and cloudy day, with the possibility of some sunshine peeking out a little in the afternoon. There have been some light snow showers, especially in the north of the country but for most of us it's just a cold start, between -2 and 0°C in the morning, with slight increase to the 0–2°C range later on.
 
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