The Today Radio news team brings you the latest headlines for Friday, 22 November.

Luxembourg

ACTIVE MANHUNT - Diekirch police have made an urgent appeal for drivers not to pick up any hitchhikers this morning. They are looking for a person who broke into a car last night and fled in the direction of Diekirch. The car has been found but the burglar has fled. The police are asking the public for information, anyone who sees a suspicious person in the area should report them to Diekirch police.

DIFFERDANGE SCHOOL - Following the cancellation of classes on Thursday due to a fire, Headmaster Gérard Zens has confirmed that the International School of Differdange will remain closed until Monday.The decision to suspend classes was initially announced on Wednesday evening after a fire broke out in a rubbish bin inside a storage room at around 8pm. Although the school buildings were not directly damaged, the fire caused damage to a transformer.
Repairs to the transformer began on Thursday, but safety concerns necessitate additional measures before the school can reopen.

MEDICINAL CANNABIS - Health Minister Martine Deprez has argued that there is no conclusive scientific evidence supporting the widespread use or added benefits of medicinal cannabis. Starting 1 January, the use of THC-rich flowering tops will be discontinued, and the maximum quantity of cannabis that can be prescribed for a 28-day period will be reduced to 60g.

MANSLAUGHTER TRIAL - A trial for manslaughter has started in Diekirch District Court, following the tragic death of a young father in a car accident after a May Day celebration. The prosecution is seeking a two-year prison sentence, a five-year driving ban, and a fine against the defendant, a 25-year-old man accused of involuntary manslaughter. He killed a pedestrian while driving on a track, which is off-limits to all traffic except local residents. The court is expected to hand down its verdict on 10 January 2025.

SNOW CLEARING - The first snowflakes have fallen in Luxembourg which every year brings up the question - Who is responsible for clearing icy pavements, and what happens if someone slips? Luxembourg law imposes a clear obligation: residents must keep the pavement in front of their homes safe free of snow and ice to ensure pedestrian safety but it is not required to clear the entire width of the pavement. The rule is to maintain a one-metre-wide passage.

World

UKRAINE WAR - Vladimir Putin has threatened to attack military sites belonging to the US and Britain, in response to Kyiv being given permission to use weapons supplied by them inside Russia. Moscow has already fired a new type of ballistic missile at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, which President Zelensky has called a severe escalation.

MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT - Israeli politicians have expressed anger at the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for the country’s prime minister and former defence minister. The ICC has accused Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant of war crimes in Gaza. Netanyahu has called the court anti-semitic. It has also issued a warrant for the head of Hamas for the 7 October attacks on Israel.

TRUMP PICKS - Donald Trump has picked a new nominee as US attorney general after the embattled congressman Matt Gaetz withdrew from nomination. Pam Bondi is a lawyer and long-term ally of Trump and was part of his legal team during his first Senate impeachment trial.

GERMANY ELECTION - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will run for a second term in the federal election in the new year after his party, the center-left SPD confirmed that they will nominate him as their lead candidate. Scholz’s nomination comes after Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, currently polling as Germany’s most popular politician, announced he would not be running as the party’s chancellor candidate.

COP29 - Azerbaijan is set to put forward a new proposal for a potentially major deal on climate financing today on the official last day of the COP29 talks. The conference is almost certain to go into overtime, with key details for a deal yet to be released, let alone agreed.The main priority at COP29 in Baku is agreeing a new target to replace the $100 billion a year that rich nations provide poorer ones to reduce emissions and adapt to disasters.

Sport

FOOTBALL - The 11th matchday in the German Bundesliga starts tonight. Bayern Munich is playing against Augsburg, kickstarting a crucial run of fixtures for the German giants, who are struggling under the weight of injuries in key positions. The club announced this week that Joao Palhinha had joined fellow defensive midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic on the club's long-term injury list. Captain and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is also in doubt "with a rib issue".

Pep Guardiola has extended his contract as manager of Premier League champions Manchester City for a further two seasons, saying he could not leave now with the club facing arguably the toughest period of his time at the Etihad Stadium.

FORMULA 1 - It’s a Formula 1 weekend again with the 3rd last race of the season in Las Vegas. The first two free training sessions are in the morning, the third and the qualifiers are tomorrow morning. The race in Vegas will run on Saturday evening local time. If Red Bull's Max Verstappen sees off Lando Norris, he will become world champion again.

RUGBY - New Zealand are looking to end their year on a high against Italy on Saturday after last weekend's painful defeat to France left the All Blacks ruing missed chances. Coach Scott Robertson has picked a strong line-up for the clash in what is expected to be a freezing cold Turin where temperatures are forecast to be below zero when the match kicks off at 2110 local time (2010 GMT). MeanwhileIreland also take on Fiji tomorrow afternoon.

Weather

It’s a cold, cloudy and grey start. It’s -3 now, but Meteolux informs us that it feels like -8. In the afternoon, don't be surprised if we start getting that mix of rain and snow with snow falling in high lying areas. 
Temperature-wise, the minimum will be -3 to -1°C in the morning, going "up" to the 0–2°C range in the afternoon.

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