The Today Radio news team brings you the latest headlines for Wednesday, 11 December.

Luxembourg 

POLITMONITOR SURVEY – The three  most popular politicians in the country are Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel (DP), MP Paulette Lehnert (LSAP), and MEP Charel Goerens (DP). This is according to the latest Politmonitor survey by RTL and the Luxembourger Wort. Prime Minister Luc Frieden comes in fourth place. The biggest winner is the new Luxembourg EU Commissioner Christophe Hansen, who now ranks ninth overall. The biggest drop came for Sven Clement of the Pirate party, who is now out of the top 10 most popular politicians in Luxembourg. Overall, the latest survey shows that respondents are satisfied with the work of the government.

BATTLE OF THE BULGE COMMEMORATION – To mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, Luxembourg will host a series of commemorative events from 12–14 December. The official ceremony is taking place on the 13 December at the US military cemetery in Hamm, where about 5,000 soldiers are buried. Among the guests will be members of the Belgian royal family, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, and delegations from the US Congress. NASA Chief Bill Nelson will represent US President Joe Biden to pay tribute to the victims. Members of the public are also invited to join the commemoration. Registrations open at 9am this morning on the government's website.

AMNESTY PROCESSION – Amnesty International held its traditional torchlight procession in Luxembourg City last night to draw attention to the global situation of human rights. The organisation emphasised that, at a time when human rights are increasingly threatened worldwide, it would like to show that it clearly defends universal rights and that it stands in solidarity with those whose lives and dignity are at risk.

ETTELBRUCK KNIFE ATTACK – Nine years after a fatal knife attack in Ettelbruck, it has been revealed that the man responsible escaped from a psychiatric facility during an accompanied outing. Last week, the 36-year-old absconded during a scheduled outing but was recaptured the following day across the border in Germany. The March 2015 killing of a 63-year-old man on Place de l'Hôtel de Ville in Ettelbruck ignited widespread public concern across the country.

FATAL ACCIDENT – A pedestrian hospitalised after being struck by a car on Rue de Trèves in Findel on Tuesday evening has died from their injuries  According to police, the 51-year-old man was injured and transported to a hospital after the collision.

World

MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT – Israel has hit the entire Syrian navy with airstrikes as well as attacking weapons stockpiles. It also destroyed helicopters, air defence systems, and tanks. The UN has called for the attacks to stop. They began after Syria's Assad regime was overturned by Islamist-led rebels. Israel says it wants to stop the weapons falling into the hands of jihadists.

SOUTH KOREA POLITICS – South Korean police raided President Yoon Suk Yeol's office earlier today as the investigation into his declaration of martial law gathers pace. Prison authorities, meanwhile, said the country's former defence minister tried to kill himself shortly before his formal arrest over the events of the night of 3 December.

MALIBU FIRE – A ferocious fire has torn through Malibu, destroying at least seven homes in one of California's most desirable areas, and forcing thousands to evacuate.Firefighters were unable to get a foothold in the steep canyons that surround the enclave near Los Angeles, where towering flames were devouring hillsides, blanketing the air in choking smoke.

Sport

FOOTBALL – Three postponed matches in the national football championship are taking place today. Rodange are travelling to Hostert for a relegation six-pointer, while the Esch derby provides a chance for Fola to end 2024 on a high at Jeunesse's home ground. Swift Hesperange will have to face Progrès Niederkorn, while their previously cancelled match against Mondorf has been written down as a 3-0 forfeit and will not be replayed.

Some results from last night's Champion League games: Real Madrid won 3-2 against Bergamo, Bayern beat Donetsk 5-1, Leverkusen won 1-0 against Inter, and Paris St German beat Salzburg 3-0. There are nine more matches tonight.

FIFA will confirm the hosts of the 2030 and 2034 World Cups today, with a joint bid led by Morocco, Spain, and Portugal set to be awarded for 2030 and 2034 being handed to Saudi Arabia.

GOLF – Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler has been voted PGA Tour Player of the Year for the third consecutive year, after a campaign where he captured nine titles worldwide. Scheffler won his second Masters green jacket, Paris Olympic gold, the PGA's season-ending Tour Championship and FedEx Cup playoffs, as well as the Players Championship this year in a trophy haul for the ages.

SCHUMACHER TRIAL – A father and son have pleaded guilty in a German court over a plot to blackmail the family of Michael Schumacher by threatening to release images of the Formula One legend. The men, identified only as Yilmaz T and Daniel L, allegedly threatened to release private photos and videos of Schumacher and demanded €15 million from his family. These allegedly included images of the seven-time Formula One champion before and after a 2013 skiing accident, which left him with a serious brain injury.

Weather

It's another classic December day: grey, cloudy, and cold. The morning will start off foggy and we might be in for some drizzle but no actual rain. Temperatures should stick to around 2°C all day but with a light wind, it will feel colder ...more like -1°C.
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