The Today Radio news team brings you the latest headlines for Monday, 11 August.
Luxembourg & Greater Region
SUMMER HEATWAVE – Temperatures are climbing across the Greater Region, with some days set to see well over 30°C this week. MétéoLux is expecting a peak in temperatures of up to 32°C on Tuesday and Wednesday. Meanwhile an intense summer heatwave in France is spreading north. 46 departments have been placed on orange alert, with highs of up to 41°C. Forecasts in Belgium predict "dry, generally sunny and warm to very warm" weather with temperatures hitting 32°C in the Province of Luxembourg, while coastal areas should stay a little cooler.
UKRAINE WAR – At a rally in Luxembourg City on Saturday against the war in Ukraine, the Ukrainian community voiced deep scepticism over the upcoming meeting between Presidents Trump and Putin. Nicolas Zharov, President of the non-profit association L'Ukraine warned that Ukraine will not agree under any circumstances to hand over territory to Russia. Zharov compared such a concession to the appeasement of Hitler before the Second World War. h
OSTEOPATHY RECOGNITION – Osteopathy is gaining popularity in Luxembourg with nearly 400 practitioners, but reimbursement, regulation, and protection of the title remain key challenges that the profession hopes to address through new legislation and EU-level standards. According to Jean Bofferding, President of the Luxembourg Association of Osteopaths (ALDO), doctors are often reluctant to refer patients and national health insurance does not reimburse sessions, which he considers the wrong approach.
World
TRUMP/PUTIN TALKS – European leaders are pushing for Ukraine to be a part of the negotiations between the United States and Russia, ahead of talks between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. The two leaders are meeting in Alaska on Friday to try to resolve the three-year war, but Europe is insisting that Kyiv and European powers should be part of any deal to end the conflict. EU foreign ministers are discussing the next steps before the talks in a meeting by video link today, joined by their Ukrainian counterpart. The idea of a US-Russia meeting without Zelensky has raised concerns that a deal would require Kyiv to cede territory, which the EU has rejected.
TURKEY EARTHQUAKE – A 6.1-magnitude quake struck Sindirgi in western Turkey on Sunday, killing at least one person and injuring dozens more. Several building collapsed and the quake was felt across several cities in the west of the country, including Istanbul and the tourist hotspot of Izmir.
GAZA WAR – The United Nations Security Council held a rare emergency weekend meeting after Israel said its military would "take control" of Gaza City in a plan that has sparked a wave of global criticism. Britain, a close ally of Israel which nonetheless pushed for an emergency meeting on the crisis, warned the Israeli plan risked prolonging the conflict. But Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has defended his plan on Sunday, saying it was "the best way to end the war".
Meanwhile, Australia will recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said earlier today. The decision follows similar moves by several countries, including France, Britain and Canada.
GAZA PRESS – Al Jazeera says two of its correspondents, including a prominent reporter, and three cameramen were killed in an Israeli strike on their tent in Gaza City on Sunday.The Israeli military admitted in a statement to targeting Anas al-Sharif, the reporter it labelled as a "terrorist" affiliated with Hamas.The attack was the latest to see journalists targeted in the 22-month war in Gaza, with around 200 media workers killed over the course of the conflict, according to media watchdogs.
UGLIEST DOG – A wrinkly bulldog mix named Petunia has been crowned the World’s Ugliest Dog in California, winning $5,000 and a spot on NBC's morning show, with organisers emphasising the event's aim to showcase the charm of shelter dogs and encourage adoption.
EUROPE HEATWAVE – Firefighters have contained a massive wildfire in southern France but local officials have warned that scorching heat and dry conditions could reignite the blaze, as the new heatwave continues in southern Europe with temperatures up to and above 40°C in parts of France, Spain and Portugal.
Sport
FOOTBALL – Crystal Palace twice came from behind to stun a new-look Liverpool and win the Community Shield for the first time on penalties after a 2-2 draw at Wembley on Sunday. The traditional curtain-raiser to the English football season was given extra significance after a summer marked by tragedy for Liverpool. Forward Diogo Jota was killed in a car accident alongside his brother Andre Silva. Reigning Spanish champions Barcelona completed their pre-season preparations by thrashing Italian side Como 5-0 on Sunday in a game which signalled a thawing of relations with goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. Before kickoff on Sunday, Ter Stegen gave the traditional captain's speech from the pitch, just days after his dispute with the club over the handling of his back injury broke to the surface.
DARTS – Teenage phenomenon Luke Littler has clinched his first World Series of Darts title of the year, overpowering Mike De Decker in a star-studded Australian Masters. England's Littler, who became the youngest darts world champion aged just 17 in January, swept past the Belgian 8-4 in Wollongong, south of Sydney, on Saturday night.
CYCLING – Luxembourgish professional cyclist Kevin Geniets (Groupama–FDJ) has spoken about a traumatic fall at the Clásica San Sebastián in early August, which left him with a temporary memory loss due to the impact of the fall on his head. He said it was one of the worst falls of his career, which happened when the cyclists were descending and he didn't spot a hole in the road, causing him to fly over the handlebars and land head-first on the road. Once back home in Annecy, Geniets began gentle training on an exercise bike after around three days. If all goes well, he hopes to return to the road on Saturday.
Weather
We're kickstarting the week with another stellar day! The forecast promises bright sunshine from morning to evening, with barely a cloud in sight. Temperatures will rise comfortably from 14–16°C in the morning and rise to a maximum of 31°C in the afternoon.
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