The Today Radio news team brings you the latest headlines for Wednesday, 13 August.

Luxembourg 

SUMMER HEATWAVE – Meteolux has issued a yellow alert for the north of the country, and an orange alert for the south amid high temperatures – reaching up to 35 °C as the sun hits its peak, although some built up areas could see temperatures climb even more. The heatwave is expected to last until Friday and possibly beyond, with additional temperature alerts likely. The national weather service attributed the prolonged warmth to a significant shift in atmospheric pressure systems across Europe.

BETTEL UKRAINE – Ahead of the Trump–Putin summit, Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel said that EU ministers, in an online meeting on Monday, backed Ukraine's stance in any deal. Bettel explained that, with the exception of Hungary, all ministers agreed no decision could be made without Ukraine's consent. He noted that it is unacceptable to determine the fate of a country without involving it in the process.

LUXAIR PLANE – A Luxair flight to Ibiza was forced to turn around mid-air yesterday evening due to technical issues. Passengers onboard said the aircraft crew members had told them there were problems with the plane's undercarriage. In a statement, Luxair confirmed the plane had turned around as a preventative measure and had landed safely back at Findel airport. A replacement flight has been scheduled to depart Luxembourg this morning.

SCHUEBERFOUER PREPARATIONS – Prices at this year’s Schueberfouer are to remain unchanged, with the famous potato pancakes – Gromperekichelcher – still going for €7.50. The city’s municipal officials announced yesterday that Luxembourg's 685th Schueberfouer opens on 22 August with a new Family Day format, enhanced sustainability measures, and traditional favourites like the mayor-served charity dinners.

World

EUROPE HEATWAVE – Three men have died and thousands have been forced from their homes as wildfires fuelled by a heatwave scorched southern Europe. Heat alerts have been issued in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, and the Balkans, with temperatures expected to soar above 40C.

BERLIN SWIMMING – In Berlin, hundreds of people gathered to take a dip in the Spree river yesterday to protest a 100-year-old ban on swimming in the city's main waterway. Billed by organisers as a "swim demonstration", the gathering saw swimmers cool off from the summer heat with colourful bathing costumes and even the odd inflatable raft..

UKRAINE WAR – European leaders are holding online talks with US President Donald Trump today, hoping to convince him to respect Ukraine's interests when he discusses the war with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has invited Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky as well as the French, British, and other European leaders and the heads of the EU and NATO to an afternoon video conference. The Trump-Putin meeting on Friday – their first since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine over three years ago – is so far planned to go ahead without Zelensky.

GAZA WAR – Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has revived calls to "allow" Palestinians to leave the Gaza Strip, as the military prepares a broader offensive in the territory. The Israeli government has not provided an exact timetable on when forces may enter the area, but civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said on Tuesday that air raids had already begun increasing over the past three days. Bassal said that Israeli strikes across the territory, including on Gaza City, killed at least 33 people on Tuesday. 

Sport

FOOTBALL – Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce rallied past Dutch club Feyenoord last night to advance 6-4 on aggregate into the Champions League qualifying playoffs. Fenerbahce will host Benfica, who beat Nice 4-0 on aggregate, in the first leg of the playoff round next week with a place in the 36-team league phase at stake. Elsewhere, Rangers advanced past Czech team Viktoria Plzen 4-2 over two legs and next play Club Brugge, who reached the last 16 of the Champions League last season.

Paul Pogba is making his comeback to football after nearly three seasons on the sidelines – a turbulent period blighted by injury, blackmail, and an 18-month doping ban. Now with the 2025-26 Ligue 1 season looming large, the former Manchester United star needs to put all that behind him and get to work if he is to light up Monaco's stadium and realise his "dream" of winning back his spot in the France national team.

FC Luxembourg City has announced it will commemorate Azaria, a young player who tragically died in an accident on 6 August, with a minute of silence and a lasting memorial. On Sunday, FC Luxembourg City will play in Wiltz, where the team plans to hold a minute's silence in memory of Azaria. For their third match, which will be played in Luxembourg City, they are still considering how best to pay tribute to him on that day. Beyond the pitch, they also intend to create a place where club members can come to mourn their friend, a project that will take a little more time to realise.

UFC – The White House is to play host to a mixed martial arts bout on July 4 next year, the day the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding. President Donald Trump has been a regular guest at the often-bloody contests, where fighters punch, kick, and grapple with their opponent in a no-holds-barred battle to submission or knockout. Bringing the combat sport to the center of US political power will mark a historic first.

POLE VAULT – Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis bettered his pole vault world record by a centimetre yesterday, clearing 6.29 metres at the athletics meet in Budapest. Sweden's Duplantis broke the world record for the 13th time as he soared over the bar at the second attempt to improve on his 6.28m from Stockholm in June.

Weather

Dry conditions and thirteen hours of sunshine are expected today, while Meteolux has issued a yellow alert for the north of the country, and an orange alert for the south amid high temperatures. The morning starts off at 19°C, rising to highs of 33–35°C, although it could reach 36°C in built-up areas. The afternoon may see some clouds at high altitude, and conditions remain warm even as night falls, staying at around 32°C.

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