The Today Radio news team brings you the latest headlines for Tuesday, 26 August.

Luxembourg 

GRAND DUKE OFFICIAL PORTRAITS UNVEILED  – Ahead of the throne succession in October, the Grand Ducal Court has unveiled the official portraits of the future Grand Duke and the future Grand Ducal couple. The portraits, which are traditionally displayed in public buildings and shops, were taken by Luxembourgish photographers Kary Barthelmy and Christian Aschman.

LUXEMBOURG LEADS TEACHERS PAY –  Recent EU figures show that Luxembourg's secondary school teachers earn some of the highest salaries in Europe, although when adjusted for cost of living, German teachers have a slightly higher purchasing power. While living costs do vary, the figures are nonetheless revealing: a teacher starting out in Luxembourg earns on average €89,794 gross per year, almost eight times more than a colleague in Bulgaria (€11,369). According to the most recent data (2023/2024) published by Eurydice, an official European Commission platform, Luxembourg continues to stand out in terms of teacher pay.

LUXEMBOURG ARMY – Luxembourg's Defence Minister, Yuriko Backes, said on Friday that Luxembourg would not contribute troops to the "reassurance force" currently under discussion among several Ukraine-supporting states. Speaking to Radio 100,7, she explained that Luxembourg already has forces deployed in Lithuania and Romania to help secure NATO’s eastern flank, and that any additional deployment to Ukraine would overstretch the country’s limited military capacity.

PETROL PRICES RISE – Petrol will go up by a couple of cents from today. A litre of SP95 unleaded petrol will cost €1.478. Premium petrol, or SP98, will cost €1.591 per litre. No changes are expected for diesel prices, which will stay at €1.417 per litre.

World

JOURNALISTS KILLED IN GAZA – Gaza's civil defence agency said five journalists were among at least 20 people killed Monday when Israeli strikes hit a hospital in the south, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressing regret over the "tragic mishap". Reuters, the Associated Press, and Al Jazeera all issued statements mourning their slain contributors, while the Israeli military said it would investigate the incident. The ongoing war in Gaza has been one of the deadliest for journalists, with around 200 media workers killed over the course of the nearly two-year Israeli assault, according to media watchdogs.

TRUMP REMOVES BANK GOVERNOR – US President Donald Trump on Monday abruptly fired Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, citing alleged false statements on mortgage agreements in a move expected to spark a major legal fight over presidential power and central bank independence. Referring to the Federal Reserve Act as justification, Trump wrote in a letter addressed to Cook: "I have determined that there is sufficient cause to remove you from your position." A US president is generally limited in their ability to remove officials from the central bank, with a Supreme Court order recently suggesting that Fed officials can only be removed for "cause", which could be interpreted to mean malfeasance or dereliction of duty.

RUSSIAN SPY HEARING FOR FRENCH RESEARCHER –  A Russian court on Monday held a secretive espionage hearing against a French researcher who is already serving a three-year prison sentence, the latest in a string of Westerners since the Ukraine offensive. Laurent Vinatier, a researcher with a Swiss conflict mediation NGO, was arrested in June 2024 and sentenced for breaching Russia's foreign agents law, in a case decried by Paris as "arbitrary". He has now been implicated in what appear to be fresh allegations of espionage, which carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years. However, Russia has provided no details of the case and it is unclear whether Vinatier has been formally charged or what exactly he is being accused of.

Sport

CRICKET – Fast bowler Will O'Rourke will be out for at least three months with a stress fracture in his lower back, New Zealand Cricket said Tuesday. The 24-year-old was injured while bowling in the first Test against Zimbabwe this month and returned home, where scans revealed the extent of the damage. "We're really feeling for Will at the moment and wishing him speedy recovery", New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said.

BOXING – Japanese boxing is at "a crucial moment" and could cease to exist if it does not radically improve safety, the head of the country's boxing commission told AFP following the deaths of two fighters. Super featherweight Shigetoshi Kotari and lightweight Hiromasa Urakawa, both 28, fought on the same card at Tokyo's Korakuen Hall on 2 August and died days later following brain surgery. The deaths have shaken the Japanese boxing world to the core, with authorities investigating the causes and debating measures to prevent further tragedies.

TENNIS – Carlos Alcaraz unveiled a striking new hairstyle before giving Reilly Opelka the chop at the US Open on Monday. The 22-year-old arrived on Arthur Ashe Stadium sporting a severe military-style crew cut for his night match with the American. While Alcaraz's new look failed to impress some – close friend and fellow player Frances Tiafoe called it "terrible" – it did not distract the streamlined Spaniard from the task at hand as he motored to a 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 first-round victory over the 6ft 11in Opelka.

Weather

Expect a very warm day with sunshine in the morning, and a few clouds gathering through the afternoon. No showers are predicted, although this may change on Wednesday! The morning temperatures start off at 10–12°C, rising to 27–29°C in the afternoon.

---

Be sure to catch our full bulletin on the hour, every hour, and headlines at half past the hour on Today Radio. You can also access the news via Alexa and on RTL Play.