The Today Radio news team brings you the latest headlines for Wednesday, 22 October.

Luxembourg 

FLU VACCINATION – The Health Ministry has launched a new campaign targeting respiratory infections as we head into autumn and winter. Last year's flu season was especially severe, with cases peaking above 2500 cases per week. The flu vaccine is free with a doctor's prescription at pharmacies nationwide, and health officials say October is the best time to get vaccinated.

BABY PRINCE – The Grand Ducal Court has announced a new arrival. Princess Alexandra and her husband Nicolas Bagory welcomed their second child, a baby boy named Hélie, born on the 17th October. The couple's daughter Victoire now has a little brother. Both mother and baby are doing well.  

MURDER TRIAL – On day two of the Portugal murder trial yesterday, a forensic doctor said the victim was still alive when thrown into the water in 2021 and could have been saved. His partner, who is among the accused, allegedly admitted to poisoning the Luxembourg resident with insecticide, as well as to an earlier attempt using laxatives. The trial continues today.

World

UKRAINE WAR – NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte heads to Washington today for talks with President Trump focused on peace efforts in Ukraine. The meeting was announced unexpectedly by NATO on Tuesday. Meanwhile, European countries and Ukraine are reportedly working on a twelve-point peace plan that would end the war along current front lines. According to Bloomberg, the proposal includes creating a peace council chaired by Trump. Sources say Trump pressed Ukrainian President Zelensky last week to withdraw troops from the Donbass region.

GAZA WAR – Hamas has handed over two more bodies to the Red Cross, believed to be Israeli hostages. The remains are being transported for forensic identification. Meanwhile the International Court of Justice in The Hague will rule today on Israel's obligations towards agencies providing humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza, as aid groups scramble to scale up assistance following a ceasefire.

VIRGINIA GUIFFRE MEMOIR – The posthumous memoir of one of Jeffrey Epstein's accusers, Virginia Giuffre, has shot to the top of Amazon UK's bestseller list. "Nobody's Girl" details allegations against Prince Andrew, who renounced his royal titles on Friday following reported pressure from King Charles and Prince William. Giuffre, who took her own life in April aged 41, had settled a civil case against Andrew in 2022. He denies all wrongdoing.

LOUVRE HEIST – In Paris, prosecutors estimate damage from Sunday's spectacular Louvre heist at 88 million euros. Four suspects used chainsaws to steal eight priceless jewels in under ten minutes before escaping on scooters. Authorities fear the historic pieces may be melted down and the thieves remain at large. 

EU DRIVING LICENCE – The European Parliament has voted to introduce a single European driving licence, standardising rules across the bloc. The digital licence will be accessible via smartphone app by 2030, with a physical card format still available on request. All licences will be valid for 15 years.

ATLAS BROWSER – OpenAI is challenging Google Chrome with Atlas, a new AI-powered browser built around ChatGPT. CEO Sam Altman unveiled it on Tuesday, featuring an "agent mode" that conducts web searches automatically on users' behalf. The move intensifies the AI competition between OpenAI and Google.

Sport

FOOTBALL – Arsenal dominated last nights Champions League action with a 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid. Barcelona thrashed Olympiakos 6-1, while PSG routed Bayer Leverkusen 7-2. Luxembourg's Leandro Barreiro watched from the bench as his Benfica side lost 3-0 to Newcastle. In other matches, Manchester City beat Villarreal 2-0, Dortmund defeated Copenhagen 4-2, and PSV stunned Napoli 6-2.

TENNIS – Novak Djokovic has announced he will miss the upcoming Paris Masters, but added he hoped to compete at the tournament next year. Djokovic has not played an official match since going down to then-world number 204 Valentin Vacherot in the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters earlier in October.

CHESS – The chess world has been plunged into mourning following the sudden death of prominent US grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky. The International Chess Federation paid tribute to the 29-year-old, saying hs influence extended far beyond the chessboard. 

Weather

Clouds are out in full force, bringing with them a few periods of slight rain throughout the day. At night, the downpour should increase in intensity, along with some strong gusts of wind – especially as we get into the early hours of Thursday. Today's temperature is basically the same as yesterday's: 9–11°C minimum, getting up to around 14°C for the max.
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