The Today Radio news team brings you the latest headlines for Tuesday, 28 October.

Luxembourg 

POLICE OPERATION – Following a robbery in Eschweiler, police have urged the public not to offer lifts to anyone in the area around Wiltz. According to the police, several suspects fled the scene, prompting a large-scale search operation in the surrounding area. No further details have been released about the suspects or the outcome of the operation at present. 

BETTEL SPEECH – Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel is making his statement on national foreign policy in the Chamber today. His speech in the plenary session is at 2pm, which will be dominated by the war in Ukraine and the current fragile ceasefire in the Middle East. A debate is scheduled for tomorrow lunchtime.

KPL PROTEST – The Communist Party of Luxembourg, the KPL, is holding a lunchtime protest outside the US Embassy in Limpertsberg today, calling for an end to the decades-long blockade of Cuba. This coincides with a UN General Assembly vote today where nearly all member states are expected to support lifting sanctions against the island nation. The Trump administration recently returned Cuba to its list of state sponsors of terrorism.

TAX FRAUD –  A huge tax fraud operation which sought to embezzle nearly 50 million euros has been exposed in Luxembourg and Germany. The scheme saw a number of new electronic devices, such as phones, sold with the tax usually reserved for "resold" devices, thus allowing the seller to only pay VAT on the margins and not for the entire product.The European Public Prosecutor's Office, headquartered in Luxembourg, exposed the fraud with one hundred searches carried out across 7 countries, resulting in 7 arrests.

SEXUAL ASSAULT – The public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into the former director of a children's charity in Luxembourg following accusations of indecent assault. According to online news outlet Reporter, management at the "Lëtzebuerger Kannerduerf" referred the case to the prosecutor's office in March this year. The allegations date back to 20 years ago, when the accused is said to have sexually harassed a girl who had just turned 18 at the time.  

World

HURRICANE MELISSA – Hurricane Melissa is heading towards Jamaica with wind speeds of up to 260 kilometres per hour. The prime minister has warned of major destruction and has called on the population to seek shelter. The local weather service is also expecting catastrophic flooding. The hurricane has now been upgraded to Category 5,and means danger to life. Melissa has been blamed for at least four deaths in Haiti and the Dominican Republic this week, as its outer bands brought heavy rains and landslides.

GAZA CEASEFIRE – According to the Red Cross, Hamas has handed over another body of an Israeli hostage in Gaza. If the body is confirmed as a hostage, Hamas will have returned 16 of the 28 dead Israelis and foreigners  that must be handed over according to the ceasefire agreement. 
 
TRUMP JAPAN – US President Donald Trump has met Japan’s new conservative prime minister Sanae Takaichi, on the second leg of his Asia tour. Takaichi heralded what she hoped would mark a “new golden age of the Japan-US alliance” and Trump told her she would one of the "great prime ministers." The leaders also signed an agreement on securing the supply of critical minerals.

SUDAN CIVIL WAR – In Sudan, the paramilitary militia RSF has taken control of the last major city in the southwest of the country that was still controlled by the government. Fears have mounted for the safety of tens of thousands of civilians trapped in el-Fasher, which has been under siege for over 18 months. The UN has issued stark warnings over reports of atrocities and says the current situation is the worst humanitarian catastrophe on the planet at present.

Sport

FOOTBALL – Lionel Messi says he'd love to play for Argentina at next year's World Cup in North America, but the 38-year-old will wait to see how his body feels before making a final decision. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, who led Argentina to victory in 2022, told NBC last night he will assess his fitness during Inter Miami's pre-season before deciding if he can be useful to the national team as they defend their crown.

OLYMPICS – 100 days before the start of the 2026 Winter Olympics, it’s too early for the weather forecast, but one thing is certain - there will be artificial snow, much to the dismay of environmental activists. Although the Milano-Cortina Games will be scattered across the mountains of northern Italy, the organising committee has said it plans to make 2.4 million cubic metres of artificial snow.

Weather

It's a rather grey start to the day with breezy conditions bringing some rain and drizzle through the morning. The wet weather should clear by around midday, though we'll keep the cloud cover throughout the afternoon. Temperatures will start between 7 and 9 °C degrees this morning, climbing to highs of 11–13°C in the afternoon.
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