The Today Radio news team brings you the latest headlines for Thursday, 13 November.

Luxembourg 

LATE-NIGHT BUSES – The government will triple its subsidies for municipal night transport services starting in 2026, a move aimed at expanding alternatives to private car use and improving road safety. The government will significantly increase its financial support to municipalities for night transport services, such as the Late-Night Bus, Night Rider, and Night Bus.

GOVERNMENT PETITIONS – Nine new petitions have gone online today, requiring at least 5,500 signatures by Christmas Eve to be debated in the Chamber. Demands include free and improved wheelchair access to cultural institutions, and a basic salary of up to 1000 euros for those unable to find work but not entitled to unemployment benefit. The full list is available at petitions.lu.

FRIEDEN US – Luxembourg's Prime Minister Luc Frieden is in the United States this week meeting tech giants including Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Google. The discussions focus on data processing and artificial intelligence. Whilst Amazon's CEO confirmed Luxembourg remains central to the company's European operations, he said it is unclear whether the Grand Duchy will be affected by the 30,000 job cuts announced in October.

CHILDREN'S HOSPICE – Around 500 children in Luxembourg are estimated to need palliative care, yet the country still has no dedicated children's hospice. Since 2019, the association 'Pour une Parenthèse' has campaigned for Luxembourg's first such facility, offering families with terminally ill children respite and support. Despite inclusion in the National Plan, the project remains in political limbo with ministries still debating responsibility.

WEALTH GAP – A new STATEC report reveals stark income inequality in Luxembourg, with the wealthiest 20% earning nearly five times more than the poorest 20%. While average household income reached nearly €7,700 per month in 2024, the at-risk-of-poverty rate jumps to nearly 27% after accounting for housing costs. One in four pensioners receives below the legal minimum.

SAHARAN DUST – A cloud of Saharan dust is passing over Luxembourg, giving the sky a hazy, ochre appearance until Saturday. The dust arrived overnight and is expected to linger until at least Friday evening. Motorists are warned not to brush sand off their vehicles immediately, as the grains can scratch paintwork.

World

TRUMP EPSTEIN – Democrats have published emails allegedly linking Donald Trump to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. The messages suggest Trump knew about abuse of young girls in Epstein's circles and visited his home whilst a victim was present. The White House has dismissed the emails as a fake narrative, accusing Democrats of selectively leaking messages to smear the President.

US SHUTDOWN – In the USA, the government shutdown is over. The House of Representatives has voted to approve a Senate-passed package for an interim budget. President Trump then signed it into law. It is the longest shutdown in US history: 43 days that paralysed Washington and left hundreds of thousands of workers unpaid.

FRANCE ATTACKS ANNIVERSARY – France is marking the tenth anniversary of the Paris terror attacks today. 130 people were killed and over 680 injured in coordinated Islamist attacks at five locations including the Stade de France and the Bataclan concert hall. President Macron is visiting all attack sites with victims' families, with a tribute ceremony scheduled for this evening at Place Saint-Gervais.

GERMANY MILITARY – Germany's governing parties have agreed on a new compulsory military service model to be presented today. All men from a certain age group would be assessed, with volunteers sought first. If insufficient numbers come forward, a lottery would be used to meet Bundeswehr personnel requirements. Defence Minister Pistorius says the system could start next year.

Sport

FOOTBALL – It's the penultimate matchday in the World Cup qualifiers this evening. On the 10th anniversary of the Paris attacks, France host Ukraine at the Parc des Princes. Portugal travel to Ireland, England face Serbia, and Italy are away in Moldova.

In the Women's Champions League, Bayern Munich stunned Arsenal with a remarkable comeback, winning 3-2 after trailing 2-0. Manchester United beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 at Old Trafford, whilst Barcelona top the table after defeating Leuven 3-0. Elsewhere Juventus beat Atletico Madrid 2-1, and Benfica held Twente to a 1-1 draw.

Luxembourg's Under-21s play Iceland at home in the European qualifications, kicking off at 7.30pm at the Stade Emile Mayrisch in Esch.
And UEFA has announced the first details of the 2028 European Championship to be held across England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The opening match will take place in Cardiff, whilst both semi-finals and the final will be staged at London's Wembley Stadium. The qualifying groups will be drawn in early December next year.

TENNIS – World number one Jannik Sinner has reached the semi-finals with a straight-sets victory over Alexander Zverev, winning 6-4, 6-3 at the ATP Finals in Turin. Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime beat Ben Shelton in three sets to boost his knockout stage hopes.

Weather

Today and on Friday, we are on the front side of a strong low-pressure system over the eastern Atlantic, bringing unusually warm air from the western Mediterranean to us. We will see isolated patches of fog this morning, especially in the river valleys, but otherwise it will be dry with occasional sunshine through high clouds and maximum temperatures of 15 to 18 degrees.

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