The Today Radio news team brings you the latest headlines for Monday, 24 November.

Luxembourg 

BETTEL UKRAINE – Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel has warned against imposing a peace deal on Ukraine without Kyiv's agreement. Speaking to RTL at the weekend, he said international borders cannot be changed by force, and criticised what he called America's tendency to negotiate whilst leaving Europe "to foot the bill". Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz echoed similar concerns about excluding countries from talks that directly affect them.

NORDSTAD MERGER – In Luxembourg, voters in Erpeldange-sur-Sûre have backed continuing merger talks with neighbouring municipalities. Just under 59% voted in favour of the potential Nordstad merger yesterday after a tied vote in the municipal council, with four votes in favour, four against, and one abstention.

FILM PRIZE – Luxembourg's film industry has celebrated its top talent at the annual Film Prize ceremony. Éric Lamhène's "Out of Hale" took Best Film, whilst Loïc Tanson's "Läif à Séil" was the evening's biggest winner with four awards. Film Academy President Fred Neuen praised the exceptional quality of this year's nominees, reflecting Luxembourg's growing international recognition in cinema.

FLU VACCINE – Flu vaccination rates among older people in Luxembourg continue to fall. New Eurostat figures show just 42.9 % of over-65s were vaccinated last year, down from 43.4 % in 2022. It is the 4th consecutive annual decline since the pandemic peak. Luxembourg now sits below the EU average, despite a brief uptick during Covid.

World

UKRAINE WAR – There has been progress on a peace plan for Ukraine. US and Ukrainian representatives have negotiated a revised accord following talks in Geneva. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he's confident a final agreement could be reached by the end of the week. Ukrainian representative Andriy Yermak says Ukrainian concerns have been given more consideration in the new draft. The proposal has been shared with Moscow and Turkey's President Erdogan is set to speak with Vladimir Putin today as part of mediation efforts. 

BELGIUM STRIKES – Belgium faces three days of widespread industrial action. Today, only half of all trains are running. Tomorrow, civil servants and municipal workers will walk out, affecting schools, hospitals, and public transport. On Wednesday, private sector employees join a general strike. No flights will operate from Brussels Zaventem or Charleroi airports. Trade unions are protesting government plans to cut spending by 10 billion euros over five years.

EU SUMMITS – EU foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels today to discuss trade tensions with the United States. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is attending. Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel and his counterparts want to discuss compromises with the EU’s most important trade partner for both goods and services. Meanwhile, an EU-Africa summit opens in Luanda, focusing on economic cooperation, migration, and security. The EU is Africa's largest trading partner.

Sport

FOOTBALL – Arsenal thrashed Tottenham 4-1 in the North London derby, whilst AC Milan beat Inter 1-0 in the Milan derby. In Sunday’s matches in the German Bundesliga, Leipzig won 2-0 Bremen and St Pauli lost 0-1 to Union Berlin. And in France, Metz had to accept a 2-3 defeat in Brest.

Scotland's 4-2 victory over Denmark, which sealed their World Cup place, literally moved the earth. The British Geological Survey detected seismic activity from celebrating fans at Hampden Park, registering -1 on the Richter scale.

SUMO – A Ukrainian sumo wrestler has made history by becoming the first from his country to win a tournament in Japan. 21-year-old Danylo Yavhusishyn, who fled the war three years ago, defeated Mongolian grand champion Hoshoryu to claim the title and will be promoted to sumo's second-highest rank.

TENNIS – Italy have won the Davis Cup for the third consecutive year, beating Spain 2-0 in Bologna. Flavio Cobolli sealed the title with a comeback victory over Jaume Munar, winning the deciding set 7-5. Italy completed the triumph without their star player Jannik Sinner.

Weather

Cold, but slighty warmer today; however, the winter chill will continue under thick cloud cover. Expect sleet, rain, and perhaps even snow.
Temperatures are expected to rise above yesterday's sub-zero conditions to 1–3°C, reaching a peak of 3–5°C in the afternoon. Conditions will definitely not be optimal for driving, so take care on those Monday-morning roads.

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