ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR - The Israeli war cabinet has voted to accept a temporary ceasefire deal that will see Hamas release 50 Israeli hostages being held in Gaza. A senior official said 30 children and 20 women would be freed during a 4-day pause in fighting. Reports suggest Hamas may also release an additional number of non-Israeli hostages. Israel has vowed to continue its war with Hamas when the truce ends.
Visit our live ticker for the latest updates.
NETHERLANDS ELECTION - Dutch voters will cast their ballots in a closely fought snap general election today. The final TV debate saw party leaders clash over migration, the economy, climate change and a chronic housing shortage. Dilan Yesilgoz from the centre-right VVD party is hoping to become the first female prime minister in the Netherlands. Contenders include Frans Timmermans, Peter Omtzigt and Geert Wilders.
NORTH KOREA SATELLITE - North Korea claims it has succeeded in putting a military spy satellite into space after two previous failures. South Korea says it has not confirmed yet if the satellite is operational. But it says it believes the North received help from Russia.
GOVERNMENT STATEMENT - Prime Minister Luc Frieden’s government statement is scheduled for today 2pm, followed by comprehensive debates tomorrow. The week will conclude with a vote of confidence. Since yesterday, the government is complete. 21 new members of parliament have been sworn in and Claude Wiseler has taken the reins as the new President of the Chamber.
JOINT ATMs - Six Luxembourg banks — Spuerkeess, BIL, BGL BNP Paribas, Raiffeisen, POST, and ING — have announced plans to merge their ATM networks by 2025.This joint initiative aims to “optimise” the distribution of cash points across the country.
COLD SNAP - Temperatures in Luxembourg and the rest of the Greater Region will gradually approach 0°C over the next few days. It’s the first cold snap of the season. According to MétéoLux, several cold mornings are forecast, before temperatures fall to around 0°C on Saturday morning. As a reminder, winter tyres are compulsory in cars as soon as conditions become “wintery”. Anyone driving without them risks a €74 fine.
CHRISTMAS MARKETS - It’s that time of the year again, marking the return of the Christmas markets across Luxembourg. The capital’s market opens at 5.30pm on Friday evening and this year will run until the 7 January. In addition to culinary specialities such as Gromperekichelcher and mulled wine, visitors will be able to gaze at a winter wonderland of festive lights, over 1600 decorative structures, including 547 Christmas trees. The ice rink will also make its much awaited return - after being cancelled due to energy saving measures last year - and will this year be installed in the city’s Kinnekswiss park.
BAZAR INTERNATIONAL - Anticipation is building for a weekend packed with bustling stands and new features at the Bazar International de Luxembourg. With tons of stands offering food and merchandise from different countries, it’s a global experience right at your fingertips! By participating in the Bazar through eating, drinking, and shopping, visitors contribute to supporting the 48 charities chosen for this year’s event.
FOOTBALL - Croatia has qualified for next year’s European Football Championship with a 1-0 win against Armenia.
Leroy Sane was given a red card for lashing out at an opponent as Germany went down 2-0 to Austria in a friendly match yesterday, continuing their woeful run just over six months from hosting Euro 2024. Austria have now won seven and lost just one of their ten matches in 2023 while qualifying for Euro 2024.
Argentina defeated Brazil 1-0 in an ill-tempered 2026 World Cup qualifying clash marred by pre-match crowd trouble that forced kick-off to be delayed.The win at Rio’s iconic Maracana Stadium leaves Argentina on top of the South American qualifying standings with 15 points from six games.
TENNIS - Wimbledon’s expansion plans have suffered a significant blow after a local council rejected their proposal to build new tennis courts on land near the All England Club. The expansion would have allowed Wimbledon’s qualifying tournament to take place on site.
CRICKET - Transgender women who have been through male puberty have been barred from international women’s cricket under new regulations announced by the International Cricket Council (ICC). In September, Canada’s Danielle McGahey became the first transgender cricketer to take part in an official international match.International governing bodies in cycling and athletics have also banned transgender competitors.
There might just be a hint of sunlight peeking through from time to time today. Otherwise, dry conditions shall prevail, although temperatures are taking a bit of a wintry dive. Morning temperatures start off at -1°C in some northern areas, to around 3°C in southern Luxembourg, rising to highs of just 3-5°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.
