The Today Radio news team brings you the latest headlines for Wednesday, 12 March.

Luxembourg

ILRES SURVEY – A recent survey conducted by polling institute Ilres in collaboration with RTL has revealed a significant decline in trust in the United States among Luxembourg residents, alongside strong support for increased defence spending in the Grand Duchy. A staggering 80% of respondents stated that the US is not, or is no longer, a trustworthy ally. The survey also revealed that 73% of respondents support Luxembourg increasing its defence spending, a figure nearly identical to recent polling in Germany.

BENELUX TALKS – Prime Minister Luc Frieden met his counterparts from the Netherlands and Belgium yesterday. In a press conference with Bart de Wever and Dick Schoof, the three prime ministers confirmed they are planning joint investments in defence and stronger cross-border police work in the fight against crime and illegal migration.

Today, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is on a working visit to Luxembourg. He is meeting Prime Minister Luc Frieden at Senningen Castle, followed by an audience with Grand Duke Henri at the palace.

PETROL PRICES – SP95 and SP98 petrol prices will be a little bit lower in the Grand Duchy this Wednesday. Just a few days after the previous decrease in petrol prices, Luxembourg's petrol prices are decreasing a little by 1.5 cents per litre, making SP95 petrol €1.46 and SP98 €1.55 per litre. Diesel price are not changing this time.

MANSLAUGHTER TRIAL – The trial of a fatal knife attack that shocked Luxembourg in January 2023 began on Tuesday; the Luxembourg City Court is examining the events that led to the death of a man during a football training session in Esch-sur-Alzette. The main defendant is a youth coach accused of manslaughter, among other charges. A second defendant, the father of one of the players, is also standing trial.

HOLIDAY DESTINATION – Luxembourg ranks among Europe's most expensive holiday destinations. French financial comparison platform HelloSafe has released its latest ranking of travel costs, revealing that tourists to the Grand Duchy can expect to spend an average of €169 per day, making it the fourth most costly European destination after Switzerland, France, and Iceland.

World

UKRAINE TALKS – US officials are preparing for a trip to Moscow with the hope that Russia will agree to a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Ukraine. After eight hours of talks in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine backed the proposal. President Zelensky described it as "a positive step".

US TARIFFS – 25% tariffs have come into force on all US steel and aluminium imports. Uncertainty over Trump's trade plans and worries that they could tip the world's biggest economy into a recession have roiled financial markets, with Wall Street indexes tumbling for a second straight day on Tuesday.

GREENLAND ELECTIONS – Greenland's centre-right opposition party has won parliamentary elections, according to preliminary results. One of the most important issues in the election campaign was the independence of Denmark. A debate that was relaunched by US President Trump, who would like Greenland to become part of the United States.

Sport

FOOTBALL – Starting with the football Champions League: Paris Saint-Germain held their nerve to beat Liverpool 4-1 on penalties and reach the Champions League quarter-finals, while Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Inter Milan also secured their spots in the last eight. Today, Atletico plays against Real Madrid. Other matches include LOSC Lille vs Dortmund, Aston Villa vs Club Brugge and Arsenal against PSV Eindhoven.

RUGBY – The future of Luxembourg Women's Rugby will be on display during the upcoming men's trophy fixtures, as RCL Girlz and Walferdange Ladies teams are set to take the pitch in two showcase matches. They will play at the half-time break of the Luxembourg Men's matches against Sweden and Poland on 29 March and 4 April.

CYCLING – Matteo Jorgenson helped power Visma-Lease a Bike to victory in the third stage of the Paris-Nice race, a team time-trial around the town of Nevers. The result saw the American all-rounder, the defending champion, back at the top of the overall standings ahead of teammate Jonas Vingegaard. Today’s stage is over 163km from Vichy to La Loge des Gardes.

Weather

We're starting off with a strong cloud presence in the morning, which could subside momentarily after lunchtime. Be ready for a few periods of mild rain throughout. Temperatures are a bit lower today: we start around 1–3°C, and go all the way to the  7–9°C range as the maximum for the day.
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