The Today Radio news team brings you the latest headlines for Friday, 4 April.
Luxembourg
US TARIFFS – Luc Frieden and Xavier Bettel have reacted to US President Trump's announcement of sweeping new tariffs. Luxembourg's Minister for Foreign Trade, Xavier Bettel called it a ‘lose-lose situation’ and argued that consumers on both sides of the Atlantic would ultimately bear the cost of what he called "poor political decisions". In his first public response to the new US tariff policy, Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden described import duties as "an obstacle" to global commerce that typically represent "a bad idea". Frieden reiterated Luxembourg's preference for diplomatic engagement with the United States – Europe's largest trading partner – over an all-out trade war. The European Commission is currently drafting retaliatory measures, which will later be submitted to member states for approval.
DEADLY ACCIDENT – Despite rapid intervention by first responders, a young motorcyclist died yesterday afternoon following a single-vehicle crash on the N12 between Bridel and Rollingergrund. The incident occurred at around 12.40pm when the rider lost control on a curve and struck safety barriers. Police have not yet determined the cause of the crash but confirmed no other vehicles were involved.
MURDER SENTENCE – A 72-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2022 murder of his son. The incident occurred when the man ambushed his son early in the morning as the victim was on his way to work. After stabbing him multiple times, the assailant fled the scene but surrendered to police following a six-hour manhunt. The trial concluded in late February with a dramatic incident when the defendant attempted to take his own life in court by slashing his neck with a razor blade.
World
NATO MEETING – Amidst the tensions between the United States and Europe, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has made a clear commitment from the United States to NATO. Speaking at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels yesterday, Rubio said “we will stay in NATO”. However, he also called on members to raise military spending to five percent of GDP, including his own country.
GAZA WAR – Gaza's civil defence agency says at least 31 people, including children, were killed in an Israeli strike yesterday on a school serving as a shelter for Palestinians displaced by the war. According to AFP, women and children were among the dead, while six people are still unaccounted for in the strike. The Israeli military said yesterday it had struck more than 600 "terror targets" across the Gaza Strip since resuming its strikes in the Palestinian territory on March 18.
SOUTH KOREA IMPEACHMENT – South Korea's Constitutional Court has upheld President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment over his disastrous martial law declaration, voting unanimously to strip him of office for violating the constitution. His removal triggers fresh presidential elections, which must be held within 60 days.
Sport
FORMULA 1 – The Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka is coming up this weekend. Max Verstappen said yesterday he was unhappy with Red Bull's ruthless driver swap, saying his endorsement of a social media post criticising the move "speaks for itself". The four-time world champion has a new teammate at Suzuka after Yuki Tsunoda replaced the underperforming Liam Lawson two weeks into the Formula One season.
HORSE RACING - The Grand National, the world's most famous steeplechase, takes place in Aintree, UK on Saturday, watched by an estimated 600 million people around the world.
RUGBY - The future of Luxembourg's national rugby team in the Rugby Europe Trophy hinges on their season finale against Poland on Saturday. A win would propel them above Lithuania in the table, securing their place in the division – an unprecedented achievement for the team.Currently sitting at the bottom of the table, the team face a tough challenge against a physical Polish side still vying for promotion to the Rugby Europe Championship.
FOOTBALL – And there’s lots of football action this weekend… Liverpool can move closer to the Premier League title when the leaders face Fulham on Sunday. And Manchester City will look to bolster their bid to qualify for the Champions League against arch rivals Manchester United, also on Sunday. Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain can wrap up another Ligue 1 title this weekend and are also closing in on the first ever unbeaten season in the top flight of French football. PSG play host to relegation-threatened Angers on Saturday knowing a draw will be enough for them to secure their 11th French championship triumph in the last 13 years.
Weather
Today, we have sun, more sun, then a little bit of sun on top of that! It'll start off at around 6–8°C in the morning but will rise to a beautiful maximum of 22°C during the afternoon. And the best news is that it should be like this all weekend.
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