Your top stories on Thursday: André Rieu sought €15m from von der Leyen for tour; almost 100 people crashed during driving test

Here are the stories you need to start your day including: Bressie talks about his family’s Christmas while Emma Blain has been elected Lord Mayor of Dublin

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The pair met briefly earlier this year during the European elections , when Dr von der Leyen was taking part in a campaign debate in Maastricht, the Dutch city where Mr Rieu lives. In correspondence sent afterwards, Mr Rieu raised the prospect of the EU executive funding part of a world tour he was planning to stage in 2026. Get the best content direct to your inbox by signing up to one of our newsletters.