Local News
Another earthquake affects Nice and the Alpes Maritimes - Another earthquake has struck Nice and the Alpes-Maritimes region just two days after a magnitude 4.1 quake. Thursday evening at around 10:25pm the new tremor, measuring 2.8 in magnitude, was felt 13km northeast of Nice, near the town of Contes. Witnesses reported that the shake was brief but strong, with some saying the walls of their homes shook like they were hit by a shock wave. No damage or casualties were reported.
Weather warning - The Alpes-Maritimes and the Var department has been placed on a yellow weather alert due to thunderstorms, strong wind, high waves and the risk of flooding this Friday, March 21st. The weather will be cloudy throughout the day, with rare showers expected in the evening. Winds will be calm inland but strong along the coast, with gusts reaching 90 km/h in Antibes, 85 km/h in Nice, and 80 km/h in Théoule-sur-Mer. Météo-France has issued three alerts: for wind from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., thunderstorms from 6 p.m. to midnight, and high waves and flooding from 8 a.m. to midnight. Temperatures will range from 3°C to 16°C in the morning, reaching up to 21°C in parts of the region, 5°C above average for this time of year.
Region’s train network come to a standstill - The region’s train network came to a complete standstill on Thursday due to a technical issue. The breakdown identified shortly after 11am affected trains between Antibes-Nice. Delays and cancellations impacted many trains with services resuming in the afternoon.
Speed camera - A speed camera on Voie Mathis in Nice has recorded the most flashes in the Alpes-Maritimes last year, with between 73,000 and 75,000. This busy, accident-prone road, with a 70 km/h speed limit, sees around 43,500 vehicles daily. Between 2019 and 2024, there were 7 fatal accidents. The Promenade des Anglais also has a worrying accident rate, with 14 deadly road accidents and 64 serious from 2018 to 2024. Speed camera locations are based on studies, with the aim of improving road safety.
Grocery store ordered to remove sign - A grocery store in Cannes named "My Wife is a Pig" has been ordered by the City to remove its controversial sign. The shop, which opened in January, attracted attention with its bold name and logo. While some locals found the sign offensive, others were intrigued, and it attracted customers to the area. Shop owners Frédéric Saury and David Prince, who initially aimed to open a CBD store, said the name was meant as a joke and a marketing move. It worked—many people stopped by, some even taking pictures. However, the city ordered the sign’s removal in February, citing a failure to get proper authorization, not the controversy. Despite the removal, the owners plan to put the sign up behind the window. They defended the name, claiming that even their wives found it funny and that the name didn’t offend most people. The city, however, emphasized that the issue was a legal one, related to commercial planning regulations, not public offense.
World’s oldest Michelin star restaurant loses third star - According to French media reports the world's oldest Michelin-starred restaurant, Georges Blanc, has lost its third star. Georges Blanc, the 82-year-old chef, said they "weren't expecting it" and added, "We'll make do with the two stars... maybe we'll be less elitist and a little more accessible." Located in Vonnas, near Lyon, the restaurant earned its first star in 1929 under Georges' grandmother, Élisa Blanc, and has maintained at least one Michelin star ever since.
Business
Heathrow Airport is closed all day today, Friday 21st March, due to a large fire at a nearby electrical substation that supplies power to the airport. The closure is expected to last until midnight tonight. Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and to contact their airlines for further information. The closure is expected to cause widespread travel disruption. At least 1,351 flights to and from Heathrow will be affected by the closure, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24. The fire at the substation in Hayes, in west London, has left thousands of homes without power and caused around 150 people to be evacuated from surrounding properties
US President Donald Trump has invoked emergency powers to boost domestic production of critical minerals and reduce reliance on imports from countries like China. The executive order, using Cold War-era legislation, directs government agencies, including the defence department, to prioritize mining projects and provide technical and financial support. This move comes amid an escalating trade war with China, which controls much of the supply chain for key minerals. Last year, Beijing banned the sale of some critical minerals to the US, prompting American firms to seek alternative sources.
And – France’s Finance Minister Eric Lombard has announced that France's public investment bank, Bpifrance, will launch a 450-million-euro ($490 million) defense-focused fund. The fund is part of France's efforts to increase military spending amid concerns over a potential Russian attack and uncertainties about the future of U.S. protection.
Sport
Formula One - McLaren's Lando Norris has set the best lap in the practice at the Chinese Grand Prix, faster than Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Norris set his best lap at the session's end, ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri in third. Lewis Hamilton was fourth, followed by Mercedes' George Russell. Max Verstappen was on a fast lap that would have put him first, but aborted it and ended the session 16th.
Football - France captain Kylian Mbappe's return to the national team ended in a shock 2-0 defeat to Croatia in their Nations League quarter-final first leg on Thursday evening. France now face a tough challenge to overturn the result in Sunday's second leg at the Stade de France (19:45 GMT).
Meanwhile, England captain Harry Kane says he feels "taken for granted" and believes people have become "bored" of his goalscoring record. The 31-year-old, England's all-time top scorer with 69 goals, will look to add to his tally in Friday's World Cup qualifier against Albania at Wembley (19:45 GMT). Despite his impressive record for England, Kane has faced criticism in the German media for his performances at Bayern Munich, where he has scored 76 goals in 82 appearances.
Darts - Teenager Luke Littler hit a nine-darter to win night seven of the Premier League Darts in Cardiff. The 18-year-old hesitated before celebrating his final dart on double 15, unsure if it had landed, but celebrated wildly when the referee confirmed it.
Weather
The Alpes-Maritimes and the Var department has been placed on a yellow weather alert due to thunderstorms, strong winds, high waves and the risk of flooding. Cloudy with strong winds forecast and showers expected later in the day. Highs of 17 degrees in Nice and Monaco. Strong winds and heavy rain in Saint-Tropez with highs of 15 degrees. This evening going down 11 degrees with cloudy skies.
The outlook for the weekend is unsettled. Strong winds in the Var with sunny intervals and showers forecast in the Alpes Maritimes. Highs of 15 degrees.
Sunrise 06.31am
Sunset 06.43pm
Weather elsewhere
London 18° sunny intervals.
Lisbon 15° thundery showers.
Liverpool 17° sunny intervals.
And Finally
Study finds that babies have more memories than you think - A study published on Thursday has reveals that babies do form memories. However, it’s still unclear why we can’t recall those memories later in life. This challenge to the idea of "infant amnesia" (the phenomenon where we don't remember our first few years) has sparked some interesting questions. Professor Nick Turk-Browne, who led the study at Yale, says, "I’ve always been curious about that mysterious gap in our memories." While Freud thought early memories were repressed, scientists now believe it’s due to an underdeveloped hippocampus (the part of the brain that handles memory) in babies. In the study, 26 babies participated in a brain scan experiment. Yes, you read that right—babies in fMRI machines! The researchers used pacifiers, stuffed animals, and funky psychedelic patterns to keep them entertained. (Talk about a cool science experiment!) The results? Babies can encode memories from around 12 months old, but what happens to them later is still a mystery. Some scientists think these early memories vanish, while others believe they just become inaccessible.
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