NEWS
SNCF Delays Despite Improvements Promise - A new TER service promises a train every 15 minutes at Monaco station since December 2024, following the opening of regional rail lines to competition. Despite improvements, one in ten trains is delayed, causing frustration among passengers, particularly during peak hours due to short trains and overcrowding. The Région Sud highlights progress with 20,000 extra seats daily, but penalties for operator SNCF Sud Azur could apply if punctuality issues persist.
Impulsion Program - The "IMPULSION" program, launched in 2025 in France (especially in the Alpes-Maritimes), uses AI to enhance lung cancer screening. Targeting smokers and former smokers aged 50-74, it aims to detect cancer earlier, improving survival rates by catching 75% of cases at a treatable stage. AI assists in tumour detection, characterization, and predicting cancer risk within six years, offering hope to reduce lung cancer mortality by 20%.
Three Nurses to Stand Trial For Fraud of up to 1M Euros - Three nurses from Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Alpes-Maritimes, are set to stand trial on the 27th of March for allegedly defrauding the French health insurance system (CPAM) of up to €1 million. Over the past three years, they are suspected of billing for non-existent medical procedures and travel. Under judicial supervision, they are prohibited from practicing, with €700,000 of their assets seized. In 2023, the CPAM had detected €11 million in fraud, almost double the amount detected in 2022 (€5.84 million). 80% of this fraud was carried out by healthcare professionals.
One Voice to File a Complaint - The animal rights association One Voice has filed a complaint with the Grasse judicial court against unknown parties after the deaths of fish and birds in no-fishing zones in the Alpes-Maritimes. They released shocking photos showing injured wildlife, including a seagull with a hook in its beak and a gull trapped in a net. The association accuses illegal fishers of leaving harmful waste like nets and hooks, causing severe injuries and deaths among local wildlife.
Vallauris Golfe-Juan Suspended - A French administrative court in Nice has suspended three articles of a concession contract between Vallauris Golfe-Juan and the Nice Chamber of Commerce for the redevelopment of the Vieux Port de Golfe-Juan, Alpes-Maritimes. The court cited a lack of competition, inadequate municipal oversight, and transparency issues, including illegal clauses on subcontracting, free asset transfers, and uncompetitive mooring allocations. The municipality has six months to comply.
Violent Fire - A violent fire has broken out on Friday morning in a second-floor apartment on Boulevard des Escouches in Bandol (Var), destroying the unit and damaging the roof. Two people were slightly injured, including a firefighter. The fire may have started from a phone charger on a bed, leaving at least three apartments uninhabitable and residents needing temporary housing.
Solar Park Construction Suspended - A French administrative court in Nice suspended the construction of a solar park on Mont Arpasse in Levens, citing an insufficient environmental impact study by the Monegasque company behind the project. The court found the study lacked detailed measures to offset biodiversity impacts and an in-depth ecological analysis. The company has 10 months to complete a new study, with potential public consultation if significant changes arise.
Alcohol in Nursery School Canteens - Despite a father's warning in December, nursery school canteens in Nice are still serving dishes with alcohol, such as minced beef cooked with white wine. The city maintains that the alcohol evaporates during cooking and the menus are approved by health professionals, but the concerned parent argues it unnecessarily introduces young children to the taste of alcohol. The issue remains divisive, with debates on public health versus cultural culinary practices.
French Winemakers Worried about US Tarrifs - French winemakers in Vaucluse, especially those producing Châteauneuf-du-Pape, are worried about a new 25% US tariff on European products. The US is a key market, with one in four bottles of this AOC wine exported there. The tax could impact sales and the local wine industry.
BUSINESS
Amazon has unveiled "Ocelot," a prototype quantum computing chip using "cat qubit" technology to reduce error rates—one of the biggest hurdles in quantum computing. This chip could lower quantum error correction costs by up to 90% and bring useful quantum computers closer, potentially within a decade. While experts welcome the progress, they note significant challenges remain before quantum computing becomes practical for commercial applications.
And - During a White House visit, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump discussed a potential US-UK trade deal that could be finalized "very quickly," possibly avoiding tariffs on UK goods. Trump accepted an invitation from King Charles for a historic second state visit to the UK. The leaders also addressed topics including Ukraine, the Chagos Islands agreement, and future collaboration on artificial intelligence.
SPORTS
Equestrian Sports - At 21 years old, Monegasque rider Íñigo Lopez de la Osa Franco will compete in the prestigious 2025 Global Champions League, facing the world’s best show jumpers at iconic venues like Monte-Carlo, Saint-Tropez, Paris, and Rome. Trained by equestrian legends Piet Raijmakers and Simon Delestre, he aims for the 2025 European Championships in La Corogne and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Football - Liverpool made an annual pre-tax loss of £57m up to 31 May 2024 - £48m more than they lost in the previous 12 months. However, the Premier League's club overall revenue rose by £20m to £614m in 2023-24, and its commercial income increased by £36m to £308m.
Tennis - Jannik Sinner's nomination for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award has been withdrawn after he was given a three-month doping ban. The world number one accepted an immediate three-month ban from tennis earlier this month after reaching a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency over his two positive drugs tests last year.
WEATHER
Partly cloudy in the Alpes-Maritimes and Var departments, with chances of thunderstorms in Tende, and mostly sunny in the rest of the region. Highs of 15 degrees in Nice, Saint-Tropez, Toulon and Marseille and 16 degrees in Cannes with gentle to moderate winds.
Tonight, cloudy with temperatures dropping to 8 degrees.
Outlook for this weekend,
Sat: mostly cloudy with highs of 15 degrees and strong winds.
Sun: sunny spells with highs of 17 degrees and strong winds persisting
Mon: cloudy start before a bright and clear afternoon. Highs of 16 degrees with moderate to strong winds.
France's Minister for Digital Affairs Clara Chappaz has announced that she is "actively working" towards a ban on social media for children under 15. ...
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Sunny with light winds. Highs of 22 degrees in Monaco, Nice and Menton. 21 degrees in Saint-Tropez. 23 degrees in Antibes. ...
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Around 1,000 residents in East Nice have experienced a power outage on the morning of the 29th of April, mainly affecting streets like Impasse des Lis...
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A yellow weather alert is in place today, Tuesday April 29th, for the Alpes-Maritimes department, with Météo France warning of thunderstorms across pa...
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As we approach May 1st, 2025, several important changes are set to take effect in France as with every first of the month, affecting everything from t...
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