Meteo France have said that the year 2023 ranks second among the hottest years ever recorded in France. 2022 was the hottest year so far. It said that the average temperature in 2023 was 14.4 degrees. That figure was 1.4 degrees more than the normal temperature recorded in the period 1991 to 2020. Internationally, 2023 was the hottest year ever recorded in the world, according to data from the European "Copernicus" programme, to which Météo-France is a contributor.
President Macron has paid tribute to former French socialist politician Jacques Delors at a state funeral in Paris today. Delors, who died on December 27, was President of the European Commission from 1985 to 1995. He was also French economy and finance minister in the goverment of Francois Mitterand in the early eighties. President Macron said that Delors "helped to draw the face of today's Europe, line by line". He said that he had worked to "reconcile people" and praised Delors for establishing the Erasmus student exchange programme, which was established in 1987.
The red warning for flooding in the Pas-de-Calais in northern France, has been reduced to an orange warning. Several other nearby departments remain on orange alerts. Thirteen schools will reportedly remain closed on Monday in the department because of flood damage.
A pro-Palestinian demonstration will be taking place in the Place Garibaldi in Nice tomorrow at 3pm. For the first time since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October, the Alpes-Maritimes Prefect has not banned the demonstration. A local court has authorized previous demonstrations.
The 24th edition of the Prom' Classic will be taking place in Nice this Sunday. Traffic and parking restrictions will be in place. The Promenade des Anglais will be closed between 4 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Authorities in Monaco have issued a warning about a scam which appears to be a communication from government services. It said that a fraudulent attempt relating to a request to exchange a foreign driving licence has just been foiled by the Monegasque Digital Security Agency. They were able to deactivate the link https: // teleservicegouv-monaco.info/ People who have been victims of a scam through that site with financial loss or who have transferred personal data to the addresses circulation@teleservicegouv-monaco.info or mclimousine.recrutement@outlook.fr are invited to report the details to the Directorate of Public Security. The authorities remind people that all online procedures from the Monaco government services contain “gouv.mc/” in their address. If you are asked in any procedure to use a link or an address that does not contain the terms “gouv.mc/”, you are strongly recommended not to open it. The official address for the Principality's online procedures is: https://monservicepublic.gouv.mc
A date for your diary if you're looking for work in Monaco. It's been announced that the 2024 Monaco Jobs Forum will be held on Friday February 16 at the Grimaldi Forum. As with previous gatherings, it will bring together, over a single day, businesses in the Monegasque economy and job candidates.
BUSINESS
Tesla is recalling more than 1.6 million vehicles in China regarding issues with steering software and door-locking systems, according to regulators. The problems will reportedly be fixed by remote updates to software, meaning the vehicles will not need to be physically taken to dealerships.
The UK new car market has recorded its best year since the pandemic as December sales were up 9.8%. It's the 17th month of consecutive growth. Just over 1.9 million new cars reached the road during 2023, an increase of 17.9%, according to the latest figures from indusrty body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. It said that growth was driven entirely by fleet vehicle purchases. Private consumer demand remained stable. The organization said that the overall UK new car market remains 17.7% below pre-pandemic levels.
A major Chinese shadow bank has filed for bankruptcy. A Beijing court accepted the application from Zhong-zhi Enterprise Group which has lent billions to real estate businesses. The court published a statement on the social media network WeChat saying that its "assets are insufficient to pay off all debts, and it clearly lacks the ability to repay in full".
SPORT
Tennis... Coco Gauff is through to the Auckland Classic semi-finals after beating Varvara Gracheva. Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal has lost to Jordan Thompson in the Brisbane International quarter-finals. World number two Aryna Sabalenka beat Daria Kasatkina 6-1 6-4 to set up a semi-final match against fellow Belarusian Victoria Azarenka.
Rugby Union....Ireland's Dave Kil-coyne has been ruled out of the Six Nations. His club Munster said he will be out for six months with a shoulder injury. He underwent surgery yesterday.
Football... In the English Premiership tonight, Brentford play Wolves and Tottenham are at home to Burnley.
A new optional regional transport tax for businesses, introduced in France’s 2025 budget, aims to fund eco-friendly mobility projects. ...
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A judge has authorised a dive to inspect the wreckage of a plane in the sea off Antibes. The plane crashed into the Mediterranean on September 11 1968...
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In France, drinking water is heavily contaminated with "forever pollutants," particularly trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), as revealed by two studies from ...
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The trial of the Tunisian man accused of the murder of three people in the Nice Basilica attack is continuing in Paris. Yesterday the families of the ...
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Four cities in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA) region made Booking.com's 2025 list of the "most welcoming destinations in France." ...
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