2022 was the warmest year in France since records began in 1900 according to Meteo France. The average temperature for the year was 14.5 degrees, exceeding the previous record which was 14.07 degrees set in 2020. The organization also said that 2022 set a new record in terms of rainfall deficit since records began in 1959.
President Macron has announced a series of planned measures to help the French helath sector. Speaking at a hospital in Corbeile-Essonnes in the southern suburbs of Paris he said that he wanted to change what he called the "hyper-rigidity" of the 35 hour working week by the beginning of June. He also said that he wanted to improve pay for doctors working in hospitals and give more autonomy to the various services within each hospital. President Macron said it would take a decade to bring about real change as "we don't train doctors in a year or two years". However, the recruitment of medical assistants for doctors will be speeded up.
There's been a fall in certain types of crime in France in the last quarter of 2022. In a social media post today Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that thefts with weapons fell by 12%,violent thefts without weapons were down by 6%, burglaries fell by 4%, vehicle theft by 2% and homicide by 6%. The minister attributed the fall to "the increasingly visible presence of law enforcement".
A woman in her thirties has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital after the discovery of the bodies of two babies in her apartment. A judicial investigation has been opened following the discovery in a village near Annecy in eastern France. The local prosecutor said that the woman's two children had been entrusted to welfare services.
BUSINESS
More jobs than expected were created in the United States in December. The US economy added 223,000 new jobs in the month, which was still down from a revised 256,000 in November.
Euro area annual inflation is expected to be 9.2% in December 2022, down from 10.1% in November according to an initial estimate from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. Energy is expected to have the highest annual rate in December at 25.7%, which is down from 34.9% in November, followed by food, alcohol and tobacco.
The average house price in the UK fell for the fourth month in a row in December, according to Halifax. The bank said that prices in December fell by 1.5% compared to November. It said that uncertainty about how the cost of living will affect household bills, as well as rising interest rates, is slowing the housing market.
SPORT
Football... Gianluca Vialli the former Chelsea, Juventus, Sampdoria and Italy striker has died at the age of 58. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017.
Manchester United have signed Crystal Palace goalkeeper Jack Butland on loan for the remainder of the season. He's been with Crystal Palace since 2020 but hasn't played so far this season.
Tennis... World number one Iga Swiatek has been defeated in straight sets by American Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals of the United Cup. The final score was 6-2 6-2.
Novak Djokovic defeated Denis Shapovalov 6-3 6-4 to reach the Adelaide International semi-finals. He'll now face Daniil Medvedev.
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Cloudy with sunny intervals. Light rain is forecast for the Var region with moderate to strong winds. Highs of 17 degrees in Monaco and Saint-Tropez, ...
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White smoe Is billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel meaning A new pope has just been chosen! 133 cardinals have gathered in the Sistine cha...
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No new pope has been elected yet, as black smoke signalled another inconclusive vote during the conclave in the morning of Thursday the 8th of May. ...
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Unions at the SNCF have announced new strike action for June 4th, 5th, and 11th, following ongoing disruptions to train services in France during the ...
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