News
Mayor of Nice shows support for the victims of the wildfires in LA - Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi has said that his thoughts are with the victims of the wildfires in California and their families. In a social media post in French and English the mayor said that "the images of the fires in Los Angeles are devastating, and the toll is tragic". He said that he wanted to express his support for the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, as well as firefighters and law enforcement officers. He added "this disaster vividly illustrates the dangers of climate change that affect us all".
Founder of website used by Dominique Pelicot has been charged – In other news, France has charged the founder of the website used by Dominique Pelicot. Isaac Steidl from the Var and founder of the Coco.fr website has been charged for creating an adult website used to commit sexual offences, including by Dominique Pelicot who recruited dozens of strangers to rape his heavily sedated wife, Gisèle Pelicot, for over a decade. Dominique Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years in jail last month after a trial that turned his former wife into a feminist icon. The Coco website was shut down by the French authorities in June of last year when an investigation was opened. Steidl, who was born in southern France, is reported to have given up his French nationality in 2023 and taken Italian citizenship.
A fine on the tramway of Nice is set to increase - Lignes d'Azur has announced that a fine on the tramway is set to increase. In order to further reduce fraud on the Lignes d’Azur public transport network, the price of a fine for non-payment of a ticket could increase this year being revised upwards from 100 to 120 euros.
Monaco’s festive offerings see a record number of visitors - Monaco has announced that this year’s festive attractions over the Christmas period have achieved a record number of visitors. The Christmas and Sports Villages, which were both located on the Port of Monaco, were a major hit for both locals and tourists. Latest data shows that 639,017 visitors were welcomed to the Christmas Village, a record figure. While the Sports Village attracted 25,984 visitors, with 8,391 actively participating in a wide range of activities which were on offer. A recipe for success which will no doubt be on the cards again next year.
Monaco’s annual civil status report shows a slight increase in the number of divorces for 2024 - Monaco’s town hall has published its annual civil status report for 2024. Data has shown that there was a slight increase in divorces in 2024, and fewer births. 721 births were recorded in Monaco down from 804 in 2023. 399 were boys and 322 girls. Marriages in the Principality saw a decrease, with 176 ceremonies compared to 194 the previous year and divorces were on the rise slightly with 66 in 2024 from 64 in 2023. Finally, there was also a slight decline in deaths, from 538 in 2023 to 509 in 2024.
Registrations for primary and secondary education in Monaco now open - Online registrations for primary and secondary schools in the Principality in the public and private sectors under contract for 2025 have opened. The procedures are accessible on computer, tablet or smartphone 7 days a week and 24 hours a day from the MonGuichet.mc portal (Education section). In addition, for those who wish or are unable to complete the procedure online, completing the procedure on paper is still possible by contacting the Directorate of National Education, Youth and Sports (DENJS) or the establishment of their choice.
Any child aged 3 or over or reaching this age during the first quarter of the school year, Monegasque and/or resident in the Principality of Monaco, is eligible for enrolment in a public or private establishment under contract. In other cases, a request for exemption must be sent to the DENJS.
Villefranche-sur-mer is the most expensive city in the Alpes Maritimes when it comes to property - Recent data from the Real Estate sector has shown that the most expensive city in the Alpes-Maritimes is Villefranche-sur-Mer, with the price per m2 standing at 10,654 euros. Prices in the neighbouring town of Nice are however down by 7% compared to January of last year. A relative drop, as over the last five years, prices have risen by 39%. Meanwhile completing the podium where the price per m2 exceeds 10,000 euros is Èze, Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Cap d’Ail and Beausoleil.
Bakery in Nice supplies the Vatican with its galettes des rois - A bakery in Nice has such a good reputation that it supplies the Vatican with its galettes des rois. The establishment in Drap "La Boul'ange" treats the Vatican every year with its excellent galettes des rois. Since 2017, Jérémy Casalati has been living a success story. Behind the stoves, no pressure, even when it comes to supplying the famous galettes at this time of year to the Pope. In store, the brioches are sold at 34 euros per kg, or about 15 euros for a galette for 4 people.
Business
The Los Angeles wildfires are on track to be among the costliest in US history, with losses already expected to exceed $135bn. Private forecast Accuweather in its preliminary estimate has said that it expects losses of between $135bn-$150bn as the blazes rip through an area that is home to some of the most expensive property in the US. The insurance industry is also bracing for a major hit, with analysts from firms such as Morningstar and JP Morgan forecasting insured losses of more than $8bn.
US aviation giant Boeing has told reporters that it is donating $1m to an inauguration fund for President-elect Donald Trump. Google has also confirmed that it has made a similar donation as the two firms join a growing list of major American companies contributing to the fund. Trump's inauguration, marking the start of his second term in the White House, is set to take place on 20 January.
And - A judge has thrown out James Howells attempt to sue a council in the UK to recover from a rubbish tip a Bitcoin hard drive that is now worth about £598m. Howells had argued that his former partner had mistakenly dumped the hard drive containing a Bitcoin wallet in 2013, and he wanted to access the site and recover the cryptocurrency. But Newport council asked a High Court judge to strike out Mr Howells legal action to access the landfill or get £495m in compensation. The Judge said there were no "reasonable grounds" for bringing the claim and "no realistic prospect" of succeeding at a full trial. Reacting to the decision, Mr Howells said he was "very upset".
Sport
NBA - The Los Angeles Lakers have had to postpone today’s NBA fixture against the Charlotte Hornets amid ongoing wildfires in the region. Firefighters in Los Angeles are battling a number of blazes in city suburbs, as nearly 180,000 residents were forced to evacuate. The NBA said the date for the rescheduled game will be announced at a later time adding that "the entire NBA family sends its thoughts and support to the community of Los Angeles during this challenging time”.
Football – In the FA Cup on Thursday evening Sheffield United lost 1-0 to Cardiff City, Everton beat Peterborough 2-0 and Fulham beat Watford 4-1. In this evening’s FA Cup matches Aston Villa are at home to West Ham.
Cricket – With Pat Cummins on paternity leave it is former captain Steve Smith who will lead Australia in the upcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka. 35-year-old Smith previously served a two-year ban from captaincy following his involvement in the 2018 ball tampering scandal.
Formula One – 21-year-old Argentinian Franco Colapinto is to be Alpine's reserve driver this season after signing a multi-year deal to join the team from Williams.
Rugby Union – There are calls for RFU chief Bill Sweeney to be sacked. Various refereeing bodies and lower-level clubs from across the UK, had called for the RFU board to dismiss Sweeney "as soon as practicably possible". Sweeney's £1.1m compensation package, which coincided with record financial losses for the governing body and a round of job losses, topped their list of complaints.
Weather
Cloudy with some sunny spells. Moderate to strong winds with showers forecast by this evening. Highs of 16° in Nice, Saint-Tropez and Puget Théniers, 15° in Monaco and 17° in Hyeres. This evening going down to 13° along the coast and 9 degrees inland with cloudy skies.
The outlook for Saturday and Sunday. Tomorrow, light cloud with a gentle breeze, feeling cooler with highs of 14°. Sunday mainly fine with highs of 13°.
Sunrise 08.02am
Sunset 05.13pm
Weather elsewhere
London 2° cloudy.
Paris 5° light cloud.
Palma 19° sunny.
Due to high murkiness caused by recent storms, several municipalities in the Pays de Fayence continue to face tap water restrictions. ...
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A recent report published by the Court of Auditors has highlighted the underestimated risk of flooding on the Cote d’Azur, particularly criticizing th...
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Nice’s mayor, Christian Estrosi, has said he is open to compensating Villefranche-sur-Mer’s businesses if they suffer losses due to the cruise ship ba...
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On Monday, two skiing accidents occurred in our regions ski resorts.
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French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that the EU will defend its interests against any threats, including Donald Trump's potential tariffs, and...
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