French and Riviera News Friday 17th January 2025

News

Facebook scam sees woman pretend to be the wife of a victim of the Nice attack - Police in the Haute Garonne have warned of a recent scam on social media which saw a woman claim on Facebook that she was the wife of one of the victims of the July 14th, 2016 Nice attack. The aim was to extort money.  According to a report from the France’s Ministry of the Interior, 9 out of 10 French people have already been confronted by a scam on social media. In total, nearly 300,000 digital-related offenses were recorded in 2023 in France.  Recently, the incredible story of Anne who was scammed out of more than 800,000 euros thinking she was having a relationship with Brad Pitt was exposed by Sept à huit and is another sad example of how people can be manipulated.  

Culture Minister Visits Marseille - French Culture Minister Rachida Dati has visited Marseille for the first time in her role. As part of her visit on Thursday, she announced a broader plan to protect religious and cultural heritage in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, including significant funding for Marseille's cathedral and historic monuments.

Masks are now Mandatory in Hospitals of the Alpes-Maritimes and Var - Hospitals have reinstated mandatory mask-wearing due to an intense flu epidemic in the Alpes-Maritimes and Var departments, including Nice and Cannes. Masks are provided at some hospital entrances, and the measure is being framed as common sense to protect vulnerable individuals. While enforcement is lenient, the policy underscores the mask's evolving role as a seasonal health precaution.

Joan Of Arc Statue Contract Annulled - The administrative court of Nice has annulled the €170,000 contract for a Joan of Arc statue, citing a lack of competitive bidding. The city must now dismantle the statue, placed near a parking lot. The controversy has sparked political and ideological debates, including accusations of favouritism in awarding the contract to Atelier Missor, known for traditionalist and conservative-themed artworks.

47th Monter Carlo Circus Festival - The 47th Monte-Carlo Circus Festival continues its tradition of including animals, emphasizing strict animal welfare standards. Only circuses demonstrating exceptional care are invited, with round-the-clock monitoring and public access to observe conditions. Organizers argue that criticism often stems from misunderstanding, highlighting their commitment to high standards both on and off the stage.

Condamine market to undergo renovation work – It’s been confirmed by the Mayor of Monaco that the Condamine market here in Monaco will undergo a major transformation. An essential place in Monegasque life and the popular heart of the Principality. The renovation work is planned for the beginning on next year. Traders located in the market hall will be relocated to the Place d’Armes. Work is expected to last for a period of 13 months.

French horse breeder can keep wild boar – Finally, a court in France has ruled that a wild boar adopted by a French horse breeder can remain with her owner. The court ruling came after authorities threaten to remove her triggering a storm of protest. Found as a tiny piglet near rubbish bins outside a horse farm in Chaource, central France, in April 2023, Rillette has grown and now runs around with the horses and dogs on the farm. After early attempts to release her back into the wild failed, farmer Elodie Cappe had Rillette sterilised and vaccinated, provided her with an enclosure and put in several requests with the regional prefecture for authorisation to keep a non-domesticated animal. The requests were all rejected while local authorities threatened to confiscate or euthanise the animal. Cappe faced potential prison time and a fine of up to €150,000 (£126,000) for “capturing or detaining wild animals”.

Business

French President Emmanuel Macron is to travel to Lebanon today Friday 17th January, for the first time since 2020 to help speed up the formation of a government that can quickly implement reforms and open the door to reconstruction. Paris has played a key role in helping break Lebanon's political deadlock, along with its American and Saudi counterparts, that has now led to a new president and prime minister. French officials said they were optimistic Saudi Arabia would provide financing and equipment to reinforce the Lebanese Armed Forces.

The World Bank has warned that the global economy is set to flatline this year amid fears including fresh US tariffs hitting trade. President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to introduce trade tariffs on imports to the US which could have worldwide financial consequences. Trump sees them as a way of growing the US economy, protecting jobs and raising tax revenue - and has threatened to issue tariffs against China, Canada and Mexico on day one of his presidency on Monday. The US is the world's largest importer. According to official data China, Mexico and Canada account for about 40% of the $3.2 trillion (£2.6tn) of goods it imports each year

And - BP is to cut about 4,700 staff. As part of the oil giants plan to cut costs the move could see it affect more than 5% of its total workforce. The British firm, which has a global workforce of about 90,000 people, confirmed the job losses on Thursday, but has not said how many roles will be affected in each country it operates in. BP employs about 16,000 people in the UK, of which about 6,000 are based in petrol and service stations and will not be affected by the cuts.

Sport

Football – In the Premier League on Thursday evening, Brighton beat Ipswich 2-0 and Manchester United won 3-1 at home against Southampton.

In the Premier League action tomorrow lunchtime, Newcastle are at home to Bournemouth, Brentford play Liverpool with a 4pm kick off French time, Leicester face Fulham, West Ham are at home to Crystal Palace and Arsenal play Aston Villa. On Sunday Everton play Tottenham, Manchester United play Brighton, Nottingham Forest are at home to Southampton and Ipswich face Manchester City.

Rugby Union - England’s coach is showing great confidence ahead of the six Nations saying that he is “aiming for a Six Nations sweep”.  After last year's Six Nations ended with strong performances in victory against Ireland and in a narrow defeat against France few would have expected the side to win just two of their next seven matches – both against Japan.

Tennis - American Danielle Collins thanked fans that heckled her during her second-round victory over at the Australian Open for "paying my bills". The 31, said she "loved" the hostile atmosphere adding that it motivated her against the world number 195.

Collins returned to tennis at the start of 2025 after previously announcing she would retire at the end of the 2024 season.

Weather

Mainly fine with light winds. Highs of 15° in Nice, 14° in Monaco and Antibes, 13° in Saint-Tropez.  This evening going down to 5° with clear skies.

The outlook for the weekend. Saturday, sunny with a moderate breeze and highs of 17°. Sunday, sunny intervals and highs of 16°. Light showers are forecast for Monday morning.

Sunrise 07.59am

Sunset 05.21pm

Weather elsewhere

London 7° light cloud.

Liverpool 7° sunny intervals.

Lisbon 15° sunny.

 

 

Last local news

Condamine Market Undergoes Renovations in Monaco

The Condamine Market will undergo a major renovation starting in early 2026, with traders temporarily relocated to Place d’Armes in a Christmas villag... Condamine Market Undergoes Renovations in Monaco Read More

17/01/2025

Didier Guillaume, Minister of State of Monaco, has Passed Away

Prince Albert II of Monaco has announced with deep sadness the passing of H.E. Didier Guillaume, Minister of State of Monaco, following a sudden illne... Didier Guillaume, Minister of State of Monaco, has Passed Away Read More

17/01/2025

Evening Update Friday 17th of January 2025

A first in France, a patient in Marseille is "potentially" cured of HIV following a bone marrow transplant from a donor with a rare mutation blocking ... Evening Update Friday 17th of January 2025 Read More

17/01/2025

French and Riviera News Friday 17th January 2025

Police in the Haute Garonne have warned of a recent scam on social media which saw a woman claim on Facebook that she was the wife of one of the victi... French and Riviera News Friday 17th January 2025 Read More

17/01/2025

Filmmaker David Lynch dies at 78

Hollywood has paid tribute to David Lynch describing him as “a singular, visionary dreamer’. Steven Spielberg, Nicolas Cage, Ron Howard and others sha... Filmmaker David Lynch dies at 78 Read More

17/01/2025