News
French island braces itself as cyclone heads its way - The French Island of the Reunion is bracing itself for a tropical cyclone which is forecast to hit the island later today. Situated in the southern Indian Ocean east of Madagascar the Reunion is about the size of Rhode Island and is home to around 900,000 residents. Meteo France has issued a red warning for the island, citing high waves, which have already reached the island and high winds. Meteo France said Cyclone Garance was an "intense cyclone" with winds equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane.
Vaccination campaign comes to an end today - The vaccination campaign against flu and Covid-19 ends this Friday, February 28th throughout France, yet according to the union of pharmacies for the Alpes Maritimes many residents of the Côte-d'Azur have not been vaccinated this year due to a shortage in supplies. According to data from Public Health France the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region is still in an epidemic situation for the eleventh consecutive week.
Artificial Intelligence helping tax authorities in the Bouches du Rhone - Artificial Intelligence has proved itself as a useful tool for French tax authorities after 5 million euros was collected in the Bouches du Rhone region for undeclared swimming pools. Tax authorities in the region have been using AI for four years now and it appears to be paying off. However, some remain sceptical pointing out that, whilst AI is a complementary tool to improve database and save time it is not free from errors. During the first test phases in 2021, the margin of error reached 30%. Since then, it has been reduced. One problem is that the tool does not know how to differentiate between the different types of swimming pools (built into the ground, buried, removable, etc.). Despite the criticism, the tax authorities do not intend to stop there. The tool could soon be used to identify other types of undeclared constructions, such as house extensions or isolated buildings.
Ultimately, since the implementation of AI in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, the results have been significant. In 2022, 11,200 swimming pools were automatically detected by artificial intelligence. After human validation, 7,200 swimming pools resulted in generating nearly 5 million euros for the taxman. Each owner concerned receives a notification and must pay a tax adjustment, which amounts on average, to around 200 to 300 euros.
Late-night grocery stores up in arms in Marseille following new regulation - Following the announcement of the upcoming closure of late-night grocery stores in downtown Marseille, those in the business have decide to counter-attack. Shopkeepers have joined forces and have hired a lawyer with the intention to file a suspension order and appeal the decision. In addition, they also plan to hold a rally today Friday, February 28th in front of the Marseille Chamber of Commerce at 2pm in order to gain the support of the president of the CCI. The move comes after the prefect announced a new decree on February 25th forcing certain late-night grocery stores to close their doors at 10pm from March 21st to April 21st.
Paul Watson founder of Sea Shepherd to visit Nice today - Environmental activist Paul Watson is expected in Nice today, Friday 28th of February. The whale defender is to attend the Nice Carnival on Saturday evening and visit the Port. Despite several months spent in a prison in Greenland, awaiting possible extradition to Japan, the 74-year-old founder of Sea Shepherd, is not ready to retire and will be the mayor of Nice’s guest of honour. During his visit he plans to discover a future protected marine area which the city of Nice hopes to create to preserve local biodiversity.
Nice Carnival to end this weekend - Nice Carnival will come to an end this weekend with the flower parade tomorrow afternoon at 2.30pm on Place Massena followed by the Carnival Parade of Lights at 8.30pm and the burning of the Carnival King and firework display at 10.45pm on the Promenade des Anglais. On Sunday the closing ceremony will be held on the Quai des Etats Unis at 10am. Entrance for both the fireworks and the closing ceremony is free.
Jackpot day – A historic day occurred in the world of casinos in Nice this week. With Wednesday, February 26th being marked with a record number of winnings, with an unprecedented 35 jackpots, totalling nearly 88,000 euros in just one day.
Stargazing – Finally, you may just want to look up at the sky this evening, as a treat is in store for astronomy enthusiasts and amateur stargazers on the Côte d’Azur. This Friday evening seven planets from our solar system are set to appear in a rare alignment at dusk offering a remarkable opportunity, with some even visible to the naked eye. The alignment should be visible from 6.17pm onwards.
Business
US President Donald Trump has said at a joint press conference with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer that a trade deal between the US and UK could happen "very quickly". Speaking during the prime minister's visit to the White House, Trump envisaged "a real trade deal" which could see the UK avoid the kind of tariffs the president has been threatening on some of the US's other trading partners. Sir Keir kicked off his White House visit by presenting Trump with a letter from King Charles inviting him to an "unprecedented" second state visit to the UK.
Meanwhile, Trump has said he plans to hit goods from China with a new 10% tariff. Imports from China already face taxes at the border of at least 10%, after a Trump tariff order that went into effect earlier this month. Trump also said on Thursday he intended to move forward with threatened 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, which are set to come into effect on 4 March.
And - Investment bank Goldman Sachs has pledged £1.5m to a West Midlands apprenticeship fund to help businesses in the region to develop their staff. Goldman Sachs plans to commit funds from its apprenticeship levy to the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) levy transfer scheme. The money will help small and medium-sized businesses, charities and social enterprises to invest in and develop staff.
Sport
Football - In the Premier League West Ham beat Leicester 2-0 last night. The result has left Leicester five points adrift of safety with 11 league games left or 33 points to play for. Their upcoming run of fixtures look tough with their next four games being trips to Chelsea and Manchester City and home matches against Manchester United and Newcastle.
This evening in the FA Cup Aston Villa is at home to Cardiff City.
And - Elite French football referees are prepared to exercise their "right of withdrawal" in the event of any further infringement on their private lives that could endanger them or their families. Following a meeting with various stakeholders within the sport on Thursday, SAFE announced that they would invoke their "right of withdrawal" if any referee's safety is compromised outside the pitch.
Rugby Union – 30-year-old Garry Ringrose is to miss Ireland's Six Nations match with France following his red card in last weekend’s win over Wales in Cardiff. Ireland are to play France on Saturday 8th March. Followed by Scotland against Wales.
Formula One – F1 driver Lewis Hamilton has said that he is "really enjoying" his new Ferrari as he set the second-fastest time on day two of Formula 1 pre-season testing.
Tennis – Britain’s Emma Raducanu has decided to play at the upcoming WTA tournament in Indian Wells following her recent stalking ordeal. The 22 year old was unsure if she was going to travel to the United States for the hard-court event which starts on March 5th.
Weather
Cloudy with some sunny intervals a gentle breeze and highs of 15 degrees in Nice, 14 degrees in Monaco. 16 degrees in Saint-Tropez. This evening going down to 8 degrees with clear skies.
The outlook for the weekend. Saturday sunny intervals highs of 15 degrees. Strong winds expected by nightfall. Drizzle is forecast for Sunday with a moderate breeze and highs of 16 degrees.
Sunrise 07.08am
Sunset 06.17pm
Weather elsewhere
Toulouse 15° sunny Rome 17° sunny intervals. Amsterdam 9° light cloud.
Liverpool 9° sunny intervals. Cardiff 9° sunny. Paris 9° light cloud.
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. ...
Read More
Sunny with light winds. Highs of 22 degrees in Monaco, Nice and Menton. 21 degrees in Saint-Tropez. 23 degrees in Antibes. ...
Read More
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...
Read More
A yellow weather alert is in place today, Tuesday April 29th, for the Alpes-Maritimes department, with Météo France warning of thunderstorms across pa...
Read More
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...
Read More
