News
H.S.H expresses profound sorrow and sadness following car-ramming attack – H.S.H Prince Albert II of Monaco has expressed in an official statement to US President Joe Biden, his “profound sorrow and sadness following the car-ramming attack in New Orleans”. In the official address the prince extended “on behalf of his family and the people of Monaco his heartfelt solidarity with the families of the victims, the injured and the American people as they face this devastating tragedy” adding that “together, we stand united in grief and in our firm rejection of all acts of violence”.
Minister of Justice in Marseille to show support in the fight against money laundering and drug trafficking – In other news, France’s minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin has visited Marseille to show support to magistrates, as part of the fight against money laundering and corruption. During his visit on Thursday January 2nd, Darmanin announced that he wants to "put the resources" in place against drug trafficking and intends “to make his mark as the new Minister of Justice”. Appointed just one week ago, he was keen to show his "strong support to magistrates and prison officers", in their fight against organized crime. The minister pointed out that “the major problem is resources allocated to the justice system in France, with just 2% of the State budget going to the sector”. According to the minister 200 trials are currently pending in the Bouches-du-Rhône region, which is detrimental to "the credibility of justice and France’s institutional system".
Residents in Place Garibaldi launch a petition - Residents in Place Garibaldi in Nice have launched a petition against disturbances caused by people hanging around under the arcades. The area has many homeless people, mainly young men (some with dogs), who squat in the square day and night. Both those living on the square and running businesses have signed the petition and have expressed their exasperation by the situation which according to them “started after the lockdown”. The petition is hoping to grab the attention of the mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi, in order to find a rapid solution.
Large scale road operation - A large-scale road operation by the police in the Alpes-Maritimes has been carried out this week. Police operations have been increasing in the area in recent months, but this time, the entire department was concerned. Motorcyclists, police cars, anti-drug dogs were deployed to ensure the safety of police officers, especially in the event of a refusal to comply. The aim is to combat driving under the influence of narcotics or alcohol. The results of the operation are expected to be published next week.
Carlo payment system under the spotlight - Elected officials here in the Principality have pleaded in favour of keeping the Carlo payment application. The app, which was introduced in 2019 allows you to pay in stores in Monaco and at the same time save a cashback. Its intention was to use a convenient and fast means of payment in the Principality's shops as well as boost the Monegasque economy. Paying with Carlo allows the customer to have a 5% return on the price spent in their kitty. This cashback formula has made the application a success. However further discussions are planned to decide if the application is beneficial and at what cost.
Upgrade work to lighting in tunnels across the Principality - Monaco continues its upgrade work to public lighting across the Principality, which will see certain tunnels closed at night between 9.30pm and 6am. Phase one is taking place from the 6th of January through until the 5th of February and will result in nighttime closures. The move is part of Monaco's energy transition, with the replacement of outdated fluorescent and sodium lighting with energy-efficient, long-lasting LED systems.
The first phase of nighttime closures will be at the Rocher Nice tunnel under the Rocher, the Rocher and Canton tunnels. Phase two, from February 10th to February 28th, will affect the Colle, Dorsale, Hélios, Fontvieille descent, and Rocher Nice under the Rocher tunnels. Phase three, scheduled from June 16th to August 4th, will include the Dorsale, Canton (T2ter), and Larvotto tunnels.
Unique opportunity for ocean conservation for future generations - Do you think you may have a solution for ocean conservation? Are you a student, graduate or startup with less than three years of experience? Now is your chance to take part in the Monaco Ocean Protection Challenge 2025. It’s a unique opportunity which has been organised by the International University of Monaco, the Oceanographic Institute, Monaco Impact, and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. Applications are now open until the 6th of March and to find out more about how you can inspire innovation and protect our oceans for future generations go to https://www.monaco-opc.com/join-contact/
Commemorative stamp - The Principality of Monaco has issued a commemorative stamp to mark the Holy year of 2025. The stamp features the Jubilee logo, “Pilgrims of Hope” and reflects Monaco’s deep connection to its Catholic heritage. A special edition of the stamp was presented to the Pope highlighting Monaco’s commitment to celebrating the spiritual significance of the Jubilee Year.
New destination from Nice International Airport – Finally, if you wish to visit the wonderful city of Florence, in Italy, then you will soon be able to take to the skies from Nice International Airport, as for the first time, Air Corsica is to launch the new flight route between Nice and Florence. The twice-weekly service will begin on 27th June. In service on Mondays and Fridays it will be the first direct connection between Nice and Florence. Air Corsica already provides services to Rome, Milan, and Olbia. This latest addition enhances connectivity between Corsica, Nice, and Florence. Tickets for the new route are already available, with one-way fares from Nice to Florence starting at 99 euros.
Business
The FBI has said that the U.S. Army veteran who killed 15 people by ramming a truck into a crowd of New Year's Day revellers in New Orleans had acted alone. The 42-year-old Texas native who once served in Afghanistan had pledged allegiance to Islamic State and appeared to have made recordings in which he condemned music, drugs and alcohol.
After seven years as president of global affairs at Meta the former deputy prime minister and leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Nick Clegg, is to step down from his current job at the social media giant. Sir Nick's resignation comes just weeks before Donald Trump returns to the White House. The president-elect has repeatedly accused Meta and other platforms of censorship and silencing conservative speech. Sir Nick has been open about his views on Trump's close ally, Elon Musk, describing him as a political puppet master. The former Liberal Democrat leader moved to Silicon Valley initially but returned to London in 2022. In his statement, he said he was moving on to "new adventures" with "immense gratitude and pride" at what he had been part of.
And – In the UK parents who send their children to private schools could face higher fees from today as the government's flagship VAT policy comes into force. The government claims that the change will raise around £1.5bn in 2025 alone - rising to £1.8bn by 2029 - and fund the recruitment of 6,500 new teachers. But the policy has faced heavy criticism on Opposition benches, with shadow education secretary Laura Trott claiming the policy will "do nothing to help state schools". She accused Labour of "disrupting thousands of children's education vindictively in the middle of the school year.
Sport
Darts - Teenager Luke Littler has thrashed Stephen Bunting 6-1 and now goes through to the PDC World Championship final on Friday. The 17-year-old was runner-up last year and is bidding to become the youngest winner of the tournament after a whirlwind 12 months which has seen him become a household name.
Football - In the Premier League action on Saturday, Tottenham are at home against Newcastle United in the lunchtime game. Bournemouth play Everton, Aston Villa face Leicester, Crystal Palace are at home to Chelsea, Manchester City face West Ham, Southampton play Brentford and Brighton host Arsenal. On Sunday Fulham play Ipswich and Liverpool are at home to Manchester United.
Rugby Union – In their first tour of South America since 2017, England will play two Tests against Argentina in July. England won both Tests during their 2017 tour of Argentina. The most recent meeting between the two nations was the third-place play-off at the 2023 World Cup, which England won 26-23.
Weather
Cloudy with some sunny intervals by this afternoon. Moderate to strong winds. Highs of 14 degrees in Monaco, 15 degrees in Nice and Theoule sur mer, 16 degrees in Menton, Antibes and Rayol Canadel. Reaching 17 degrees in Saint-Tropez with a little less cloud than in the Alpes Maritimes. This evening going down to 9 degrees along the coast and 4 degrees inland.
The outlook for the weekend, sunny intervals with a gentle breeze and light rain forecast by Sunday evening. Highs of 15 degrees.
Sunrise 08.04am
Sunset 05.05pm
Weather elsewhere
Florence 13° heavy rain.
Barcelona 14° sunny.
Cardiff 5° sunny.
Expect heavy traffic this weekend in the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var as the school holidays end.
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Following France's first 2025 Council of Ministers, the government emphasized unity and responsibility amid political instability, aiming for cross-pa...
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H.S.H Prince Albert II of Monaco has expressed in an official statement to US President Joe Biden, his “profound sorrow and sadness following the car-...
Read More
This week, police and gendarmerie are conducting a large-scale roadside operation targeting drug and alcohol-impaired drivers in the Alpes-Maritimes....
Read More
As part of Monaco's energy transition, the government is replacing outdated fluorescent and sodium lighting in its tunnels with energy-efficient, long...
Read More
